Landscape & Amenity Product Update April 2018

MP calls for report into childhood obesity and the alarming decline in playgrounds

Chris Leslie, MP for Nottingham East, has called for research into the state of UK play provision in a debate in Westminster Hall.

Chairman of the Association of Play Industries, Mark Hardy, says: “API research uncovered a steep decline in playgrounds across England.

“Our report - Nowhere To Play - found that 448 playgrounds are closed or closing. With no dedicated funding for playgrounds from central government or thirdsector grants, play provision falls to local authorities whose budgets are squeezed.

“We’re delighted that Mr Leslie will call upon the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to commission a thorough report into the state of play facilities and open spaces throughout the UK.”

Chris Leslie, MP, says: “With rising levels of childhood

obesity and a deepening crisis in children’s mental health, research is urgently needed into the correlation between these issues and the deprivation experienced in some areas where free play opportunities are lacking.

“It’s now time to drive forward a renaissance in children’s play across the country so that the physical and mental health benefits of outdoor play are opened up to children from all backgrounds.

“I will be asking the government for a clear show of support for play and the benefits it brings to children, families and communities. A relatively modest investment in playground provision now will help reverse the downward trend.

“The worsening childhood obesity crisis means that the provision of spaces for children to play and get active has to

take priority. Children with a playground within 1km of their home are five times more likely to be of a healthy weight.

“For many children living in deprived areas - who are more than twice as likely to be obese than those in more affluent areas - playgrounds are often their only chance to play outdoors.

“We would expect to find a higher incidence of childhood obesity in deprived areas where free play opportunities are limited. Research into the prevalence of obesity and other health issues in certain geographic areas could examine these correlations and ultimately guide decision-making.

“Play is fundamental to children’s wellbeing. If play

is restricted there are likely to be profound effects upon their physical and mental health, both now and in the future. Although not a silver bullet, a wellmaintained community play area fosters social cohesion, inspires children to get active and can transform a community.”

API Enquiry 1

Furnitubes launch new Elements XL range World class ideas sought in design competition

Elements XL is the latest addition to Furnitubes’ long established and ever popular Elements range of street furniture.

The collection has been extended to include larger seating products including benches deep enough

Ebbsfleet in Kent will be the site of the first new Garden City of the 21st Century, creating 15,000 new homes, 30,000 jobs and seven city parks.

It is also the largest of the 10 Healthy New Town initiatives being run by the NHS to show that land can be used to deliver health benefits. This has created an exciting opportunity to take an innovative approach to the design and sustainability of the city and, in particular, the health of its community.

That is why the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and the NHS are launching an international design competition, managed by the Landscape Institute, to ensure the best minds in the landscape profession take on the challenge of how best to create a truly modern healthy city. Ideas are invited

from individual landscape professionals, or teams which include landscape professionals, with multidisciplinary teams incorporating artists and engineers particularly encouraged

Dan Cook, Chief Executive of the Landscape Institute said: “We have the opportunity to take a truly modern and multidisciplinary approach at Ebbsfleet which could end up becoming a model for the creation of healthy new cities across the world.

“The competition will also challenge landscape professionals to demonstrate the leadership potential of their industry in showing the way towards creating healthy living environments and how good design can powerfully incorporate green infrastructure into a project.”

Landscape Institute Enquiry 3

We are celebrating the Best of British this month and there is certainly plenty of reasons to cheer. From manufacturing excellence through to exporting knowledge and expertise world-wide, our industry is at the forefront of innovation and best practice. What is heartening is the fact that we are no just talking about well-established companies with a long tradition, but also new businesses bringing exciting new products and services to the market.

And we are not just talking about supplying the elite venues and organisation, the grass roots and volunteers are just as eager to make use of the world-leading products and knowledge that is available. You only have to look at the increasing popularity of the education and seminar programmes at both SALTEX and BTME to see there is a hunger to keep improving, but also that the UK industry is highly regarded around the world.

But we still need to ensure there is a wider recognition of this fact. The issue of maintaining high-quality facilities for the next generation has once again been raised, albeit with a focus on the health benefits. What also needs to be recognised is the work that goes in to ensuring we have high quality facilities available in the first place.

Elsewhere this month we have various special features that also help to showcase how important and influential our industry continues to be. From Jane Carley’s in-depth look at sports turf management, through to look at soils and treatments and water management, this issue looks across the whole industry. We also have

Paul Groves, Editor

New playing fields planning guidance

Sport England’s aim is to help protect and enhance opportunities for people to take part in sport and physical activity, while making it easier to develop and assess related applications for all – including applicants and local authorities.

Local planning authorities are required to consult with Sport England on planning applications that affect playing field land, and the organisation’s policy is to object to applications unless they meet one of five specific exceptions, which include:

• The proposals will improve the use of a playing field for sport

• Replacement playing field land is to be provided

• There has been a robust assessment that demonstrates there is an excess of playing field land.

The policy is consistent with the protection given to playing fields by the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework.

By providing clearer advice, the guidance will help applicants, local planning authorities and others understand the role it plays.

Property Director for Sport England, Charles Johnston, said: “Where necessary we’ll object to applications, but we would much prefer to work collaboratively with applicants from the outset to look for opportunities to protect and enhance provision that make the process smoother, swifter and produces better results for everyone.

“By providing clearer and more detailed advice, the updated guidance will help applicants, local planning authorities and other parties understand our role and how we assess applications, along with the information we require.”

Sport England Enquiry 7

Kubota UK launches L1361 Utility Tractor

Kubota UK, leading groundcare machinery specialist, has launched its latest high performance L1361 Compact Utility Tractor, which provides unrivaled versatility, productivity and efficiency.

For those looking to complete a wide range of maintenance tasks with ease, the 36.6 HP machine is a flexible choice, featuring a powerful three cylinder Kubota D1803-M-E2 engine, manual or three range speed hydrostatic transmission and a 38 litre capacity fuel tank for extended periods of use.

The new L1361 also includes 4WD and live, continuousrunning rear PTO exclusively available on the HST model.

The frequent and alternating use of various implements are supported by the machine’s threepoint hitch and impressive lifting capacity, for easier and flexible use.

By featuring a quick detach front loader, the model allows for easier and quicker use of implements, including the new Kubota LA525 front loader with a curved boom design, for easy completion of the biggest of tasks.

The bevel gear front axle has also been designed to deliver an extremely tight turning radius, with full power transfer to the wheels at every steering angle. This enables greater traction across all terrains for secure high performance.

However, productivity and performance aren’t the only key benefits of the machine. Ergonomics have also played a significant part in the L1361’s refreshed design, with a spacious operator deck and slanted front bonnet for greater field of vision when handling front loader operations to ensure maximum safety.

Kubota Enquiry 6

Notts Hollinwell goes for green again

Currently ranked as the UK’s 40th best course by Golf World Top 100 and by National Club Golfer as an England Top 20 course, Notts Golf Club Hollinwell is renowned as one of the country’s finest inland courses, with heather, gorse, bracken and pine in abundance.

It has also been described as “one of the best heathland courses in Britain” by BBC commentator and former Ryder Cup player Ken Brown. The club has continued the course and environmental improvements accomplished over recent years and for the second year running will host a Final Qualifying tournament for The Open, at Carnoustie in July 2018.

In 2017, Notts (Hollinwell) successfully staged Final Qualifying for The Open at Royal Birkdale. The course was presented in excellent condition and the event ran very smoothly,

thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of staff – not least the greenkeeping team led by course manager Phil Stain – members and volunteers.

“The club is always pushing for higher standards and there’s been a lot of investment in the course over the last couple of years, so it’s very satisfying to be recognised at this level,” says Phil. “The course is now being managed more intensively and our bent/fescue overseeding programme is progressing really well, as we try to get the greens back to predominantly fine grasses. Mowing frequency has also been increased, so the reliability of our course machinery continues to be a major requirement.”

Part of the ongoing investment programme has seen the purchase of a new fleet of seven John Deere machines from Nottingham based dealership

Henton & Chattell, on a John Deere Financial five-year operating lease. These include four 2500E electric hybrid triplex greens mowers, an 8800A TerrainCut rotary rough mower featuring the programmable TechControl display, and two ProGator heavy-duty utility vehicles.

“The machines were due for replacement, as it’s been five years since the last upgrade,” says Phil. “We’ve been more than happy with our previous John Deere 2500E greens mowers, which were the first ones we bought. They’ve provided the standard of finish and reliability we look for, and the dealer service from Henton & Chattell and sales manager James Robson has been very good.

“We always choose the best machines for the job, in our opinion, so we’re not particularly committed to one individual

brand over any other. However, having tried the competition we found the John Deere greens mowers ticked all the boxes, so we had no reason to change –we’ve had virtually no problems with them whatsoever, so there was no need to look elsewhere. All round the 2500E is a very good, reliable machine – our old

models still have plenty of life in them and are going back to the dealer in very good condition.

“The 8800A cuts all the semirough and provides a massive time saving, as well as a good quality finish, plus it’s also a very reliable mower. The ProGators are new machines

for us, as we’ve only had them on demonstration before. The industry feedback I get is that the Gator is one of the most robust machines out there, so I’m very happy to go with the opinions of other greenkeepers that I trust.”

John Deere Enquiry 10

New support for Polaris Technical and Service Department

Leading ATV manufacturer Polaris appointed Kenny Kay as Technical and Warranty Specialist. Kenny joins the Polaris Technical Department directly from the military where he completed a lengthy and extensive hands-on mechanical career.

Currently he is undergoing the comprehensive Polaris induction and training programme before starting his role of interfacing with dealers and their mechanics.

“Kenny possesses a vast range of technical knowledge of all types of vehicles,” says Polaris Technical Department’s Sam Merrifield, “and he can’t wait to apply this knowledge and

experience to the ever-growing range of Polaris products.”

Even one of Kenny’s hobbies, alongside running and ice hockey, is rebuilding engines. Kenny says what attracted him to Polaris was a great opportunity to work with quads, side by sides and motorcycles in such a progressive and professional environment. He looks forward to being able to start his role and bring his experience in solving mechanical issues to the Polaris dealer network. Polaris, in turn, welcomes him into the Polaris Central Europe team.

Polaris Enquiry 11

Lewis applies How’s it Made to Zaun

efficiency to compete in the global market.

He said: “My focus will be on the processes and systems used in the business to make them as efficient and effective as possible. We want to exploit our existing system and reduce the level of administration using bespoke spreadsheets.”

Lewis said: “I love the programme How’s it Made and apply those sort of principles to everything I do.

As Lewis said, he applies these principles to everything not just work. He is currently renovating a Grade II listed building which will become his family home in Mold in North Wales.

Zaun Enquiry 13

GreenMech takes s stand at the Arb Show

At this years Arb Show, Europe’s largest chipper manufacturer GreenMech will be showcasing their latest range of 200mm capacity chippers, which complement their popular 150mm offering.

Visitors to stand C18/19 will be able to see a selection of both tracked and towed machines and discuss the special show deals and flexible finance options available.

The road tow Arborist 200 and the tracked ArbTrak 200 variant lead GreenMech’s 200mm (8”) capacity models.

Both machines are capable of increasing productivity through their generous 1200mm x 840mm in-feed hoppers, making light work of heavily forked branches. They pick up where GreenMech’s popular 5” and 6” capacity machines, the Arborist 130 and 150 respectively, leave off.

Considered GreenMech’s entrylevel hydraulic chipper, the Arborist 130 doesn’t compromise performance for size. Its Honda 23hp petrol engine and 130mm chipping capacity ensures effective management of waste brash and forked branches. The road-tow Arborist 150 is

available with a 26 or 34hp diesel engine, or with a 37hp B&S Vanguard petrol alternative while the tracked variant, GreenMech’s ArbTrak 150, will effortlessly get to those hard-to-reach locations.

Also on show will be the roadtowable QuadChip 160, featuring a 360 degree turntable, allowing for definitive positioning of the in-feed chute for convenient and safe loading at the roadside or in restricted spaces.

A tracked version with the inclusion of a tilt system is available, allowing safe working on slopes of up to 30 degrees. For those interested

in traversing banks with safety and ease, the SAFE-Trak 19-28, with GreenMech patented track extension system and a 190mm (7”) chipping capacity, will be of particular interest.

All of GreenMech’s hydraulic machines are fitted with their patented disc-blade system, providing up to 150 hours of chipping before re-sharpening is required. They also come with a 3 Year, no-quibble warranty and the support of GreenMech’s well-established UK dealer network.

SEAN MCGEACHY MCGEACHY GARDEN DESIGN LTD

GreenMech Enquiry 14

“We’re not going to make any massive step changes in manufacturing here at Zaun, but we will be making lots of little step changes so every day we will be just a little bit better.”

Ransomes Jacobsen dealer changes in North of England

Ransomes Jacobsen has announced several changes to sales territories in the north of England and Wales to streamline and strengthen its U.K. dealer network.

Ransomes Jacobsen, which distributes Ransomes and Jacobsen turf-care equipment, E-Z-GO golf cars, and Cushman utility vehicles in the U.K., operates as part of Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc.

Following a review of regional coverage, three existing dealers:

F.R. Sharrock Ltd., Rickerby Ltd., and Burdens Group Ltd. will take on additional territories as part of their current dealer agreements. All three dealers are experienced with the full range of Ransomes Jacobsen products and are geographically well-placed to offer an excellent customer experience for sales and after-sales support, spare parts and service.

Jacobsen Enquiry 16

Cosy comfort on site with the new Snickers Hoodies

Snickers Hoodies have long been favourites among professional craftsmen and women - so the new range of knitted Hoodies is bound to be a big hit.

There’s a ‘Full Zip’ or ‘OverHead’ option and they’re the ideal combination with Snickers’ First and Second Layer Undergarments and can comfortably be worn under a jacket on chilly days.

With a contemporary design, four colour options and a doublelined hood for extra warmth, these hardworking Hoodies are great for all trades on site.

Made from a cosy, durable fabric for extra ruggedness, they’ve got an adjustable drawstring in the

hood plus kangaroo handwarmer pockets at the front.

Snickers Enquiry 17

Get ready for Spring 2018 with AkzoNobel

Garden buildings, decking and fencing are becoming increasingly popular as we’re using the garden more and more as a living space.

At Blackburn-based coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel they know that supplying the highest quality products to protect these wooden assemblies in situ is key to safeguarding their longevity and make them look stunning all year round.

Fence, shed and decking manufacturers/suppliers know that having a reliable source of suitable coatings through a dependable and direct network enables them to supply a consistent, quality product to the end user. It’s an area where AkzoNobel can make a positive difference.

The end/user need not lose out though, as AkzoNobel through their vast distribution system can supply a limited amount of product to this niche market.

With SIKKENS CETOL® WF 771, Sikkens Wood Coatings provide a special one-pot coating product which is highly protective against the damaging effects of UV light and moisture.

Its transparent film deluges and fills the pores in the wood with the Saturator-Effekt® and therefore increases its durability. Flaking of the coating does not occur.

The Self Stratifying© binder used in CETOL® WF 771 is modularly based. The first component ensures good adhesion to the substrate; the second component offers very good protection against UV light and moisture.

This low build, low sheen translucent system is especially suitable for medium to highly exposed wood surfaces such as outdoor decks, garden furniture, roof soffits and cladding.

AkzoNobel Enquiry 18

Ecoplug Max controls tree stumps with ease

Monsanto’s

Ecoplug Max ® delivers glyphosate directly into the stump, killing its root system and preventing re-growth using a patented method which minimises the risk of herbicide exposure for the operator and environmental contamination through spillage or run-off.

Each plug contains 300mg of granular glyphosate which is released inside the stump and then translocated down to the roots preventing new growth sprouting and leaving the stump to gradually rot away. Plugs are simply placed into holes drilled into the stump using the Ecoplug drill bit, and hammered in forcing out the sides of the plug and releasing the glyphosate.

Ecoplug Max ® is an effective tool for tackling tree stump regrowth without the cost or inconvenience of mechanical removal.

Gerflor looks to Elevate

Elevate is the UK’s largest fitness & physical activity trade show, taking place on 9-10 May 2018 at Excel London.

The event provides a perfect platform for international flooring specialist Gerflor to showcase several of their high-performing vinyl flooring products including; Taraflex® which is the most widely specified sports surface in the world.

The Powershock 300, 100 and 60 ranges also on show from Gerflor are high impact rubber solutions for fitness, designed to be both functional and hardwearing.

The Elevate show will also afford Gerflor the opportunity to highlight their fast-track GTI Max and Creation LVT ranges.

Gerflor Enquiry 21

Secure and durable granite sett re-pointing

The granite paving through the Peace Gardens in Sheffield has been refurbished for Sheffield City Council using GftK’s vdw 850 Paving Joint Mortar from NCC Streetscape.

The highly durable granite was becoming loose and subject to damage due to the far less durable cement based jointing mortars used originally and for earlier repairs. Whilst ‘traditional’ these are all highly sensitive to water, mixing and exposure to frost

resulting in typical cracking and loss of strength problems.

The Council’s Engineers and their Contractor found the ideal solution was the unique, epoxy resin bound sand based, vdw 850 Paving joint Mortar from NCC Streetscape. This also enabled all of the work to be successfully completed without having to completely close any areas of the popular commuter routes through the gardens.

NCC Streetscape Enquiry 22

Stuart Canvas Group acquires Mudfords Ltd

Stuart Canvas, the UK’s leading provider of sports ground and industrial covers, has acquired Mudfords as the company continues to increase its production capacity and extend its range of services into new and diverse marketplaces. The announcement is in line with Stuart Canvas’ strategy to grow the business though organic expansion and targeted acquisitions.

Mudford Ltd, headquartered in Sheffield but with a warehouse and outlet in Wakefield, was established in 1832 and has grown to be one of the UK’s leading suppliers of load restraint equipment, Rope, Tarpaulins, Nets, Jute sheets and many other products. The company, which boasts clients which include many household names also offers bespoke industrial tarpaulins which compliments Stuart Canvas’

The new Solid Gear ‘One GTX’ Safety Shoe

The ONE GTX from Solid Gear is a superbly constructed safety shoe with seven integrated layers to deliver excellent comfort and protection.

It’s designed and built for active professionals who need a highly breathable, light and flexible safety shoe. With a GORETEX® SURROUND® membrane they’re fully breathable and ideal for warmer weather and combined indoor/outdoor activities.

The shoe’s stretchable upper is water-resistant with amazing performance when it comes to breathability, fit and flexibility. What’s more, it has a honeycombed sole for enhanced grip and a composite midsole. It also has a stabilising heel support to minimise injuries from twisting.

existing offer and extends the business into new areas.

The acquisition will offer Stuart Canvas double production capacity as the company looks to keep up with demand for its covers and tarpaulins. In addition, the two businesses have complimentary customer bases and provide an opportunity for the two businesses to cross sell products to each other’s customers as well as the expansion of the online presence and shop.

The agreement will see Stuart Canvas purchase Mudford Ltd for an undisclosed sum and the management of both businesses work together on building a strong and sustainable business that operates in both a national and international markets.

Solid Gear Enquiry 24

Stuart Canvas Enquiry 23

Discover the colour

Euroflor urban flower mixtures have been successfully grown in the UK for more than a decade with over 60,000 m 2 sown annually by local authorities, contractors, on housing estates, highways, roundabouts, holiday camps, golf clubs and even zoo’s.

Flower displays such as these provide many social, ecological, environmental and economic benefits.

From a wide range of mixtures, they provide amazing flower displays for people to enjoy, a food source for pollinating insects and enhance the habitats for wildlife.

Euroflor urban flower mixtures are 100% germination tested seeds, delivering reliability and

vibrant flower displays for a longer flowering season.

When sown during the months of April-June, they flower within 50-55 days and continue until the first frosts of autumn. Rigby Taylor supply Euroflor seed mixtures in 1 kg packs and also

Discovery Boxes which are available as bespoke options, allowing purchasers a choice of over 25 mixtures from across the entire Euroflor range at a minimal cost. Each Discovery Box contains 10 x 50gram sachets with each covering approximately 10-15m 2. The

boxes have proved a great success in providing users the opportunity to compare or experiment with a wide range of mixtures across a smaller site with minimal outlay.

Rigby Taylor Enquiry

27

Andrew Symons appointed dealer for Ransomes Jacobsen

Andrew Symons Ltd has been appointed as a new Ransomes Jacobsen dealer, representing the Ransomes, Jacobsen, E-Z-GO, Cushman, Turfco and Smithco brands. Andrew Symons Ltd. will cover a territory that includes Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Ransomes Jacobsen, a Textron Inc. company, operates as part of Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., the manufacturer of Jacobsen and Ransomes turf-care

equipment, E-Z-GO golf cars, and Cushman utility vehicles. In addition, Ransomes Jacobsen is the distributor for Turfco and Smithco equipment in the United Kingdom.

Andrew Symons is a major agricultural, construction and groundcare business, with an exceptional reputation in the area.

Ransomes Jacobsen Enquiry 28

Odds Farm and Timberplay Study

Day offers insight

The event, held at Odds Farm in Buckinghamshire on Wednesday 2 May 2018 features an array of specialist speakers.

Attendees will learn about; the history of play, the psychological reasoning behind play, the importance of risk and challenge within play, management and maintenance of play spaces, how to

effectively market play and how to deal with negative feedback.

Attendees will be taken on a site tour around Odds Farm and experience their outdoor play areas first hand.

The event starts at 9:45am –4pm at Odds Farm, Wooburn Common, Wooburn Green, High Wycombe, HP10 0LX.

Places for this free event are limited, to book a place please email lilly@timberplay.com or call 0114 282 3474 for further details.

Timberplay Enquiry 29

Well-respected play specialists, Timberplay have joined forces with Odds Farm Park to host a Play Study Day, focusing on how play can be best utilised to boost visitor numbers and improve visitor satisfaction levels.

New creeping ryegrass cultivar brings added benefits to stalwart sports and landscaping seed mixtures

Germinal has upgraded a selection of its established landscape and sports turf seed mixtures with the addition of Zurich, a new-for-2018 creeping perennial ryegrass cultivar, which offers increased wear tolerance and fast sward recovery.

Zurich creeping perennial ryegrass provides excellent wear tolerance, persistence and recovery due to its creeping growth habit. Scoring 6.5 for live ground cover and 6.3 for visual merit, Zurich is one of the best-performing creeping perennial ryegrasses on Table S1 of the BSPB’s Turfgrass Seed 2018 booklet. It is a fineleaved variety that also exhibits high resistance to insects and nematode attack due to naturally high endophyte levels.

Zurich features as standard in Germinal’s A30 Rapid Sports Renovator Plus* and A20

Creeping Perennial Ryesport** seed mixtures and is a useful addition for long-term pitches ranging from Premiership training grounds to school and municipal pitches.

Zurich has also been added to three of Germinal’s landscaping seed mixtures; A3 Embankments and Droughts, A18 Road Verge & Embankmentsss and A19 All Purpose Landscapingsss.

“A3 has traditionally been the industry’s go-to seed mixture for stabilising embankments due to its high percentage of creeping fescues and bentgrasses which bind the soil together,” explains Richard Brown, Amenity Sales Manager for Germinal.

“The addition of Zurich gives this popular seed mixture the added benefits associated with a perennial ryegrass: speed of establishment, the ability to germinate in colder temperatures, and the ability to rapidly recover from damage caused by excessive wear. For A18 and A19, the addition of Zurich further enhances the ability of these mixtures to recover from wear with minimal intervention.”

“Zurich exhibits an excellent creeping habit, which not only enables sports pitches to rapidly recover from excessive use, but also binds manufactured soils together quickly and effectively thereby preventing gully erosion and loss of soil. It’s ability to self-regenerate gives added protection during the winter and slowly helps damaged sports pitches and landscaped green areas to repair themselves with minimal additional physical intervention. It also makes the improved seed mixtures more effective in cooler temperatures at the beginning and end of the growing season.”

Germinal Enquiry 33

EGO’s commercial cordless garden tools offer power and performance

To meet the needs of ground care professionals in terms of power, performance, convenience and wellbeing, EGO Power+ is launching its first dedicated range of commercial cordless garden tools.

Powered by the patented design of the 56V Arc Lithium battery system, which delivers the power of petrol without the petrol, the range comprises three high-spec tools – a hedge trimmer, a commercial line trimmer, and a blower.

All offer super tough, low maintenance construction to help grounds care professionals work harder all-day every day, even in the most challenging conditions.

All three new tools are packed with innovation. The hedge trimmer, for example, has blades that are made from laser-cut steel with diamond-ground edges to ensure a sharpness and cleanness of cut. Unlike other manufacturers they are then laser-hardened to ensure they stay sharper for longer, even when cutting through the toughest hedge.

In an industry first, the brush cutter has a carbon fibre shaft which makes it more lightweight for ease of handling, but, even more importantly, it makes it extremely strong.

Where standard aluminium shafts bend or get damaged, this shaft stays strong to meet the day-to-day routine of handling, transporting and storing.

EGO is already renowned for producing extremely powerful blowers but the new professional blower takes performance to a whole new level.

At its maximum, the blower can blow at a rate of 1079m3 /h with a speed of 212km/h and a force of 20 newtons. This level of performance is up there with the very best petrol backpack blowers.

However unlike petrol blowers, operational volume is incredibly low at just 80 decibels meaning it can be used in even the most sensitive of areas without causing disruption

Additional to these three tools EGO will also launch a new backpack battery, which once again, takes cordless performance to a whole new level. With an IP rating of 56 this new battery is suitable for all weather conditions.

There’s no need to stop and place a plastic cover over the top of it like some other manufacturers because its 1500 watt hour capacity will just keep on working.

Ego Power+ Enquiry 32

University of Nottingham and Replay - the dream ticket to preserving synthetic surfaces

For the second year running, the expertise of the grounds team at the University of Nottingham saw them collect the Best Maintained Artificial Pitch of the Year award at the annual IOG Awards.

Lending Sports Ground Manager Greg Smith and his team of 8 a helping hand with the five artificial playing surfaces – three 3G surfaces, one sand-filled pitch and a water-based surface, are maintenance specialists, Replay.

This is in addition to many acres of natural surfaces and facilities.

“Our artificial pitches are spread over 4 different campuses” explains Greg, “and host training, play and competitions for the students as well as a number of outside and community clubs including Notts County FC, The FA and RFU. On average, each surface hosts roughly 40 hours of play each week.”

With such high wear across the University’s surfaces, the maintenance must dovetail the amount of play hours. “I think

people underestimate quite how much work goes into maintaining an artificial surface. We have our own equipment allowing us to conduct in-house maintenance, usually spending 55 hours a month collecting litter, brushing, raking, re-marking and checking infill levels and taking action where required.”

On top of this, the University has a service agreement with Replay Maintenance for the four campus’.

This sees Replay conducting five Revive visits, and a Revive Plus+ visit per annum. Replay Revive uses a specially developed machine to remove contaminants from filled and water-based carpets.

It de-compacts and rotates the infill whilst a series of filters and

vacuums remove dust, debris and broken-down fibres. Replay’s Revive Plus+ deep clean has the primary objective of separating contamination from clean infill and eliminating compaction.

“Between our in-house work and Replay’s specialism we are ultimately aiming to help increase the lifespan and usability of our facilities. One, for example, has been down for 10 years - it’s still safe to use and performing well. We used a company previously but I didn’t feel like we were getting value for money from them. With Replay we’re getting not only a deep clean on a regular basis, but the expertise and advice we need to keep our surfaces in award winning condition.”

Replay Maintenance Enquiry 36

Makita expand pressure washer range

Makita has added two further pressure washers to the range which spans the 100 to 140 bar capacities.

The new Makita HW1200 model has a regular operating pressure of 100 bar with a maximum pressure capacity of 120 bar, and a maximum delivery rate of 420 litres per hour, whilst the Makita HW1300 with electrical 2-pressure settings, has regular operating pressure settings of 110 bar on Hi and 80 bar on Lo.

A similar 450 litre per hour flow rate is available from the HW1300 which has a maximum operating pressure of 130 bar with delivery controlled by a front mounted rotary switch.

Both are powered by series motors for performance and reliability and are supplied with a 10m delivery hose and pressure adjustable spray lance. The HW1300 has an integrated hose reel.

These new Makita pressure washers feature a self-priming pump operation which means that they can be used with water supplied from a tank, or water butt, simply by immersing a selfsuction supply hose (supplied separately) into the water source.

The traditional mains water hose supply connection is conveniently located at the front of the washer. These lightweight washers are quiet in operation, double insulated for safety, come complete with a convenient 5m power cord and can be used with water at up to 40°C.

Makita Enquiry 37

Mark Harrod Ltd aids amputees’ Guadalajara goal

England’s football squad is deep into preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup this June.

In Nantwich, Cheshire, another England posse of players is also training hard for competing on the global stage of the game.

This is the England amputee squad and they are seeking their own World Cup glory in Guadalajara, Mexico, in November.

They’ll be up against leading countries such as Turkey, Russia and Poland but having so nearly triumphed last year at the European Championships in Finland (losing 2-1 to Turkey in the final before a 42,000 crowd) they’ll have their eye on the main chance.

Unlike their able-bodied counterparts, however, these footballers with disabilities do not have the comfort of funding via their governing body. The England Amputee Football Association (EAFA) relies on sponsorship money and donations since the Football Association had to withdraw its financial backing in 2006 due to a reported lack of participation in the sport at that time.

The journey since has proved a long and winding one for the EAFA, founded in 1990, but invaluable support from business is helping it deliver the training climate needed for the preparation the squad requires to compete on a level playing field against countries that run paid programmes.

Early February saw the squad turn up for its monthly training weekend at Reaseheath College to be greeted by the sight of brand new goalposts – a key factor in ensuring such committed players can train with the highest standards of provision available to them.

The Premium Easylift goals package, donated by leading sports equipment manufacturer Mark Harrod Ltd, features 16ft x 7ft wheeled goalposts that can be quickly placed in position for training then conveniently moved away after play.

When raised, the four wheels on each goal have excellent ground clearance, while internal weights allow instant safe use.

Mark Harrod Enquiry 38

REVOLUTIONARY POWER. UNPARALLELED PERFORMANCE.

BIG JOBS NEED BIG POWER. THAT’S WHY INSIDE ALL EGO POWER+ MOWERS, THERE’S A UNIQUE 56V ARC LITHIUM BATTERY THAT’S BEEN DESIGNED TO DELIVER THE PETROL MATCHING POWER YOU NEED TO GET THE JOB DONE. MEANING THAT WITH IMPRESSIVE RUN TIMES, FAST INDUSTRY-LEADING CHARGE TIMES AND ADVANCED BATTERY TECHNOLOGY, THE POWER TO TACKLE ANY SIZE LAWN IS IN YOUR HANDS.

Addagrip STARPATH lights the way

The greater the concentration, the more vibrant the glow.

Marshalls plans for anti-terror security market growth

Marshalls, the UK’s leading hard landscaping manufacturer, has strengthened its product team as it plans for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) market growth over the next 12 months.

Addagrip STARPATH transforms our resin bound surfacing systems

Addaset, Addabound, Terrabound and Terrabase Rustic into light responsive, sustainable pathways.

By harnessing UV energy during the day, the surface includes charged composite granules which emit ambient lighting for up to 10 hours during the night.

The natural appearance of bound aggregate pathways observed during the day is transformed with a captivating soft blue or green luminescent glow by night.

Addagrip STARPATH surfacing provides cost effective, sustainable lighting for those areas requiring illumination without adding to light pollution. Ideal for rural location walkways, parks and areas with street light saving schemes.

By increasing the concentration of the granules, bespoke patterns, signs and logos can also be incorporated into the resin bound surface. Suitable for domestic use providing decorative ambient lighting for garden pathways, patios and pool surrounds.

Addagrip Enquiry 43

Roger Knight joins the business as Head of New Product Development and Engineering for Landscape Protection, and will lead a sharp expansion in the company’s HVM portfolio as it responds to an increase in market demand.

Prior to joining Marshalls, Roger spent five years as Engineering and Innovation Manager at ATG Access, where he was heavily involved with developing automated HVM security solutions for critical national infrastructure and utility companies.

Before this he was Operations Manager for APT where he assisted in developing the first UK crash test standards, PAS 68/69, with the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI).

Marshalls’ Landscape Protection product line consists of specially designed street furniture, which includes benches, planters, litter bins, cycle stands and bollards, manufactured to PAS 68/69 and IWA 14.1/14.2 standards. These are used to create safe, attractive spaces that protect the public, while integrating seamlessly into the surrounding environment.

The FTSE 250-listed company works with public sector bodies and businesses to manufacture and recommend the right Landscape Protection products with the appropriate safety ratings. Marshalls employs approximately 2,500 people across the UK.

42

The right surface drainage channels for the job at T2 Trafford Point

Surface drainage required at T2 Trafford Point office car park access road and service yard required the specification of high capacity and very robust channel systems capable of withstanding the daily passage of cars as well as the massive twisting forces exerted by the tyres of manoeuvring HGVs.

Hauraton RECYFIX ® MONOTEC 200/450 channels were installed in the asphalt car park. With a nominal grating

width of 200mm (Channel internal dimension) and an overall height of 450mm a channel provides a cross-section of 746.1cm2, so the 134 metres of channel installed in the car park has a total water capacity of just over 9996 litres and a loading category of up to Class D400.

The MONOTEC one metre long channel component is of a sturdy monolithic design where the HEELSAFE grating and the tongue and groove

linking system are integral to the tough, virtually unbreakable polypropylene (PP) moulding.

In addition to the car park drainage, two sizes of RECYFIX®

HICAP ® channels were also installed in the concreted service yard; 78 metres of HICAP 150 and 120 metres of HICAP 300.

45

Granite sett driveway refurbished

GftK’s vdw 850 Paving Joint Mortar from NCC Streetscape has been used to repoint and improve the performance and durability of this prestige driveway near Bury in Lancashire. The driveway was originally pointed with sand and cement, but this broke down and it was repaired by well-known brands of cement slurry jointing and gun applied pointing – All of which failed because of problems in application and service –delayed or damaged by working in wet weather, shrinkage cracking, staining & cleaning etc.

All of these problems have now been solved for years to come with GftK’s vdw 850 Paving Joint Mortar, a unique epoxy resin bound, graded sand formulation that is simply wet-slurry applied and it selfcompacts into the joints.

The surface is rinsed and then dry brushed-off and within a short period of time can be put back into use – also with no delays for cold or wet weather.

Turning up the heat

The Thermory Collection, distributed in the UK by Round Wood of Mayfield, has eliminated this trade off through the development of advanced kilning technologies.

The range includes decking, cladding and flooring, all of which has been thermo-treated. This chemical free process is used to transform ash and spruce from responsibly managed forests in North America and Europe into

timber with a durability that rivals that of tropical hardwoods.

Thermo-treatment takes place in computer controlled kilns. Finished timber profiles are heated and steamed at temperatures of up to 215°C in order to reduce moisture content, remove resins and bake out the natural sugars that can cause decay.

Roundwood of Mayfield Enquiry 44

Introducing Addagrip STARPATH – our innovative light-emitting resin bound surfacing incorporating the latest photoluminescent technology.

NCC Streetscape Enquiry 41

Hauraton Enquiry

Marshalls Enquiry

Dav d Keegan Garden Design

Talasey Group caters to the modest budget with new additions

Three more new colour options have been added to Talasey Group’s Vitripiazza Anno range of vitrified porcelain paving. While still a high quality Italian

porcelain, the Anno range offers an economical option for projects with a more modest budget due to the slight reduction in the pavers’ thickness.

Space transformed with creative hard landscaping

Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping division of Aggregate Industries, has helped transform a once disused area into a multi-use public space in the heart of Bethnal Green, East London.

The Oval, which is just off Hackney Road, was once a hotspot for illegal car parking but thanks to a creative landscape design from London Borough Tower Hamlets, the new space is now fully accessible with safe seating areas, attractive lighting and a versatile stage area, meaning The Oval can now host a wide range of events from performances to markets.

Appointed by contractors JB Riney for London Borough Tower Hamlets, Charcon recommended the best hard landscaping products to complete the aesthetics of the street scape, whilst ensuring the specified products would be suitable for a multi-use venue.

Gavin Fancote, specification manager for Aggregate Industries, comments: “This was a fantastic project to get involved in and we’ve enjoyed seeing the

area transform into a striking community space for residents and visitors to enjoy. The project demonstrates how, when specified correctly, creative hard landscaping can really transform an area that not only offers minimum maintenance, but will stand the test of time for years to come.”

A total of 300m2 of Charcon’s Andover Textured Block Paving in White, Silver Fleck and Light Grey was supplied, as well as 300m 2 of Andover Textured Paving in White Grey and White to complete the look. Both products were chosen due to their stylish appeal and exceptional durability.

Abhinav Kurup, project architect from London Borough Tower Hamlets, added: “It’s been wonderful to see the rejuvenation of this space and bring a new lease of life to the area. Despite the small nature of the project, Charcon stepped up to the mark and helped create an eyecatching design with its premium block paving and we’re thrilled with the result.”

Charcon Enquiry 50

This 18mm hugely popular range of vitrified Italian porcelain pavers is aimed at the design-focused customer who desires a quality and affordable product. Reducing the thickness of the flagstone by just 2mm does not affect the integrity of the product but does however make this much lighter to handle on site and easier to cut.

The thickness reduction also helps with the importing, manufacturing and transportation costs supporting very competitive delivered prices.

Adding three new colours has diversified the range’s colour pallet to offer more choice for consumers and designers. The current Biscotto (Cream/ Buff), Grigio (pale grey) and Grafite (dark grey) are joined

by the new Avorio, Bronzo and Panthera flagstones. Avorio has beautiful pearlescent ivory white and silver tones, perfect for brightening up a shaded garden area, whilst Bronzo offers a very rich and distinctive mix of brown and bronze tones to complement diverse landscapes and the striking Pantera is the darkest option in the Anno range presenting deep shades of slate black for creating a truly contemporary outdoor living space.

All the Anno range has stunning shade and riven variations and with twelve different connotations in a pack all available in 600mm x 600mm size format, the range offers a unique and distinct finish every time.

Talasey Group Enquiry 49

From west to east with Howe Green access covers

Howe Green has supplied over 400 access covers to Tier 1 contractors working on Europe’s largest construction project –Crossrail.

Tier 1 contractor Laing O’ Rourke has specified over 60 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series Multipart Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers for Tottenham Court Road station.

The large 4 part units were precision made to order to ensure that they would be a perfect fit. Installed by specialist stone contractor Vetter UK, the covers have been infilled with granite to match the surrounding area. Supplied with barrel lifting points the covers fit flush with the flooring to reduce the risk of slip and trip hazards.

The 7500 Series can withstand up to a 5 tonne pneumatic wheel

loading and can be supplied as a single cover, in duct runs or as a multipart. Options are available for a 3 hour fire rating BS 476: Part 20 1987 on stainless steel single covers or 2 hours on duct and multipart covers. Covers can also be double-sealed to meet the highest standards of hygiene and security.

Aqua-Zorb Liquid eliminates Dry Patch

After trialling a range of various wetting agents, Jonathan Smith, Course Manager at Cowdray Park Golf Club, West Sussex, found exactly what he was looking for in Sherriff Amenity’s Aqua-Zorb Liquid.

A classic downland layout built on sandy soil, it has spectacular

panoramic views of the South Downs. Jonathan Smith has been Course Manager at Cowdray for 17 years and in the summer of 2016 Jonathan and his team embarked on a series of wetting agent trials in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint without compromising on the overall condition of the beautiful golf course.

Aqua-Zorb Liquid from Sherriff Amenity is a concentrated nonionic turf wetting agent that will enable water to move faster and deeper into the soil profile. One application can last all season and it is renowned for treating the cause of Localised Dry Patch. Aqua-Zorb can also improve drainage, alleviate compaction, reduce the quantity of irrigation

required, suppress the formation of dew and greatly improve the quality of the sward.

Based on the success of applying Aqua-Zorb in 2016, Jonathan decided to apply it to the entire course in spring last year. In mid-April he applied Aqua-Zorb Liquid at a rate of 50 litres per hectare to the tees, approaches, surrounds and all the fairways. Jonathan applied it on a morning of expected rainfall and sure enough, approximately 4/5mm of rain fell that day, which washed the product in nicely.

Normally, Jonathan and his team would cease to spray wetting agent in September/ October, but for maximum results he continued to apply monthly applications of AquaZorb Liquid to the greens at a rate of 20 litres per hectare throughout winter.

Sherriff Amenity Enquiry 52

MM60 is key for Leeds Rhinos

Ryan Golding, head groundsman at the Emerald Headingley Stadium - home to Leeds Rhinos rugby league and Yorkshire Carnegie rugby union clubs, believes that Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed has been integral to the success of the pitch.

Ryan has been working at the stadium for fifteen years and has occupied the position of head groundsman for the last four.

With a heavy fixture list, renovations largely depend on available windows but Ryan tends to aim for June each year. However, where many groundsmen may have extended periods throughout pre-season, Ryan has as little as 26 days to get the pitch up and running again.

“Getting the right seed is key and that is why I use Limagrain’s MM60,” he says.

Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface in a stadium environment. It is a 100% Ryegrass formula which is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, fantastic aesthetic

qualities and offers extremely fast germination – which is boosted by the inclusion of Headstart GOLD.

Developed using the latest scientific findings and field experience, it is a natural revolutionary grass seed

treatment that ensures rapid germination and is perfect for enhancing performance on grass seed coatings for sports fields, golf courses, lawns and amenity turf.

Limagrain Enquiry 54

School heads towards 500-year anniversary with disease free sports facilities

Thanks to help from Headland Amenity, the 17 hectares of grounds for rugby, tennis and cricket at Kings Bruton School have come through the winter of 2017 disease-free and stronger than ever before.

For a relatively small school, they punch well above their weight when it comes to sport and the facilities they offer their 350 pupils.

Grounds Manager, Adie Davis, and his team of 6 groundstaff are kept busy looking after the facilities.

“I have been familiar with Headland products for a long time and have enjoyed success with their programmes here at the school for a number of years. On our cricket outfields & rugby pitches we’ve been using Multigreen 28-0-0 which delivers results for the full 5-6 months it promises it will.”

Applied in April and then again in September for strength through the autumn/winter, this is complemented on the fine turf areas by C-Complex in various formulations: 4-3-4 used during renovation work; 7-0-7 through the cricket playing season and 5-2-10 as a spring-starter.

On the cricket squares, Adie has found success with the

combination of Multigreen Mini and Headland’s 20/20/30 nonpesticidal tank mix.

“We apply the Multigreen Mini in early autumn to take us through the winter and then once a month between October and March we supplement this with a spray of the 20/20/30 enhanced plant health mix.” Headland’s industry-leading 20-20-30 mix combines Seamac ProTurf Fe and Liquid Turf Hardener plant protectants and Turfite elicitor that work together to strengthen the plant against disease.

The combination of products applied at Kings Bruton delivers enhanced root development, disease resistance and strong colour. “This programme has kept all disease, including Fusarium and Dollar Spot, at bay – which I know groundsmen at other schools are suffering from.”

Headland Amenity Enquiry 53

Greenmaster aids recovery at golf club

Following a severe Microdochium Nivale outbreak which left scars on the greens at Blackpool North Shore Golf Club, Head Greenkeeper Andy Moore, turned to two products in the ICL Greenmaster Pro-Lite range in order to aid the recovery.

The course was hit in autumn 2016 and almost every green was infected with Microdochium.

As a result from the outbreak, members were forced to play on temporary surfaces for a period of six months, and Andy knew he had to turn things around incredibly quickly.

“I spoke to Phil Collinson (ICL Technical Area Sales Manager) and am pleased I did because the two Greenmaster Pro-Lite products have worked wonders for us,” he said.

Andy and Phil decided that ICL’s Greenmaster Pro-Lite Cold Start 11-5-5 and Greenmaster ProLite Invigorator 4-0-8, would be the best course of action, and it wasn’t long before Andy started seeing the results. With the greens back to the excellent standard expected by both Andy and the club members, he has since embarked on a full ICL iTurf programme, which he devised with Phil Collinson.

“A programme has now been put in place and we’ve had great success with it,” he added. “I think the combination of the ICL products and the site conditions here have worked really well. The course is close to the best it has ever been and that is according to the members. In my opinion, that is the best feedback I can get.”

Star Rubber Environmental is proud to introduce hand created 3D graphical animals that bring a new dimension to children’s play. Bringing children face to face with the bugs and different animals they see in nature, read about in books and watch on the tv! • Face to Face Play

Easy to install

Wow Factor

Hand Crafted

80% Recycled

Made from 80% recycled rubber and the remaining percentage a quality EPDM rubber. Star Buddies offer a great new style of play to schools, nurseries, public parks and so many more environments.

Star Kerb Star Covers

This unique product has been designed to create the perfect transition from resin bound surfaces to tarmac or concrete, removing the age old problem of thermal shrinkage. An easy and mess free installation means it drastically increases installers site time productivity. StarKerb has proven to be a vandal resistant edge as well as a non trip definitive marination zone between play areas.

Can be used with: The Star Cover is a quick and easy solution for the use of surfacing over existing drains and manhole covers within play spaces or new play areas. Made from high quality zinc and powder coated in a range of colours combined with simple installation means there is little need to drainage covers to spoil children’s play.

This Kerb provides an ultimate soft kerb edge between play surfaces. Easy installation makes this product simple and highly effective to use. Removing the issues of thermal shrinkage on edges whilst providing a professional finish to any play area.

Can be used with:

Improvements in battery technology are making cordless machines the perfect solution

Paul Groves spent the day with leading manufacturer STIHL to see the significant impact technological advances are having on the next generation of tools.

They say a key indicator of a company’s success lies as much

in the extent of its Research & Development programme as its product range.

If that is true, then STIHL is a double winner. Not only is the company the leading petrol chainsaw brand worldwide, it is also renowned for its

revolutionary outdoor power equipment and innovation.

Little wonder, therefore, that during a day testing some of STIHL’s latest additions to its extensive product range at the Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, the equipment on display was attracting a fair bit of attention from the site’s own professional grounds staff.

STIHL’s major investment in R&D has seen it make big strides in the field of cordless and battery-operated tools, with the new products a timely reduction given the rising popularity of such machinery.

From environmental concerns through to operator comfort, the rise of battery technology in particular has seen many making

a switch from traditional tools to the new products on offer.

And STIHL’s reputation for petrol-powered excellence is now being enhanced by its adoption of industry-leading battery technology.

A family-owned business based in Germany, STIHL employs more than 14,000 staff worldwide and sells product in more than 160 countries globally. STIHL is a proud global technology leader and the only petrol chainsaw manufacturer of all three key chainsaw elements – the engine, bar and chain.

STIHL is also set to launch a new high-performance forestry saw in June 2018, the lightest chainsaw in the 70cm3 cubic capacity class, ideal for felling, pruning and fit for any forest, making the saw a true all-rounder.

Weighing only 6kg and developing 6hp, the new MS 462 C-M is extremely simple to manoeuvre and has outstanding acceleration, with 100km/h speeds achieved in only 0.3 seconds. With a new lighter and smaller diameter flywheel, the compact design and ease of use of the saw makes it perfect for prolonged use in rough terrain. In addition, a reduced gyroscopic force also provides optimal handling and energy efficient work when tackling medium and high density stands.

Despite its compact nature, the MS 462 C-M pulls no punches when it comes to performance. Powered by a STIHL economical 2-MIX

4.4 KW engine, the saw boasts a very high torque over a wide speed range meaning tougher jobs are tackled with ease, especially pruning. What’s more, the M-Tronic electronic engine management system ensures optimal engine performance, constant maximum engine speed and very good acceleration in all operating conditions – even from a cold start.

Always with the professional in mind, the new STIHL antivibration system offers a low vibration load and high stability – significantly reducing stress on hand and arm muscles and reducing energy expansion whilst

working. The ElastoStart force absorbing grip also allows for smooth starting without jerks.

From a maintenance point of view, the new HD2 air filter with radial seal offers peace of mind by providing even longer service life and an improved fine dust filtering effect, which lengthens cleaning intervals.

In addition, the one piece hood with quarter turn fasteners allow easy access to all parts for maintenance and the side mounted chain tensioning, along with the captive nuts on the sprocket cover ensures maintenance and repair is kept simple.

STIHL is committed to longterm environmental protection and energy efficiency and as such, STIHL products include advanced, eco-friendly and fuel efficient petrol models. The range also includes low-noise, Lithium-Ion battery powered tools, plus lightweight electric models.

One of the key advances will see STIHL launch a new cordless KombiEngine in May 2018, the lightest in the entire range, that is compatible with not only all current Stihl KombiTools, but also four new Kombi

attachments, as the manufacturer continues to broaden its cordless product offering to the professional user.

Weighing only 3.2kg for the powerhead and shaft, the new KMA 130 R is a powerful and lightweight cordless KombiEngine with high torque, low vibration and is 800 grams lighter than its petrol alternative (KM 94 RC-E).

Used in conjunction with the AR backpack batteries or the AP battery belt, the KMA 130 R utilises three power levels to enhance energy efficiency, is ideally suited to work in

applications in noise-sensitive areas and can be comfortably used for a prolonged period of time due to its low vibration levels.

In addition to the existing seven KombiTools the new KombiEngine can be used in conjunction with, the KMA 130 R is also compatible with four new lighter weight Kombi attachments. These include the HT-KM pole pruner, HL-KM 0o hedge trimmer, HL-KM 145o hedge trimmer and FH-KM 145o scrub cutter, all of which have been enhanced to reduce the overall weight of the tool and are suited for domestic and professional use.

The new STIHL AR 1000 backpack battery is ideal for use with the powerful KMA 130 R, with a FS KM grass trimmer attachment being able to run for up to 100 minutes on a single charge, or up to 500 minutes with a HL KM hedgetrimmer attachment.

When used in conjunction with the AL 500 charger, the AR 1000 backpack battery can be charged in as little as two hours, cutting down the time expenditures usually necessary for charging.

STIHL Enquiry 58

Best Of British

Wicksteed at the forefront of vibrant play industry

For decades, Wicksteed Playgrounds has played a significant role in the development of children’s play in the UK.

The company, which is celebrating its centenary this year, is one of the few British manufacturing companies with such an incredible heritage but also one that leads the way in terms of design innovation and manufacturing technology.

Wicksteed offers the most comprehensive range of outdoor play, sports and fitness equipment from a single source and delivers play solutions to local authorities, schools,

building developers and leisure facilities in the UK and globally.

The manufacture of products is still carried out at the original factory site, where Wicksteed has recently made signifi cant investments through modern technology and increasing skilled personnel. The British play company has recently invested £105K in a state of the art paint oven and a £200K investment in CNC router capability for HDPE panelling.

As well as providing innovative outdoor play and sports equipment, Wicksteed has

diversified with a range of award winning outdoor fitness equipment and new electronic play equipment which is ideally suited to learning environments.

The company’s specialist design and landscaping team can design, install and service an entire play area from scratch or simply supply and fit stand-alone pieces of play equipment, as well as creating bespoke play features for truly unique play schemes.

With a constantly evolving product range, Wicksteed gives every generation something new and exciting but never forgets that fun must be accompanied by safety. Wicksteed was a founder member of the British safety standards and is still an active contributor to the European safety standards today.

Having been awarded the Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001, the company continues to provide sustainable design concepts and construction techniques that respect the local character and environment.

Wicksteed Enquiry 61

EverEdge is proud to be made in Britain

EverEdge are proudly made in Britain and have been producing landscaping products in the Midlands for nearly 25 years for use both in the UK and around the world. Every EverEdge product displays the Union Flag on the packaging as we strongly believe that ‘Made in Britain’ remains an internationally recognised sign of high quality.

EverEdge produce a range of lawn, garden and landscape edging products to suit projects of all sizes and designs. Classic EverEdge remains the bestselling product of its kind and is ideal for use on private lawns and fl owerbeds. Heavier duty edging is available for larger projects, both private and public. The newest addition to the EverEdge edging range is the Halestem product. This is an L shaped steel edge designed specifi cally to be used in hard landscaping projects alongside tarmac, paving and resin bonded surfaces.

As well as edging, EverEdge also offer a bespoke line of steel planters. These can be made to virtually any specification and

are available either painted, galvanised or in a Cor-Ten finish. EverEdge are happy to help in the design of these planters and can offer advice to help determine to ideal size to match budgets.

EverEdge Planters, alongside custom designed edging panels, are a popular option for use

on roof gardens. They can be designed in a flat pack system or a complete, readymade design. Roof garden, or podium edging from EverEdge is able to be bolted into a concrete plinth, or can be entirely free-standing.

EverEdge Enquiry 60

A champion approach leads to world class products

With a rich history of successful manufacturing heritage, Marshalls plc is a proud British manufacturer.

With manufacturing roots stretching back to the 1890’s, the company has an unrivalled legacy within the hard landscaping arena, therefore it was a natural progression for the company to join the Made in Britain movement.

Made in Britain supports British manufacturers with the Made in Britain marque, helping buyers at home and abroad identify and choose British-made goods. The not-for-profit campaign is bringing together all British manufacturers to champion skills, craftsmanship and innovation.

Marshalls Group Marketing Director Chris Harrop felt so passionately about what Made in Britain is trying to achieve, he joined their Board of Directors and was appointed Chairman in June 2017.

in Britain Chairman, said: “I’m really excited to be joining the organization at this point in its story. There’s never been a more important time for British manufacturers to get their provenance marketing strategy right, and make it really work for the business. Made in Britain is uniquely placed to galvanise all of the UK’s makers together with the experts they need, to help them win business here and abroad.”

Board member David Osborne said: “Having Chris join us will be tremendous for members of Made in Britain at every level. We’ve made great strides forward this year but there’s so much more we can be doing to promote British manufacturing with the marque.”

Marshalls has a huge range of British manufactured products across both its Domestic and Commercial product offering, spanning iconic British Yorkstones such as Scout moor and Moselden, to innovative new concrete products such as the Housebuilder Product Package, which features all the landscaping products a Housebuilder could need on a new scheme, be that drainage, paving, kerbs or edgings.

Although traditionally regarded as a concrete manufacturer, Marshalls also produces a collection of Landscape Protection products manufactured across multiple sites within the UK. These range from specifically designed kerbing to deflect vehicles, all the way up to steel and stainless steel crash-tested products that defend people and places from hostile vehicle or terrorist attack.

Enquiry 65

Rich history leads to modern innovations with Vitax

Vitax Limited is a fourthgeneration family-owned business with roots laid down long before the modern gardening industry as it is known today even existed.

Our origins can be traced back to G H Richards Limited, established in 1880 and based in Bermondsey, South London. Mr Richards was a pioneer manufacturer of insecticides and supplier of horticultural sundries. During the Second World War, my grandfather, Frank Henry Gooding, a commercial tomato grower and sales agent based on Guernsey, was forcefully evacuated to London. After the war he became involved with, and later took control of, Synchemicals Limited, a company formed in this period of austerity and rationing to promote the use of growth hormone products to growers and nurseries.

Synchemicals originally sold products to G H Richards Limited but later acquired the business and adopted its Bermondsey base on Borough High Street as the company headquarters.

My father Brian, and my uncle Douglas, together with my aunts Valerie and Suzette, joined Synchemicals. As the gardening market burgeoned in line with improved living standards, the

business developed a portfolio of garden and professional products throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s. These included the introduction of the now famous “Nippon” ant killer brand. I became the third generation of the family to be involved in the business when I joined the Company in 1980.

As the business expanded nationally, it became increasingly cumbersome to deliver to all our customers from South-east London and in 1988 we relocated to larger purpose-built premises in Coalville, Leicestershire.

At the same time we purchased the business of Vitax Limited, a well-established manufacturer of fertilisers, based in Ormskirk, Lancashire, which had become part of Steetley Chemicals. Vitax was, and is, the holder of a highly valued Royal Warrant Appointment as supplier of fertilisers to HM The Queen’s household. At the same time the decision was made to trade all the Synchemicals products under the generic Vitax name.

Fertiliser production was moved to new premises at Skelmersdale, and in 1993 the business secured the quality production standard BS5750/ISO9002. Chemical and powder filling requirements continued to be met by a production unit based in Woodville, Derbyshire.

A joint venture with Irish company Clairstone Co Ltd in 1990 provided a valuable entry into the growing media market. Here we have concentrated on supplying high quality compost, marketed under the Q4 brand, to both the amateur and professional markets.

In 2005 the group expanded further through the acquisition of Suffolk-based Supaturf Products Limited, a respected manufacturer of quality grass line marking liquids and marking machines for the sports industry. The business has continued to grow both in the UK and overseas markets.

In 2010 we saw the relocation of our retail distribution operations from Coalville together with the retail manufacturing processes from Woodville to a now extended production and distribution facility at Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

As a result of this major reorganisation, Vitax made significant progress in reducing its carbon footprint, with the majority of customers receiving their deliveries from a single point of manufacture and distribution managed by an extremely able management team.

In 2013 we acquired Slug Gone, an organic slug and snail deterrent made from 100% wool waste. This unique wool pellet is approved for use by the Soil Association and proudly supports British Wool.

In 2014 both our Skelmersdale and Coalville sites gained full certification of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. This shows the company’s commitment to quality, focus, and to the management of the impact of our operations on the environment.

In 2014 we purchased Organico Limited, the manufacturer of 6X and Groworganic. 6X is a traditional unique fibrous garden fertiliser and compost produced from chicken manure sourced from local farms in Somerset.

During 2015/6 storage and production operations were extended at the Skelmersdale site and the laboratory facility was upgraded.

From world’s first to the world’s best

McConnel has blazed a trail for quality, innovation and technology since launching the first tractor-mounted hedgecutter back in the 1940s.

A multi-award winning company, McConnel offers the most comprehensive range of Power Arms, rotary and flail mowers and cultivation machinery in the business with more than 100 different models and thousands of different build options.

The vast majority of McConnel machines and components are

designed, built and tested inhouse at the company’s two UK production facilities, making the company one of the few truly British manufacturing success stories.

McConnel machines can be found working in more than 40 different countries around the globe, with satisfied customers as far away as China and Canada, New Guinea and New Zealand.

McConnel Enquiry 67

Vitax

Chris Harrop, Marshalls Group Marketing Director and Made

Marshalls

Rich heritage puts Wessex out front

Wessex International’s groundcare equipment has a rich heritage stretching back over many decades, with roller mowers, out-front flail and rotary mowers, leaf and multifunctional collectors forming today’s range.

From mowers for the professional market to toppers, paddock sweepers, rotary mowers, trailers, winter maintenance

equipment and ATV equipment, Wessex have it covered through a dedicated dealer network.

Whether you are taking care of a small area of grounds or acres of land, Wessex’s groundcare solutions can help to make maintaining great looking grounds much easier. Wessex has developed the range of compact tractor attachments to feature

equipment which you can rely on to be tough, durable and hard working. Wessex understand the importance of knowing that your machinery won’t let you down, and when you invest in products from Wessex, you can feel confident that you are investing in premium quality.

Wessex International Enquiry 69

McConnel powers through as the best of British

From humble beginnings, the McConnel name has evolved over the years to become a pioneering British agricultural institution recognised around the world for innovation and quality in the manufacture of hedge and verge mowing machinery.

Today, more than 75 years since the world’s first tractor-mounted hedge cutter left the McConnel workshop, the company is justifiably proud of its status as the world’s largest producer of Power Arm reach mowers and a leader in its field.

McConnel machines can be found working in more than 100 countries and over the decades, the company has extended its range to include the most extensive and technologically advanced hedge and verge mowers, rotary mowers, flail

Pride in manufacturing world-class products

SCH (Supplies) Ltd say they are proud to be a British manufacturer and that their machines are designed with the British climate in mind.

Because they carry a huge range of spare parts the lifespan of their machines is greatly increased and they have aimed their products at a sector of the market that is often overlooked; that is, the groundsman or landscaper who needs to do a professional job but does not have the budget to be able to purchase machines costing many thousands of pounds.

Because SCH have always aimed to supply the ideal machine for every eventuality, their 2018 brochure now contains something in the region of 150 different products.

They also have a reputation for creating ‘bespoke build’ machinery for anyone who has a very specific requirement. SCH can be contacted on 01473 328272 or visit the website, www.schsupplies.co.uk

SCH Enquiry 71

Sporting excellence made in Cumbria

SIS Pitches has many years’ experience in delivering natural turf pitches and synthetic turf pitches to some of the greatest names in sport as well as to schools, colleges, universities, sports clubs and local authorities.

SIS Pitches has offices in the UK, Ireland, Russia, Turkey, Holland, Middle East and Angola.

SISGrass has also been installed at the training grounds of Chelsea, Hull City, Fulham, Athletic Bilbao, FC Barcelona and the National Football Centre at St George’s Park, home of the English FA. It

is a FIFA Licensee, a World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer and a certified FIH manufacturer.

SIS Pitches are part of a framework agreement to provide the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of artificial grass pitches. The agreement is in support of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Football Association (FA), Sport England, England Hockey and Football Foundation (FF) capital investment programmes.

SIS Pitches Enquiry 72

mowers, cultivators, and remotecontrol machinery available to the international market.

Innovation has been driving McConnel’s success since the company’s creation and technology has been harnessed to enable our industry-leading designers to deliver state-of-theart solutions for customers all over the world.

Sadly today, British manufacturing and engineering industries can claim few accolades and have long since lost status as world leaders.

McConnel is an exception. The company not only claims its place as the innovator of the first tractor-mounted hedge cutting machine, but also as the world’s current leading producer of hedge and verge mowing power arm technology.

NEW HOLLAND BOOMER RANGE LAWN AND ORDER.

Quality is integral to every aspect of the modern manufacturing process.

McConnel has developed stringent standards covering all manufacturing, design and business systems in line with ISO9001. McConnel has also obtained the prestigious total management system BS2000.

Enquiry 70

McConnel

Paving the way to success

Brett Landscaping and Building Products are part of the Brett Group, today one of the UK’s leading providers of construction and landscaping materials.

The company specialises in the manufacture and supply of high quality landscaping products as well as delivering comprehensive information to builders merchants,

architects, local authorities, engineers and contractors.

Brett Landscaping has an extensive range of products to reflect your lifestyle.

Manufacturing a full range of concrete products, including block paving, permeable paving and natural stone paving, produced with highest quality materials, using up-to-date industry technology, you will be sure to find the perfect product for your driveway or garden.

All products comply with British and European quality standards and are CE Marked where applicable.

Brett Landscaping Enquiry 74

Designs on worldwide success

Sutcliffe Play designs and manufactures children’s outdoor play equipment, supplying local authorities, schools and early years settings, leisure and housing markets and communities worldwide.

The company specialises in creating tailor made, bespoke, children’s outdoor play equipment solutions.

As play equipment designers, it is always interested in looking for new innovative ways to create good, quality play opportunities. Sutcliffe Play’s design department has over 20 years’ knowledge, and experience, of working closely

with customers to develop truly individual play solutions.

As a British manufacturer, it is very proud of the fact that all products are made at the company’s purpose built factory in the heart of Yorkshire.

Sutcliffe Play Enquiry 75

Innovative engineered solutions and products groundscare machinery

Howard Marshall Engineering Ltd is a medium sized business based in Nottinghamshire that has provided engineering solutions to dealers and operators of groundscare machinery for over 20 years.

The company’s engineering expertise ranges from undertaking bespoke projects and designing solutions to meet individual customer requirements across a range of industries.

The Papplewick-based team consist of qualified engineers, technicians, and fabricators.

HME engineers use the latest computer aided design software to generate 3D models from ideas which are usually made into a prototype before being passed to the fabricators to go through the manufacturing processes.

HME use efficient manufacturing and painting processes that minimise waste and maximise output.

Over the years HME have established a high reputation for quality amongst their dealers and customers and now distribute their products through a dealer network throughout the UK and the rest of Europe.

HME have also used their diverse range of expertise to complete projects for popular and world famous British television programs including Top Gear and The Grand Tour. In addition to engineering and manufacturing, HME offer specialist servicing and technical support to several other manufacturers.

Howard Marshall Enquiry

76

A natural solution for outdoor spaces

Based in Sheffield, the Timberplay journey started 14 years ago when Managing Director Paul Collings recognised a need to create something different in the dysfunctional play sector.

Natural outdoor play was becoming a rarity, as was a high quality solution to the lack of freedom children had - just to play, be creative and learn, wherever they were and whenever they wanted.

Design is key in all Timberplay does to create imaginative and user-friendly public spaces with innovative street furniture, outdoor lighting, sports facilities and play equipment.

Timberplay has forged relationships with world class companies specialising in these areas. All products boast exceptional design and engineering.

Timberplay Enquiry 77

A range of mowers to suit all requirements

Lloyds and Co of Letchworth manufactures the superb range of Paladin pedestrian and Leda gang mowers.

Any turf professional responsible for the maintenance and general upkeep of sports surfaces, including those used for golf, rugby, football, cricket, tennis and bowls, can benefit from owning a Lloyds machine.

The Paladin brand is known across the world and holds an enviable reputation for ease of operation and robust construction.

All of the products are of excellent quality and retain their simplistic but effective engineering which always delivers outstanding performance and trouble free service.

There are several models available; the Paladin, Paladin Dual and the Paladin TG in two widths of 21”(533mm) and 24”(610mm).

Lloyds Paladin Dual has been developed to give the best finish with an infinitely variable adjustment to facilitate the perfect cut.

Lloyds Paladin TG has all the features and performance of the

Paladin but with the added benefit of a groomer for conditioning the turf and improving its playability. The groomer is fitted closely between the cutting cylinder and the grooved front roller and encourages healthy growth by removing the lateral grasses and other debris.

Lloyds Leda Gang Mowers range from combinations of the Standard units with 190mm diameter and 760mm wide cylinders, or Lloyds Leda Giant units with 254mm diameter cylinders 760mm long. In outfits of Trio, Quintuple and Septuple.

Lloyds and Co Enquiry 80

Irus tackles the toughest jobs

Irus remote mowers are imported by Loxston’s Groundcare.

The machines have been used in extreme situations from reservoir banks to railway embankments, where vegetation must be controlled without compromising operator safety.

Irus remote control mowers will go where standard walk behind or ride on mowers cannot go safely being able to run on slopes of up to 50°. Radio control ranges of up to 300m ensure that operators are always out of harm’s way.Launched at the recent LAMMA show is UK was the Twin 50hp high performance dual mounted tool carrier.

Pete explains: “This machine is unique in the fact that there is no front or back to the machine, so

an implement can be mounted at either end, which gives many advantages.”

“On steep difficult surfaces, most surface damage is created on the turns, which also impact on workrates - with the Twin there is no need to turn, as the machine can traverse back and forth.”

In areas where cut grass needs to be removed from the surface, a mower can be fitted at one end and band rake at the other and for forestry applications a forest mulcher can be fitted at one end and a stump grinder or 3500kg Skidder winch at the other. Implement side shift gives additional reach in tricky areas.

The Irus Twin is powered by a Kubota high torque non-

turbo engine and offers 100 l/ min hydraulic power for more demanding implements.Adjustable track width further increases stability, and Pete adds: “There

AS 510 PROCLIP 2in1: THIS MULCHING LAWNMOWER DOES MORE!

John Deere walk tall with the R54RKB

The R54RKB is John Deere’s popular walk behind mower, which is fitted with a rear roller model has a new Subaru petrol engine for top performance and reliability.

Suitable for mowing areas up to 2500m 2, the R54RKB is fitted with a steel rear roller for a stylish striped finish. The TurboStar mowing system ensures a precision cut and great collection even when mowing in difficult or damp conditions.

With a 54cm (21in) cutting width, the die cast aluminium mower deck is surprisingly light but tough – so tough that it comes with a 15 year warranty.

The Blade Brake Clutch means the blades stop the moment you release your grip but the engine still runs. This lets you empty the collector and then get back to mowing without having to restart every time.

John Deere Enquiry 82

www.as-motor.com

The professional approach to ground care...

Mulching offers many advantages: Cutting, maintaining and fertilising in one step, no collection basket, no disposal of the cuttings; mulching improves the quality of your lawn, protects it from drying out and offers time savings of up to 30%. Do you want to mow higher grass and prefer to discharge the cuttings? No problem, the factory-standard side discharge deflector can be mounted quickly and easily. With the perfectly balanced lightweight construction, the stable mulching bell and an AS 2-stroke engine or B&S 4-stroke engine the AS 510 Proclip 2in1 becomes a lawn-care all-rounder

Discharge or mulch – the choice is yours: the AS 510 ProClip 2in1 is factory-equipped with a mulch plate and a side discharge deflector

PSD Groundscare Ltd Tel: 01282 856819 Email: sales@psdgroundscare.com Web: www.psdgroundscare.com

The first ride-on mower with remote control

Mowing on steep and difficult terrain has always been a challenge for the machine operator and the AS 940 and AS 940 XL ride on brushcutter have

been especially developed for this demanding application.

Equipped with 27hp, 4wd, limited-slip differential and

cross blade, the AS 940 easily mows dense, high grass and undergrowth on terrain where other mowers would have been forced to give up.

With ride-on brushcutters, steep slopes can be mown conveniently and economically. However, there are always areas where mowing is very unpleasant or unsafe for the operator, including steep terrain, loose substrate, mowing under trees and bushes, along hedges and even areas around wasp nests.

However AS Motor now have the solution - the new AS 940 Remote Control which offers all the benefits of the standard AS 940 but with the option to convert to remote control when required.

The main remote-controlled functions include: professional remote control unit with 300m range; adjustment of the cutting height; engine on/off function; mower deck on-off switch; steering via remote control; maximum incline transverse to the slope in remote control operation 33° (ride-on operation 21°); and emergency stop of the machine.

PSD Groundscare Enquiry 85

MTD is talk of the Toon

St James Park has been a home to football in Newcastle since 1880. In that time the stadium, as well as the teams playing there, have gone through a number of transformations.

Overseeing the club properties for the last 17 years has been Facilities Manager Eddie Rutherford, who in 2017 upgraded the fleet of stadium pitch mowers to include three 34” Cub Cadet INFINICUT machines.

Although renowned for their green credentials, it was ultimately the superior quality of cut that saw the mowers become the most recent additions to ‘The Magpies’.

“I’d heard and read a lot about the Cub Cadet INFINICUT mowers in the trade magazines so got in touch with Vinny Tarbox for a demonstration, and straight from the off we weren’t disappointed” explains Eddie.

Over the last 5 years, Eddie has been driving a campaign to improve the green footprint of the club, which has seen lots of improvements around the stadium. “We’re running the mowers purely on battery power which, more than just delivering cost savings, means we’re running on clean, green energy compared to petrol alternatives

- battery power seems to be the way forward for the industry.”

In addition to putting a big tick in the ‘environmentally friendly’ box, the quality of cut produced sealed the deal. “It was important for us to invest in machines that deliver the best and with the Cub Cadet INFINICUT the cut you get is second to none.”

The unique design and its adaptability to perform on any grass surface makes the INFINICUT the most technologically advanced mower available to turf managers in the last 40 years. With a dynamic return floating head, variable cut rate, and flexible setup, the INFINICUT, together with ATT SMARTCut cassette, ensures a healthy turf and provides precise adjustment to deliver an exacting quality of cut.

Final word from Eddie, “Compared to the results we were getting from the previous mowers, the guys have noticed an increase in the quality of cut and finish by at least 25%. It’s when you think about all the years there have been lawnmowers, all performing at a similar level, then this one comes along and it’s that much different – it really is impressive.”

Enquiry 86

New additions to Flailbots

1.65m

Each of the two tracks can be independently extended by the operator by 250mm, widening the footprint to aid stability and grip and allowing the mower to operate on inclines up to 55 degrees.

Rubber and studded steel track choices offer optimum traction for different surface conditions, whilst automatic track tensioning prevents track loss.

To maintain the optimum cutting height and angle, the cutting heads float over the terrain and are adjusted automatically.

Mowing options include 1.182.05m standard flails, 1.28 and

A range of tools and accessories allow Flailbot to be configured for a wide range of applications, including stump grinders, trench cutters, earthmoving, snow clearing and agricultural processing.

Remote control makes Flailbot ideal for use on hilly, banked and even mountainous areas, says Bomford Turner.

With a range of up to 150m, the remote unit offers precise joystick control of forward or reverse track speeds, from 0-7kph. The unit also displays real-time data, including machine incline, attitude and speed.

Turner Enquiry 87

MTD

Bomford Turner added two new models to its Flailbot range in 2017 - a compact 40hp model, and the larger Supreme 70hp model.

forestry heads and a 1.45m rotary unit which can be fitted with a barrier mower disc.

Bomford

Toro introduces new Proline mower

Toro, a global leader in turf and landscape maintenance equipment, has announced the launch of the new 53cm heavy-duty Proline mower (model 22280).

Available now, the new model has several enhanced features, including simplified controls and improved ergonomics for operator comfort.

The Toro Proline range is well known for its ability to withstand the demands of professional gardeners, landscapers and municipalities. The latest mower in the line focuses on durability and minimising hand-arm vibration and achieves a low hand-arm vibration of only 2.7m/s². This enables nearly 7 hours of continual use every day before exceeding the EAV.

The Proline 53cm features a 3-speed transmission system

and Blade Brake Clutch (BBC) system, powered by a commercial-grade Kawasaki FJ180V KAI engine, in addition to a cast aluminium cutter deck that is designed to withstand the rigors of commercial mowing whilst minimizing overall weight. Model 22280 comes with a one-year commercial warranty.

Christopher Cooper, Product Marketing Manager from Toro, said: “The launch of the new Proline mower demonstrates the continued innovation we offer at Toro. The latest model aims to reduce hand-arm vibration, remaining compliant with health and safety regulations, and keeping it comfortable for the operator. Users will see a great improvement in performance with this new model.”

Shrewsbury School continues to choose Dennis

Andy Richards, grounds manager at Shrewsbury School, has added to his existing fleet of Dennis mowers after recently purchasing three new Dennis FT510’s and two new G760’s.

Andy has been the grounds manager at the illustrious Shrewsbury School for nearly eight years and he and his team of eleven groundstaff tend to 120 acres of green space – three quarters of which are sports pitches. In addition to synthetic surfaces and other world class facilities there are ten grass pitches which cater for the School’s highly competitive sports teams.

The boys compete internationally in cricket, and Shrewsbury School boasts a string of historically strong football teams. Rugby is played at a high level and girls compete locally and nationally in hockey, netball and tennis. It’s no wonder then that with over 800 pupils, many of whom participate in sports, that the sports pitches endure an incredibly high amount of usage. This, however, does not keep Andy and his team from maintaining them to an exceptionally high standard.

“The trick is to be pro-active rather than reactive,” he says. “We try to keep the standards of our pitches to those of the football league. In fact, our first

team football pitch is definitely better than the pitch I had when I was the head groundsman at a professional football club.”

Andy chooses to use a variety of equipment from Dennis to get the best out of his sports surfaces. For cricket square maintenance he uses his three Dennis FT510’s and for football two G760 mowers.

“This is my third batch of FT510’s and they work extremely hard here,” he says. “We use them predominantly for cricket wicket presentation and through the cricket season we host 250 matches – they are used for every one of those.”

The Dennis FT510 is an interchangeable cassette cylinder mower giving users options to fi t twelve different cassettes including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers and slitters as well as 5 or 10 blade cutting cassettes.

“We’ve got a wide range of cassettes and by having the three machines we have the ability to use a different cassette in each one. We might have a cylinder, a brush and a verticutter out at the same time so we can use them back to back. On other days, one of the team may just work all day on a wicket and they can simply interchange their cassettes without having to get

a different machine out. It’s a massive time saver and it’s great having that versatility.”

For his football surfaces, Andy revealed that he is an advocate of hand mowing and that he uses his G760’s in conjunction with his Dennis Premiers: “I’ve always been a fan of the G760’s and originally we used them on the cricket squares. However, we started hand cutting the first team football pitch with them and we have the added bonus of using a variety of different cassettes such as the verticutter and brush.

“To allow us to mow more pitches by hand we use the G760’s alongside the Premiers which have a slightly wider cut and it gives us a good contrast with the G760 because that is slightly smaller and slightly lighter. When the pitches are wetter we can get on with a G760; on other occasions we

may veer more towards the weight of the Premier.

“We try and vary what we do and it may depend on the usage and what games we have but it is ideal having a variety of machines.”

With such a hectic schedule, Andy was also quick to praise the reliability of the machines and the back-up he receives from the Dennis team.

“We are such a busy school and we haven’t got any downtime at all. Fortunately we don’t have many problems and that comes down to the quality of the machines. The back-up from Dennis is really good and reassuring and I could pretty much guarantee that if something did go wrong, I know that something would be sorted out extremely quickly.”

Dennis Enquiry 90

Toro Enquiry 89

Pedestrian machines from STM

The pedestrian SCAG SWZ machine from STM Co Ltd is available with a twin rear wheel set-up on the driving wheels, giving increased grip, wider footprint and effectively a lowered centre of gravity.

This is a well-established and popular approach to such conditions, with many units sold per year for use by councils, estate management providers and hire companies, says STM Co.

SWZ pedestrian mowers are available with 76cm, 1.2m and 1.3m rotary cutting decks, or 76cm, 90cm and 1.2m flails, with the twin wheel attachment is an optional extra.

Council invests in electric mowers

Thanet District Council is introducing new electric lawnmowers to its open spaces fleet. Run on lithium-ion batteries rather than diesel, these modern mowers available from Overton are greener, quieter and cheaper to run.

They will be used at Ramsgate Cemetery and Margate Crematorium and are all part of the council’s commitment to creating a clean and welcoming environment in Thanet.

The council has purchased six new mowers including 2 walk behind mowers to be used equally across the two sites.

McConnel puts customers in control with ROBO range

McConnel’s ROBOMAX is an 80hp all-terrain work platform that can tackle slopes of up to 55 degree and delivers twice the power of the company’s bestselling ROBOCUT machine.

Alongside ROBOMOZ, a high-performance all-terrain slope mower with a Yanmar 33hp engine and six different attachments and ROBOZERO – the world’s first commercial remote control zero-turn mower, the ROBO range offers a wide range of professional solutions.

Other models in the McConnel remote range include:

• ROBOCUT – the world’s best-selling remote control tool carrier. Comes with a range of 17 different work attachments from a stump grinder to a fixed-tooth forestry flailhead.

• ROBOPOWER – part of the new wave of unmanned tractors, this innovative 140hp machine has front and rear three-point linkage for universal compatibility.

• ROBOLOAD – features a 40hp Isuzu diesel engine, a powerful loader bucket capable of lifting more than 300kg, and is compatible

Cllr

said: “Electric mowers, which last for 7 hours of constant work, are vastly preferable to diesel models because they generate no carbon monoxide emissions and are low noise.

“The mowers don’t just offer public health and environmental benefits, they also reduce risk to our staff. What’s more, they enjoy low running and maintenance costs which is part of the council’s ongoing efficiency drive.”

and accessories.

Irus Remote Mowers

Irus produced the first remote tool carrier as we know it today with the Deltrak in 2003.

15 years later the Deltrak version 2.5 is probably the most developed machine on the market.

Unrivalled slope capability.

Another high performer on very steep slopes is the Evotrak. Lightweight 30hp tool carrier, with a very cost effective price.

Two unique and entirely different machines: The Quatrak with 4 wheels instead of Tracks giving slope performance but reduced surface damage experienced with Track laying machines.

The Twin 55hp Hi torque engine 100 l/min hydraulic power, extendable tracks, and the ability to carry two implements.

For information and demonstration please contact us...

Loxston Groundcare Ltd, New Road, Seavington St Mary TA19 0QU 01460 242562 www.irus-mowers.co.uk

STM

Fairbrass, Deputy Leader of Thanet District Council

Overton Enquiry 93

with the full range of ROBOCUT attachments

McConnels Enquiry 94

Honda extends range of premium robotic lawn mowers

Etesia electric start gives users the power

Etesia’s Duocut 46 RMBE pedestrian mower features the new Briggs and Stratton 775iS Series Instart engine.

The Briggs and Stratton 775iS Series DOV InStart engines represent the ultimate performance package. They naturally incorporate the heritage attributes of power, performance and reliability, but add the most innovative and easiest starting ever seen on a lawnmower.

iS series engines use Lithium-lon batteries to provide repeated and reliable starting without the need of a pull-cord capable of 50 engine starts before it needs recharging.

The Etesia Duocut 46 RMBE is a single speed machine with

a cutting width of 46cm. As with all rotary mowers in the Duocut range, it offers low vibrations combined with high performance, quality cut and reliability. Extremely versatile, the new model is capable of mowing with or without collection in all conditions, or for high-quality mulching - without the need for an accessory.

That high performance is possible thanks to the Duocut concept which is the perfect combination between 100% collection and 100% mulching decks, without compromising the results of either of the functions.

Changing the mowing system is easy: just place the removable insert under the deck if you

Takes one to TANGO

Honda’s addition of Miimo 3000, which features a host of enhancements, means it is now capable of handling lawns up to one acre and controllable via a smartphone app.

Aimed at those with larger areas of grass to maintain, the new range-topping Miimo HRM 3000 joins current models HRM 520 and HRM 310 in Honda’s existing robotic mower line-up.

With cutting width increased from 220mm to 250mm, it means maximum cutting area is up by 2,500 square metres to 4,000 compared to the Miimo 310. Cutting capacity is also up, by 87 metres per hour to 170 and cutting time per charge has more than doubled to 90 minutes.

Honda’s new and unique ‘Smooth Turn’ technology, available exclusively on the 3000 reduces non-productive turning time by allowing it to maintain forward travel and turn away from the boundary without stopping.

One of the most significant developments for the Miimo 3000 is wireless control through its own intuitive smartphone app. Using Bluetooth, and compatible with iOS and Android devices, the app allows programming of Miimo from a distance, making it easy and convenient to set operating times and adjust cutting parameters.

A further development for Miimo 3000 is the flexibility to position its docking station discreetly out of sight in a recess to the side of the cutting area, in a corner, or hidden away down a narrow grass passage.

Slopes and uneven work areas can be tackled easily thanks to the large drive wheels and an optimised centre of gravity to ensure class-leading traction, allowing operation on slopes up to 25 degrees (47 per cent). A direction sensor helps maintain a straight line of travel, even over undulating ground.

John Deere’s new TANGO E5 Series II robotic mower maintains your lawn automatically, in any weather, and at any time you choose.

This next generation mower features a new operator interface and smarter navigation technology; it’s simple to set up and produces consistently excellent results.

TANGO’s powerful lithium-ion battery enables it to cover grass areas up to 2200m2 (about half an acre), mowing in a random

pattern within an easily installed concealed boundary wire.

As the mower moves around the lawn, its navigation sensors detect the boundary wire, as well as any obstacles, and it turns automatically. Grass clippings go straight back into the lawn as valuable fertiliser.

A tidy-up lap around the boundary keeps the edges neat. There’s no noise, no mess, and no effort – just a perfect lawn.

John Deere Enquiry 98

want to mulch. Remove the insert if you prefer to mow with or without collection. There is no need for a tool or blade change. The insert completes the shape of the deck to form

a smooth surface with no roughness, allowing the grass to move easily for incomparably superior mulching.

Etesia Enquiry 96

Kersten makes a simple change

All of Kersten’s 2 Wheel Tractors support a range of attachments to keep you working 12 months a year from just a single power unit, cutting down on service costs, storage space and operator training.

The Quick Attach 35 and Quick Attach 70 system’s allow attachments to be changed very quickly without tools. This means you can easily change the attachment and get on with the next task at a moments notice.

The three-step process is simple:

1. Pull the spring-loaded locking pin up and lock

in the raised position by inverting the handle.

2. Disconnect the hydraulic hoses using the quick release couplings. These are male and female connectors, will only fit one way to ensure correct drive rotation of the implement.

3. Slide the attachment out of the socket.

Re-fitting is a reversal of the above procedure. Less than 30 seconds is all it takes to go from mowing to ploughing, or sweeping to spreading.

Kersten Enquiry 99

Honda Enquiry 97

New Harrier 41 Pro rear roller mower from Hayter

Hayter has introduced the Harrier 41 Pro to their range.

Designed for landscape professionals, this mower is an all-new addition to the Harrier rear-roller mower line-up that’s been integral to the Hayter portfolio for more than 30 years.

The Harrier 41 Pro is specifically designed to meet the needs of landscape contractors and gardeners wanting to achieve a high- quality, striped turf finish in small to medium gardens and grassed areas.

Class-leading collection is paramount to the Harrier 41

Pro’s design. The new shape cast aluminum deck, designed using aerospace airflow technology, provides maximum airflow for optimum collection performance.

A new grass bag design with integrated cover drafts dust and debris away from the operator and aids collection of up to 60 litres of grass cuttings so you can mow for longer. With this model, Hayter also introduces new Vari-Pitch technology, which automatically adjusts the deck to increase airflow when set to cut longer grass, improving collection when conditions are most challenging.

Etesia launches SKD ExxDrive

The Etesia Attila mower has become synonymous with cutting high, dense vegetation in difficult terrain. Now, Etesia UK is pleased to announce it is available as a fully automatic robotic mower with the use of an iPad.

The Etesia SKD ExxDrive has been developed with partners FeBroLift GmbH and is a completely new type of external operating concept that allows the user to operate the device reliably and precisely by means of a gesture-controlled operation via an app on an iPad - without having to sit on the mower itself.

All functions, which the device contains serially, can also be accessed via the tablet, including the permanent use of the ‘deadman button’ during use which ensures safety at all times. If an emergency does occur; the device can be switched off via a secure emergency stop function.

The biggest advantage of the Etesia SKD ExxDrive is that it

can be fitted with a dual wheel kit and be used on steep slopes where mowing work can be carried out with a low risk to the operator, who can stay at a safe distance and avoid risks of being injured, while still ensuring a high productivity in difficult terrain.

The Etesia SKD ExxDrive retains all of the features of a standard SKD mower including an 85cm cutting width and cutting decks with steel reinforcements specifically designed to withstand different mowing conditions for a long period.

Etesia Enquiry 175

The new Harrier 41 Pro features a Honda GCV160 engine and a split rear-roller for easy turning with no turf markings. Specifically designed to withstand the rigors of commercial mowing, other pro-friendly features include heavy-duty wheels and front and rear lifting handles to aid transport.

Added to this is the incorporation of a Trim Side, enabling the operator to cut right to the edge, making it ideal for cutting

right up to borders, retaining walls and raised flower beds –reducing the need to strim after mowing.

STIHL look to future with iMow robotic mowers

BigMow cutting its way into the turf care industry

With autonomous robot technology as its core product, AMS (Automated Managed Services Ltd) has been transforming the way we think about outfield maintenance over the past 4 years.

Since its introduction in 2013, AMS has allowed driving range operators to automate the ball management and grass mowing, safely and cost effectively.

With this pedigree in the golf industry, AMS is looking to replicate this success within the Turf Care industry.

“AMS’s BigMow robot provides an automated alternative to traditional grass maintenance equipment and a great addition to your workforce,” said Philip Sear CEO at Automated Managed Services Ltd, making it the ideal solution to kick start or maintain a beautiful lush grass area, at a fraction of the cost.

“It also allows you to free up personnel and resources to other areas of your business. Overall we believe that the robots mowers are the future of turf care and maintenance. “

golf courses, public areas and public or private parks, etc. The robot uses an underground wired perimeter for navigating; this sends an electromagnetic signal recognised by the robot, via a sensor, that determines its distance from the edge of the grass area.

The iMow robotic mower doesn’t just mow the lawn, it also provides fully automatic lawn care tailored to your garden.

Extremely fast, easy to use and a great looking lawn. During mowing, iMow shreds the grass clippings finely, which fall back onto the lawn and act as an effective fertiliser (known as mulching).

Not only does this provide vital nourishment to help grow a healthy lawn, it also means there are no clipping to collect or dispose of. Once the work is done or the battery needs charging, it automatically returns to the docking station. And because iMow works so fast, you can enjoy your lawn unhindered.

STIHL Enquiry 104

The main benefits of the autonomous BigMow lawnmower is that it is vastly different from the traditional classical lawnmower. Traditional mowers tend to be heavy, noisy, polluting and require manual operation, the robotic mower is the opposite to this by being lightweight, quiet, environmentally friendly and autonomous.

This makes the BigMow robot an unrivalled champion for grass areas. The mower can cover up to 2 hectares (20,000 m2 ), making it ideal for sports fields,

BigMow has a total of 15 cutting blades all sharp as a scalpel, that pulverise the grass into very fine particles. This mulching technique is how they produce the perfect cut that creates healthier, greener grass areas along with other benefits such as: 50% reduction in operational costs; reduced carbon footprint and energy saving; constant fertilisation of the ground; reduced need for chemical fertilisers; no more waste collection, storage or disposal; and stronger grass thanks to better root growth.

The mower can operate day and night, provides the perfect cut with minimal human intervention.

Designed to cater for large areas and professional applications. It improves the quality of the grass and lets you make significant savings

Ransomes expertise rolls into Mastiff

The Mastiff by Ransomes is the premier sports surface and pitch heavy duty roller mower producing a distinctive 91cm pristine striped finish.

The Mastiff converts to a highly manoeuvrable ride-on machine with various seating options and is powered by a 9hp petrol engine. It also has a huge capacity for collecting clippings

and sets the benchmark for stadium mowers. Key features include: widest width of cut for higher productivity; better, more consistent cut - day in and day out; optional trailing seat for operator comfort; six and nine blade cylinders provide a choice of cut rates; and optional large self-emptying grass box.

Hayter Enquiry 103

BigMow Enquiry 105

Ransomes Enquiry 106

Robotic lawn concept for urban parks by 2030

By 2030, cities across the globe will be expected to host more people and more parks.

To manage the growing number of green spaces with minimal impact on nature and people, Husqvarna presents an autonomous lawn mower system concept that takes safety, productivity and sustainability to new levels.

The concept includes sensors and a collection of nine hovering robotic mowers, powered by battery technology and artificial intelligence, carried by a selftransporting drone.

Husqvarna Solea explores future possibilities of professional lawn maintenance by combining cutting edge technology with Husqvarna application expertise, mirroring the findings from the Future of Urban Parks Report.

The report concludes that the number of green spaces in urban areas will increase by 2030, and that new type of parks will emerge. In parallel with traditional park development, roof top gardens are expected to increase, increasing the complexity of green space maintenance. Husqvarna Solea

meets this development, as this autonomous eco-system for professional lawn care cuts the grass 24/7 and requires minimal human input, allowing green space professionals to take care of more demanding tasks in the park.

“Husqvarna Solea demonstrates our commitment to explore new ways of enabling cities to become greener and helping landscapers save time,” says Pavel Hajman, President of the Husqvarna Division.

“Driving and witnessing the development of robotic mowers for more than 20 years, we foresee that robotic mowers will be a key player in professional landscaping teams in years to come.”

Husqvarna Solea is an autonomous lawn maintenance system designed to operate fast and quietly 24 hours a day, offering park visitors a better experience with minimal disturbance. Whilst in operation, the system collects data and real-time information to support the green space professionals on actions needed as well as providing a holistic view and insights about the health of the park.

Husqvarna Solea contains nine hovering battery powered robotic mowers. Each mower is equipped with 20 small pivoting diamondcoated cutting blades, with each blade generating a 340 mm cutting width, for a total cutting width of 306 cm (9x340 mm). The hovering system allows fast cutting without lawn scalping. At maximum speed, with all nine robots in motion, it would take approximately 8 minutes to cut about 10,000 sqm (3 sqm/second).

For safety purposes, each robot is equipped with object recognition sensors, and to monitor grass health, they are also equipped with humidity and nutrition sensors. The robotic mowers charge via the top surface’s solar membrane coating and/or by the transport drone during and inbetween tasks.

The autonomous transportation drone is made of a super lightweight structure carbon fibre. It has a diameter of 150cm and a height of 80 cm. The top of the transportation drone is coated with a solar cell membrane to enhance the fast induction recharge that is done daily at the home base.

Makita offers mulching option

The new Makita 163cc Mulching Lawn Mower, the PLM5121N2, is a walk-behind model that has a 51cm cutting width and a singlelever cutting height adjustment with up to five positions, between 25–70mm, to achieve a spectacular, manicured lawn.

It is powered by the new 4-stroke Briggs & Stratton 675 Exi ReadyStart engine system that requires no priming or choking.

The single speed drive to the large rear wheels, designed for easy movement on uneven terrain, is controlled by the flat lift up operator control adjacent to the ergonomically designed handle and engine run control lever for easy manoeuvring. Wheels have built-in ball bearings for additional durability.

In addition to the 2-in-1 mulching feature for side-

discharge and healthier lawns, this lightweight, 31.0kg mower is able to cut close to walls, and around obstacles, by an offset blade position while a plastic front cover protects the steel deck.

The 4-stroke engine requires no fuel mix, has low noise, emissions and running costs, and is designed for lawns up to 1,800m².

Makita Enquiry 108

Heavy-duty remote machines offer a safe option

McMurtry Ltd has two heavyduty radio controlled safety slope mowers designed and built inhouse in Gloucestershire.

Incorporating their unique purpose built safety duel signal remote control units.

Built to minimise the risks associated with mowing on dangerous slopes and zero the risks from hand arm vibration the RC-01 and RC-02.

Meeting all the current CE and EMC testing requirements, the machines have the ability to track up to 500 meters without starting the engine.

Electrical proportional HD drive transmissions, give them the ability to turn with very little ground tear effect, they are able to handle light brush and foliage.

Husqvarna Enquiry 109

McMurtry Enquiry 110

The days of labourious seed sowing are over

If your turf is in need of some TLC then it’s best to begin renovation work before the summer arrives.

Grass roots can be strengthened and tired patches recovered with a simple application of new seed. However, applying this to large grounds, pitches and estates can often prove challenging and tiring. With the help of an overseeder from Billy Goat, arduous labour when spreading seed can be eradicated.

The OS552H overseeder from Billy Goat has a 20” fl ail that helps you and the machine cover up to 13,000 square feet per hour. It is hand propelled and powered by a reliable 162cc 5.5hp Honda engine.

It doesn’t just spread the seed but it also works it into the ground by cutting through thatch to create small slits for the seed to fall into to encourage growth. To aid growth, the overseeder utilises Billy Goat’s exclusive Auto Drop feature that automatically starts or stops the seed drop with bale engagement.

The benefits of the OS552H are endless. It has “no-tool” foldable handles that make it easy to store and transport across sites; it has premium steel pulleys with an easy to adjust idler which means that servicing is simple which in turn extends the machine’s lifespan; and it also has steel guards that protect the bearing and pulleys to further extend the lifespan. With an optional accessory it can also easily convert to a power rake, making this an extremely versatile machine and an excellent investment.

Golf club choose Foley for first ever grinder

The desire for continual improvement is high at Leamington & County Golf Club, with the ambitious team of head greenkeeper and general manager turning to the Foley ACCU-Sharp 605 for cost saving, plant health and ease of use.

The duo of head greenkeeper, Jason Cooper, and general manager, Bryan Frazer, make a formidable team through their understanding of each other’s role in maintaining and elevating one of Warwickshire’s finest parkland courses.

The most recent display of their common objective was bringing grinding in-house with their first ever on-site grinder. Criteria were drawn up, the options

It’s a Rigby Taylor cover-up

Following the marking out of lines on pitches, training grids and the application of coloured sponsor logos on or around the perimeter of grass surfaces, a fast cover up or concealment is often required when the surface is required for another purpose.

New Green-Out paint is an advanced technology green paint from Rigby Taylor that has been developed especially to cover up existing surface markings. An

application of Green-Out will cover and conceal white lines and coloured stencilled logos, however unlike a traditional green paint it blends in better with the natural grass surfaces.

Two formulations are available Impact Green-Out is a readyto-use formulation for use on natural grass surfaces and applied through a spray marker such as an iGO.

Duraline Green-Out is also for use on natural grass surfaces and applied through a transfer wheel marker up to a 5:1 dilution rate.

Both formulations are easy to use and available in 10L drums.

examined, and the result now sitting proudly in the workshop sporting a familiar green and black, is the ACCU-Sharp 605 spin and relief grinder.

After going through training with ProSport UK’s Ian Robson, himself and two of his staff quickly realised the simplicity of operation.

Looking for ways to improve is a very strong part of the clubs continued success and by working together Bryan and Jason hope to elevate the course and fulfil its potential, and both view the acquisition of the ACCU-Sharp Sharp 605 as a vital part of that progression.

ProSport UK Enquiry 115

Woods new Batwing mower for those wide open spaces

Simon Richard, UK Agent for the Woods rotary cutter range, says local authorities and a range of other users can benefit from adding the new Woods BW12 Batwing rotary mower to their fleet.

Built with high-strength steel the BW12 is durable, but light in weight. Requiring only 35hp at the pto it is ideal for working with compact tractors and a cut capability of up to 10 acres in just 45 minutes make it the

solution for large parkland and golf course maintenance.

The BW12 has the Woods legendary precise and easily adjusted cut height and quality, with fully baffled deck to ensure excellent distribution of the cut material. Easy transport and hook-up reduce preparation time and there is a six-year gearbox warranty, including seals.

Simon Richard Enquiry 114

New Climber from Grillo

Grillo has added to its already extensive range of ride-on brush cutters a new model, the Climber 927.

A revised 38inch cutter deck is coupled to a gas assisted height of cut adjuster to give much easier use. Larger front and rear wheels with brakes lets the machine traverse kerbs and other obstacles without grounding.

Power is provided by a 27hp (gross) B&S commercial engine with hydrostatic drive.

This new model has been developed specifically for the commercial user who is looking to cut large areas at great speed. Puncture proof tyres, tow hitch, protective bar and diff lock are all standard items.

Grillo Enquiry 117

Henton & Chattell Enquiry 113

Rigby Taylor Enquiry 116

Trump International Golf Links tees off with Huxley Golf

Huxley Golf has recently completed the installation of a large all-weather practice tee area at the prestigious Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire.

The 12ft (3.6mtr) wide by 84ft (25.6mtr) long tee, incorporating 10 bays, was created using Huxley Golf Premier Tee Turf 2. Work was carried out during the autumn in readiness for play throughout the winter months.

Huxley Golf’s Hugh Fraser oversaw the project, working alongside, and at the request of, Course Manager Steve Wilson. Mr Wilson said: “We strive to be the ultimate golf destination and that means being the best in all that we do.

“Our members were requesting the opportunity to play and enjoy our beautiful facilities here during the seasonal closure of the main course and we responded to this with our new all-weather practice tee facility.

“In line with the rest of the course, it was expertly designed and installed - it looks fantastic and it plays exceptionally well. The impact of this work has been most encouraging: we

no longer have to close our practice tee for winter and the feedback that I have received from our valued members has been incredibly positive.”

Hugh Fraser added: “The inclusion of an all-weather practice tee will not only benefit members but the whole team at Trump International Golf Links.

Using our world class surfaces during the challenging Scottish winters alleviates the problem of wear and tear, allowing the natural grass areas to successfully germinate. And, with virtually no maintenance requirement, it will have minimal impact on the greenkeeping team’s schedule, enabling them to concentrate on ensuring that the course looks its very best for the 2018 season.”

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the North Sea, the highly acclaimed 7,400 yard, par 72 championship course weaves through majestic dunes and rises to offer breath-taking panoramic views of the sea. Each hole boasts distinct characteristics and unique features to create an unparalleled test for keen golfers.

Trump International Golf Links joins a formidable line-up of premier Scottish golf clubs that have installed a Huxley Golf allweather facility; these include St Andrews, Gleneagles, Carnoustie and Royal Troon.

The PGA accredited Huxley Golf provides premier all-weather surfaces for golf around the world for individuals, training and coaching establishments, golf resorts, ranges and academies as well as many top-flight courses.

121

Increase air flow to achieve green grass

The days of traditional aerating with a garden fork are gone, particularly for those maintaining larger areas.

Plugr aerators from Billy Goat can improve drainage and promote new growth with absolute ease.

By making holes throughout the turf, the aerators increase air circulation through the roots, helping to restore lawns to their perfect green condition and creating healthy grass growth and stronger turf.

The Plugr aerator range consists of two models, each available with the choice of two petrol engines. These are the PL1800 (with either a 205cc Briggs & Stratton engine, or a 118cc Honda engine), or the PL2500 (with a 163cc Honda engine, or a 196cc Honda/Hydro Drive).

The PL1800 has an 18” working width, along with four tines and weighs just 109kg. It is ideal for smaller properties or rental scenarios, and places cores 2.75” deep and aerates 22,000 square feet per hour. It has an easy folding handle that allows for compact use, transportation and storage. The PL2500 is suited for more intense usage on larger areas. It has a 25” working width and eight reciprocating cam driven tines that punch to core depths of 2.75”. It can deliver aeration to up to 42,500 square feet per hour.

Henton & Chattel Enquiry 120

Selective weed control

The time to apply selective herbicides is nearly upon us. In order to get the best results from your application, it is important you bare the following in mind. Are the conditions right?

This includes the weed being at the right growth stage, the crop being healthy enough to tolerate the application & their being adequate growing conditions.

Do you have the correct product? Certain active ingredients are stronger on individual weeds so it is important you tailor your product to suit the requirements. Are you applying the correct rate? Rates can vary depending on a number of factors. Please speak to one of our team for more information on any of the above.

Agrigem Enquiry 119

Put the ‘zing’ into spring with a carpet of colour

Euroflor mixtures for spring sowing Euroflor provides eye-catching displays of colour and a season long food source for pollinators. Choose from over 25 different flower seed mixtures and sow from March to early June for spring flowering. First flowers will appear after 50 days and continue flowering until the early frosts.

“Hundreds of complimentary letters received from residents” says Phillip Evans, Supervisor of Newport Street Scene City Grounds Team, “The public reaction has been tremendous.”

Huxley Golf Enquiry

Extensions of use for leading herbicide - Pistol

As of March 2018, the barrier acting, total herbicide, Pistol, from Bayer, will be labelled with two new extensions of use.

These will include applications by CDA (Controlled Droplet Applicator) as well as vehicle mounted sprayers, in addition to the current approval for knapsack application.

Lewis Blois, Bayer national account manager, explains that treatments using a CDA allow for the herbicide to be applied

evenly and effectively, so that contractors are not required to use a large amount of adjuvant or water.

“This greatly reduces the overall weight of herbicide operators need to carry and saves a signifi cant amount of working time, as they won’t need to continually stop to refill the tank.

“Vehicle mounted applications were actually removed from the Pistol® label in 2015, but the Bayer

Major cutting grass and costs for Swansea Council

With extensive green areas to manage, Swansea City and County Council has an extensive work schedule keeping vast swathes of grass looking lush and green.

In the past, green spaces under the councils care were mown on a weekly basis with gang mowers.

But budget cuts prompted a move to folding rotary mowers.

“We began trialling a selection of machines better able to cope with the heavier workload brought on by the extended cutting cycle,” explained Andrew Collins, assistant central services manager for the City and County of Swansea Council Parks Department. After some tough testing of four different mowers, it was Major Equipment’s Swift

roller mower that stood out for its overall performance in the tough conditions and its sturdy build quality. Mr Collins initially put in an order for two units which arrived midway through the mowing season.

“They were put to work immediately and instantly proved themselves in heavy, wet grass,” said Andrew.

With the initial two machines having proved themselves to be more than capable, this spring the council ordered another pair of mowers. “So with four MAJOR Swift roller mowers we’ll be covering Swansea’s entire parkland area with them,” concluded Andrew.

Major Equipment Enquiry 125

regulatory team has worked hard to bring about renewed approval. This will ensure that users can cover large permeable areas such as car parks, in a shorter space of time,” he says.

The updated label will not affect those currently using the product. However, those applying oldlabel products, with the extended application methods, should ensure that they have access to the updated label. This will be available from Pistol® distributors or can be downloaded from the

Bayer website. All Pistol® bottles will continue to be supplied with low drift nozzles, which allow amenity professionals to minimise chemical drift and ensure a targeted spray pattern.

“Using low drift nozzles is an essential part of pesticide stewardship, and without such practices we could see even more products removed from the market,” explains Lewis.

A key benefit of Pistol® is that it has a long lasting, systemic

Kioti’s compact tractors aid groundscare

and residual mode of action. As well as killing weeds on contact, it continues to reside as a barrier in the upper soil profile to control and prevent germinating weeds from establishing for 3 months, post application.

“The updated label will offer all users the flexibility to apply the herbicide in the most appropriate way to suit their circumstances,” says Lewis.

Bayer Enquiry 124

Italian tractormounted mowers available in the UK

Italian manufacturer Agrint specialises in compact tractor mounted implements, producing robust but light-weight mowers which are ideal for parks, meadows and sports grounds.

The Agrint brand combines excellent value for money with the quality you would expect from Italian engineering, these implements are proving extremely popular in the UK with landscaping contractors, groundsmen and estate owners.

Hampshire has teamed up with Agrint to offer this range of high quality Italian implements through dedicated UK stockists. From flail mowers and finishing mowers to backhoes and wood chippers, the Agrint range of groundcare machines are affordable, lightweight and robust, making them ideal for a range of maintenance jobs on sports fields, parks and estates.

Protection of the turf surface particularly in fine soil conditions is crucial.

That is why Kioti UK Ltd offer a wide range of tyres for their models of compact tractors.

As well as Galaxy turf specials, Garden pro and Titan tyres they also offer a “Kioti Pols special”. The tyre is completely non marking even in the most sensitive of areas.

These specialist wheels start their life as agricultural radials and are then reworked to have the special profile tread. The radial tyre has

a very flexible carcass and is able to be set to an exceptionally low tyre pressure 0.7 to 0.8 bar. Soil consolidation and damage is therefore considerably reduced.

These tyres are commonly used on the Kioti tractors from the CK3510 / 4010 tractors through to the larger PX1153 model that has 110HP.

The Kioti range of compact tractors include high specification and well designed tractors from 26 hp sub compact.

Kioti Enquiry 126

All machines are supplied with two year’s warranty as standard and a range of spare parts and accessories are readily available.

Farm Tech Supplies in

The full range of Agrint compact tractor attachments are now available for immediate nationwide delivery through their distributor network.

Farm Tech Supplies Enquiry 127

Resurrect sports pitches with Toro

With playing seasons drawing to a close, it’s time to breathe some life into well-trodden turf.

Perfect for reviving sports pitches and training fields to full health – and fast – is the Toro ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator, making it a winner among groundscare professionals.

Powered by a 23hp Kohler engine, the ProCore 648 has a 48-inch aerating width, one of the largest in the industry, to ensure aeration is efficient and productive.

With its wheels located in front of the aeration head, well out of the way of the coring path, you don’t drive over the fresh holes, or run over the pulled cores from the previous pass, which makes clean-up far easier, quicker and less labour intensive.

You’re in for a smooth ride with the ProCore 648. That’s down to the fact that its arms work in pairs to counterbalance the coring action and this precise configuration virtually eliminates hopping, rocking and uncomfortable vibration.

Tine depth is automatically maintained as the machine works, matching the ground’s

undulations to provide consistent, even coring of up to four inches.

In short, the Toro ProCore 648 is one of the most productive and efficient pedestrian aerators on the market. Add it to your line-up and bring your sports pitches back into play, quickly.

Toro Enquiry 130

Richard Peel Groundcare offer GPS guided line marking

Constantly adopting new innovations is a principle of Richard Peel Groundcare and the addition of the UK’s first Intelligent One Line Marker has brought a number of benefits to the company and their customers.

The GPS guided machine, supplied by Intelligent Marking’s UK distributor Rigby Taylor, can mark a FIFA regulation 11v11 football pitch from scratch in 29-minutes 45 seconds and can also be used for track and field marking, rugby union and league, lacrosse and customisable grids, shapes, and tracks.

being able to offer high-quality line marking at an affordable price to customers.

“We’re always looking at the new technology that’s coming into the market and I’m proud to say we’ve purchased the first Intelligent One Line Marker in the UK,” he said.

football pitch and fixed socket rugby union and league pitches. There is also the option of marking a 11v11 football pitch with two 8-a-side pitches built in with all football pitches customisable in length and width.

Trilo C15 has really paid off for Aston University

Aston University Recreation Centre in Great Barr, Birmingham, used to use a contractor for any scarification work - that’s until Head Groundsman, Malcolm Edwards, did his sums.

He found that by making a capital investment in a machine he could save money in the long run; and he chose a Trilo C15 to prove it. Now they have one machine to mow, scarify and collect all in one pass as they wish.

Malcolm has been at the university for 39 years and is supported by only one other groundsman to maintain the 50acre campus.

“We’ve used a contractor for the ground works for the previous years but after a trip to SALTEX we found we could buy a unit for the amount we’d spent on

external labour. This was a major reason for the purchase, but more than that the build quality, working speed and versatility of the Trilo C15 was far superior to anything else we looked at.”

With the range of blade and shaft attachment options available, the C15 has become a multifunctional piece of kit for Malcolm, used for year-round flail mowing and scarification.

“Jon Proffi tt of Trilo brought the machine in and left it with us for a few days to try out, which we did alongside some other models. The C15 was the easiest to use, especially adjusting the depth of scarification which is a piece of cake.

“The size of it also suited our tractor and the requirements of our site making transport and manoeuvring around the

site simple. We’ve had it out over the autumn scarifying the cricket squares, outfields and our other playing surfaces including football and rugby pitches. With the work it’s done already, compared to the what we would have had to pay, the C15 has almost already paid for itself!

“The versatility of what it can do is fantastic, but with the added bonus that we can get the work done whenever we want to and not just when the contractor can fit us in.”

Savings to customers come directly in terms of labour and paint. The machine can mark out two to three fields on one drum of paint depending on the nozzle used making it very easy to calculate when new paint is needed.

For Richard Peel Groundcare managing director, Richard Peel,

“Line marking is a skilled job that takes time and in the current climate restricted budgets make it difficult for clubs and councils to consistently mark their pitches. By using this marker, we can provide high-quality accurate marking every time whilst cutting costs on paint and labour.

“The feedback we’ve received from the demos we’ve done has been very positive and we expect the machine to be in highdemand in the near future.”

The intelligent nature of the machine means it is capable of marking a fixed socket 11-a-side

All running track markings are also customisable in terms of the number of lanes, giving customers a large variety of options to choose from across all sports.

Richard Peel Enquiry 131

IOG training needs analysis proves ideal for grounds team

The Training Needs Analysis service offered by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) has proved “the ideal route” for Uppingham School’s grounds team’s ongoing training and education.

Mark Burrows, grounds manager at the Rutland (Leicestershire) independent boarding school, says the scheme has not only become

part of his annual staff appraisal system but it has also helped him to map out a personal training and education pathway for each of the five-strong team (including himself) for the next five years.

The Training Needs Analysis works alongside the IOG’s Pitch Grading Framework, which benchmarks the quality of playing surfaces and creates an education framework to help those responsible to continually improve standards.

In turn, this enables grounds staff to meet both their own and their employer’s goals linked to team skills and the quality of the surfaces

they work on. In Uppingham’s case, this means 65 acres of sports fields for rugby, cricket, hockey and lacrosse, for example, as well as synthetic surfaces for hockey, tennis and netball.

After meeting with each of the school’s grounds team members – aged from 23 to 56 and each at a different skill (qualification) level – and discussing career aspirations and suggested learning pathways, the IOG drew up a unique learning plan for every individual, which effectively is a development programme for the whole team.

Trilo Enquiry 132

Spring into action

What’s the latest in sports turf construction and renovation?

Jane Carley takes a look at developments and recent contracts.

After the trickiest of winters, groundsmen and contractors have plenty of work to look forward to, renovating heavily used sportsturf. The more open conditions also provide opportunities for construction or redevelopment of facilities, and there is a growing selection of equipment for both activities.

Pitch redevelopment

GKB Machines manufactures a complete range of machinery for natural, synthetic and hybrid turf. The well-known GKB Combinator combines frase mowing and verticutting sports turf, while removing and loading the complete upper layer of unwanted turf. All irregularities are removed from uneven surfaces and cut material loaded by conveyor belt to a trailer on the move.

Sand filling may be required during both construction and maintenance. In either case, it is essential to be able to apply

the sand accurately and in varying quantities, depending on the operation. The GKB Sandspreader is the machine that distributes a great variety of materials in the appropriate quantities. The GKB SP100 Sandspreader version can be mounted on a turftruck such as the ProGator, Truckster or Workman for convenience.

Heavy applications of predominantly sandy materials on sports pitches can help to shape the camber of the surface and improve drainage. Suitable top dressings can be used to connect the surface with the drainage layers beneath by brushing them into holes created by the decompactor. Within Charterhouse’s Rink range of topdressers, the DS3800 is the largest model. It offers a spreading width of up to 15m, spreading thickness of up to 15mm and a hopper capacity of 3.8m3. It is also available with an optional cross conveyor.

The addition of the BLEC range of specialised landscaping and turfcare equipment into the portfolio of Charterhouse Turf Machinery, provides turf

managers with a more diverse range of machinery when it comes to pitch construction and renovation. Investment into the BLEC brand has seen the range streamlined and re-engineered, with a number of machines now fitted with new features.

The BLEC Laser Grader is designed for the contractor who requires a strong and accurate grader to cope with demanding conditions. It is fitted with twin Danfoss proportional valves and a rear four-wheel frame, with each pair of wheels controlled independently for dual grading.

The B range includes four models, designed for tractors from 18-150hp, that are set up to accept any make of laser equipment. For sports turf contractors, the LG 2400 with its 2.4m working width will be of particular interest.

Aeration and decompaction

The correct aeration, at the correct time, plays a vital role in successful turf care maintenance, points out Charterhouse Turf Machinery.

For sports pitch renovation, the Verti-Drain 7626 is a highly

productive machine with its 2.6m working width. It delivers penetration at depths of up to 400mm and as with all machines in the 76 series of Verti-Drain, depth adjustments can be made from the comfort of the operator’s seat via the tractor’s hydraulic controls.

Price Turfcare offers the AERAvator attachment for the Ventrac 4500 compact tractor. It is

designed to vibrate and loosen the soil beneath the grass without damaging the turf. It creates a hole without bringing a core to the surface, leaving the turf ready for use immediately following aeration.

With a working width of 1.52m and a depth of 70mm, the vibrating heads create six holes every 300mm (66 holes per square metre) with the hole size regulated by the drive speed. The slower

the forward speed of the Ventrac tractor unit, the larger the hole.

Tines can be replaced individually or by quickly changing the entire mounting heads. The AERA-vator is built with Ventrac Mount System, allowing for easy attachment changes, and comes with a standard jack stand for easy mounting. An optional overseeding kit is available.

Switch to better grass seed.

With more than 30 different attachments, the Ventrac 4500 is a versatile power unit, which features all-wheel drive, an articulating frame plus a 25hp Kubota diesel engine.

Seeding

The provision of favourable germination and establishment conditions are essential to the success of any overseeding operation if high mortality rates are to be avoided. With soil temperatures of 12 deg c and above, a moist, well-aerated seedbed, close seed/soil contact and reduced shade from existing grasses are primary requirements for rapid development.

The concept of the Double Disc range from Redexim is to deliver seed into the soil via two rows of discs, in slits 3cm apart, to ensure maximum germination. The range contains three machines, the 1430, 1830 and 2230, offering working widths of 1.4m, 1.83m and 2.2m respectively. They bury the seed up to 20mm deep in the ground, safely away from the weather and the beaks of hungry birds.

A 230 litre hopper capacity completes the specification. The whole range comes complete with three-point linkage as standard but a new trailed wheel kit is available as an option.

The BLEC Turfmaker is a seeder which uses front castellated rollers to crush lumps whilst producing small pockets to accept the seed. The rear set of rollers than split the shallow ridge formed by the front roller, incorporating the seed evenly in the top 12mm, whilst keeping surface disturbance to a minimum. The Turfmaker has now been updated to include a new seed control rate system, new seed feed mechanism and weight ballast kits.

Also in the BLEC overseeder portfolio is the Multiseeder (BMS), an ideal overseeder for working on both fine turf and amenity type areas. The updated models feature all new

seed ratio and seed feed systems which offer the user incredible accuracy. The twin spiked front rollers can be fixed or left to float, taking undulating surfaces easily in its stride while an optional spiked rear roller can be added should the operator wish to further increase the holes per square metre.

The BMS has an integrated weight mounting frame, allowing suitcase weights to be added should diffi cult ground conditions demand additional penetration.

It also features two brushes- the first can be adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure applied while the rear brush preens the surface to ensure a tidy finish. Offering a 160cm working width, 120cm and 210cm wide options are also available in the range.

The DZC 600 Overseeder from Eliet is designed to make high tech overseeding possible at an affordable price and is approved by STRI.

Cutting blades at the front of the machine make 10 to 15mm deep grooves in the soil in preparation for the grass seed. The blades rotate over the top and cast the soil in an arc to the rear of the machine so that it does not fall into the newly cut grooves.

The Helix Seed DuctTM seed distribution system carries the seed under the projected excess soil into small funnels leading to discharge channels precisely located above the clean grooves.

A small air pressure generator blows air through the seed funnels, helping the seed to settle faster and with more precision in the grooves.

The powered rubber roller immediately follows the seed distribution process and ensures that there is good contact between the soil and the seeds by pressing the earth down.

Earth falling just behind the roller on the sown area covers

the seedbed and provides a protective layer for the seed, increasing the chances of germination and growth.

Scott Grieve of Eliet distributor the PSD Group says: “With the Eliet Overseeder you can renovate tired and thin grass. It is quick, inexpensive and guarantees a visible result in less than a month. The site will be available for normal use immediately after overseeding which for some customers including golf clubs, cricket clubs and football clubs is extremely important.”

Profihopper - five machines in one Mow, Scarify, Collect, Mulch and Roll. The incredibly tough, easy to manoeuvre Profihopper does it all.

Exceptional manoeuvrability

Thanks to the compact design and intelligent 4WDi system, the Profihopper enjoys a 0-turning circle to get where others can’t.

Large hoppers means less emptying With an equivalent capacity of 1000 litres and the ability to empty at heights of up to 2.1 metres, non-productive time is kept to a minimum.

Clears rough ground as well as providing a lawn finish Even in damp conditions the renowned Profihopper delivers a perfect finishlong or short, wet or dry.

Case Studies

Perfect partners give Magpies a boost

Campey shows off Koro pitch skills

A three-day Campey Turf Care Systems mini-pitch renovation at Greenock Morton Football Club has given turf professionals and fans the chance to see what goes in to producing the awardwinning pitch at Cappielow.

The pitch was rated as one of the top-four in the Scottish Championship with a score of 4.6 out of ten as part of the Scottish Professional Football League licensing scheme in 2016, giving it a platinum rating under the grading system, which is decided by referees.

Morton’s only full-time groundsman is Mark Farrell, who has spent 13 years tending the Cappielow pitch. The traditional soil-based pitch doesn’t have any drainage, so provides Mark and his team of volunteers with a number of challenges.

“It demands hard core groundsmanship,” Mark explained. “Scarifying, aerating, draining. It can get mentally stressful at times.

“It’s not nutrient management like many Premiership clubs, a skill set is required from the groundstaff to keep the pitch in the best possible condition. Grass roots can replicate it but require dedication and commitment.

Inverclyde has the most artificial pitches per head 15 – 60,000 people, but for a tenth of the cost of artificial you can maintain a natural pitch.”

The work started with the surface being cleaned with the Koro Fieldtopmaker using the Universe Finesse 5mm blades, meaning the whole pitch was not removed, but by using

the different Universe blades available they could scarify and still rip out the unwanted grasses/ weeds.

The Koro Recycling Dresser was then used down to a 160mm working depth to aid decompaction and aeration, while also recycling all the nutrients that remained in the soil profile. 40 tons of sand was then applied with a Dakota Turf Tender, brushed, raked and finally re-seeded with a Vredo Overseeder and Raycam Aeraseeder.

Morton’s pitch receives heavy use from its teams as well as the community trust which has 3000 children from 5-16 years old who use the pitch. This amount of use has seen Mark try to introduce a greater proportion of rye grass in a strong Poa pitch.

The decision to install a new irrigation system and playing surface was taken at short notice and required swift planning and cohesive team work between MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches.

“We are extremely happy with the pitch, it’s played really well,” Eddie said. “It’s probably the best the pitch has been since I’ve been here, and I know it hasn’t gone through the winter period yet but at the same stage in the last 15 years it hasn’t been any better.”

“MJ Abbott come as a partnership with Premier Pitches when installing SIS Grass pitches. Premier Pitches have done a lot of work in the past with us and do our end of season renovations, but I know

Nathan George, Contracts Manager at MJ Abbott explained:

“The project comprised removing the existing fibre sand surface down to a suitable depth to expose the existing drainage slits. This operation had to be very carefully completed to not destroy the integrity of the retained drainage.”

“A new fully automatic pitch irrigation system was installed and an imported rootzone laid to re-establish the original pitch levels. Premier Pitches completed the preparation and seeding of the new pitch, which delivered the project a week ahead of the proposed programme”

“The SISGRASS stitching was installed following grass establishment, a process that took seven days.”

The quick planning required for the project was helped by Premier Pitches’ experience

“Newcastle United have been a long-standing client of Premier Pitches so the pitfalls of working at a city centre Premier League stadium were well known. Nevertheless, without the rigorous planning and logistics from the outset things still could have gone wrong,” he said.

“The logistics of plant deliveries, material removal and material deliveries all had to be scheduled to the second to ensure that the project ran smoothly.

“We have worked with MJ Abbott on our prestigious pitch construction projects for over five years now. Their efficient and meticulous way of approaching a product from design and planning to delivery is everything that our key clients want to see.”

KORO®

Newcastle United’s stadium manager, Eddie Rutherford, has hailed the new SIS Grass pitch at St James’ Park, installed by MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches, as the best in his 16 years at the club.

MJ Abbott are good contractors so I was quite happy to work with the two combined.”

at the city centre venue, and director Russell Latham, commended the work of the design team in the build-up to the start date.

of fresh air at school

Duncan Ross gives pitch a new lease of life

Penrith Football Club’s Frenchfield Park Stadium had been virtually unplayable for nine years, until recent pitch redevelopment work by Duncan Ross Ltd gave the pitch a new lease of life.

The surface had been without considered maintenance before and during the current nine-year inhabitancy of Penrith FC, and without a functioning drainage system the top layer of the surface became impenetrable.

Chairman Brian ‘Billy’ Williams says: “The pitch wasn’t draining at all, we had drains that had been dry for the last eight years and Duncan came down and told us what he thought was wrong,” Brian explained. “He presented a solution to would solve the problems and our local council along with the Football Stadium Improvement Fund got involved and funded the project.”

Andy Richards, Grounds Manager at Shrewsbury School, is a firm believer that aeration is one of the most important practices carried out by groundsmen, and this is exactly why he has recently purchased a new SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid.

Shrewsbury School is one of the country’s leading coeducational independent schools for 13-18-year-olds and attracts boys and girls from all over the country.

“We have a good blend of academics and sports at Shrewsbury School,” says Andy. “Sport is a massive part of the School and there is a very strong house sport system.”

Andy pin-points aeration as one of the most vital maintenance procedures.

“Speaking with other groundsmen, we have one of the highest pitch usages in the country. On each pitch we average 10-15 hours per week and we’ve got limited drainage. Therefore, one of the

most important things we do is aeration and we aerate pitches all the time,” he says.

“It was the machine I wanted because I had previously trialled it and had good results.

I Clegg hammered the pitches before and after using the AerAid and had noticed a massive reduction in hardness.”

With 10mm diameter ‘tipped’ tines working at 75mm spacing, air is introduced from the Aer-Aid at a rate of 88 litres per minute.

These air injection tines are specially designed to use the maximum air available from the compressor which produces clean, fresh air, while also ensuring that surface disturbance is kept to a minimum. The cam trigger mechanism ensures that the air is always expelled at the bottom of the tine penetration, enabling treatment to be targeted precisely and consistently.

“It’s a really good machine, easy to use and we can see significant improvements since using the Aer-Aid,” says Andy.

Duncan Ross were given a sixweek window to complete the operation in time for a pre-season friendly against Carlisle United. The top was completely stripped off using a Koro Fieldtopmaker, sand banding was introduced and the pitch was seeded.

“We played our first pre-season game against Carlisle United on 12th July, and that really put them to the test because the decision wasn’t made to bring Duncan in until the early part of May, so there was a five to sixweek window to actually start doing the work.”

Glasgow challenge

Each of the pitches will be treated with four separate

Glasgow since records began 107 years ago. Even by our own local standards we’ve had some amount of rainfall.”

“The pitches are across 25 different locations some with

heavy clay soils and others with a lighter footprint. Our mission is to rid them of compaction. Everywhere we go we’re trying for maximum depth.”

“The challenge is applying the right amount of heave when conditions allow. Just by adding in 10 or 15 degrees of heave creates air pockets within the root zone, increasing pore space and vastly improves the flow of air, water and nutrients.”

Fairways Sportsgrounds shares its Glasgow Airport HQ with sister company, Wiedenmann UK, and has access to the full range of 11 Terra Spike deep aerators, spare parts and workshop.

“Yes, we’re in an enviable situation when it comes to operator training and best kit for purpose,” said Bobby McDougall.

A breath

Scottish contractor Fairways Sportsgrounds has won a contract to deep tine 60 football pitches and six golf courses operated by Glasgow City Council on behalf of Glasgow Life.

Fairways takes on

visits across a 12 month period.

Bobby McDougall, Business Development Manager said: “Last summer was the third wettest in

Kubota strengthens groundcare dealer network with Buxtons

Kubota UK is pleased to announce it has further strengthened its extensive dealer network after joining forces with Staffordshirebased groundcare and arboriculture specialists Buxtons.

The appointment of Buxtons is part of Kubota’s ongoing investment to ensure its market leading range of high performance groundcare machinery is supplied through an independent dealer network that is committed to a first class service offering.

The new partnership means Buxtons will now supply Kubota’s complete range of high quality and innovative groundcare solutions, from walk behind, ride-on, out-front and zero turn mowers, to Kubota’s industry leading compact tractors and its durable and rugged RTV utility vehicles. This includes Kubota’s recently launched range of BX Series, B1 Series

and B2 Series sub-compact tractors, and the new ZD1211 zero turn ride-on mower.

Neale Hopley, Managing Director of Buxtons said: “We are absolutely delighted to become a Kubota dealer. Although we previously supplied groundcare equipment, our range was limited. This new relationship with Kubota enables us to significantly expand our business, giving us the chance to target a much wider range of commercial sectors including local authority, education, equestrian and the sports turf market.

“These are exciting times for Buxtons. The Kubota brand is synonymous with quality, durability and reliability, with a fantastic reputation for innovative, cost effective and hard working machines. It’s a trusted brand that turf professionals know will get the job done and not let them down. We are extremely excited

to be working in partnership with Kubota and are looking forward to growing our business with them.”

Adrian Langmead, Business Development Manager for Kubota UK’s Groundcare Division said: “Here at Kubota we pride ourselves on having a dealership network that is second to none. By signing Buxtons up as a new dealer we can extend our reach across a 30-mile radius throughout the Staffordshire area, enabling us to secure key accounts within the commercial market.

“Buxtons is a well established and respected dealership, so it was a natural fit to partner with an organisation whose commitments reflect our own. We’re looking forward to the longevity of this partnership, enabling Buxtons to provide both residential and commercial customers with the highest quality Kubota machinery, Kubota Care, Kubota Finance and aftersales services and parts.”

Buxtons has already received significant interest in Kubota’s machinery, securing a number of orders from both commercial and residential customers at its recent open day, which saw over 100 potential and current customers attend.

Isuzu Truck launches new Grafter Green 3.5tonne truck range

Leading commercial vehicle manufacturer Isuzu Truck UK has announced the arrival of its new range of 2018 Grafter 3.5tonne rigids, under the umbrella name of ‘Grafter Green’.

With a choice of standard cab colours of either white or flint grey, the new 3.5 tonne Isuzu Grafter Green 4 x 2 chassis cab rigids are available in both single and twin rear wheel configurations, offering improved performance, significant weight savings and a better ride quality.

Perhaps most importantly, there is no need for AdBlue on the new, Euro-6 compliant vehicles.

Both single rear wheel and twin rear wheel Grafter Greens have already been added to the successful Isuzu Truck Driveaway pre-bodied truck programme, with the ready availability of both tipper and dropside models providing industry leading payload carrying capacity.

Announcing details of the new range of Isuzu Grafter Green trucks, Pete Murphy, managing director of Isuzu Truck UK said, “Grafter Green introduces new proven technology to the UK market, with many changes to the specification that will

certainly differentiate the range from its predecessors. As a global manufacturer, Isuzu Motors has listened to UK customer feedback over the years and the changes have now been incorporated throughout the new Grafter Green model range for the UK market.”

The Grafter Green uses a brand-new Isuzu RZ4E 1898cc four-cylinder Euro six diesel engine with Lean NOx Trap technology. Significantly, no AdBlue is required. Improved power and torque is 90kW @3200rpm and 320Nm @ 16002000rpm respectively. This advanced technology enables

a reduction in CO2 emissions whilst the new engine is also far more fuel-efficient by the nature of its design and reduced displacement.

At the same time the Grafter Green features the new 6 speed MCV6W manual gearbox with easy gear selection. Driveability is much improved as the gear shift is lighter and more precise for all ratios. The clutch pedal application feel is also improved and lightened, making it a more car-like drive.

Isuzu Enquiry 144

Customer Driven

WITH TOTAL LIFETIME CARE

From its unique ability to mow on terrain from mountain sides to golf course fairways, the Aebi TT range is the adaptable, reliable and affordable solution to all your mowing needs.

At Aebi Schmidt we believe in the exceptional quality and reliability of our product line-up and services. For us, customer service is key – and our aim is to deliver a service experience that is second to none!

Kubota Enquiry 143

Javelin Aer-Aid instils an air of confidence

Andy Richards, Grounds Manager at Shrewsbury School, is a firm believer that aeration is one of the most important practices carried out by groundsmen, and this is exactly why he has recently purchased a new SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid.

Shrewsbury School is one of the country’s leading coeducational independent schools for 13-18-year-olds and attracts boys and girls from all over the country.

“We have a good blend of academics and sports at Shrewsbury School,” says Andy. “Sport is a massive part of the School and there is a very strong house sport system – in fact the students are willing to run through a brick wall for their school and their house in sporting competitions!”

It is for this reason that Andy and his team leave no stone un-turned

when it comes to preparing and maintaining sports pitches of the highest standard. In discussing his maintenance procedures, Andy pin-pointed aeration as one of the most vital.

“Speaking with other groundsmen, we have one of the highest pitch usages in the country. On each pitch we average 10-15 hours per week and we’ve got limited drainage. Therefore, one of the most important things we do is aeration and we aerate pitches all of the time. Grass lives and needs air like anyone else,” he says.

Breathing life into Andy’s grass is his newly purchased SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid tractor mounted aerator, and he had no problem in running it past the School’s bursars – as he explains.

“It was the machine I wanted because I had previously trialled

Special build trailer from SCH

SCH (Supplies) Ltd have recently supplied a customer with a galvanised version of their popular Hydraulic Tipping Trailer.

The customer had asked for the manual tipping version of the trailer – which is also available in two tractor powered versions (one and two pipe) and an electric version.

All metal work on the trailer was galvanised including the mesh extension sides. In the standard version, SCH supply the trailer metalwork in a paint finish (usually red, but green can also be specified at time of order so that the trailer can match the customer’s tractor).

The mesh sides on a standard model are painted black. The standard HTRL has a carrying capacity of 1000kg (1 ton) and is 915mm (36”) wide by 1800mm (72”) long.

The customer also requested wider 20-10 x 8 wheels instead of the standard 600 x 9s.

SCH say they are happy to take orders from any customer requesting variations to standard builds. This means the companies’ huge array of trailers, turfcare systems, sprayers, water units and their other products can usually be customised to suit their own requirements

SCH Enquiry 148

it and had good results. I Clegg hammered the pitches before and after using the Aer-Aid and had noticed a massive reduction in hardness. I know that the Aer-Aid had recently undergone extensive Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) trials and it came out with excellent results – which always gives you confidence and makes it easier to explain to the bursars why you want to purchase it.”

As Andy says, the Javelin AerAid recently gained rave reviews from the STRI. Over a three month period, extensive STRI trials led by Dr Christian Spring were carried out which examined how and if the Javelin Aer-Aid had an effect on the hardness of the turf, the root depth, water infiltration and disease. Christian reported that “it became obvious that the Aer-Aid improved maximum root and depth within the soil profile and also had the benefit of increasing the depth of the average rooting mass.”

With 10mm diameter ‘tipped’ tines working at 75mm (3ins) spacing, air is introduced from the Aer-Aid at a rate of 88 litres (3cu.ft.) per minute. These air injection tines are specially designed to use

the maximum air available from the compressor and produces clean, fresh air, while also ensuring that surface disturbance is kept to a minimum. The cam trigger mechanism ensures that the air

is always expelled at the bottom of the tine penetration, enabling treatment to be targeted precisely and consistently.

SISIS Enquiry 147

SIZE

MATTERS

The TB230 comes with the bigger comfortable cab as seen on the larger Takeuchi models, packed full of enhanced operator features.

100% steel wrapround frame, flat glass panels, check valves to boom and dipper, re-fuelling pump and heavy duty dozer blade all come as standard.

With familiar smooth hydraulics the TB230 has plenty of power and greater torque for fast cycle times.

Innovation reduces Snake maintenance further

Trimax Mowers has introduced an auto belt tensioning system for the Snake rotary mower, designed to improve performance and cut downtime.

The system ensures that the correct belt tension is always applied during operation, improving the drive to the spindles.

There’s no risk of fitting the belts in the incorrect configuration due to the design of the idler arm, and no need to keep checking that belts are fitted and tensioned correctly.

Customers are assured this new development will boost productivity and ensure a topquality cut for which the Snake has become renowned.

Not only is this new system fitted to all new Snake models, it’s also available as a retrofittable kit allowing existing customers to reap the same benefits. Only

New portable power from Takeuchi

Takeuchi’s new Takeuchi TB225 offers the latest compact mini in the towable weight class.

In both cab and canopy the TB225 comfortably works within towing restrictions; weighing-in at just under 2400kg cab or 2265kg canopy, there’s plenty of room for attachments and materials on the trailer.

The new mini is very compact in overall size. It comes with familiar expandable tracks taking the machine from a very narrow 1100mm up to 1500mm; providing maximum accessibility in narrow areas combined with massive digging stability when digging deep.

Maximum productivity is guaranteed, the TB225 comes with 16.5kW of power, 19.3kN of digging force and breakout of 12.8kN; far more powerful than other mini excavators in this weight class.

For added asset protection the TB225 comes with the TSS Takeuchi Security System fitted as standard.

Takeuchi Enquiry

153

basic hand tools and a power drill are all that is required to perform this upgrade.

Caroline Shaw, European Marketing Manager at Trimax commented: “We’re very excited to launch this new system for the Snake. It’s a popular machine which is transforming green areas around the world. As with all new innovations, the auto belt tension system underwent rigorous testing – 100,000,000 cycles to be precise!”

Trimax Mowers Enquiry 151

New WS-SL20 wheel saw attachment from Bobcat

Approved for use on the Bobcat S630, S650, S770 and S850 skidsteer loaders; the T590, T650, T770 and T870 compact track loaders and the A770 all-wheel steer loader, the new WS-SL20 Wheel Saw is designed to cut efficiently through asphalt, rock and concrete surfaces.

The WS-SL20 Wheel Saw has a variable segments wheel, which allows the user to quickly change the width of the wheel (50, 80, 100, 120 mm) in the field, instead of replacing the complete wheel in a workshop (providing a saving of 10 hours in the process).

Applications include fixed width trenching for the utilities covering water, gas, power, telecommunications and fibre optic networks.

The WS-SL20 can be used for creating excavation sites and for slot cutting. The WS-SL20 can also be used for maintenance work, including trenching vertical edges for road and pavement repairs.

Bobcat Enquiry 154

Polaris GENERAL 1000 Deluxe with ABS – now available in dealers

Following the announcement of the industry’s first ABS equipped side-by-side, the Polaris GENERAL 1000 Deluxe T1b ABS is now available in dealers.

Developed specifically for the European market at the Polaris Opole facility in Poland in collaboration with the Polaris R&D teams in the USA, the GENERAL ABS marks the first time such a system has been made available in the industry and makes the already versatile SXS even better for both work and pleasure.

The clever and robust AntiLock Braking System (ABS) is switchable at lower speeds and offers the ability to steer while braking without the tyres breaking permanent traction. Additional benefits include controlled braking on varied surfaces and improved stopping distance in some conditions.

Producing 100hp, the GENERAL has class leading acceleration, thanks to its off-road orientated 999cc 4-stroke twin cylinder engine. Delivering a broad max torque throughout its rpm range, the GENERAL delivers 65ft-lb of torque to haul, pull, and power through the toughest jobs.

The GENERAL boasts the industry’s fastest engaging highperformance All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system with all four wheels engaging almost instantly when the vehicle requires more forward traction, reverting back to 2WD when it doesn’t.

Fitted with sway bars on the front and rear, the GENERAL’s tuned suspension geometry features dual rate springs which maintain 62% of its ground clearance, even when fully loaded with passengers and cargo. The vehicle is fitted with Fox Podium X 2.0 QS3 shocks as standard, offering 12.25” of front and 13.2” of rear suspension travel and 12” of ground clearance. The shocks are adjustable for simple and repeatable suspension setting changes on the move.

Other features include a dumping cargo bed, integrated half doors to protect from weather and trail debris, and a tilt adjustable steering wheel.

The cockpit has been designed for the perfect balance of work and play – with plenty of storage solutions and wide seat bucket seats for comfort.

Polaris Enquiry 152

Bobcat is launching the new WSSL20 Self-Levelling Wheel Saw.

The self-levelling feature on the WS-SL20 allows the attachment to follow and adapt to the contours of the ground and the new design means that a trench cleaner is no longer needed.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Simon Richard Ltd Tel: 01450 860774 Email: simon@simon-richard.co.uk

High School planting completed by Boningale

Boningale Nurseries has played its part in creating a beautiful vista for staff and students at Hanley Castle High School’s new £1.3m sixth form centre in Worcestershire.

Ecological Landscape Ltd, who was responsible for the soft landscaping and paving, commissioned Boningale to supply the plants, shrubs and trees that surround the centre’s new modern classrooms, library, study rooms and IT hub.

On commissioning Boningale, Ecological Landscape Ltd said: “We only want to give our clients the very best and with more than 50 years’ experience in the sector we know that we can count on Boningale to provide the highest quality plants, reliable service and invaluable advice.”

The new sixth form centre at Hanley Castle High School has been designed to help transform the teaching and learning opportunities available to senior pupils.

Shaw Pye, Sales Executive & Business Development at Boningale, added: “Creating the right external landscape in a school environment is as important as the internal design; it can really add to the ambience and culture of the learning facility for staff and pupils. We were therefore delighted to be chosen by Ecological Landscape to help bring the outside of this impressive new sixth form centre to life with a range of different planting materials.”

Jacksons Fencing introduces its nationwide Approved Installer programme

Jacksons Fencing, the premium fencing, gates and garden structure specialist, today announces the launch of its new nationwide network of Jacksons Approved Installers.

Through its network, Jacksons Fencing, in partnership with its Approved Installers, will now provide a complete service to consumers, from selection through to delivery and installation.

Jacksons’ products are known to be of the highest quality, and as such, only the most professional, successful and experienced fencing and landscaping contractors have been invited to become Jacksons Approved Installers.

To be a part of the network, they all undergo a meticulous approval process and are assessed not only for their quality of work, but for their customer service expertise. Beyond this,

Jacksons Fencing also inspects at least three recent fencing or gate installations to ensure that all Approved Installers are the best in the business. All Jacksons Approved Installers have made a binding commitment to superb customer service.

The Jacksons Approved Installer network currently has 80 members across the UK, predominantly in the South. Jacksons is set on expanding

SALTEX College Cup winners enjoy Six Nations experience

After winning the SALTEX College Cup for the second year running, students from CAFRE College in Antrim, Northern Ireland, enjoyed an unforgettable experience of helping with pitch preparations at the 2018 Six Nations Championships at BT Murrayfield Stadium.The SALTEX College Cup, sponsored by Ransomes, and organised by

the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), is a national student-led sports-turf challenge. It is an academic test of turf management knowledge for student competitors who are enrolled at colleges throughout the UK on relevant courses of study.

have its name engraved on the trophy and as part of the prize, the winning students were part of the Wembley grounds team at the 2017 FA Cup Final.

CAFRE returned to SALTEX 2017 where they saw off competition from four other colleges to reclaim the trophy. As well as receiving

the initiative to offer full UK coverage and is always on the lookout for partners able to represent the high standards of the Jacksons brand.

Fencing Enquiry 171

vouchers for each student, the CAFRE team was presented with another prize that money can’t buy – preparing the pitch at the 2018 Six Nations Championships for the Scotland vs England game.

Boningale Enquiry 173

Jacksons