Tag Archive for: Work

STIHL expands PPE range for safe forestry work

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STIHL expands PPE range for safe forestry work: STIHL has introduced a range of new additions to its professional personal protective equipment, designed to deliver outstanding comfort, protection, and mobility for forestry workers and arborists. 

Spanning the FUNCTION, DYNAMIC and ADVANCE collections, the latest additions combine durable materials, ergonomic designs and high-visibility details to ensure users stay safe and comfortable in all conditions.

STIHL expands PPE range for safe forestry work

STIHL expands PPE range for safe forestry work

FUNCTION 

STIHL’s FUNCTION range introduces the CORE collection, a water-repellent jacket and chainsaw trousers, designed for occasional chainsaw users.

The new FUNCTION CORE Chainsaw Trousers feature Design A, Class 1 classification, protecting against chain speeds of up to 20m per second. They are available in a regular fit and two-way stretch material for maximum comfort.

The new FUNCTION CORE trousers pair with the FUNCTION CORE Jacket, which is new to the same range. Providing market-leading durability, the design offers a relaxed fit, with lightweight and tear-resistant polyester. Black stretch fabric adorns its elbow and side areas for maximum comfort.

The range is complemented by the new FUNCTION Active Chainsaw Boot, which also provides Class 1 cut protection and EN 20345 S3 certification.

DYNAMIC 

Available in three variations, the new DuroTEC Cut Protection Trousers can be purchased with Class 1 or 2 protection levels and in Design A and C offerings, providing a suitable option for professionals facing a range of working conditions.

All versions offer a regular fit and stretch zones, with a water-repellent finish and kidney protection for maximum comfort. They also feature waterproofing at the lower part of the leg and provide robust abrasion protection.

To match, the DYNAMIC DuroTEC Jacket is durable and flexible. Like the trousers, the garment boasts a water-repellent finish and features abrasion-resistant zones. For added comfort, the jacket also offers four-way stretch material and ventilation openings.

ADVANCE 

New to STIHL’s premium ADVANCE PPE range, designed for professionals who need high-performance protective clothing, are the ShellTEC Jacket and ADVANCE FlexTEC trousers.

Offering a slimmer fit compared to the DYNAMIC and FUNCTION ranges, the ADVANCE FlexTEC trousers are Class 1 certified and are available in Design A and Design C.

With tick protection around the ankles, plus robust, waterproof and thorn-resistant fabrics around the knees and lower legs, the designs offer an ergonomic fit and breathable comfort. All with advanced four-way stretch zones and kidney protection.

The perfectly matched ShellTEC Jacket is a lightweight and durable option, with wind and waterproofing in strategic places. Its ergonomic fit, integrated stretch zones, and ventilation openings combine to offer freedom of movement and maximum comfort.

All trousers across the new FUNCTION, DYNAMIC, and ADVANCE ranges offer multiple pockets, waistband loops for attachment to braces, and are made from recycled material. STIHL’s range of jackets feature Velcro at the cuffs and a smartphone pocket on the chest as standard.

For more information on STIHL’s PPE ranges, visit www.stihl.co.uk or contact your nearest STIHL Approved Dealer.

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Don’t make the tough work tougher

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Don’t make the tough work tougher: Getting ready for winter means being prepared for the unexpected. From planned projects to the daily routine and annual winter servicing, ‘tis the season to make sure machines are ready for the tough work by having a stockpile of parts ready to prevent downtime.

Performance, reliability, and durability are all enhanced when parts are engineered specifically for the machine they serve, which is why it’s important to choose genuine.

Don't make the tough work tougher

Don’t make the tough work tougher

Genuine means the high-quality choice. The materials Toro uses for all its parts make them synonymous with maximum performance, while rigorous testing makes sure they can withstand the daily stress that comes with keeping a course or pitch in top condition.

It’s equally important not to underestimate the power of simply being organised when it comes to planning winter servicing. Routine checks and prevention rather than cure are considerably cheaper than ad-hoc repairs and the cost of unexpected downtime.

While prepping is better than fretting, Reesink Turfcare, the official distributor of Toro genuine parts, is aware many are last-minute buyers, and everyone will fall foul of the unexpected, which is why it has two invaluable service options in its offering.

Having the reliability of Reesink as a distributor means customers can get the parts they need within 24 hours to anywhere in the UK. That speed of service reduces the amount of downtime incurred, as well as making life easier.

Michael Hampton, Supply Chain Manager at Reesink Turfcare, says: “The reassurance of having a genuine service doesn’t end there, it comes with a comprehensive stock reserve and local support. But significantly, customers can rely on the fact that they’re getting the genuine Toro part – and that’s a big distinction.”

Not only that but there’s also the option of peace of mind guaranteed with its ReeAssure servicing plans and three types for every budget and requirement level.

Michael expands: “Reesink’s ReeAssure scheme safeguards machinery and secures the club’s investment. Knowing the back up and support of experts in the field for all areas of maintenance and servicing brings great peace of mind. Clubs can spread the costs and plan the monthly fee into the budget to ensure machinery is always optimised no matter the time of year. It saves and frees up time to focus on other tasks and brings the local touch seeing as technicians will be coming from the nearest Reesink branch.”

While English winters can be unpredictable, something you can guarantee won’t be is the quality you get from Toro and the service and support you receive from Reesink. To find a Reesink branch or local Toro dealer, visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk or call 01480 226800.

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GroundTech robotics and renewables work in perfect partnership

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GroundTech robotics and renewables work in perfect partnership: Rushden Golf Club has introduced three Echo TM-2050 robotic mowers to maintain its newer back nine holes, in a partnership with autonomous specialists GroundTech.

The investment marks a major step forward in both sustainability and efficiency with the trio, powered by bespoke solar panels, alleviating the pressure on a busy greenkeeping team of four.

GroundTech robotics and renewables work in perfect partnership

GroundTech robotics and renewables work in perfect partnership

The historic Northamptonshire course has gone through a number of redevelopments and expansion since its formation in 1919. The back nine, opened in 2013, offers an interesting contrast to the original parkland front nine, with a flatter, more open layout. Ideal terrain for an autonomous mower, Director Paul Newell got in touch with GroundTech. “I’d been keeping an eye on the new technologies and identified how much time robots could save us, freeing up our skilled team to focus on improvements in other areas of the course” he explains.

“After a demonstration, the whole team were impressed with the outstanding quality of cut and presentation from the Echo mowers – arguably more accurate and consistent than traditional machines.”

There was just one more issue to overcome, the distance the mowers would be operating away from mains power. “GroundTech’s Marcus Glover quickly suggested a solution in the form of solar panels, which ensures the mowers can operate efficiently when not in close proximity to mains power. This was key to making the whole package work for us and, just a few months on from install, we couldn’t be happier with the whole set-up.”

The TM-2050’s – the largest of the Echo commercial range – can mow up 75,000m2 making them ideal for situations that require high performance and high productivity. At Rushden, the robots are responsible for cutting all areas except the tees and greens, and members have been quick to spot the improvements. “It’s clearly the future of course management, and as one of the first clubs in Northamptonshire to make the jump, we’re delighted the members can already see the difference in presentation and have been so willing to embrace innovation” he adds.

Paul was also quick to praise the club’s first collaboration with GroundTech. “They’ve been brilliant at guiding us through the transition, ensuring the team are all fully happy with the technology and working with us to find solutions such as the solar panels that really meet our needs. We are excited to explore extending the scope of the Echo units in other areas of the course over the coming months and years. “

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Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance

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Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance: It’s well documented that time is a precious commodity for every greenkeeping team. At Bungay & Waveney Valley Golf Club it’s no different, with woodland maintenance one of the biggest pulls on Tony Moore and his team during the autumn and winter months.

That all changed however with the delivery of their GreenMech Arborist 130 woodchipper in November 2024, which has not only slashed the time it takes to thin-out and raise lower branches, it’s also significantly reduced the amount of traffic moving around the course.

Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance

Arborist 130 makes light work of woodland maintenance

Affectionately named the ‘Hidden Jewel of Suffolk’, the course is nestled in the picturesque Waveney Valley and is lined with a mixture of mature oak, birch and pine trees which need attention in the winter months to improve airflow and ensure good lines of sight. “Some years we’ll do more work than others, but either way, any tree work ties up multiple people who end up killing time while someone runs backwards and forwards with branches in a trailer” explains Head Greenkeeper Tony.

“I got in touch with GreenMech’s Neal Hussey who coordinated with our local dealer TNS to bring us a couple of chippers in on demonstration. We were really impressed with the capacity of the Arborist 130, the fact that it’s very easy to use and, importantly, the price.”

Delivered in November, the Arborist 130 was put straight to work. He continues, “Neal came back to get the team trained up on how to use the chipper, but it’s pretty foolproof so we were up and running with it really quickly. With the chipper, we now have less hands on the job and are having to make significantly fewer trips with the trailer which reduces our fuel consumption and is better for the course when the ground conditions are softer.”

The Arborist 130 is an ideal fit for golf courses, landscapers and contractors looking for a low-maintenance, high-output 6” machine. Equipped with a number of GreenMech’s unique features including a wide infeed chute, no-stress in-feed system and disc-blade chipping technology, the chipper is a robust, capable addition to any machinery fleet.

“We can get the machine exactly where we need it which means we can achieve more in less time, and free up labour for other tasks around the course. It’s been a gamechanger for us” he concludes.

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Work smarter not harder with Toro’s robotic mowers

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Work smarter not harder with Toro’s robotic mowers: Robotic mowing has arrived and with it comes the new generation of working smarter, not harder, thanks to Toro.

With the brand’s new range of robotic mowing solutions for the fairways and the roughs available through distributor Reesink Turfcare, customers can now focus on getting the job done consistently and efficiently and instead prioritise time and skill on the greens, tees, and bunkers.

Work smarter not harder with Toro's robotic mowers

Work smarter not harder with Toro’s robotic mowers

“The arrival of autonomous technology is what we’ve all been waiting for,” comments Jon Cole, Divisional Business Manager, Reesink Turfcare. “And Toro’s vision of this delivers professional-quality results with minimal input required, solving the problem of reduced resources, labour shortages, and rising operational costs.”

All the products launching simultaneously – the Toro GeoLink Solutions Autonomous Fairway Mower, Turf Pro range of robot mowers and Range Pro ball picker – work on Real Time Kinematic (RTK) geo-positioning technology coming from a GPS based satellite system for ultra-precise navigation.

This functionality allows for areas to be mapped, setting invisible boundaries in which the machines can operate autonomously. When they reach the edge of the predefined work zone based on satellite positioning, they intelligently keep within it.

Operation is straight-forward: wireless monitoring and control of the units is through a computer or mobile phone where it is possible to customise working perimeters, no-go zones, mowing patterns, cutting height and transport paths.

No boundary wires are required, the mowers can mow a consistent pattern with minimal overlap and are accurate to two centimetres. The system can identify missed areas and will reroute the mower to cover them later.

Jon says: “These mowers free up your greenkeeping team to focus on the essential attentive care that the tees, greens, and bunkers require, while Toro technology carefully maintains the fairways and roughs, intelligently working with minimal input.”

The Toro GeoLink Solutions Autonomous Fairway Mower is a hybrid mower. It has a Kawasaki engine but steering, traction, lift and lowering of the cylinder units are electric. The mower still has a seat and a steering wheel; this is because it has both manual and autonomous modes. In manual it’ll operate just like a normal triplex so if the operator wants to move it to a new location that isn’t mapped yet or support a different area on the course, they can.

There are three fully robotic models in the Turf Pro range. There’s the choice of three or five cutting heads providing a cutting width of 63.3cm (25ins) in the Turf Pro 300 and 103.3cm (40.7ins) for the Turf Pro 500. They can mow up to 18.5 acres (75,000m2) and there’s a model for use on slopes of up to 24 degrees.

They are all-electric, self-charging and automatically return to the charging station. And through increased mowing frequency these mowers can purposefully remove less leaf tissue, producing shorter clippings and with adjustable mowing patterns can be utilised to achieve multiple aesthetics.

Jon concludes: “Toro developed this technology and these products in direct response to customer feedback and research. It was clear there was a changing mindset about what was needed regarding labour support, combatting increasing operational costs and how to approach mowing grass. This productive solution eases labour resource pains and provides operational cost savings with no change in Toro’s world-renowned cutting performance.”

To demo these new machines or talk to a Reesink representative about how this technology will boost productivity, visit Reesink Turfcare at reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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