Wiedenmann Mega Twister helps maintain tourist trails

Wiedenmann UK’s premier leaf and debris blower, the Mega Twister, is helping keep the tidy appearance of tourist trails across Cornwall.

Family-owned contractor, Sandoe & Sons, which comprises a three-way partnership of brothers Glyn and John, with father, Roger, are involved with hedge trimming and path clearance on each of The Camel Trail at Wadebridge, The Clay Trails of St Austell and Tolgus Mining Trails at Redruth. Projects include work with Cormac Solutions and Cornwall Council, as well as some for the Wildlife Trust. They have established a really reliable, loyal team of staff which allows them to maintain a high standard across the board.

Glyn Sandoe, who has been leading these operations, says their recently purchased super strength, front-mounted Wiedenmann Mega Twister has made an incredible difference to productivity and enjoyment.

“We’d only been using a road brush which does a good job but when you have a lot of light leaf litter or dusty situations, the brush is slow. However, now, with the blower you can fly through. When we work both machines in tandem- the brush on the back and the blower up front, that works well… You choose one or the other, or both at the same time. So, even if there’s particularly heavy mulch you still get a great result.

“Its very user friendly and with the joystick in the tractor its lovely to operate. For us it’s a front mounted machine with no looking over your shoulder and no need to back up. Fewer movements help save fuel, all marginal savings we will take.”

The Mega Twister has 230 degrees of swivel and 390 m 3 per minute worth of blow. Its turning action allows efficient all-round work from left to right without turning. A goose neck nozzle is operated from the cab of Glyn’s compact John Deere 4066R with the outlet spout lifting up and down and directed to different angles, depending on conditions.

“Sometimes I run it on the front with the hedge trimmer on the back. If there’s been some thorny growth that we’ve cut and left on a cycle path we can blow it off quick with the combination. Generally, if we are cutting the trails in the winter, the tractor and brush will stay together for a period of weeks,” said Glyn.

“It’s only been in operation for us a few months, so clients are only just aware we have it; I’ve no doubt it will help win us more work.”

The old adage was that “It’s January, so it must be Harrogate”, and for nigh on 40 years BTME was as regular as Christmas.

Then Covid arrived and the 2021 edition was cancelled, while in 2022 we had the odd experience of a spring BTME, complete with lovely weather and al fresco dining and drinking. All very weird, and with it being a much busier time on golf courses it impacted on visitor numbers.

So it was great to return to the familiar surroundings of Harrogate in the cold and the dark. And that was not just my view, the return to the regular spot on the calendar was welcomed by so many in the golf and amenity turf industry that the hordes descended on the town and it was just like old times.

That Harrogate Buzz was at levels of a few years ago and the smiles on the faces of exhibitors pointed to the fact that they could expect a return on the not inconsiderable investment it takes to show at BTME. It was good to be back.

SCOTT MacCALLUM