As the growing season draws to a close, many of our customers will already be thinking of the 2023 season.

Where has the time gone? We have come to this time of year when golf clubs, sports clubs, landscapers and many associated with the turf maintenance industry are preparing their budgets for the year ahead. They will be thinking of financing new projects, such as building new tee boxes, pitch renovation, replacing worn goalposts and so on. One important item on their agenda will be making a list of what machines need to replaced. With so many new machines already in the market and new models being released, there are lots of choices. When they have decided on what to buy they will search for the best deal possible. The task of convincing their owners, club directors or committee for approval will be the next hurdle they face.

What brand of machine to purchase will usually be decided and recommended by the head groundsperson or course manager. However, some club owners or directors may insist on getting several quotations before making that final decision to purchase. This usually applies to local authorities or government bodies, where, in many cases, they choose the cheapest machine. This may not always be the best decision.

Before making the final choice, the buyer will do his/her research. They will attend trade shows, chat with their local dealer or fellow groundsperson and do some online research. 

It’s not just the cost of the machine that needs to be considered. A good after sales support from the dealer is just as important. From my experience as a course superintendent, it was the after sales service from the dealer that influenced my decision when buying a machine, as well as how readily available the spare parts were. 

Sometimes it’s not just the groundsperson that the dealer needs to persuade but, instead, it is the person who writes the cheque, i.e. the club treasurer or owner. I remember having many arguments with my managing director trying to convince him not to buy that cheap ten year old fairway mower, which a friend of his was trying to sell. 

The buyer and the end user are not always the same person. It is often the case that the course manager knows what to purchase but convincing the club owner can be another story. We, as dealers, can have an influence on the machine that is purchased. There are several ways that this can be achieved.

• Invite the buyer to your showroom
• Offer a demonstration of the machine at the club
• Let the club have free use of the machine for a set period of time
• Invite them to any up and coming trade shows that you will be exhibiting at

Showing the club that you are interested in doing business with them and going out of your way to make the sale can impress the customer. Offering them a discount, especially if it involves replacing an entire fleet, might be financially worthwhile. More importantly, let them know that you are always at the end of the phone for support, should any future problems occur.

Creggs RFC say they have purchased a 2.4m Major Swift to improve pitch maintenance and control costs, while advancing their ambitious development plans for community sport. 

Creggs RFC Treasurer Kieran Dowd

In the Connaught heartland where Gaelic sports dominate the scene, a thriving community rugby club is punching above its weight. Creggs Rugby Club has won multiple league and cup finals at both junior and senior levels. The women’s team has an impressive record where five Creggs ladies earned International caps. Connaught Rugby prop Denis Buckley started his career playing U8 with Creggs RFC. The values of respect, inclusivity and integrity are fuelling the club’s ambitious development with expanded facilities for girls and women only, 400 sqm gym and club room overlooking playing pitches. These initiatives earned it the 2022 Connaught Rugby Club of the Year.

“We have teams from U8 to U18 at every level so there are probably three to four games here every week,” Creggs RFC Treasurer Kieran Dowd begins. “Up to about three years ago we only had one pitch and we always had a problem keeping the grass cut. It was expensive and it was difficult to get somebody when you really wanted them when the weather was fine.”

Since adding two more pitches, it was critical for the club to have more control over the grass cutting regime and keeping the playing surfaces safe for its players. The club purchased a 2.4m Swift Roller mower to maintain its three sand-based grass pitches, which includes ‘The Green’, its main grass pitch.
The Major Swift is gearbox driven, giving it the power and stamina to deliver a consistent cut in wet or dry conditions. Two blades per rotor, eight blades on four rotors for the 8ft model, and 60mm blade overlap combined with high blade tip speeds results in a cylinder mower finish.

“It gives a lovely even cut, it’s robust, it’s reliable,” enthuses Kieran. “It’s galvanised so there’s no rust; it’s made for West of Ireland conditions. We’re really pleased with the product!”

It’s easily driven, needing as little as 30hp to power the single deck roller mower. “We have a little 50hp tractor here and it’s able to drive it. It only takes about 1 hour to do a full-size rugby pitch so in 3 hours all the cutting is done for the week.”

Full-width rollers follow ground contours and eliminates scalping. “The roller at the back of the Swift is great value to us because in rugby you’ll have some divots or some unevenness after tackles or scrums. The roller rolls out those inequalities and leaves a nice playing surface,” Kieran explains. “It also leaves a lovely pattern, a bit of what you’d see in the Aviva or Croke Park or any of the top stadiums.”

With about 600 members, it’s a busy club and safety is paramount. “It’s a safe machine to use. It’s well skirted down the sides so if you come across stones or anything they don’t fly from it,” continues Kieran. “I think it’s a real asset in a sports amenity where you might often have people walking around or in close proximity when it’s working.”

Pride of place is important for Creggs. “We are proud of our facilities. It’s important how things look and how things are presented,” Kieran emphasises. “Here in Creggs it’s not just a rugby club, we’re open to other sports. There’s a great tradition of Gaelic football that goes back to the 1950s so we try to have our pitch at a standard that’s good enough for those sports.”

“This is the old village green,” Kieran points out, “so it’s very important to us that is looks really well. We feel the Major Swift plays a significant role in having the grass cut nice and evenly, and having the pitch looking its best on match day.”

New Holland Telehandler Electro-Hydraulic Self Levelling of the Tool Carrier has been rewarded with an EIMA Innovation Award during a ceremony held in Bologna, on October 5th 2022, one month ahead of 2022 EIMA Exhibition that will take place between November 9th and 13th at the Bologna Fair district.

To keep an attachment such as a bucket or pallet forks parallel to the ground when lifting and lowering the boom, New Holland current telehandlers most commonly use a system based on hydraulic compensation between a tilt cylinder and a compensation cylinder, the motions of which are governed by the lift cylinder. When the boom is lifting or lowering, oil flows from the compensation cylinder to the tilt cylinder to keep the attachment horizontal and parallel to the ground, and the load secure.

However, the oil flow quantity exchanged between the tilt and compensation cylinders is constant and independent from the attachment used. This means that when trying to keep the pallet forks parallel to the ground the deviation angle may be only +/-3°, but with a bucket it may potentially be up to +/-12°.

In order to achieve the maximum accuracy and efficiency in the levelling system, New Holland engineers have developed a solution that eliminates the compensation cylinder and incorporates two angle sensors, one at the rear of the boom to monitor the boom angle relative to the machine, and one at the front of the boom, on the tool carrier, to monitor its angle in relation to the boom. The manufacturer says these two sensors provide real time position information to an ECU. The machine’s software is then able to instantly calculate the exact oil flow quantity that needs to be delivered to the tilt cylinder, based on the position of the boom and the orientation of the tool carrier, in a closed loop. This ensures that, whether the telehandler is working with pallet forks or a bucket, optimal self-levelling accuracy is assured.

“This solution offers significant benefits for users introducing is a strong improvement in efficiency of the operations with the machine,” says Oscar Baroncelli, head of tractors and telehandler New Holland Agriculture.

“Not only does it ensure limited losses of material due to the perfect leveling, but with no compensation cylinder the requirement/time and maintenance is reduced, and the machine is easier to operate, as the operator does not need to make any additional input to the joystick to supplement the automatic self-levelling. We are delighted that these factors have been recognised by the EIMA Innovation Award judges, and look forward to releasing more details on the development at EIMA 2022 in Bologna.”

Mental health issues can creep up on you says Geoff Webb, CEO of the Grounds Management Association (GMA) who has spoken openly of the challenges that he faced during the past two years.

GMA CEO Geoff Webb

In an honest and thought-provoking conversation with Chris Biddle for the Inside Agri-Turf podcast, recorded on World Mental Health Day, Geoff talks about the background to his deteriorating state of mind and subsequent heart attack. 

He describes how the GMA had to return ‘a six-figure sum’ when the pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 SALTEX exhibition, the last minute decision about the 2021 event and the responsibilities of transforming the services offered by the Association in order to protect its revenues.

“I didn’t realise how the cumulative build-up of pressure, mainly as a result of the pandemic, was having on me,” he says. “Others could see it, but not me.” That resulted in some disturbing episodes, including almost going walkabout on a busy road and a brush with an Ocado lorry “with a giant grapefruit on the side which would not have looked good on a description of my demise," says Geoff!

Geoff’s message is that anyone starting to feel they are struggling to stay in control should immediately seek help and advice. “Mental issues have been stigmatised in the past, but no longer. In the GMA, we take our members wellbeing very seriously,” he says, adding, “I can now have open and constructive conversations with those who think they make have mental as well as physical health issues including many leading figures in the turfcare industry. But we are not experts, nobody should dismiss seeking help from the Samaritans or from specialists in our industry such as Perennial.”

Geoff was off-work for around four months, the medics believing that stress contributed to the early on-set of his heart attack. “Such events do allow you to re-assess your work  /life balance,” he says, “particularly in the turbulent times we are currently experiencing."

LISTEN to Geoff Webb on mental welfare.

Organisers are offering a chance to win a robotic mower worth over £1000, by registering and attending this year’s SALTEX taking place at the Birmingham NEC on 2-3 November.

The Grounds Management Association (GMA) have announced that they have partnered with Danarm to offer one lucky person who registers and attends the show the chance to win the Wiper Blitz XH2.

Sarah Cunningham, director of commercial and events at the GMA, said, “Attending SALTEX is all about discovering the emerging and progressive technologies in the industry and this mower from Danarm fits those criteria. To be able to give one away is a real draw for those who register. It’s free to register, only take a few minutes and if you don’t win, you’re guaranteed an informative and valuable day out. It’s a win/win situation.” 

To be in with the chance of winning register for SALTEX by Friday 21st October 2022 and attend the event.

A new groundscare trade event that promises outdoor demonstrations, indoor zones, free education, interactive workstations, machinery workshops, a wellbeing hub, a live music festival amongst other attractions has been announced for next year.

Called GroundsFest, organisers say it will be held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 20 and 21 September 2023. 

The event is being put together by the team behind creative agency Fusion Media, who used to work on SALTEX, under their new media arm Purple Ash Media.

They say the event has been created based on research and independent surveys over the past six years. They say the results show that September is the most favoured time of year for an event such as this and that a mix of both indoor space and outdoor demonstrations is the preferred format.

They also claim that from an exhibitor point of view, GroundsFest is cost-effective in comparison to other events which they believe opens the doors for a  wider range of companies.

Promised for the show are:

• Outdoor demonstrations
• Indoor zones
• Live interactive stations 
• Machinery workshops.
• Educational seminars 
• Wellbeing hub
• Festival (including live music, street food, and fun, skill-based activities)

Editor of Service Dealer Irelands's sister title for commercial groundscare practitioners, TurfPro, Laurence Gale said, "With this new event's announcement, it will certainly be interesting to see the reactions of both BIGGA, and the GMA who currently run our existing industry shows."

It was back in 1969 when the first Amazone sprayer made its debut onto the market - and now the 75,000th model off of the company's production line has been delivered to farmers and contractors, Robert Davidson & Son Ltd of Peldon in Essex.

L-R: Simon Brown, managing director, Amazone Ltd; James Faulkner & Robert Davidson, Robert Davidson & Son; Rupert Batho, territory manager, Amazone Ltd; Tim Osbourne, R.W. Crawford Ltd

Robert Davidson says they have been using an Amazone Pantera 4502 sprayer since 2015, but have recently chosen to upgrade to a brand new Pantera 4504 - which just happens to be a major milestone model in Amazone's history.

"We are delighted to take delivery of such an iconic machine", said Robert Davidson, the third generation and on the farm since the early 1970’s.

"The out-going model has done sterling service and, although we looked at what else was on the market, its narrow road width, 50kph road speed and improved suspension makes it ideal for our further away contract farms - plus the service support from Amazone and local dealer, R.W. Crawford contributed to our continuation with the Amazone brand.

‘Hopefully in a few years’ time," Robert concluded, "when we are ready for the next one, we will get the 100,000th machine."

A game-changer in every way, Kress is leading the charge with a breakthrough innovation in battery-powered technology, built to deliver the performance and power of petrol.

For decades, petrol-powered gardening and landscape equipment has been a reliable choice for commercial use, due to most battery-powered equipment being incapable of matching or surpassing the benefits of their petrol counterparts. This is coupled with the fact that innovation in battery technology has remained slow in meeting the dynamic and ever-growing demands of professional gardeners. 

Gardening and landscape professionals have tended to veer away from battery-powered equipment due to excessive charging time before continued use, the high expense associated with the limited lifecycle, and unreliable performance quality.

Despite growing concerns that the air and noise pollution associated with petrol-powered equipment is having a severe impact on the environment, professionals have been forced to pick an option that provides economical advantage in terms of power and uninterrupted operation.

Tackling the current limitations of battery head-on, with a ground-breaking opportunity, Kress is taking the transformation from petrol to battery to the next level, creating a stronger, faster, quieter, more affordable option, that is specifically designed to meet the demanding needs of commercial landscapers and is set to drive battery-power technology forward to a brighter, more efficient future.

The new commercial Kress 8-minute Cybersystem™ battery platform has been engineered to have the fastest re-charge of any commercial battery system available, has twice the power output of standard lithium-ion batteries and has been developed with heavy-duty use in mind. It is battery-power as we have never seen it before.

This new line of Kress commercial-grade outdoor power equipment, powered by its exclusive cordless battery technology, is a revolutionary development and highlights the commitment towards a future that will forever eliminate the need for petrol-powered equipment. 

Contact your local Kress representation, Gary Tully, for more information - 07432202872