It certainly feels like there has been some serious buzz around robotic mowers this year.

The machines have of course been around for a very long time now and waves of publicity have come and gone. But I don't know, it does seem like this year there may well have been a sea-change in mass appeal and acceptance.

The profile of robotic mowers has certainly risen recently. With their move into the commercial sector we've seen robots starting to be used in very public spaces. We’ve also seen significant developments in their technologies with smartphone apps, voice controls and even machines which don't require a guidance wire. And of course, the current edition of Service Dealer magazine features as its cover star a dealer who's found significant success with the machines and who we describe as a pioneer in their sale.

This week though, we also heard some tangible evidence of how sales of the units are most definitely crossing over into the mainstream. Retailer John Lewis issued a press release stating that sales are soaring, with numbers up 75% this year - which they say is due to "advances in technology and falling prices".

In the statement, John Lewis spokesperson Hannah McFarlane is quoted as saying, "With temperatures reaching the high 20s, people are less prepared to get hot and bothered mowing the lawn and would rather sit back with a chilled drink and watch their robotic lawnmower creating those perfect straight lines, without having to lift a finger."

The retailer’s statement was picked up by many mainstream media outlets, with headlines proclaiming the ending of the grass cutting chore cropping up in, amongst other places, Sky, The Express and The Times. The latter was particularly interesting because as well as a story reporting on the sales, the paper also dedicated an editorial to the subject.

I assume written in a rather tongue-in-cheek style, the editorial begins, "Could there be a greater abomination against nature, a more telling symbol of the indolent and sybaritic lifestyle with which technology is attempting to seduce modern man?"

It goes on to ask, "What skills are lost, what traditions trampled by this rude intrusion of whirring automation into green and peaceful nature?". It finishes by talking about the poems of Andrew Marvell, who wrote four pieces about the mower apparently, "each more laden with symbolism than the other." The Times concludes that these poems just wouldn't be the same with a robot!

Regardless of the worries The Times has, I must assume that most consumers are not overly concerned with how the machines adversely affect poetry from the 1600s! One has to think that this increase in publicity and popularity is in fact a superb opportunity for specialist dealers to present themselves as the local experts in the technology. If John Lewis are seeing sales increased by 75% this year, there are quite clearly consumers out there with cash they are willing to spend on these high-ticket items.

Of course converting these consumers from using high-street chains to frequenting their local independent specialist is the perennial challenge. Those type of consumers who purchase solely on price points are depressingly exemplified by 'Matt' who posts a comment under The Times editorial online, saying "At over £500 it's hard to justify the price, but if these get down to near the £100 mark, I'll be straight down to my local, erm, Amazon website."

So as ever the specialist's job of winning over the Matts of this world is not getting any easier. But in terms of robotic mowers, if the machines are being talked about more in the mainstream, as well as being seen in use by the public both in high-profile commercial settings and increasingly in their neighbours' back gardens - hopefully more and more specialist dealers will be able to highlight all the unique reasons why purchasing from them should be the consumer’s first and only choice.

The Landbased Training and Education Committee (LE-TEC) has teamed up with Pershore College, part of Warwickshire College Group to offer industry partners an opportunity to learn about the new Apprenticeship Standards.

The event will take place on Tuesday 10th July at Pershore College.

“The purpose of the event is to bring those people involved with the planning, recruitment, delivery and assessment of the 'Landbased Service Engineer' and 'Landbased Service Engineering Technician' apprenticeship standards up to speed on the new standards, their contents and assessment; together with an overview of the expectations for quality and delivery set out by the landbased engineering industry and wider stakeholders,” said Alastair Taylor, CEO of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers.

The audience for the event will be landbased engineering dealers, employers, as well as college staff and trainers with topics including:

• Apprenticeships and the Workforce Challenge - an overview of the work undertaken by the Landbased Engineering industry to establish new apprenticeship standards.
• The Employer Perspective - avoiding the challenge of the aging workforce
• The Training Provider Perspective on developing an effective partnership with the employer and the apprentice

The afternoon will have more of a focus on the information needed by employers and will include:

• End Point Assessment – an overview of the standards expected and how to prepare for a high quality outcome.
• Apprenticeship Quality Assurance – how we makes sure the standards are maintained

“A great deal of effort and expense has gone into developing these new apprenticeship standards for Landbased Engineering Service Engineering and now that we are at the delivery stage it is vital that we think about how we build in quality right from the outset. We owe that to industry,” Alastair added.

Peter Allen, Director of Marketing and Communications, WCG added: “We are delighted to host this event and hope that it will bring together employers and trainers to develop best practice in the delivery of these new apprenticeship standards.

If you would like to attend the event, please book at this website

With a growing demand for their diverse range products in the mainland United Kingdom, Gardencare, the Belfast based garden machinery supplier, have appointed Lincolnshire based Central Spares Ltd as a supplier of their products.

Central Spares have signed Abbey Garden Machinery in Tavistock, Devon as their first 'Gardencare Premium Dealer'. Pictured L-R: Sam & Chris from Abbey, Grant & Steve from Central

Central Spares has been a supplier to the horticultural trade for the past 40 years and as a result have developed an extensive network of dealers which will now be offered the entire Gardencare machinery range, in addition to a full stock of parts and will also offer Gardencare’s exclusive 5 year warranty.

Mr Gary Tully, Head of Gardencare said "Central Spares offer a fantastic opportunity for the further development of the brand’s growth. The UK market is demanding lower priced machinery yet still looks for quality and reassurance that their purchase will last.

"Over the past 14 years, we have proven that our products meet these demands and look forward to the continual development and strengthening of Gardencare’s presence in the UK dealer network. This is an exciting time for Gardencare and Central Spares in an ever-changing industry."

Central Spares have hit the ground running, signing up their first 'Gardencare Premium Dealer' Abbey Garden Machinery in Tavistock, Devon.

With a number of other potential dealers for the brand also in the pipeline, Gardencare say the following months are set to be a busy time for Central as they move into offering a new product range to an industry which they know so well.

Grant Aubrey, general manager at Central, believes that the Gardencare product range will be very fruitful for their business by offering a chance to move into new areas. Grant said, “Our aim is to provide dealers with a quality product that helps them to compete in and capture the domestic market. To offer a 5 year warranty at the point of sale at a very competitive price, combined with the dealer’s knowledge and service is a huge advantage. I ecourage dealers who want to get more customers through their door and increase their profits with Gardencare machines, give us a call.”

Walker Mowers UK have confirmed the recent appointment of Gosford Garden Equipment as their dealer for Northern Ireland.

The McCrum family who run Gosford Garden Equipment - father Trevor seated on the machine, Dale and sister Aeola

The family run company is located in Armagh and services their customers from the main road farm site. Customers approaching their dealership are often intrigued to find the site boasts the track for Gosford Karting - also run by the McCrum family.

Dale McCrum said, "The Walker range of machines do not conflict with any other brands we represent and this style of machine is suitable for prestige sites where grass collection is a must. They are for ideal for caravan, holiday parks and prestige buildings."

One of the coldest Aprils in 20 years slowed sales of the Toro Company's lawnmowers for residential users in North America and Europe.

Yet sales to the professional segment, Toro's largest and less weather-dependent sector, experienced an 8 percent rise, balanced across the segment's more diverse markets.

"Our residential segment was not immune to the challenges experienced industrywide, caused by a slow start to spring in North America and Europe," said the company's CEO Richard Olson in a statement. "We are, however, encouraged by the weather patterns in May, and we are hopeful that they will continue for the balance of our peak turf season."

Sales for the quarter were $875.3 million, up less than 1 percent and shy of Wall Street estimates.

Net income for the quarter ended May 4 rose 9 percent to $131.3 million, or $1.21 a share. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.20, which beat expectations.

The company said residential sales were $212.2 million, down 17.8 percent compared with the second quarter last year, while sales in the professional segment grew 8.1 percent to $660.4 million.

Olson said on the company's earnings call that residential customers are less likely to buy a lawnmower when there is snow on the ground in April.

The professional segment, which is less affected by weather, saw strong sales growth of zero-turn mowers to the U.S landscape contractor market and sales of rotary mowers and large reel units to golf and turf care markets.

The company maintained its sales guidance for the remainder of the year but slightly lowered earnings guidance. Toro still expects revenue for fiscal year 2018 to grow about 4% but now expects adjusted net earnings per share to be about $2.66 to $2.71 for the year. In Toro's first-quarter earnings release, the company said it expected earnings per share in the range of $2.67 to $2.73 for the year.

Honda (UK) say they are looking forward to a summer of celebration to mark forty years of the brand making lawnmowers with appearances at a trio of RHS Flower Shows and BBC Countryfile Live.

Visitors to the Honda stand will be able to get up close with a bit of history in the form of its very first lawnmower, the HR21, introduced in August 1978 - going on to sell 330,000 units globally in its first seven years on the market. The HR21 featured world-first technologies including Blade Brake Clutch, since renamed Rotostop®, allowing the blades to stop turning with the engine still running.

Bringing matters up-to-date, also on display at this summer’s shows will be Honda's all-new premium robotic lawnmower, Miimo 3000, which benefits from a maximum cutting area up to 4,000 square metres and is controllable through a smartphone app.

The company will also display its full range of lawnmowers and cordless and petrol handheld products, with expert advice on hand throughout for visitors wanting to know more.

Steve Morris, Head of Power Products for Honda (UK) said, “We always look forward to the show season and welcoming customers old and new as they browse the showground, and we’re very pleased to continue our support of the RHS shows and the fantastic BBC Countryfile Live. This year we’re proud to mark forty years of Honda lawnmowers with a little bit of history in the form of where it all began with the HR21, which nicely mirrors where we are today with robotic models and a line-up packed with innovation and clever thinking.”

Honda (UK)’s 2018 Lawn & Garden summer show calendar:

• RHS Chatsworth Flower Show: 6th–10th June
• RHS Hampton Court Palace: 3rd–8th July
• RHS Flower Show Tatton Park:18th-22nd July
• BBC Countryfile Live (Blenheim Palace): 2nd-5th August

Jane Rickson, Professor of Soil Erosion and Conservation at Cranfield University’s Soil and Agrifood Institute has been appointed President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE).

Professor Rickson is involved in research for government and private sector clients e.g. on soil degradation, loss of ecosystem goods and services and soil conservation. She has over 30 years’ experience of research, consultancy and teaching in soil and water engineering, with focus on sustainable land management practices. She also specialises in agricultural and biosystems engineering at MSc and PhD level.

“I am honoured to be appointed President of the IAgrE at this exciting time for agricultural engineering. The need for agricultural engineers at all levels throughout the land based sector has never been so great, given the challenges of food production and environmental protection. I look forward to helping the Institution be recognised as the place where industry and researchers can share knowledge and make a difference.”

Alastair Taylor, CEO of IAgrE, said, “I am looking forward to working with Jane as incoming President and I am sure that Jane will make a huge impact upon the agricultural engineering community. It is an exciting time for the Institution and I know that Jane will engage with our future challenges to make sure our discipline is properly celebrated and represented.” 

Jane took over the Presidency from Dr Paul Merrall, at the Institutions’ annual AGM and award celebrations held at Wrest Park Silsoe last week. She will hold the role for two years and President Elect is Paul Hemmingway, recently retired after many years in a range of roles at JCB.

John Deere is once again supporting Open Farm Sunday as the machinery sponsor for this year’s event, which takes place on June 10th, 2018 and has as its theme ‘The Great British Farm Day’.

Organised by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), Open Farm Sunday will see hundreds of farmers across the country opening their gates to the public to help them discover the world of farming, from how farmers grow crops for food, clothing, medicine and fuel through to the science and technology behind British agriculture.

Since its launch in 2006, Open Farm Sunday has seen two million people visit a farm and learn about the vital work farmers do. Last year, 91 per cent of visitors surveyed said that they were more appreciative of the work farmers do, and 89 per cent said they felt more connected to the farmers that produce our food. Critically for farmers, 73 per cent said they now actively look for British produce to buy since visiting a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event.

A series of Open Farm School Days also run throughout June. They provide thousands of school children with the opportunity to visit a farm to learn more about where their food comes from and how it is produced.

The LEAF website provides lots of features and resources to help host farmers put on a safe, engaging and enjoyable event and help inspire their visitors about all aspects of farming. John Deere contributes to this by producing 35,000 information leaflets for visitors to take home, with content for both adults and children, highlighting the latest John Deere technology and featuring some useful industry facts.

In addition, many dealers and John Deere staff support individual events with the loan of machinery for tractor rides or static display or by helping host farmers and talking to visitors about John Deere’s advanced technology and its role in helping farmers to produce quality food for home and abroad.

Massey Ferguson have announced that their IDEAL combine harvester has been awarded in the Red Dot Design Award category of commercial vehicles with the title of “Red Dot: Best of the Best”.

The company says their newly developed combine harvester "blends unique design, with cutting-edge, connected technology which opens unexplored harvesting frontiers to farmers around the world."

The jury recognised the forward-thinking design and quality of this new generation of combine harvester. Acknowledging IDEAL’s innovative features and its unique, elegant graphite livery.

The Red Dot Award: Product Design stands for one of the most distinguished awards for design and innovation.=

Francesco Quaranta, Vice-President Sales, Marketing and Product Management Massey Ferguson, Europe and the Middle East, said, “Since its launch, IDEAL from has not stopped harvesting great results. At Agritechnica 2017 the combine received the DLG Silver Medal for Innovation, it was named Machine of the Year 2018 and it was assigned as well the Public Vote Award.

"The Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018 'Best of the Best' is another important milestone that proves the success of AGCO in providing brand-new designs and superior innovation."

Francesco continued, "The range sets new levels of efficiency in the field and includes three models from 451 to 647hp.

“With the biggest grain-tank capacity now available on the European market, the fastest unloading rate and the largest threshing area, it’s exciting to see yet more top-level recognition for the exceptional new features. Among these outstanding new features, the combine offers full connectivity, a complete and automated adjustment - IDEALharvest and Real Time Crop Flow visualisation.

"IDEAL has, at its heart, the most efficient processing system ever designed by AGCO. It is set to outperform on grain and straw quality, grain handling, power efficiency, and capacity in a wide variety of conditions.”

Over 6,300 products from 59 countries were entered in this year’s competition.

All of these products were assessed individually by an international jury of 40 independent design industry professionals. The award ceremony will take place at the Aalto Theatre in Essen, Germany, on July 9th.

“We are now in the process of finalising the full training of dedicated IDEAL from Massey Ferguson teams in our Dealer networks across all markets within Europe and the Middle East in sales and after-sales,"  says Francesco Quaranta.

"We are also developing for the 2018 Gold Harvest Season, the most ambitious and game changing demonstration programme in France, UK, Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Lithuania."

In a field near Bristol, users of Google Earth have spotted a not very friendly message mowed into a field - *warning: rude word below!*

Bristol Live have reported that the offending message can be seen from the sky in a  village called Nettleton, which is ten miles east, as the crow flies, from the north eastern edge of Bristol at Siston and Emerson’s Green.

Apparently the topography in the surrounding area means that the message isn't visible from the ground. This has led locals to speculate that as the message is intended to be read from above, it could have been mowed in anger by a farmer who is fed up with hot-air balloon rides constantly flying over his land. That part of the countryside on the Wiltshire-South Gloucestershire border is said to be in the usual flight path for longer balloon rides out of Bristol.

So here comes the monstrous mowing . . .

Turn back now if easily offended . . .

Last warning . . .

Oooh, how rude!

Husqvarna have three NEW Trimmer Lines for 2018 to complete an already comprehensive range.

Firstly BioX offers an alternative to the traditional plastic lines, aimed at environmentally conscience users looking for minimum environmental impact when the job is done. Ideally suited for use with Husqvarna battery trimmers.

Secondly we have listened to end user requirements for cutting tough heavy grass. To achieve the optimum cut we have developed two lines, Quadra & Penta, professional trimmer lines with square and pentagon profiles. The sharp edges provide excellent cutting performance with perfect results.

Husqvarna trimmers, brush cutters and trimmer heads are designed for optimum performance using Husqvarna trimmer line. The benefits of using the recommended Husqvarna trimmer line include; longer lasting trimmer heads, less strain on engine and bearings, improved fuel economy and optimal cut. Reinforcing the message of Husqvarna for your Husqvarna!

BioX – Biodegradable Trimmer Line

Every year more than 12 000 000 kg of trimmer line is used and wasted directly in the environment. Normal trimmer line can last up to 600 years before it is broken down by sunlight but it will never break down to a natural raw material.

BioX is made of a high grade polymer with a patented mineral additive that makes it degrade in 7-12 years depending on climate.

• Whisper profile – Low noise – Reduced by 50% (7-8dBA)
• Oxo-biodegradable – Low environmental impact
• Durable – Long lasting
• 2.0mm to 2.4mm diameter – For Battery trimmers and 20cc to 35cc Trimmers
• Supplied in cardboard packaging - Recyclable

Quadra & Penta Trimmer Line

An alternative to conventional round trimmer line. Quadra and Penta have sharp edges to give a clean cut, ideal for cutting tough heavy grass.

Quadra Line works best at high RPM due to a higher mass, once at high RPM the sharp edge will cut through tough heavy grass efficiently. We recommend Quadra Line should be used on higher CC engines.

Penta Line is a perfect combination of round line and square line, more efficient at mid to high RPM due to the dynamic profile.

• Profile with sharp edges – Efficient on tough heavy grass
• 2.4mm to 3.3mm diameter – Covers full range of trimmers and brush cutters
• Fits all standard trimmer heads – T25 to T55
• Durable – Reduced line consumption, increased productivity

BioX, Quadra and Penta trimmer lines are all in stock now.

For more information visit: www.husqvarna.com/uk/

Grizzly Tools are proud to be returning to BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC in Birmingham 14 - 17 June 2018. It’s the ultimate day out for keen, hands-on gardeners with inspiring show gardens, a vast floral marquee, great shopping and the nation’s favourite gardening experts live, including Monty Don, Carol Klein and Alan Titchmarsh.

The internationally acclaimed event is a fantastic platform for customers to see and feel our extensive range of garden power tools on display, with many loyal customers returning year after year so why not come and visit us at the Show on Stand No G754! To save 20% on tickets to the BBC Good Food Show Summer and BBC Gardeners’ World Live with our offer, simply book your tickets online by visiting bbcgardenersworldlive.com and quote EX20 at the checkout!

With a large catalogue of products on display, everything from lawn mowers to chainsaws, battery to petrol products and even leaf blowers and shredders – for those ahead of the seasonal curve, Grizzly are delighted to provide insight and recommendations to keen domestic gardeners both seasoned and beginners and are always on hand for in-depth technical specification knowledge for the traders and professional gardeners too.

Grizzly has a three-year warranty as standard, products can be supplied with merchandise packages for demonstration in your showroom and payment options are available for dealers. #GetGrizzly and see the difference!

Celebrating 20 years of trading throughout Europe, Grizzly have an exceptional offering for 2018. Grizzly manufacture quality garden power tools, trusted by tradesmen and home gardeners alike. If you’d like to speak to Grizzly about their range of products, please call on 0845 683 2670.

Throughout June Stens are running a promotion on True Blue ® Fuel lines, Fuel Filters and Carburettor parts.

As with all Stens products the fuel lines, fuel filters and carburettor parts are extremely high quality which prevents equipment failures, True Blue ® fuel lines come in end user friendly packaging with quick and easy dispense hole in the top. 

Many of the Stens products come from OEM suppliers and our fuel lines are suitable for both pump fuel and Aspen alkylate petrol.

As always, we are so confident in our products that all our part numbers are covered by our 1-year warranty.

Click here to see our promotional flyer.

The True Blue ® fuel lines are compatible with up to 100% pure ethanol and all fuel lines come clearly marked with E10 compatibility.

E10 is a biofuel made up of 10 % Ethanol. Unlike regular unleaded petrol, ethanol absorbs carbon dioxide which partially offsets greenhouse gas emissions.

Although E10 is not rolled out in the UK at this moment in time, it is widely used in other parts of Europe including Germany, France and Finland.

The UK government now need to meet their emissions target which calls for 10% of transport energy to stem from renewable sources by 2020, meaning UK fuel will need to be E10 by 2020.

So, look out for the E10 symbol on Stens products as we stay ahead of current changes and future- proof our range.

Stens are continually striving to keep up to date with the UK market. Along with our special offers we are updating our customers regularly with price changes and new products, so look out for exciting updates coming soon.

Why not sign up for an account today? (Click here for account application) and get your online log in so you can place your orders with free delivery (T&C apply) or give our very helpful staff a call to discuss your needs. Contact Jordan or Mark on the details below.

Garden Trader is a product and dealer search website/directory only for specialist garden machinery dealers in the UK. It has been designed to support and promote our dealer industry to consumers who are specifically searching for garden machinery products and services.

It costs just £95 + VAT per year to be listed and all revenues this year will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

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