Tag Archive for: Saver

Dennis PRO 34R a time saver for The Swans

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Dennis PRO 34R a time saver for The Swans: A fleet of ten Dennis PRO 34R rotary mowers has saved the Swansea City FC groundstaff a huge amount of time and made their working day more manageable according to Head Groundsman, Evan Davies. 

After working at the club for nearly a decade, Evan was appointed as the Head Groundsman in April 2021. He claims that his journey to this point has fully prepared him for the challenge ahead.

“The first 3 or 4 years were tough, especially when Swansea were in the Premier League,” said Evan. “The club has always demanded excellence from everyone, and I like to think this has brought the best out in me.”

Dennis PRO 34R a time saver for The Swans

Dennis PRO 34R a time saver for The Swans

Evan now oversees the maintenance of all three club sites – the Swansea.com Stadium, the first team Fairwood Training Ground and the Swans Academy which is situated at Landore. With a vast number of games and training sessions across all three sites, the grounds staff work around the clock to maintain the pitches.

Evan was keen to stamp his own mark and implement some of his own ideas and he quickly identified that a change in his fleet of rotary mowers could offer a significant benefit.

“It is essential that the cleaning of pitches is completed as quick as possible,” he said. “The only way to achieve this was with a rotary mower with a bigger cutting deck which had the ability to increase the speed. I quickly found that it was only the Dennis PRO 34R that would work in this respect. Therefore, one of my first purchases when I started the role was ten Dennis PRO 34R rotary mowers.”

Designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface the Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements.

“The PRO 34R’s allow us to manage the working day so much better,” said Evan. “At the training ground, for example, three members of staff can clean three pitches in two hours with the Dennis PRO 34R’s. With our previous rotary mowers that would have been a full 8-hour day carried out by 6 members of staff. This has allowed us to focus more on other tasks such as divoting and repairing the pitches, all things which we wouldn’t have had time to do before.

“The presentation it offers is also first-class,” he continued. “Leading up to a matchday we like to give the pitch a rotary cut on the Friday or the Saturday because it helps to make the pattern stand out. The leaf itself seems a bit happier after being cut with a PRO 34. They are so easy to set with just a little pin drop. With other rotary mowers you just can’t get that precise height of cut.

Dennis PRO 34R a time saver for The Swans

Dennis PRO 34R a time saver for The Swans

“For cleaning, you’ve got the brush on it which you can use aggressively or use it lightly on the surface to pick the debris up – it is just a win-win for us. There are not many mowers that give you an outstanding clean, cut and finish.”

Evan is also of the opinion that the Dennis customer service equals the standard of the product.

“The back-up I receive from Jason Briggs at Dennis is quality. He keeps in touch and has been to visit all three sites. He is very comfortable around all the staff, and he provides us with a lot of knowledge on the machines, which is beneficial for the younger members of the team.

“I also like the fact that Dennis is always thinking ahead,” he continued. “Dennis is a company that always listens to customers and then in turn comes up with ideas and technology to make our working lives easier. It certainly takes the pressure off us.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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Toro Irrigation A Water Saver

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Toro Irrigation A Water Saver: Thanks to Toro irrigation, Royal Birkdale Golf Club saved 25 percent on water consumption throughout the 2018 heatwave.

The timing could not have been more fortuitous as Royal Birkdale Golf Club turned on its new Toro irrigation system in April 2018 just in time for one of the hottest summers the country has ever experienced.

Toro Irrigation A Water Saver

Little did Chris Whittle, course manager at Royal Birkdale, know, as the tender process for a new irrigation system started in September 2017, that within weeks of installation a record equalling heatwave would hit the country.

As golf courses fought to prevent their turf from being burnt brown and water costs rose accordingly, Chris was in the fortunate position of having efficient, accurate and precise irrigation at his fingertips with a new Toro Lynx central control system and all new sprinklers, including Toro Infinity, across the 240-acre 18-hole links course in Southport, Merseyside.

“The time had come to replace our system,” says Chris, who has been course manager at the prestigious club for almost a quarter of a century. “We had a Toro system that had always served us well and the service from distributor Reesink Turfcare, L.S. Systems and Robin Hume Associates has always been great so there was no question we’d go with anyone else, but we needed more control. Lynx was the obvious choice and no sooner was it installed than it was put to the ultimate test!”

And the system triumphed in the face of adversity, says Chris: “We’re delighted with the results Toro has delivered. We spent some time learning the system, there was tweaking required as we set it up, making it specific to the course and making sure we maximised its capabilities. Once that was done, operation was easy and straight-forward. As I’m sure you can imagine having remote access to make real-time adjustments was particularly useful this summer!

“Prioritising water allocation meant we kept the course playing well, looking fine and in the best possible health,” Chris continues. “Not only that, but despite the need for more irrigation than we’ve experienced for many years, we made huge savings in water consumption.”

25 percent savings and that’s a conservative estimate, says Chris: “It was a figure that was unexpected in how significant it was. We hoped to make savings with the new system obviously, but not while we contended with extreme heat and lack of rain, the worst of which we hadn’t seen in years! When we realised how much we’d saved we couldn’t believe it.”

Royal Birkdale has held more championship and international events since World War Two than any other course in the world and has been voted the number one golf club in England, one of the top five clubs in the UK and among the top 35 in the world, so standards were expected to remain high despite the conditions. And Toro could be relied upon to help do just that.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Wiedenmann A Time Saver

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Wiedenmann A Time Saver: Two new kit arrivals for a busy Middlesex grounds team are saving up to five working days a month.

The Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD and the Wiedenmann Super 500, delivered in October, are significantly reducing time spent on aeration, collecting and scarifying.

Wiedenmann A Time Saver

Chris Lynch, Grounds Manager at John Lyon School, Harrow-on the-Hill and his two assistants, Mark Chandler and Joe Naughton now have breathing space to tackle different projects. The site, at Sudbury Fields in North West London, has four full size football pitches, three junior size pitches, 4 training zones and three cricket squares. On any given afternoon up to 200 pupils and PE staff from the independent boys’ day school, make full use of the playing facilities.

“Other than our 1st team football pitch, each pitch and training zone can get used up to nine times per week,” said Chris Lynch.

“With our previous aerator, we could expect to cover all 28 acres, minus the cricket squares, in five to six working days. Now with the GXi8 HD, the sports fields with the cricket squares included can be done in less than three days.

“We’re also saving at least two days a week with the Super 500.  Just last week all pitches were raked quite roughly to take out dead grass. Lots of material came out. We took the Super 500 across and in one pass it picked everything up.  I was beyond impressed.  All 28 acres collected with one pass in just over two days.”

“In terms of time saved and work quality these machines are fantastic. All of a sudden productivity is increased by a week per month.  Over a year we’re talking about an extra month to do other work across the site.  Any Head Greenkeepers or Grounds Managers reading this with a similar amount of usage every day will know how invaluable that kind of time is to absorb the extra work given to us. I am very fortunate to work for a school that backs me with the machinery needed to keep the surfaces at their best.”

The Terra Spike will run at least once every three to four weeks, typically, September through until April or May.

“On 20 mm tines we will comfortably get down to 250 mm as no complex pipework lies beneath any of the pitches. The Terra Spike will not only help repair and replace levels but keep air and water moving through the profile,” continued Chris Lynch, who took up his role 2.5 years ago after a 15 year spell at The Harrow School.

“Another key benefit will come during March/April, when 400 tonnes of sand is put down to help aid pitch recovery as part of our renovations. The Terra Spike’s efforts will also assist the way we deliver chemical and fertiliser products required for the turf. Sand aids in unlocking positive nutrients locked up in the clay and the Terra Spike will allow the sand to work down into the clay to aid this process. “

“For me the Terra Spike is the easiest machine on the market to use.  Its set up is really simply.  If you are not happy with something it’s a small quick adjustment to the depth or the heave.

Wiedenmann’s Super 500 is a three-in-one sweeper, collector, scarifier known across the industry for its versatility and 2.5 m³ capacity. The John Lyon team has seamlessly incorporated the Super 500 into their weekly routine.

Wiedenmann A Time Saver

“We have the largest collection of oak trees in the neighbourhood and need to lift leaves before they contaminate the turf surface so the Super 500 is out on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. We cut on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and mark everything on Fridays, weather dependent of course” explained Chris Lynch.

“The Super 500 has been set up as a scarifier which just tickles the surface as we work. We don’t want to go into hard, as leaf collecting is the priority for now.  When I joined, one of the biggest problems I inherited was thatch and there is still some thatch level in our pitches.   The Super 500 given time will help alleviate that, stopping debris working its way down through the surface.  In this instance, it’s not necessarily what you see on the top that causes problems, it can be what’s down below. I am looking forward to getting this into the surface far more aggressively come renovations time next spring”

Area Sales Manager, Grant Buckingham, from Wiedenmann UK dealer, Ernest Doe & Sons, at Esher, was on hand throughout the sales process.

The John Lyon School was founded in 1876 for the education of local boys by the Governors of Harrow School, in keeping with the wishes of John Lyon, the founder of Harrow. Now it takes 650 pupils with sport being central of importance. In particular the school has a tailored sports mentoring programme which helps nurture and develop elite sports performers and selected sports scholars.

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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