Spring forward into maintenance

The latest equipment for pitch maintenance will help grounds managers achieve the higher standards that are in demand, reports Jane

Carley

Spring is the key season for maintenance tasks as the transition from winter to summer sports takes place. Multi-tasking machines mean that purchasers get more for their money and can extend work opportunities for contractors, while proven techniques continue to evolve, making for simpler, more efficient operation.

There’s a new name in the market this spring, although Bobcat is offering a wellestablished brand – the Ryan Turf range.

Part of the company’s new ground maintenance equipment (GME) range now available from the Bobcat network of authorised dealers, this expanded portfolio of turf machinery includes pedestrian aerators, power rakes and dethatchers, an overseeder and sod cutters. The Ryan Turf brand has been on the market for over 75 years and is very well known amongst lawn care professionals in Europe and North America.

Lawnaire Aerators remove small plugs of thatch and soil to improve natural soil aeration, water and fertiliser uptake and to strengthen grass roots.

Ren-o-Thin power rakes are designed for efficient and effective dethatching. They offer simple height adjustment for fi ne-tuning the dethatching depth down to 6mm below ground level. Ren-o-Thin power rakes provide the option to use reels or cutting blades, without any tools plus an optional seed box for overseeding.

Built for heavy-duty renovation and verticutting, the selfpropelled Mataway Dethatcher covers up to 1700 m2/hour. Dethatching can go down up to 6mm below ground level with the use of fi ve exchangeable blade types.

The Mataway overseeder places seeds directly into soil slits for fast germination and good seedto-soil contact.

GKB Machines has launched the new Combi-Tool which gives turf managers the option of conducting multiple operations such as slitting, raking, rolling and brushing in one quick and simple pass.

Four attachment slots on the three-point linkage frame can be tailored to the venue or the task to be conducted. Brush heads, rake tines, slitting tines, slitting discs and a range of rollers are available – with the option of equipping the Combi-Tool with multiple rows of the same attachment for a more intensive operation if required. Because of its multi-purpose functionality, the Combi-Tool is ideal for multi-sport venues such as winter sport facilities, schools, local authorities and contractors.

The Combi-Tool is available in 1.6m and 2.0m working widths. Redexim has announced a trio of new machines for natural turf maintenance.

The new Rink DS1600 topdresser features improved functionality with allnew electronic controls. Accommodating spreading widths of between 2m and 14m, the DS1600 features a 1.6m 3 hopper.

A range of parameters including throw, belt speed and spreading thickness can all now be quickly and easily adjusted via new electronic controls accessible from the operator’s seat. Effi ciency can be further enhanced through an optional digital control unit which allows the operator to pre-set spreading rates for quick and consistent set-up. Four large tyres keep ground pressure to a minimum, making the DS1600 the versatile dresser for tasks throughout the season.

If access or cost implications are restricting the ability to topdress, then the newlyredesigned Multivator 1800 could provide the answer. Featuring a roller equipped with nine blades spaced at 200mm, the Multivator decompacts and simultaneously lifts buried soil and rootzone material to the surface to provide a dressing.

Completing the operation in a single pass, the operator can also specify an additional front knife roller and optional rear brush to distribute the material for a play-ready finish.

Under the guidance of Redexim’s expert design team, the Blecavator will also be re-engineered and offered in two new widths during 2023. The Blecavator 145 (1.45m) and 210 (2.1m) models screen stones and debris and level the ground ready for the next stage of any grounds work project. A heavy-duty transmission ensures maximum power is delivered to the rotor to handle all types of soil conditions, while the adjustable screening bar and rear roller leave a uniform finish.

The TriWave 60 and TriWave 45 represent a new breed of overseeder that can significantly increase the success of overseeding operations by up to 30%, says Turfco.

The larger tractor-mounted TriWave 60 is designed to tackle challenges with overseeding equipment such as disruption of existing turf, the inability to follow ground contours and limited seed germination.

WaveBlade counter-rotating blade technology creates

German-engineered for that perfect cut

Mow Scarify Collect Mulch Roll

a U-shaped (instead of the usual V-shaped) slit providing more seed-to-soil contact and the patented seed delivery system places seeds into the slits without waste, boosting germination. The combination of the floating heads and infinite depth adjustment keeps the seed depth consistent, regardless of terrain.

The TriWave 45 is a selfcontained trailed overseeder, which can be towed behind a utility vehicle, quad bike, bunker rake or tractor. Power comes from a 25hp Briggs and Stratton Vanguard petrol engine and it quickly attaches to most turf vehicles making it convenient and efficient to use.

TriWave machines are ideal for overseeding recreational and professional sports pitches, stadium pitches, cricket outfields and most fine turf areas on golf courses.

Allett has added the Stirling battery mowers to its electric range, offering a complete lawncare system which utilises all the Allett cartridges via an adaption kit to achieve a greens standard ultra-low finish.

Wet or dry grass, long or short, collect or mulch, the PH 1250 and PH 1500 models take it all in their stride. And it’s that flexibility that sets the Profihopper apart from the crowd.

The sharpened wing blades on the horizontal SmartCut rotor cleanly cut and shred the grass before conveying it via the cross auger on to that unique second vertical auger to be packed into the collection hopper - meaning less time emptying and more time mowing. To add to that versatility, the sward is rolled after cutting and scarifying comes as standard.

The more than adequate power is provided by engines that are already Stage V Exhaust emission compliant and require no AdBlue.

Don’t compromise - choose the machine that comes with more compaction built-in for maximum work rates and less emptying.

Contact the Amazone Team on: 01302 755 725.

Working with EGO’s PowerPlus Arc Lithium-Ion battery system, two electric motors independently drive the rear roller and cartridge blades, with the EGO 56V battery generating the power for up to 800m² of continuous mowing at top speed. The battery will also fit into any EGO garden tool.

The bottom blade has been made thicker with greater rigidity for trouble-free and accurate cutting. There is a roller-only drive option, so no rotating blades when travelling between lawns, and variable speed roller-drive offers more control for better mowing and cultivation results.

All six of the company’s Ultra Quick Change cartridges can be fitted, offering scarifier, verticutter, brush, sorrel roller, slitter and turf rake functions.

An LED battery charge light is continuously visible, and an overload warning light alerts the operator if the mower is being worked too hard for the motors or battery. A freewheeling front roller offers better battery life, less effort and accurate and consistent height control, says the company.

The Allett Stirling comes in two models, the Stirling 43 and Stirling 51 with 430mm and 510mm mowing width, respectively, with cut heights from 5.0-50mm.

Case studies

New Verti-Drain for Preston North End

A high speed Redexim VertiDrain 2519 is delivering outstanding results for the team at Preston North End Football Club, as they work to complete regular aeration in ever-tighter schedule windows. Currently in use at the club’s new first team training complex at Euxton, Head Groundsman Peter Ashworth says the ability to verti-drain two or three pitches in one day enables them to meet other maintenance deadlines whilst bringing multiple benefits to overall surface condition.

Peter and his team of six look after nine pitches across two training ground sites and the Deepdale Stadium, using the new 2519 alongside their existing Redexim 7316 VertiDrain. “With one machine to operate across all three facilities, we were increasingly finding that everybody always needed to use it at the same time!” Peter explains.

“I spoke to Greg Cain at Cheshire Turf Machinery and asked to see the new Redexim machine and was instantly impressed with how quick it was.”

The 2519 offers a PTO speed of up to 540rpm which allows it to cover almost 9000m2 per hour when spaced at 165mm. It can be fitted with a range of tine options for effective aeration around the maintenance calendar.

“The first team will be using two or three of the pitches at the Euxton ground every day. Since we took delivery of the 2519 in January 2023, we’ve been able to factor in aerating a pitch or two amongst our other tasks, which keeps us in control of any compaction and ensures everything stays free draining, particularly during the wetter winter months.”

“Everything is easy to set up and adjust, and my team are enjoying how smooth and quiet it is to operate.” Peter adds.

GKB is contractor choice

Premiership Lawncare has invested in a bank of equipment from GKB Machines trusted to deliver projects for a growing range of sports turf customers. In the last two years, Owners Josef Farrow and Mark Pettit have purchased a Deep Tine Aerator (DTA), SP100 topdresser, Dragmat and, most recently, a GKB Combinator – enabling the team to expand their range of services to both football and cricket clients.

“We’ve grown a lot in seven years and now have 30 cricket clubs on our books and a very good relationship with a number of clubs under the remit of Northampton FA,” explains Josef.

Recognising the requirement for a bigger, more robust aerator to cope with the demands of challenging ground, Premiership Lawncare became one of the first contractors in the UK to purchase a Deep Tine Aerator (DTA) almost two years ago. “Our DTA 160 is a fantastic machine - it works to depths of up to 30cm to break through compaction and is used on all of our football work, including some council pitches which could certainly pose a problem for machines that are not as well-built as the DTA.”

“Impressed with that and the service and support we received, we then purchased the GKB Dragmat and an SP100 Sandspreader which fi ts on the back of our Toro Workman and has been a really great investment. We can get 1.5 tonnes of sand in there, and thanks to the wide conveyor, heavy duty discs and easy adjustment we get a really accurate, fine spread.”

The latest addition to the fleet is a GKB Combinator, delivered in May 2022 and put straight to

Redexim work on a football renovation project. “With our sports-turf client base ever-increasing we decided the time was right to purchase our own machine to strip surfaces and after comparing the options, the GKB CB120 came out on top. In its first week it removed around 80 tonnes of vegetation which is impressive for a machine that’s only 1.2m wide!”

Josef adds, “One particular feature which is great for us is the ability to swap out the fraise blades in our CB120 for scarifi er blades, which means we can use it to remove OM accumulations in some of our cricket squares.”

Versatile Ventrac

The Ventrac compact tractor and its numerous attachments make it the ideal machine for groundsmen who are renovating or maintaining sports pitches, be they natural turf or synthetics.

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A typical example is Darren Baldwin, Head of Playing Surfaces and Estates at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, who has two Ventrac Power Broom attachments: one for maintaining the pathways and car parking areas at the Club’s impressive 77-acre training facility in north London and the other to help maintain the artifi cial turf on their synthetic pitches.

“These brooms are excellent,” he said. “They are available with different levels of flexibility in the bristles, so we use the less aggressive head with more pliable bristles on our synthetic surfaces. Not only does it sweep up accumulated debris, it also helps us relieve the compaction of the rubber crumb infi ll and is an integral part of our synthetic turf maintenance programme.

“They are also quick and easy to change and when not in use they are free-standing, which also helps with the yard management. Once you have a Ventrac tractor unit, you just keep on fi nding more things that it can do.”

To add to the versatility of the Ventrac, there’s the EB480 Aerator attachment with its ability to core, slit or fracture the turf to improve drainage, relieve compaction, improve air exchange and fertiliser intake and reduce water runoff and puddling.

This creates a stronger turf grass root structure while reducing soil compaction.

There’s also the EA600 AERA-vator, designed to stir and loosen the soil beneath the turf without destroying it.

The vibrating head creates a core hole without bringing a plug to the surface, leaving the turf ready for use immediately after treatment. With its optional seed box, it’s ideal for overseeding duties.

Finally, for areas on pitches that have standing water, the KY400 Trencher is capable of trenching up to a 1.02 metres depth with a 14cm wide cut.

It is designed with dual Push-NPull cylinders to assure positive boom control for digging, boom lift, and transport.