Launched over 100 years ago, Joseph Rowntree established the trusts bearing his name. JRHT (Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust) owns the freehold of the vast majority of the properties in New Earswick, North Yorkshire. A major part of the trust’s gardening work is to keep the amenity grass surrounding the 2,500 properties in top order. Earlier this year, it took the decision purchase a second Etesia ride-on mower to cut and collect in an effort to further improve its grounds care service to residents.

In spring this year, the trust contacted a number of local dealers who all brought a variety of machinery to test on their own site and in their own environment.

After the vigorous testing process, the trust purchased a Hydro 124P from Golf and Turf Machinery, based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The Hartrigg Oaks site, like all the other community villages gets its grass cut once every fortnight by gardener Andrew Scott.

Hatrigg Oaks is a retirement community for the over 60’s consisting of 150 houses and 80 flats which provide care for residents. The site, which is 20 acres, has amenity grass covering half of that.

Andrew says that the cut and collect with high tip facility was a fundamental ‘box ticked’ when it came to making the purchase. This means that all grass clippings are tipped into a recycling skip and taken off site.

The new Hydro124P is fitted with a 124-cm overlapping cutting deck and a 23-hp two-cylinder Vanguard engine. It has a high hourly mowing output of up to 15,000m² per hour, and an unequalled weight-to-power ratio. Above all, it represents excellent value for money, both for the initial purchase and for use over a longer period.

“We are absolutely delighted with its versatility and how it’s performing for us,” said Tom Hepburn, Team Leader. “We’ve been using Etesia since 2001 and the mower we purchased then is still in use now. After the demostration and coupled with the excellent service we’ve had from Etesia over the past ten years, it was an extremely easy decision.”

Etesia are renowned around the world for being able to cut and collect, even in wet conditions and it’s something that Andrew and his team has been impressed with. “It’s been excellent in the wet. If it wasn’t for the tyre marks it would leave, you could even use it to cut and collect in 2″ of water it’s that good! It’s certainly been tested in the wet summer we’ve had this year and we’ve all be impressed by the very tidy finish it leaves.”

Another important factor in the decision was on-going costs. This was another area that Etesia came out top. “They are highly robust and don’t let anybody down. Repairs are minimal, so our workshop costs are low,” said Tom.

Phil Voice, founder of the Landscape Juice Network, has announced that he will be driving an Etesia H124 mower from Bergerac in France up to John O’Groats in Scotland, to raise money for Perennial (Royal Gardeners’ Benevolent Society). Not only is he travelling through two different countries but, Phil will be racking up the mileage covering an enormous distance of over 1,250 miles (2000km).

Phil’s Etesia ‘Mowerthon’ machine is being prepared at the Etesia factory in France to include a cab with heater for the unpredictable British weather. Phil will be stopping to mow at special locations which will be revealed shortly before he starts on this epic journey at the beginning of October.

Phil has taken on this ‘Mowerthon’ to raise money for Perennial – the national trade charity which provides free, confidential advice and support to everyone working in, or retired from working in, horticulture, and their families, including gardeners, landscapers, nursery and garden centre staff, parks and grounds care staff and tree surgeons.

“I’m always thinking of ways to help, and sitting at my desk one day I thought about walking from Lands’ End to John O’Groats to raise money for charity, but this had already been done,” commented Phil. “I then had a brainwave. Why not do it on a mower? Better still, why not do it from my home in France? After an email to Les Malin at Etesia which he forwarded to Patrick Vives, Etesia’s President, they offered a machine with their full support.

The next challenge was to work with an appropriate charity. Lindsey Churchill of Perennial was extremely active on the network and I felt Perennial were more closely aligned, helping the horticulture practitioner, with what LJN does than anyone else out there…so I contacted Lindsey and here we are now.  We’re also looking for a similar charity to work with in France”.

Etesia are delighted to sponsor this fundraising activity by providing the machine, as well as providing a support crew and their strong dealer network are looking forward to supporting Phil along his journey.

“We were introduced to the Landscape Juice Network three or four years ago and have found it to be an extremely good way of speaking directly to our end users”, said Les Malin, Etesia UK General Manager. “When Phil approached us with an idea that he wanted to ride a mower from France to John O’Groats, our initial thought was that he was mad.

When he explained to us why he was planning this event, to support and help the industry he’s worked in all his life, then we were only too happy to support Phil with his journey. We look forward to meeting him at John O’Groats”.

There are plenty of ways to sponsor or get involved, simply visit www.hortaid.org.uk or if you would like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/mowerthon.

A section of residential central London is undergoing a major change in the way its communal gardens are maintained, with a marked benefit to the local environment. This significantly includes the machinery being used to do it.

The Church Commissioners Hyde Park Estate, an area bounded by the Edgeware and Bayswater Roads, is maintained under contract by Tony Heywood Landscapes, one of the few gardening businesses actually based in central London. Its proprietor Tony Heywood has set out to promote the whole idea of sustainable practices in gardening for the private squares under his charge and owners of the land, the Church Commissioners through its management agents Frank Knight, have agreed to a three year programme of step-by-step action to achieve it.

Tony Heywood Landscapes aim to be seen as a ‘green’ unit in London. Both they and the Church Commissioners are keen to promote an image of environmental responsibility.

The scheme being put into action by the company’s team of seven staff, all of them trained horticulturalists, involves different planting regimes such as prioritizing perennial bedding rather than annuals, and replacing chemical control of weeds with hand weeding and organic methods.

Another of its principal features is a gradual switch-over from petrol to battery-powered equipment for the routine maintenance tasks, and this is already under way with the recent introduction of a Helion hedge trimmer, an Airion leaf and debris blower, and an Excelion strimmer all made by French manufacturer Pellenc. These were all supplied by Aylesbury-based RT Machinery, which has also provided, on trial, a battery-powered Etesia Bahia ride-on mower. After just three months usage there is favourable response from both staff and residents for all of these. Reduced noise levels, hand vibration, and elimination of fumes have all been welcomed, according to THL head gardener Lucy Mackenzie.

“I went to Saltex last year specifically to take a close look at battery-powered machines suitable for work in the Hyde Park Estate squares,” said Tony Heywood.

“The Pellenc and Etesia machines impressed me most and they are already proving their worth. I already had a good working relationship with RTM and will continue to talk to them about how we can extend the switch-over and keep a check on future developments in this area by the two manufacturers.”

Tony Heywood, who also lectures on garden design, is closely associated with the Royal Horticultural Society, he and his partner Alison Condie being its ‘artists in residence’.  He hopes the example being set in this part of London for the way its squares and gardens are looked after can set a standard for such work in urban areas everywhere.

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.