EGO hand tools review

Rain Bird’s flow indicating basket filter launches in UK with top award

Rain Bird’s new Flow Indicating Basket Filter has now been introduced to the UK – and has already won a top award in the Irrigation Association’s 2021 new product contest held in San Diego last December. It scooped the top award in the landscape irrigation category.

As a unique all-in-one flow measurement, filtration and pressure regulation system, the Flow Indicating Basket Filter is designed to work with and troubleshoot problems at a glance in drip or spray irrigation systems. It is available in four models, with operating flow ranges of 11.4 to 75.7 litres per minute and with retrofit kits available.

The Flow Indicating Basket Filter is a simple mechanical device that can work with any controller and is a cost-effective alternative to digital flow systems. A dial at the top of the filter cap has bezel movement like a diver’s watch and provides all the diagnostic information required about the operation of an irrigation zone and its total zone flow rate. The bezel is twisted to line up with the indicator needle and marks the current correct rate for the zone.

Any future deviation from the green marker into the clearly visible orange/red zone marking either side will indictate a potential filtration or leakage problem.

By using the indicator bezel to mark that zone’s correct flow, maintenance issues such as valve malfunctions, system leaks and blockages or a clogged filter can be simply visually diagnosed. If high pressure is indicated, the flow can be regulated and controlled before further irrigation to prevent over watering and wastage. The system’s basket filter has a simple upright design that is easy to clean and prevents debris from entering the downstream line during routine maintenance.

Contractors installing or maintaining drip or spray irrigation systems can use the accurate flow reading to set appropriate flow rates and then by easy visual confirmation eliminate or confirm any concerns about a zone’s performance and address any issues without delay. By developing efficient solutions such as the Flow Indicating Basket Filter,

Rain Bird is helping making it possible for users of all types and budgets of irrigation system to apply less water yet still enjoy healthy landscapes – another example of the company’s commitment to the intelligent use of water. n www.rainbird.eu

Scott MacCallum watches the emergence of spring and reluctantly gets prepared for months of garden maintenance

With a little more heat in the air, and gardens coming out of hibernation, now is the time for us all – enthusiasts and those of a more reluctant persuasion alike – to unlock the shed, knock last year’s mud off the wellies, and bring a little order to our surrounds.

Fortunately for those who fall into the latter category, there are now so many labour-saving, userfriendly, tools out there to take the pain out of the gain when it comes to reclaiming our beloved gardens.

EGO are particularly good at producing machines that efficiently and safely allow us the chance to take a little pride in our outdoor areas. With a battery system which allows the same power source to be used across the range there is no need to have a, well, a battery of batteries clogging up the garage, while the disappearance of the previously ubiquitous cables takes away the irritation, not to mention danger, of being forever haunted by that orange snake.

EGO were particularly gracious in allowing me to road test two of their latest pieces of kit – a lightweight hedge trimmer and a brush cutter.

The 65 cm cordless Hedge Trimmer, ARC Lithium 56V, is an invaluable addition to anyone’s tool shed. The handle rotates 180 degrees to help reach those awkward to reach bits while the brushless motor makes it particularly quiet.

Relatively low noise levels can mean conscience-clear working for an extra hour earlier in the morning or an hour later in the evening before the petition from the neighbours drops through the door.

The 38cm cordless brush cutter is also a superb piece

Salvation for the unenthusiastic gardener

of kit. The motorcycle style handlebars give control not associated with so many of its rivals, and the well-designed harness is there to take the strain, which is particularly useful if the strimmer is to be used for an extended period.

You can also switch between the plastic cord cutter, more usually associated with domestic brush cutters, and the more heavy-duty three metal blade unit for those tougher jobs.

As I said at the start, the beauty of the EGO range is that you can switch batteries between every piece of kit, whether that be the mowers to the hedge trimmers, and it takes seconds to do so.

The 56 volt batteries themselves come in two sizes and while you might decide to use the 2.5Ah for the hand held tools and the 7.5Ah for the larger kit such is the balance and weight distribution of the hand held that either battery is manageable for any of the kit.

Battery compartments are air cooled, so there is less chance of overheating, always a bonus particularly if you are having to use one of our rare decent days in which to get the work done.

As you would imagine battery life drops over time – the average lifetime of a well utilised battery is three years and the run time, particularly on the larger 7.5Ah, is more than long enough to earn your cold drink and a sit down between sessions.

Ah, that sit down. I told you I was a reluctant gardener and a firm disciple of the “Gardens are to be Enjoyed – not Endured” school of thought.

But even we are not allowed to stick our heads in the weed-filled sand. We need to do some work to avoid being over-run, and ironically receive another petition from the neighbours, and for that reason we need supporters like EGO and their battery range of power tools. n egopowerplus.co.uk