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Grangers no strangers to Toro

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Grangers no strangers to Toro: Marking a 20-year relationship Grangers Ground Maintenance, based in Hitchin, has taken delivery of two new Toro machines.

Since its inception in 1986 company director Martin Granger has built Grangers Ground Maintenance up from a solo enterprise to a company now employing over 25 people and for most of that time Toro has been aiding its growth.

Grangers no strangers to Toro

The company, which provides services to local authorities and associations, has chosen two Toro zero-turn rotary mowers for grounds contracts in the east of England. Martin picked the Groundsmaster 7210 with durable heavy-duty seven-gauge deck construction and the industry’s toughest spindle assembly for guaranteed longevity and the Z Master 7000 for its multi-use productivity. This joins the Toro STX Stump Grinder already part of Grangers Ground Maintenance’s fleet.

“We chose the Z Master 7000 because it really impressed us at a demonstration,” Martin says. “It’s an incredibly well-built machine with an impressive ground speed that allows it to cover a lot of area quickly. The biggest benefit though is probably its size – as a smaller model it’s able to get into some tighter spaces and manoeuvre within them effectively. We’ve been able to use it in places where we’d normally be using a walk behind mower, so it’s saved us time and made the team more productive!

“In fact, the time savings we’ve seen with the new Toro machines is really quite impressive. We’re currently down a member of the team, but getting the same amount of work done, thanks to how productive these machines are. When we’re back to full capacity, we’ll be finishing each job well within our timeframe which will be a big bonus for our customers.”

And it’s the perfect combination of the quality of Toro machines and the excellent back up service from distributor Reesink Turfcare that sees this relationship continuing, says Martin.

“Toro machines are always solid and well built, but the service from Reesink, particularly from rep Julian Copping, is just brilliant. We have a tight schedule here, so things need to be fixed quickly if there are ever any issues and machines have to be delivered on time when ordered. With Reesink, there’s always a quick turnaround, they’re always on the end of the phone when you need them and if they say they’re going to do something, they do it. I’ve never been let down.”

With the benefits that both Toro and Reesink bring, Martin says there’s never a doubt in his mind when it comes to choosing Toro.

“They can provide what other competitors can’t,” Martin concludes. “From the technical side with benefits like hydraulic lift on decks which other brands lack, to always knowing where you are with Reesink. Everything about Toro and Reesink Turfcare is brilliant.”

Despite this trust in Toro and Reesink, Martin is vigilant in his research. He says: “We replace our mowers every two years but always look at all the options available before making any decisions. With our experience of Toro stretching back 20 years, it was no surprise to us that they proved the best solution again.”

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Calls to sign Parks Protector Pledge

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Calls to sign Parks Protector Pledge: Green space charity Fields in Trust has issued a General Election manifesto and is calling on candidates to sign a six-point Parks Protector Pledge, promising to champion and protect local parks and green spaces which are much loved by their constituents.

The manifesto sets out the role that elected representatives can play in delivering the health, wellbeing, environmental and community benefits that parks and green spaces provide; yet not everyone gets an equal share. Fields in Trust’s Green Space Index reveals 2.6 million people across Great Britain live more than a ten-minute walk from a local park or green space.

Calls to sign Parks Protector Pledge

The Green Space Index shows that, although Britain has a total of 216,160 hectares of publicly accessible local parks and green spaces, less than 6% of this space is legally protected with Fields in Trust. With public sector cuts leading to pressure on parks and green spaces, candidates are asked to endorse legal protection of green spaces and help prevent more being sold off or developed.

The charity is highlighting the urgent need to secure and maintain parks and green spaces that we currently have and is calling for all candidates in the General Election to sign a pledge, if they are elected, that they will champion the important public service parks and green spaces provide locally, and advocate for policies that safeguard parks and green spaces across the country. Electors are invited to quiz candidates on their approach to parks and green spaces and encourage them to sign the pledge at www.fieldsintrust.org/pledge

Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths, said: “There is overwhelming evidence that parks and green spaces contribute health and wellbeing benefits to our communities. We are calling on election candidates to advocate for policies which protect and support parks and endorse local efforts to help maintain and improve the green spaces in their constituencies.
“There is an urgent need to ensure the current level of park and green space provision is maintained and review what more can be done to legally protect vulnerable spaces for future generations to enjoy, because once lost, they are lost forever.”

Fields in Trust’s research demonstrates clear health and wellbeing advantages, including a saving of £111 million each year to the NHS from regular use of parks and green spaces; the charity is concerned that many people who don’t have a park or green space nearby could miss out on these benefits. It is also likely that future loss of parks and green spaces will disproportionately impact the most disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.

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EGO saws to the top at SALTEX

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EGO saws to the top at SALTEX: EGO, the cordless specialists, revealed new additions to its 2020 range at SALTEX last week.

New products were revealed on its stand, giving landscapers, facilities managers and groundscare professionals the first sneak peek at what it has to offer going into 2020. The brand displayed its new 42cm self-propelled mower, 45cm chainsaw, featuring a world’s first auto-tensioning chain, and taking trimming to the next level, the new Rotocut attachment.

EGO saws to the top at SALTEX

Also joining the range in 2020 is the new 10Ah battery, providing even longer run-times and a bristle brush/paddle brush attachment head to be used with the industry-leading Multi-Tool.
A chainsaw demonstration which featured in a covered demo area at the front of EGO’s stand, attracted passers-by as a member of the EGO team demonstrated how easy and powerful the new 45cm chainsaw is to use, boasting its auto-tensioning chain with an impressive 20m/s chain speed lightweight frame and quiet brushless motor.

Answering a strong demand in the market, EGO’s new Rotocut attachment cuts through grass, weeds and moss on concrete, pathways and verges with ease. Featuring two counter-rotating blades instead of line, it maximises run-time and most importantly, prevents debris from being thrown at high speed, making it ideal for use in built up areas.

Bringing the very latest in battery technology to the turf, the EGO Power Plus range of self-propelled mowers are simpler, cleaner, quieter and more comfortable to use. New to the 2020 range the 42cm self-propelled mower, which makes easy work of those smaller grass areas. Fitted with an independent, variable speed self-propel motor it allows the user to take the effort out of pushing. This expansion of the EGO mower range enables customers to choose a mower specific to their gardening needs.

EGO’s state-of-the-art product range offers groundscare volunteers and professionals a solution to issues many of them face every day, such as the importance of using environmental and user-friendly equipment, whilst providing a high-quality result.

Steve Roskell, Marketing Director EMEA at EGO, commented on how the event went: “Well what a show! We were pleased to share a preview of our 2020 range on our stand this year. Interest in EGO continues to grow significantly, firmly establishing us as the cordless specialists. It’s encouraging to see so many dealers and users embrace our 56Volt battery technology and move away from the more traditional petrol-powered products and brands. This trend will only intensify as health and environmental issues are put front and centre.”.

Visit egopowerplus.co.uk for more information.

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Reesink to distribute Biral

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Reesink to distribute Biral: Reesink Turfcare has expanded its range to include the BTD-200 lightning warning system from meteorological equipment specialists Biral.

In Britain, lightning strikes the ground about 300,000 times and between 30 and 60 people a year, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Most at risk are people who spend a lot of time outdoors in unsheltered locations, such as golfers.

Reesink to distribute Biral

Robert Jackson, irrigation sales manager for distributor Reesink, says: “It is of the utmost importance for golf clubs to keep their members safe and Biral’s BTD-200 with its accurate detection range of 22 miles warns of the most dangerous lightning risk before the first lightning strike. This can give course managers and greenkeepers up to 20 minutes to alert members.”

Designed to be quickly and easily installed, the comprehensive server software package of the BTD-200 detects cloud-to-ground, intra-cloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning, charged precipitation and strong atmospheric electric fields, displaying the lightning distance in real-time on a map of the local area and the current lightning alarm level.

Quasi-electrostatic measurements avoid the problem of false alarms and mechanical failures associated with the detection of lightning using radio wave and field-mill based sensors. It’s able to issue overhead lightning warnings prior to the first lightning strike unlike systems based on radio waves.

With the BTD-200, the detector is placed outside while a PC indoors runs the software. Minimal installation is required and up to five people can simultaneously use the system.

Robert continues: “All companies have a duty of care to make their customers aware of any possible dangers. This early warning detection system allows golf clubs to do just that, helping to protect people and equipment from the dangers of a lightning strike by providing enough advanced warning of a storm’s approach to alert staff, members, teams and the public to the risks of remaining outdoors.

“It’s a system tried and tested in the aviation industry and we’re delighted to bring it to the UK’s golf clubs and sporting venues as the brand’s sole distributor in the UK and Ireland. When you consider the chance of being struck by lightning is higher than getting a hole in one, it brings home how important having adequate warning is!”

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New to the UK – GrasPro

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New to the UK – GrasPro: GrasPro is a simple pitch management tool that gives users the ability to record pitch data, generate visual reports and gain a greater depth of understanding about their pitches.

During the development of GrasPro, making it a time effective, accessible tool for groundsmen was vital. The task of keeping daily spreadsheets or paper notes has been replaced by an online system that can be accessed anywhere and used by multiple team members, with administration access to pitches at the discretion of the primary account holder. Ensuring your pitch information remains your own is an essential aspect of GrasPro, and with no third-party involvement, your data is never shared.

New to the UK – GrasPro

With GrasPro, simplicity is key. Users can track their daily activities such as mowing, fertilising, aeration and marking as well as pitch usage in a fast and convenient way. All registered activities are then summarised and visually presented with statistical reports available for N-P-K calculations, water usage, playing hours and more.

Photographs and comments can be attached to work logs, so any out of the ordinary conditions, like grass disease, can be tracked visually as well as statistically. Sophisticated weather reports at three-hour intervals join all of this to give a full picture of how pitches are performing in certain conditions.

New to the UK – GrasPro

By using this information, users can generate visual reports that highlight how the usage of pitches and maintenance practices are impacting the turf. In turn, this allows groundsmen to collate information for budget projections and accurately forecast the amount of paint, fertiliser and staff-hours they need.

The result of being able to harness all of this information is a deeper understanding of your surfaces, allowing for increased pitch usage and detailed information for future planning. Already, groundsmen, consultants and football governing bodies around the world have benefitted from using the system on individual pitches and in a tournament scenario.

New to the UK – GrasPro

For a free demonstration of the GrasPro Pitch Management System or to find out more about how it could benefit your site, visit www.gras.pro.

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