Specialist hire company, Acacia Groundcare Equipment Rental, has recently increased its fleet of Etesia pedestrian mowers to an impressive 30, made up of both the ever popular Pro46 and Pro53 with the delivery of two more Pro46’s by local dealer South East Groundcare Machinery.

The firm, based at Henfield, West Sussex, is now in its fifth year of trading and the company’s MD Ritain Patel says the ground care hire market is burgeoning because in these times of restraint some end users are reluctant to buy equipment used only seasonally or for one-off tasks, meaning that hiring machines for specific jobs or for specific periods of time can be more cost-effective.

Acacia has clients across the whole of the South East, from Dover to Reading. Ninety per cent of its business is with commercial users ranging from landscape contractors, to housing associations, schools and National Trust properties. The remainder is with large property owners. Mowers and brush cutting machinery are an important part of the firm’s wide range of machinery for hire. Seasonal demand is high and growing, and from the day Ritain and his business partner Dale Hudson set the business up, each having had years of experience in the hire industry, Etesia was their manufacturer of choice for grass cutting machinery.

“Etesia mowers are the only ones on the market designed to cut effectively in the wet, and that is a big bonus to many of our clients, and of course to us,” says Ritain.

“They are highly robust and don’t let anybody down. Repairs are minimal, so our workshop costs are low. They last and are good earners. We get at least three years of hard work out of our Etesia mowers.”

Acacia has a tried and tested relationship with Matthew Clark, proprietor of South East Groundcare Machinery, from whom they will take advice on machine usage and maintenance. The company also has a very strict workshop system in place, whereby every machine gets a complete check when returned from hire. A full inspection, no ifs or buts, is how Ritain describes it.

“Many of the contractors we supply use our services to fill a vital gap in their machinery needs as jobs come and go. They may have a fleet of machines of their own, but there is always a need for others, often for additional tasks,” he says.

“Fixed monthly outlay for machine hire is attractive to school bursars for example, who need to control budgets tightly. Safeguards by way of servicing and instant replacement for repair tick boxes for many a client too.

As well as the Pro 46 and Pro53 pedestrian mowers, other Etesia machines owned by Acacia for hire include Hydro 80 ride-on cut and collect mowers, a 124D ride-on mower and AK85 & AV95 brushcutters.

With recycling a top priority for today’s environmentally conscious landscaper, Etesia has launched a new member to the Bahia family of ride-on mowers.

The Bahia MKM is equipped with a bio-cut 85cm cutting deck and offers a very high mulching performance. The MKM also inherits the robustness, reliability, comfort, excellent ergonomics and exceptional compactness of the Bahia range of mowers.

The new Bahia MKM can recycle as it cuts, chopping the grass clippings into extremely fine particles before returning them to the turf to decompose naturally. This mulch acts as a conditioner, feeding nutrients to the growing plants, plus its high water content provides essential moisture for the lawn during hot, dry spells. It’s quick, clean, environmentally-friendly and with no clippings to dispose of, mowing time is reduced.

PERFORMANCE
Compact, tenacious, flexible and multi-tasking, the Bahia MKM adapts to every terrain – A truly go-anywhere mower. A pocket-size ride-on mower, at just 0.90m wide and 1.73m long, the MKM features an incredibly tight turning circle, able to turn into every nook and cranny and can be easily transported in a van or on a trailer. The automatic gearbox allows users to go forward, stop, reverse, accelerate and brake all instantaneously and in complete safety. With its low centre of gravity, the MKM gives users excellent stability.

The MKM’s 30/70 weight distribution on the front/rear axles make it a highly stable mower that masterfully copes with slopes. A Profiled bio-cut 85cm deck and blade produces high quality mulching, whilst the lawn profile wheels give maximum lawn protection.

COMFORT
The Ideal driving position, high-comfort seat, controls on dashboard, silence and safety – with the Bahia MKM, discover a whole new world of well-being. Dashboard controls include electric starter, blade controls and hour-meter. The mower requires only the lightest touch for easy driving. From the driver’s adjustable, ergonomic seat, you have a perfect view of your working environment and all of the controls are within easy reach: cutting height selector, forward/reverse pedals, parking brake.

Safety first: Noise level under 100 dB (A), petrol tank with overflow catcher, built-in blade brake, several safety switches, the MKM complies with machine directive 2006/CE.

The easy life: A hose pipe fitting makes cleaning the cutting system quick and easy, whilst the tool-free access to the engine allows for easy maintenance thanks to quick access to all mechanical parts.

Robustness: Mechanically welded load-bearing chassis, Ø 60mm, epoxy finish with built-in strapping hooks, cutting deck especially constructed to resist long term wear under the various mulching conditions. A Step steering column cover and dashboard cover in EPP (expanded polypropylene) with its hardwearing, anti-skid properties, ensures this mower is a mower for all seasons.

Efficient: With a hydrostatic drive transmission with the engine power coming from a Kawasaki FS 481 16HP and over 90% centred on drive and blade transmission, coupled with oil changes at 50 hours then every 200 hours ensure that this new mower has been built with the user in mind.

VERSATILITY
From mulching to long grass cutting, the built-in deflector to mow long grass with side ejection can be completed. On the Bahia MKM, it is particularly easy to use, thanks to a simple system of clips, without the need tools or other spares. The deflector is retractable in the event of shock.

A Snow blade is also available as optional extra allowing users to clear snow from their paths and pavements fast. The Multi-purpose garden trailer (MRM) is the ideal Bahia accessory, making garden maintenance incredibly easy.

The upkeep of domestic and amenity turf is a huge source of business for Surrey based contractor Bates Garden maintenance. Reliability of mowing equipment is essential for this work. The contractor, who works across Woking, Guildford and the rest of the Surrey area has the Etesia Pro 46 to handle part of the weekly cutting routine.

Professional end users looking for a rugged pedestrian mower designed to withstand the rigours of commercial use, need look no further than Etesia’s range of pedestrian mowers. Terry Bates, MD of the contracting company explains: “We mainly use the Pro 46 on domestic and commercial jobs where there are groups of  lawns that are on different levels, terraced, up steps or on slopes of which there are a few we maintain. We always use the pro 46 when we have laid a new lawn and it’s time for the first cut because it is light enough to not ‘pull’ any joints apart and always gives a sharp looking cut”.

Pro 46 rotaries are lightweight and easy to transport, making them ideal for use with mobile grass cutting teams. Handlebars adjust for operator comfort and fold for storage and transportation. The cutting height adjustment on each wheel provides a range of settings to suit most applications.

“We use the mower every week to maintain the gardens on a private residential road one day a week. All the rear gardens are terraced into a hill with lawns level with the roofs of the houses which is hard work but the pro 46 has helped massively.

“The pro 46 is well built, solid and reliable. We do own other mowers that fit that description but none we enjoy using as much”.

The single blade Etesia Pro 46 has a 5hp 160cc Honda petrol engine. Cutting width is 46cm, the detachable grass box with ‘full’ indicator has a capacity of 52 litres, and overall weight is just 37kg. Low vibration and noise levels meet all EU legislation and individual wheel height can be adjusted from 25mm to 88mm. There are six models in the range, with options including a mulching facility.

Etesia UK is excited to announce the appointment of Golf and Turf Machinery Ltd (GTM), based in Wakefield, Yorkshire, as their new dealer for the full range of Etesia and Pellenc grounds care equipment, covering the whole of the Yorkshire area.

Etesia Northern Sales Manager, Andrew Roberts, has been working hard over the last few months in recruiting new Etesia & Pellenc dealers and has seen a significant rise in the number of new dealer appointments in his region.

Strategically placed in Wakefield with Depots also in Derbyshire and Tuxford, GTM has a turnover of £5million + in groundscare sales alone. A dedicated showroom with 20 staff in the groundcare division ensure sales, spare parts and hire of specialist grounds care machinery to professional users throughout Yorkshire.

“We had gap in our current product range, so we decided to test both Etesia & Pellenc products extensively before committing to becoming a dealer,” said Glen Saywer, GTM Sales Manager. “We also spoke to customers to get their feedback, before travelling down to Shenington where we were suitably impressed with the Etesia staff’s knowledge and professionalism. I knew Andrew from his previous job and knew we could work with together and trust him.

“We like to think that we are a forward thinking dealer and always looking for new & exciting products on the market which make our customers lives easier. We are always looking at products life-time costs, fuel costs, noise and vibration levels, which are values we also share with Etesia and Pellenc. Both sets of products open new doors for new and existing customers which is also important in the current economic situation”.

A National Trust property in Devon keeps tree and hedge cover in check, quietly and without fumes.

Situated on a ridge above the Plym estuary on the outskirts of Plymouth, the much visited landscaped garden at 18th Century Saltram House is very much exposed to south coast winds. Head gardener at the National Trust property Penny Hammond has the constant task of maintaining screening, yet preserving the delightful views across the Devon countryside. She’s now found a way of achieving this that’s easier and less obtrusive to visitors.

Holm Oaks (also known as Holly Oaks) provide evergreen protection for the garden areas around the House, but the lower branches have to be kept in check to allow visitors to see the surrounding landscape. Previously this was a job done by 2-stroke petrol saws and because of the noise and fumes, the work had to be carried out before 11.00am when Saltram House welcomes its first visitors each day. Since April this year things have changed with the use of battery-powered tree and shrub equipment.

“We’d had Pellenc equipment on trial from Exeter dealer Radmore and Tucker and, because of the way they performed for us, decided we had to add them to our armoury permanently,” said Penny Hammond,”

“I have to make a case for a fixed asset purchase like this, but it wasn’t difficult since it fits neatly into the greener technology policy the National Trust is adopting these days. It means we don’t have to call on contractors for cutting jobs anywhere near as much as we used to.

“The Holly Oaks are pretty tough to prune, but with the Selion pole saw it’s like slicing through butter with a hot knife. We like very much that it can easily be extended and best of all its quiet and there are no fumes. We now do the job more quickly and at any time because there’s no hindrance to visitors. It’s very much opened things up for us in terms of work planning.”

A 300-metre stretch of beech hedge planted six years ago for screening part of the garden area also has to be kept trimmed and a Pellenc Helion hedge trimmer was bought at the same time for this and other hedging work, as was a Pellenc Excelion brushcutter for general ground clearance work. Each of the new machines runs off a single lithium-ion powered battery unit that fits comfortably around the user’s shoulders.

Penny Hammond has three full-time staff in her department and upwards of ten regular volunteers. She says that a real bonus is that the new tree and hedge trimmers are used with ease by everyone involved in the garden work at Saltram.

“In the past there used to be many more gardeners doing the work here, but now equipment plays a much bigger role, so it’s important that what we use earns its keep. These new machines certainly do that. They are a dream to use.”