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The Dennis ES-34R is a Hit at Haileybury

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The Dennis ES-34R is a Hit at Haileybury: Andy Richards, Grounds Manager at Haileybury School, has praised the Dennis ES-34R battery-powered rotary mower for its sustainability, quiet operation, and exceptional performance.

At the prestigious independent school in Hertfordshire, which boasts over 500 acres and 180 acres which are sports facilities, Andy has been using the ES-34R across a variety of playing surfaces and is delighted with its versatility and environmental benefits.

The Dennis ES-34R is a Hit at Haileybury

The Dennis ES-34R is a Hit at Haileybury

“In my sixth year as Grounds Manager here, I oversee a large site with a team of 11,” Andy explained. “Our school is renowned not just for its academic excellence but also for its impressive co-curricular programme, particularly sports. From rugby and football to hockey, ensuring our pitches meet high standards is crucial. The Dennis ES-34R has played an important role in that.”

Sustainability is a key focus at Haileybury, and Andy was drawn to the ES-34R’s eco-friendly credentials. As a battery-powered mower, the Dennis ES-34R significantly reduces emissions and noise pollution – two factors that are especially important in a school environment.

“Quietness is massive for us,” said Andy. “Exams seem to be constant, so the ability to work without disturbing students is invaluable. Sustainability is also hugely important to the school, and the ES-34R ticks both boxes. On top of that, it’s incredibly user-friendly.”

The ES-34R is built for precision and ease of use. Its 34-inch cutting width, contra-rotating twin blades, and low chute design ensure exceptional collection performance in both wet and dry conditions. The mower’s advanced LCD control panel provides operators with real-time feedback, allowing them to adjust settings such as ground speed and blade speed to suit different conditions.

Andy and his team have found the mower versatile enough to use year-round on various surfaces.

“We use the ES-34R on football and rugby pitches during the winter and then switch to cricket squares in the summer. It’s great for cleaning up after matches or tidying wickets—it’s incredibly versatile,” Andy explained.

With ultra-low noise levels, minimal vibration, and rapid charging, the ES-34R offers significant advantages over traditional petrol mowers. For Andy, the cost savings and low maintenance requirements were standout benefits.

“The ES-34R is much more user-friendly than petrol mowers, and the savings on fuel alone make it worth it. Plus, it’s low-maintenance and reliable, which is so important when you’re managing as many pitches as we are.”

Andy has relied on Dennis mowers throughout his career but the ES-34R is the first battery-powered Dennis machine he has used.

“The electric range is a real step forward. The team at Dennis even adjusted it to cut down to 8mm for me so I could use it to cut the cricket squares. I’m quite fussy about my equipment but I’ve used Dennis my whole career. I believe in the brand; I believe in the mowers, and I think they are the best on the market. I can’t ever see myself changing to anything else.”

For Andy, the ES-34R represents the future of sustainable grounds management without compromising performance.

As Haileybury continues to set the bar for excellence both on and off the field, the Dennis ES-34R is helping Andy and his team maintain pitches that match the school’s reputation – all while championing sustainability.

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 X 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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New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

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New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns: For many years, home builders haven’t appreciated the value of good quality lawns, not only for the benefits that a lawn brings to the environment & personal well-being, but also the impact that a nice lawn has on the kerb appeal and saleability of a new home.

Most new homes are sold with a newly turfed lawn, but as the demand for affordable housing increases, and development land is at an all-time premium, lawns are shrinking! Analysis in 2023 estimated the average English garden space to be 255m2. New build homes are required to provide a minimum of 30m2 of amenity space, and thankfully, most garden areas are bigger, but the Turfgrass Growers Association estimates that the average size of a new-build lawn is just 55m2.

New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

In addition to the shrinking size of new lawns, homebuilders are squeezing budgets so much, that landscapers are forced to do minimal preparation on, what are often small, enclosed garden plots, with poor drainage and reduced light from high fences. The low landscaping budget forces landscapers to use the cheapest turf available, often a “contractors’ grade”, rather than a good quality premium turf, from a reputable, accredited supplier.

Using a lower grade of turf, combined with poor ground conditions, and minimal preparation is inevitably going to result in a substandard lawn, and this common practice is putting people off natural grass, and all its benefits!

Regretfully, it is common for Landscape Architects to unwittingly, specify turf containing plastic net and for some landscapers to consciously chose it as a way of cheapening cost. The Turf Grass
Growers Association which represents most of the turf grown in the UK, has actively moved to ban plastic net by October 2026, and in the meantime, any turf containing plastic net will not meet the TGA specification. The industry should remain vigilant against the prospect of gardens being contaminated with unnecessary plastic. Natural turf has good ‘green’ credentials that should be promoted when considering the use of alternatives such as hard landscaping and in particular artificial grass.

Artificial turf is quickly going out of favour as the public become more environmentally aware. However, there are lots of other lawn alternatives being used because homeowners are frustrated with poor quality lawns. If a lawn is created with good quality turf, grown to the TGA standards, laid on a well-prepared bed of free draining topsoil, there are huge benefits to a natural lawn, including carbon sequestration, oxygen production, flood reduction and air cooling as well as the positive impacts on mental health and well-being for homeowners and their pets.

Increasing the lawn budget by £100-£150 for the typical 55m2 lawn could ensure that premium turf can be used, and that landscapers have the budget to complete the ground preparation to a good standard. The average price of a new home in the UK is reportedly £422,000, and even if that figure is skewered by some high-end homes, and premium locations, there should be enough in a developer’s margin to cover the additional cost. Even if the developer won’t pay, at least offer the new homeowner the option of a premium quality job at a fair additional cost.

Developers should also be ensuring groundworkers save the very best soil on site, to be reintroduced into gardens, and that soil is not contaminated with subsoil when excavated. There should be no excuse for bricks, tiles and other building materials to contaminate gardens. What’s the point in thorough site contamination investigations if tradesman contaminate the soil during the building process.

Of course, there will be many new home builders, landscape architects, groundworkers and tradesman that take all the right steps to ensure the best possible lawns, but it’s about time that the value of a good quality lawn was appreciated throughout the industry.

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The world’s only Wi-Fi irrigation decoder system

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The world’s only Wi-Fi irrigation decoder system: Toro keeps innovating irrigation management with the launch of the Tempus Decoder System, the world’s first Wi-Fi-enabled decoder solution.

Developed to provide stadium managers and grounds teams with a smarter way to control irrigation, the system simplifies installation and minimises wiring costs with a unique wireless interface.

The world's only Wi-Fi irrigation decoder system

The world’s only Wi-Fi irrigation decoder system

At the heart of the system is the Tempus 2-wire interface, which seamlessly converts a Tempus controller into an essential 2-wire system – eliminating the need for multiple cables thanks to its Wi-Fi communication. The decoders receive instructions from the interface, activating the connected sprinklers to deliver precise and impeccable irrigation control.

This modular design, with a main interface that communicates wirelessly with multiple decoders, makes Toro’s solution remarkably easy to scale. Additional decoders can be integrated at any time, linking to the main system through a simple Wi-Fi connection, allowing users to manage up to 48 stations with a single controller.

The result is a future-proof irrigation solution that adapts to evolving turf needs and can be expanded in no time with minimum costs.

“With the Tempus Decoder System, Toro is bringing simplicity and efficiency to turf irrigation,” says Robert Jackson, Division Manager, Reesink Hydro-Scapes. “Turf managers need solutions that not only optimise water usage but make their jobs easier. This system reduces installation complexity while delivering the reliability and performance Toro is known for.”

By leveraging Wi-Fi connectivity, the Tempus Decoder System also enables users to control their irrigation system remotely, making real-time adjustments as needed. This combination of convenience, flexibility and Toro’s trusted innovation makes it the ideal solution for modern turf management.

With smart irrigation technology that saves time, reduces labour and enhances water efficiency, the Tempus Decoder System represents the next generation of turf irrigation control for sports venues.

To find out how your system can be upgraded quickly with fewer cables and to adopt remote access irrigation control, call 01480 226948, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesink-hydroscapes.co.uk today.

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New efficiencies on the GreenMech stand at The Arb Show

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New efficiencies on the GreenMech stand at The Arb Show: No trip to The Arb Show is complete without a stop by the stand of the UK’s most innovative woodchipper manufacturer, GreenMech.

Always demonstrating the very latest in technology and product development, 2025 will be no different, with stand C13/C14 showcasing a new remote system to further enhance the versatility and efficiency of their flagship EVO series of machines.

New efficiencies on the GreenMech stand at The Arb Show

New efficiencies on the GreenMech stand at The Arb Show

The new ‘SMART FEED Remote’ system allows the operator to control a number of the working functions of the chipper without having to be stood next to the machine. Using the rugged, rubber encased handheld remote, the user can stop/start the feed rollers, reverse their direction and adjust the machine engine speed as they do today with the buttons on the infeed chute. Compatible with all EVO models, this is particularly advantageous for those who opt for mechanical loading.

Together with enhanced control and improved visibility, the ‘plug and play’ remote option optimises safety and streamlines workflow – reducing the time and energy required to move between the loader and chipper.

Alongside a range of towed and tracked machines from the EVO range, a number of other machines will be on display including the gravity-fed CS100 and Arborist 150D MAX. In addition, GreenMech’s new higher horsepower petrol offerings will also be showcased for the first time. Announced earlier in the year, the EVO 165P Sub-750 and Arborist 150P both now feature a Briggs and Stratton Vanguard EFI 40hp engine to take proven power, productivity and efficiency to new heights.

Full details of all the new additions to the GreenMech range can be found by speaking with the GreenMech technical team who will be on hand at Westonbirt Arboretum when The Arb show returns on the 16th and 17th May 2025.

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The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers

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The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers: Reesink Turfcare is delighted to announce the return of two of the popular Toro grounds mowers – the Groundsmaster 7210 and the Groundsmaster 1200.

Jon Cole, Business Development Manager at Reesink Turfcare, says: “Customers of the Groundsmaster 7210 will be pleased to hear it is now available with an engine upgrade and the Groundsmaster 1200 returns after a post-pandemic production pause.”

The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers

The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers

As a versatile zero-turn, the Groundsmaster 7210 has always impressed customers with its

dependable and economical diesel engine performance, this was something verified by independent machinery tester James de Havilland, so the news of an upgrade to a powerful Yanmar 36.8hp (27.4kW) 3-cylinder engine, which brings a 48.38 percent increase in power, will certainly ensure a continued decent performance.

The rest of the features customers liked so much about this machine remain: a tight wheelbase, power steering and individual steering brakes allowing for expert handling and increased productivity.

The durable, heavy-duty seven-gauge welded steel cutting deck construction and the industry’s toughest spindle assembly ensure a long life while tackling the toughest of groundscare jobs with ease.

It is the small area zero-turn rotary mower that doesn’t believe in a day off and is now available from Reesink with the option of either a 62- or 72-inch deck.

Making another welcome return is the Groundsmaster 1200. This pull-behind rotary mower didn’t need any upgrades, it was already the perfect solution to leverage other equipment and add versatility to a tractor.

Productivity is at its core offering the mowing ability to cut up to 8.73 acres/h at 6mph per hour. And the cut is consistent and even across the entire width of the mower while distributing clippings evenly, which is especially important in areas with taller grass which are not mowed as often. When combined with the dual roller design it delivers a high-quality cut and rich turf striping in most conditions.

Size is a key advantage of the Groundsmaster 1200. Together, three independent contour-following cutting decks offer a 12-foot (3.66m) width of cut to mow more grass in less time than it would take with a smaller mower. And transport between sites is convenient and fast with the wing decks folding up for faster transport to reduce machine width to a narrow 88 inches (223.5cm).

Jon continues: “These models were popular for good reason. They are productive, durable, and offer a superior cut. We’re delighted to now have them available again for our customers.”

For further information, or to place an order, call 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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