How time flies. It doesn’t seem that long ago when grass mowing was in full swing. Now we are at the end of the year and getting ready for Christmas.

2019 has been a challenging year to say the least. I hope you and your business had a good trading year and that 2020 will see an improvement in trading.

What can we look forward to in 2020? To start the new year there are many trade shows and exhibitions happening. For example, there is the LAMMA show at the NEC in Birmingham from the 7th to the 8th of January. This show caters for the agricultural machinery sector. LAMMA ’20 will, for the 38th year, showcase a host of UK and global machinery and product launches, as well as plenty of innovative technology from smaller agricultural, engineering and machinery companies. The event regularly attracts more than 40,000 visitors.

From the 19th to the 23rd January there is the very popular BIGGA Turf Maintenance Exhibition (BTME), held in the Convention Centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. BTME is like Cheltenham for turf professionals. It’s an event which attracts many Irish visitors. As well as showcasing whats new in the industry, there are many educational seminars. One of the attractions for me when visiting BTME is paying a visit to Bettys Tea Room for a “real” cup of tea. This world renown establishment celebrated its centenary this year.

For those of you who like to travel further there is the Golf Industry Show (GIS) in Orlando. This is organised by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and takes place from the 25th to the 30th January. Again, it is a popular event for the Irish who are involved in sportsturf management.

As you can see there are plenty of shows to attend in January. They give good opportunities to catch up on the latest equipment and innovations, as well as to meet friends and colleagues and perhaps even forming new friendships.

In the conclusion of my last Blog for 2019. I would like to reflect on the season that is Christmas. It is this time of year when we think of the less well off. Many fundraising events have taken place over the last few weeks but one which caught my attention, in particular, was the recent ‘Light up the Night’ road run which saw over 300 vintage tractors from the Oylegate Vintage Club in Co. Wexford take to the road to raise money for Pieta House, a charity which helps prevent suicide and self harm.

It was a wonderful sight seeing so many tractors intricately decorated with festive lights on route from Oylegate to Enniscorthy. So far over €12,000 has been raised and the money is still coming in from late donations. The participants really pulled out all the stops to make the event as visually spectacular as possible and it was a fantastic sight to witness the vehicles travelling along the road.

There may have been over 300 vehicles taking part but there were a lot more people involved in the fundraising event – the stewards; bucket collectors, motorbike marshals, volunteers in the community centre serving food. It is very heartening to see so many people give up their time to help the less fortunate. Christmas really does bring out the best in us.

You can get a flavour of ‘Light Up The Night’ by watching the video below:

I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year.

Peter O’Brien Landscaping & Sons, one of Ireland’s leading landscape and sports ground companies, has invested in a large fleet of Pellenc battery powered equipment.

Peter O’Brien Landscaping & Sons, founded in 1963, is a family run business, which has rapidly grown over recent years. The company, which specialises in design, construction and maintenance, has gained widespread plaudits for its quality of work and recently scooped the prestigious Landscape Contractor of the Year and Sports Turf Contractor of the Year awards for 2019.

Displaying the Pellenc new battery powered equipment are from left: Martin Goucher, Derek Inglis {Leinster Turf Machinery), Andy Jones (Maintenance Supervisor, Peter O’Brien’s)

With over 100 members of staff and a huge arsenal of green space management equipment at its disposal, Andy Jones, Maintenance Supervisor for Peter O’Brien’s, believes that the company has a responsibility to manage the impact the tools are having on the environment.

“We are always conscious at looking at our carbon footprint,” he says. “It is massive for us – particularly as we look towards the future. There is no point in us creating beautiful wildflower meadows and putting in pollinator plants when we are using petrol and diesel machinery – it just seems to defeat the purpose.”

The company soon embarked on an extensive search to identify a new fleet of battery powered equipment, and as Andy explains, no stone was left unturned in their quest.

“Electric machinery is a huge trend nowadays and we felt it was imperative to purchase the very best we could find on the marketplace. We conducted a huge amount of research over a three-month period. We carefully read product specifications, spoke to end users and attended SALTEX in order to pinpoint the leading manufacturers.

“We soon concluded that the Pellenc products are quite simply at the very top of the game.”

Pellenc products have recently become more accessible in the Republic of Ireland after Camsaw Ltd, a County Laois based business, was announced as the country’s exclusive distributor.

Camsaw work with a widespread network of dealers to extend the reach of Pellenc, and it was one of these dealers - Leinster Turf Equipment, that Andy first contacted.

“We spoke to Leinster Turf Equipment about the Pellenc products and they conducted a demonstration at one of our sites in Dublin. It turned out to be our first purchase with Leinster and it must be said that it is a great company to work with. The staff are very friendly and helpful, and, in my opinion, it gives you faith in the products and service even more when you are dealing with a professional company.”

After being hugely impressed with the demonstration, the decision was made to purchase a large fleet of Pellenc battery powered equipment which included a range of Rasion Basic pushmowers, Excelion 2000 brushcutters, Helion 2 Compact hedge trimmers, Helion Telescopic hedge trimmers, Airion 3 hand blowers and Selion polesaws – all powered by 1500 ultra-lithium batteries.

“We spread the Pellenc products between residential sites and the city centre in Dublin and then we have another fleet on two big commercial sites,” Andy continues.

“Ultimately, the feedback from everyone within the company is that we should have done this sooner. From the weight of the product, the finish of the product, the lack of noise pollution and the most important thing, and this is where Pellenc blew everyone else out of the water, is the battery run times. We can easily get a full day’s work out of these products and we don’t have to worry about the hassle of charging them while on a job.

“The Pellenc products have also increased productivity – particularly in the city centre and the residential areas. Before we had these products, it used to be a case of the staff members sitting in the yard until 8am before they could get into these highly populated areas. However, now we can get to the sites at 7am and we are not waking people up or disturbing anyone. This has been a huge benefit.

“The quality of the work is outstanding, and it reflects what we, as a company are about, in offering a service of the highest standard.

“This has been our first taster of green technology, and it has been so good that we are rolling this out even further next year. The conversation has been had with the directors and very soon all of the vans will be kitted out with Pellenc equipment.”

Some of the most innovative machinery and equipment likely to bring significant benefits to farming and contracting business has been recognised in the LAMMA Innovation Awards.

Organisers say entries ranged from simple but brilliant to ultra hi-tec, illustrating the imagination and flair that drives the advancement of science and technology across the agricultural manufacturing sector.

The Weed Ripper from Westermann has won Gold in the Driven Innovation category

The entries were judged on a range of criteria including design innovation, practical impact, the sustainability of the product and its impact on the environment.

Visitors to LAMMA will be able to see the medal winners and talk to the companies that put them forward, due to the return of the Innovation Trail, which was introduced last year.

The judging panel was made up of experts from across the agricultural manufacturing and education sectors, led by chairman Chris Rothery.

“We were very pleased by the number of entries, one of the highest we have received, and the variety of those entries,” Chris said. “I was particularly delighted with the quality in the Future section which had 22 participants in only the second year of this category.

“I am looking forward to following the Innovation Trail at the NEC on the 7th January, visiting many stands to see the entries that we judged in November.”

The annual awards, which are supported by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), are open to any company exhibiting a new product at LAMMA. Entrants compete for one gold and up to three silver medals in each of six categories.

In addition, the LAMMA Founders trophy will be awarded to the overall champion at 2pm on the first day of LAMMA in the Farming 4.0 zone.

IAgrE has supported the LAMMA Innovation Awards for many years through judging, and it also sponsors the Ivel award for the best product among the medal winners for environmental innovation.

Jane Rickson, president of IAgrE, said: “In recognition of our tractor heritage, the Ivel award was created in memory of Dan Albone, the designer of the first successful light farm tractor.

“The institution is motivated and driven by innovation. We recognise agricultural engineering can reduce the environmental footprint of farming through reducing carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency. By supporting the Innovation Awards, IAgrE can reward practical, environmentally efficient and sustainable agricultural engineering.”

LAMMA Innovation Awards 2020 – gold and silver medals

Future Innovation

• Gold: Skippy Scout – Drone Ag
• Silver: I-Spray – Kuhn
• Silver: Permos Pellet Harvester – Krone UK

Arable Innovation

• Gold: RT 500 and trailed harrow – Razorback
• Silver: TWINPACT double plunger baler – Kuhn
• Silver: H2Flo Water Conservation Agent – ICL
• Silver: Vredo Crop Drill System – JC Machinery

Livestock Innovation

• Gold: Triple X Fencing System – McVeigh Parker
• Silver: Intellimix – Kuhn

Online Innovation

• Gold: Emily Feed System
• Silver: Energy Guard – HIT Energy Services

Diversification Innovation

• Gold: Mass Store Rainwater Harvesting – JRH Water Management Ltd
• Silver: Heated Jacket – TTI Milkwaukee Tools

Driven Innovation

• Gold: Weed Ripper – Westermann

Ivel Award

• Vredo Crop Drill System – JC Machinery

LAMMA ’20 will take place at the NEC on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th January 2020. Parking and entry to the event are free.

Reesink Turfcare is launching Toro’s all-new all-electric Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 ride-on mower with the industry’s first lithium-ion battery powered unit at BTME in January, on stand 420, in the Purple Zone.

Toro say it's the quietest ride-on greensmower and incorporates features that will "revolutionise the market".

The all-new all-electric Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 ride-on mower

Toro’s ‘radius dependent speed system’ delivers an optimal perimeter cut by monitoring each individual cylinder and traction wheel speed during turns and that, in conjunction with the ‘lift-in-turn’ cutting unit levelling feature, standardises the clip rate of each individual cylinder and virtually eliminates the effect know as ‘Triplex-Ring’. The double A-Arm suspension system, with industry-leading Flex technology, means the cutting units float freely and closely over any terrain and deliver superior contour-following, while the ‘lift-gate footrest’ and ‘tool-free quick change’ cutting units simplify service and maintenance.

Lower emissions and fuel savings, yet ample power to get the job done, the eTriFlex 3370, which will be joined on stand by its hybrid counterpart the eTriFlex 3360, means customers can respond to business demands for increased revenue by cutting earlier and therefore delivering earlier tee times to customers.

Not only that but responding to environmental concerns is a subject spanning the industries, and there simply has to be the choice for businesses to buy electric whether that be a car or a fine turf mower. No more damaging hydraulic leaks, no more emissions, no more pollution, the eTriFlex 3370 delivers the future to the fine turf sector.

The eTriFlex 3370 is not the only new machine Reesink is launching at BTME. Welcoming to the UK, the latest model in the Greensmaster 1000 series, the GR1026. Like the other models in the range, including the GR1021 which launched at BTME last year and will also be at the 2020 show, the GR1026 brings consistency to fixed-head pedestrian greens mowing. With the industry’s first telescoping handle, each machine in the range can accommodate operators of different heights and skill levels and now with the GR1026 can deliver the widest cut yet at 26 inches.

Representing Toro’s irrigation range will be the ever-popular Lynx Central Control system, with Infinity 35 sprinklers with Smart Access, FLEX 35, T5, T7 and 590G sprinklers with precision rotating nozzles, all from Toro. The Lynx Smart Module and Smart Hub which provide the flexibility of a satellite controller with the cost savings of a two-wire system and launched at the show last year will also be back.

For those managing ponds and lakes and needing to optimise oxygen levels to keep water healthy, there will be Otterbine’s best-selling Fractional five-in-one aerator and the Concept 3 aerating fountain.

Reesink will again have two stands with 211 in the Red Zone South being entirely dedicated to TYM’s range of compact turf tractors and 1st Products, the specialist range of tractor-mounted aeration equipment.

Rochelle Bedford, marketing manager at Reesink, says: “BTME is the perfect launch platform for these two new cutting-edge Toro machines. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the stand, where our specialist machinery team will be on hand to give help and advice about all our products.”

John Deere has announced two new additions to the 6000A Series fairway mower line-up, which will be previewed at BTME 2020 in Harrogate from January 21-23.

Sharing technologies with the award-winning A Model mower range, the 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid electric fairway mowers feature high-performance electric reel drive, which greatly reduces the number of potential hydraulic leak points to ensure maximum productivity and performance. In addition to their economical price, these new mowers can be operated at lower engine speeds, which further reduces operating costs by decreasing fuel consumption.

The new John Deere 608OA E-Cut Hybrid fairway mower, which will be previewed at BTME

“We’re excited to bring the E-Cut hybrid mowing system to the 6000A Series fairway mowers,” says John Deere’s European turf sales & marketing manager Carlos Aragones. “Powerful and full of premium features at an economical price, the 6080A and 6500A combine our proven E-Cut hybrid electric technology with the popular 6000A Series model design.”

John Deere was first to market with its electric reel drive system in 2005 on the 2500E triplex greens mower, and this was added to the fairway mower range in 2009 with the 7500 and 8000 E-Cut hybrid models. By removing all hydraulics from the reel circuit, the risk of hydraulic leaks has been reduced by over 90 per cent. In addition, the hybrid system is powered exclusively by an alternator, which offers consistent performance without additional batteries to maintain.

Equipped with a powerful 24.7hp (18.4kW) diesel engine, the 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid mowers feature a three-wheel smooth tyre configuration on a durable chassis, with premium performance and comfort features for all-day mowing. Width of cut is 80in (2m) on the 6080A and 100in (2.5m) on the 6500A, with 18 and 22in (46 and 56cm) QA5 cutting units respectively.

These new models include the proven eHydro transmission and LoadMatch as standard, which maintains a high quality cut even when working on slopes. A mowing speed of 8mph (13kph) on both models allows operators to be more productive by covering larger areas in less time.

Another advanced technology feature adopted from the existing A Model range is the innovative, password-protected TechControl display. This gives turf managers and technicians complete control over cut quality and performance by enabling them to input commands such as mowing speed, transport speed and service times, while also capturing on-board service diagnostics.

Cut quality on the new John Deere 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid electric fairway mowers is further enhanced with rear-attaching yokes on the cutting units and standard hydraulic down pressure, which can tackle even the toughest mowing conditions. Additionally, the hybrid reel drive system allows more power to be available for the standard GRIP all-wheel drive traction system, to further improve performance on slopes.

Other operator friendly features include internal hydraulic wet disk brakes, which eliminate linkage adjustments and grease points in the brake system, and a comfortable operator station with CommandArm-mounted controls that move with the seat.

Campey Turf Care Systems is bringing the 100% electric AllTrec Tool Carrier to BTME 2020 to introduce what they descibe as "the future of zero CO2-emissions golf course maintenance".

The Tool Carrier will be in Red Hall North, Stand 276 along with other turf care machinery including Vredo Compact Seeders, Dakota Turf Tenders and the Air 2G2 Air Inject. The machine, designed by Dutch manufacturer, WeedControl B.V., is the latest in a long line of products that Campey has introduced to meet industry trends, and has already been well received in The Netherlands.

The electrically driven hedge cutter can be fully operated using a joystick, making it easy to operate for a day of work, while the LPG tanks used for the E-Variator Weed Burner can be mounted to the back of the AllTrec, with a connection for the automatic tank heater to prevent them from freezing. Weeds can also be tackled using the Weedbrush, which can be hydraulically adjusted to any angle, and used for a full day with-out any worry of batteries running out.

A large-action radius and highly efficient attachments combined with low operation and maintenance costs make the AllTrec perfect for use in urban environments, sports complexes, holiday resorts and parks by contractors, local authorities and landscapers.

With its zero turning capabilities, it is described as agile enough to work in small enclosed spaces while also having been designed to work on large areas with a long-lasting battery to match its versatility. The running time is entirely dependent on the circumstances, but when cutting with the four-blade 180cm deck, the battery will typically last for 6-8 hours and 7-9 hours using the three-blade 130cm deck. Both decks feature rear ejection and al-low height of cut adjustments from 30mm-110mm.

All batteries come with a three-year warranty and have a lifetime of + - 2500 charge discharge cycles. The 48VDC battery uses LifePO4 technology with a capacity of 20kwh or an optional 30kwh, with onboard charg-ing taking 4-8 hours.

As always, Campey’s team of product specialists will be on hand to give advice on turf care issues and in-formation on machinery over a coffee in Red Hall North, Stand 276.

To celebrate their success earlier this year with the tractor speed record, JCB have produced a limited number of Special Editions of the Fastrac 4220 and 8330.

Just 25 examples of each model are being produced and the company says dealers in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia have been quick to place orders.

The enhanced appearance and equipment of the Special Edition tractors celebrates the achievement by a team of young JCB engineers and project partners.

In June 2019, JCB set a Guinness World Record for the fastest tractor at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire. Called Fastrac One, the tractor reached a speed of 103.6 mph with motorbike racer and lorry mechanic Guy Martin in the driver’s seat.

JCB then embarked on an ambitious plan to break its own record and developed Fastrac Two - which is 10% lighter and even more streamlined than its smaller brother. In October, Fastrac Two hit an astonishing peak speed of 153.771mph on its way to recording an average of 135.191mph at Elvington.

JCB Agriculture Managing Director John Smith said, “The world record-setting WFT Fastrac is a remarkable piece of engineering and we are delighted to offer a select number of customers this unique opportunity to own a ‘World’s Fastest Tractor’ Special Edition Fastrac to share the celebration of this fantastic achievement.”

For the Special Edition tractors, the unique specification, features and capabilities of the standard Fastrac are enhanced inside and out with commemorative decals and additional equipment.

External enhancements comprise a distinctive chromed exhaust stack, special ‘Union Flag’ decals on the cab rear three-quarter panels, and embossed ‘JCBWFT’ lettering on the toolbox.

As operators climb aboard the Command Plus cab, they are greeted with the script ‘JCB Fastrac – Word’s Fastest Tractor’ etched into the doorway kick plate and woven into the grey door-to-door carpet.

This script is also embossed into the leather upholstery of the two full-size seats, which have distinctive yellow edge panels and stitching to match.

Operators also have the luxury of a JCB yellow-stitched leather-bound steering wheel with a ‘Fastrac at speed’ logo at its centre.

In addition, every Special Edition Fastrac 4220 and 8330 has a commemorative plaque identifying the tractor as one of just 25 examples of each model celebrating the record, along with a certificate of authenticity for the owner.