Oxford's Magdalen College School (MCS), an independent day school for boys aged 7 to 18 and sixth form girls, has invested in Toro for the first time in a bid to improve school grounds.


Toro in use at Magdalen College School

Grounds manager Stuart Webber said, "The school is currently working to improve its grounds and getting better machinery was identified very early on as a key way to achieve this."

Following a deal with Toro UK distributors Lely UK, a new ProCore 648 and two Toro Reelmaster 3550-D mowers recently arrived on site.

The new mowers have already been put to work on the Christ Church sportsground and the School Field, which provides ample space for field sports such as cricket, rugby and football, as well as lawn tennis.

"The 3550-D is my favourite machine because of how lightweight it is, yet it still provides that quality of cut and finish we're looking for," Stuart comments.

"It's particularly useful on the School Field, which is an island that looks lovely in the summer, but as soon as we have a good amount of rain, becomes very wet. Because the 3550-D is so lightweight, we are still able to cut the field late into November, which we've never been able to do before."

Joining the Reelmasters is the ProCore 648 walking aerator . "The ProCore is used on all our grounds, aerating ourfive cricket squares, 17 tennis courts, and on our 11 winter pitches, which are turned into cricket outfields in the spring," Stuart says.

"It has helped with the drainage on the squares and courts allowing us to mow when we want.."