Turney Group have signed a new agreement with their long term partner Ransomes Jacobsen to expand their territory to the South and West of their existing area of responsibility.
This significant opportunity further strengthens the long established partnership between the company and Ransomes Jacobsen, and will serve to grow market share of the respective businesses through their experienced sales team and excellent aftersales capabilities.
Turney Group offers a high quality portfolio of groundcare brands, including Iseki, New Holland, Amazone Groundcare, Dennis, Sisis, Stihl and Husqvarna which compliment Ransomes Jacobsen to suit all professional groundcare and fine turf needs.
We sat down with Dealer Principle, Phil Bush, to hear more about the exciting news.
Can you give us a brief overview of the history between Turney Group and Ransomes Jacobsen?
Ransomes and Turney’s have had a relationship for over 60 years, originally as the Ransome brand and then in the early 90s when the Ransomes Jacobsen company came together we then had the relationship with the Ransomes commercial and Jacobsen golf course equipment. Our relationship has been as a main dealer for them within our Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire territory for over 30 years with both brands.
What does our portfolio of Ransomes Jacobsen clients look like now and where are you looking to take that in the next few years?
Currently within the territory, we have two very different market segments; our golf course Jacobsen client base, who are very specialist as far as fine turf is concerned, and then the Ransomes commercial customers, local authority contractor commercial grass cutting.
Our future is to operate across a larger area of the UK, from where we currently operate, catering for those two very specific types of markets; Jacobsen golf and Ransomes commercial. They are very different users, very different operators, and place very different demands on the machines, so we have to have a specialism in both golf and commercial.
What is the most exciting machine from both sectors that you are looking forward to taking to customers in the new territory?
With Ransomes, we have a very good range of commercial rotary and flail machines. The flail units have come on leaps and bounds within the last few years and we are at the forefront with those. Our outfront rotary is an excellent machine, the HR380, but we do have a fully electric outfront rotary coming, which is proving to be an excellent piece of kit as far as power, performance and run time is concerned. In that sector we are excited to see that machine.
On the golf side, with Jacobsen product, we already have the Eclipse 360 which is proving to be a really good fit for all golf courses, as far as the amount of greens they can cut on one charge. It’s also proving to be a very reliable machine and it’s settings can be tailored to exactly what the course manager needs on their greens; with some great features such as programable speed and clip rate, completely fluid free and the swing out centre unit.
Further to that, we are excited about the SLF1 fairway machine coming through this year, which is a fully battery, 5 unit machine which will give us the same performance we are already enjoying in the Eclipse 360. This machine, outside of golf, will also fit into fine turf, whether it be football, rugby, or other applications. If customers have a noise issues, like colleges or office complexes, and they want high quality turf, then the Eclipse 360 and the SLF1 will fit that application.
Do you foresee any challenges with the new expansion in the next year? And how do you plan to overcome those challenges?
Our challenges will be finding the right number and calibre of staff to help us roll out the Turney experience to new customers. We know we can do a good job, we know we can back up the product, we know the needs and demands of the industry, but we need good, reliable people who can get out amongst the customer base and give the level of Turney service that we know is important to the customer.
Any final thoughts?
Its exciting times for us a company. The great thing is that everybody is massively on board with this project, and we are going into this with our eyes open. We know it’s going to be big challenge and we know its going to be hard work, but the whole team is massively up for it. I think it’s going to be an exciting time for us over the next 5-10 years as we move into the new area making new friends and acquaintances along the way.
We had a fantastic time at North Bucks Country show, thank you to the organisers and all who came along. We had on display machinery from New Holland, Manitou, McConnel, Hustler, Can-am and Kuhn.
Moulsford School – New Holland Boomer 55Hp Tractor
We have been working with Moulsford school recently demonstrating and suppling a wide variety of machinery from the Turney Group’s extensive range of ground care maintenance equipment. Moulsford’s thriving independent day and boarding school for boys is also home to a pre-prep school. It’s beautifully situated along the banks of the River Thames with an extensive collection of sports fields and pitches to upkeep.
The task was to demonstrate and identify the best tractor to tackle the wide variety of jobs around the 30-acre site. The ideal choice was a New Holland Boomer 55hp, complete with loader, bucket and pallet forks. The three-range hydrostatic transmission provides the operator with effortless switching between forward and reverse. The model includes an air-conditioned cab for year-round comfort, and a hydrostatic-link pedal with memory function.
The tractor will be used in conjunction with an Amazone Ground Keeper for mowing, scarifying and leaf collection, and a Sisis Quadraplay for spiking, raking, rolling and brushing in one pass. In the winter, the tractor will be put to work hedge cutting and preforming other low season maintenance tasks across the school. We look forward to continuing to support the School’s ground team, with all their servicing requirements, training and advice as required.
We are incredibly proud to confirm that we are now an authorised Huqsqvana dealer. With 30 years of experience and trusted by 3 million home owners around the world; their cutting edge innovations in battery solutions and robotics are the perfect addition to our offering of top quality groundcare brands. The range also includes high performing brush cutters, trimmers, blowers and ride on mowers.
‘Research, innovation and lush, green lawns have made Husqvarna a world leader in robotic mowing.’ Technology is at the forefront of everything they do and they are continually releasing new solutions. In 2023, the Automower® 310E & 410XE NERA was released, introducing virtual boundary installation via EPOS to small and medium sized gardens, as well revolutionary EdgeCut technology, which minimises the need to trim the edges of your lawn, saving time and effort.
Their comprehensive range of chainsaws include everything from small, battery powered pruning saws for exact precision to heavy-duty, petrol-powered 90cc powerhouses. They also pride themselves in safety and the online Chainsaw academy is a fantastic resource for everybody intending to use and improve their knowledge of working with these tools. Much of their equipment features LowVib® technology which means their products are unrivalled in terms of low vibrations, invaluable for the professional and domestic user alike.
A curated selection of the range is available to view in our Weston on the Green showroom and our garden machinery specialists will be able to inform you of more details and order items on your behalf. We will also be providing authentic manufacturer parts and authorised service contracts to ensure you get the most out of your new Husqvarna purchase.
Turney Group at the Official Opening of Stihl’s Contra House
Last week Turney Group’s Dealer Principle, Phil Bush, attended the historic grand opening of Stihl’s new HQ, Contra House. The fantastic innovation used across the site was astounding and the hospitality superb, congratulations Stihl.
May is here and with it comes the start of show and event season. We will exhibiting at Point to Point events, County Shows and Young Farmer Rallies across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire this Spring and Summer and we are raring to go. On our stand, there will be a fantastic display of machines, expert advice and a chance to catch up with the team over a cup of tea and a biscuit.
Here is the list of where you can find us this year:
Oxfordshire Young Farmers County Show & Rally – Saturday 18th May
The Grafton Point to point – Sunday 19th May
North Bucks Country Show – Saturday 1st June
Blakesley Show – Saturday 3rd August
Bucks County Show – Thursday 29th August
The Moreton-in-Marsh Show – Saturday 7th September
The lack of air circulation in the soil reduces oxygen, which can be very detrimental to the soil profile and consequently affect negatively the turf health.
The black layer is often a symptom of anaerobic soil conditions, usually appearing in high sand content soil, and just as the name implies, it is a horizontal black stratum formed in rootzone at a depth of 1.3 to 10 cm. It causes a reduction in several elements that are essential to the survival of plants. The colour black is the result of a reduction of iron, and the hydrogen sulphide that occurs on the black layer is responsible for an unpleasant smell that helps on the identification of the problem.
There are several factors that may result in the lack of oxygen and poor infiltration rate in the soil such as compaction, excessive organic content layer, excessive sulphur and high sodium additions or any layering that occurs in the rootzone that impedes water movement. Problems characterized as abiotic are not caused by living organisms, but by other factors such as edaphoclimatic conditions, intensity of traffic, inadequate use of chemicals and improper use of the maintenance machinery.
When the soil becomes anaerobic the solubility and chemistries of the nutrients modifies, certain elements are more available for the plant and others become toxic. The lack of O2 promotes the development of anaerobic microorganisms that produce metabolites that can be unfavourable to the development of the plants, such as sulphide (H2S) and iron sulphide (FeS). The black layer may become most evident during prolonged periods of hot humid weather and usually algae is also observed in conjunction with the layer, aggravating the surface sealing that may occur.
The lack of oxygen in the rootzone causes the reduction of the capacity of absorption of nutrients and water causing severe root decline, weakening the plant and diminishing its resistance to disease, wear, heat and cold tolerance.
To prevent Black Layer, it is important to apply topdressing material with similar physical characteristics to the existing on the rootzone and to use only slow release fertilizers or to fertilize lightly and frequently, but the best way to manage the black layer is preventing anaerobic conditions by improving water drainage and coring. The SubAir system is a good option to prevent the problem as it is designed to improve aeration, providing fresh air direct to plant roots and stimulating microbial activity. Also, it stabilises water delivery to the root system and removes harmful gases such as Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Hydrogen Sulphide.
Diesel might be the current fuel of choice for farm buggies, but there’s a new wave of petrol-powered machines looking to reverse that trend. To find out which colour of fuel is best, we put a few key players to the test.
First up was Can-Am’s Traxter HD8 DPS. It was at ease with almost everything we asked of it and has the sort of versatility you’d expect from a buggy.
The powerful petrol engine has all the day-to-day grunt you would need and delivers it to the ground far more smoothly than the Polaris. Build quality and cab layout were good too, but it lost marks for being a bit skittish on the downhill route with a trailer in tow. Still, it’s the one we would buy.
Price as tested: £12,119
Best for: Performance and comfort
Worst for: Downhill engine braking
Running gear
The HD8 is the mid-ranking buggy in the Can-Am UTV range, but provides more-than-ample power. It carries a Rotax 779cc engine generating 50hp and has the full off-road spec list, including a low-range box and a locking rear differential. For those who want a bit more, Can-Am also offers the 72hp HD10.
The engine is pretty peachy by farm buggy standards, though a slight downside is the in-cab noise at full chat. That said, it’s nowhere near as deafening as the Honda.
The notchy gear selector stalk is clear and well designed – unlike the Polaris – and, once engaged, delivers power to the CVT transmission in typically smeary but brisk fashion.
Likes
Strong build quality
Comfortable and well-laid-out cab
Good load bed height
Excellent petrol engine
Gripes
Engine braking almost non-existent
Lights easily damaged
No diesel options
Noisy acceleration
In our timed hill climb routes, the Can-Am came out top dog on grass, but was pipped to the post by the more powerful Polaris on the tarmac.
In reality, the difference in times is irrelevant and all the drivers preferred the safer-feeling ride of the Traxter to the slightly out-of-control Ranger.
Towing up the hill with a trailer on and two chaps in the front added a barely noticeable three seconds to the unladen time, which isn’t far shy of pickup standards.
Cab
Access to the spacious and well-laid-out cab is good.
Explore moreKnow How
Visit our Know How centre for practical farming advice
The wide openings allow even the biggest work boots to gain entry without stumbling, though the flappy net guards on our test model were pointless and caused a trip hazard.
We would favour solid doors, or nothing at all.
Sat in the driver’s seat gives a good view to all four corners of the vehicle and there’s enough space to rest a left foot on long journeys, unlike the compact Gator.
By buggy standards it’s surprisingly comfortable and the two passengers also have lots of legroom and a solid bar to hang onto around the bends.
An abundance of useful cubby holes to store farming paraphernalia wins it more brownie points, while a handy removable glovebox could house some go-to tools or medicines that need to stay dry.
The build quality was another feather in the Traxter’s cap. It’s solid, all the switches worked as they should and the flat floor can be pressure washed out without worrying about ruining the electrics.
One of the biggest perks was the two passenger seats that can be flipped up to offer an unobstructed floor-to-ceiling space capable of swallowing an assortment of dogs or multiple buckets of feed.
Going slowly down hills wasn’t part of the Traxter’s A-game. The engine did an average job of slowing the buggy on some steep descents without a load on the back, but it had a tendency to run away before reaching the bottom.
However, with a bale-filled trailer hooked on the tow ball its performance was far worse – particularly when compared with the ice-cool Gator. It simply couldn’t keep the engine speed under control for a sustained spell and could turn out to be quite dangerous if it has to negotiate lots of hills.
Elsewhere, the good-sized load bed offered a handy 840mm load height. With the Honda’s bed sitting a whole 100mm higher, lifting 20-litre chemical cans is relatively easy, but it was still bettered by the John Deere. Handily there are no bars to obscure connecting a trailer, though.
Access to the engine for servicing was as good with the load bed tipped. On the down side, the rear lights are woefully exposed on the Traxter and would only need a slight bump before new clusters are needed.
Automation technology is advancing, but what features do customers actually want? In this article Volvo CE’s Tina Lefebvre, Global Director Connected Services and Koen Sips, VP Customer Solutions, highlight how automated services are making every operator the world’s best.
We talk about ‘automation’ as if it’s a new thing, but when it comes to constrution equipment the progression of automating processes has been going on for years. The automatic gearbox and climate control are just two examples, relieving us of the responsibilities of changing gear or turning the heating up and down. What is now different is that, thanks to advanced technology, the level of operator assistance is set to transform the overall productivity of machines.
Application-specific solutions
As well as improving the machines themselves, such as more efficient combustion engines or hydraulic systems, a new level of technology is focusing on how efficiently a machine is working in a particular job site. For example, with the latest excavator digging machine control systems – such as Volvo’s Dig Assist – the operator doesn’t need to step out of the machine in order to take measurements – because the system will have calculated exactly what material has been taken, from where, and what the levels are. This represents savings in time, money and improved safety.
Semi-autonomy
It’s not just measurement. The next level of assistance is semi-autonomous functions, where the machine actually helps the operator with the task in hand. Staying with the digging example, these systems automatically create a certain level or grade, or preventing digging too deep or raising the boom too high. The machine is basically helping the operator to be at the exact right spot or the exact right depth of digging the hole or trench.
Automated data mining
Even that level of sophistication isn’t the whole automation story. There is another level – where machines ‘talk’ to each other, thereby boosting total site productivity. Machine telematics relay large amounts of data – so much so that it can be overwhelming. What is developing now are active monitoring services that automatically – thanks to the business logic’s algorithms – highlight problems, triggering the sending out of technicians with a detailed diagnosis of a problem and the tools and equipment to remedy it – all with no unplanned downtime. One example of this type of tool is the ActiveCare uptime service, where Volvo and its dealers partner up to detect at a very early stage health problems of the machine and proactively solve those.
Application super-highway
Speaking only for Volvo CE, our Co-pilot platform has been deliberately designed to be a semi-open system. It’s early days, but other people can develop applications that run on Co-pilot. These can be customer-specific, site-specific or application-specific solutions. While it’s limited only by imagination, we do need to introduce these in a controlled way. We are happy to provide the technical highway for others to drive their own solutions on.
New business models
As with technology-driven changes in wider society – such as online music streaming – automation offers the potential for new business models to emerge. Machine control and monitoring systems could in the future be subscription-based or pay-as-you-use. This will provide benefits for both customers and manufacturers. The business model and best way to market these new services is something we are still learning.
Balancing the viable with the possible
Automation for its own sake isn’t viable – it needs to add commercial value for customers and operators. That’s our challenge now – we have all these amazing technologies but the market needs to realize the potential of the technology. We need to be careful – investments are high, and volumes are relatively low. As a result, automation in the construction industry can only move as fast as the correlation between development costs, productivity gains and affordability allow.
The path to greater autonomy
In most cases there is unlikely to be a one-step jump into fully autonomous machines – the journey towards it will come in stages. Most probably there will be a number of (largely repetitive) applications that can be done fully autonomously, while others remain semi-autonomous for the foreseeable future – helping operators avoid mistakes or become more efficient.
The future of the operator: discuss
Operators are around for a long time yet. The role of automation will be to remove repetitive tasks and allow operators to do a better job. Far from deskilling them, automation allows operators to upskill, increase quality and efficiency – and making every operator into the best operator possible.
Conclusion
The advance of automation is inevitable – but is not without its challenges. It involves introducing modern technologies into an industry where working practices have not changed much in half a century. It will involve a mind shift for all concerned.
Iseki UK & Ireland this week staged a launch of an out-front mower featuring a new Stage V compliant 22.5hp diesel engine.
Speaking to the trade press at a special event on Tuesday (June 18th), the company said they believe that with new features and market positioning, they see this new launch as a potential game changer for the brand to explore further avenues.
Iseki UK & Ireland md David Withers with the new SF224
Managing director, David Withers explained, “With the engine regulations coming into place shortly we wanted to offer the customer a competitively priced out-front mower with the same Iseki quality and reliability alongside a new Stage V compliant 22.5hp diesel engine.“The new SF224 mower offers the most economical way to cut grass commercially with high productivity plus the added benefit of the new 22.5hp engine enabling customers to save on fuel costs and initial purchasing costs of their machinery.”David continued, “Offering a range of decks to suit the various customer sites and cutting cycles, customers can choose from the Wessex, Iseki and Muthing flail decks, or the new Iseki out-front rotary deck. These options allow the machine to be highly versatile in this competitive market.The new Iseki 60” out-front rotary deck features three blades. The cutting height can be adjusted from 25mm to 125mm in 12.5mm increments as required. A mulching kit is also available to order.
The company were also keen to stress the storage capabilities which the new machine offers users. Product manager, Richard Tyrrell said, “When developing the product we studied how people use their mowers, quickly realising storage was a key issue when out cutting for long periods of time.”People were either bringing trailers with them, another vehicle, additional members of staff or tying containers onto the machines in order to carry strimmers, bin bags and other tools. With the SF224 operators can be more effective and productive with their time, taking all the equipment with them in the large storage bed on the back of the mower.”The mowers are equipped with two-pedal hydrostatic transmission and automatic or selectable 4WD. There is also a lockable differential for use when conditions demand. To ensure efficient engine cooling the radiator is fitted with an automatic reversing fan, so preventing the blockage of the grill
McConnel has a firm reputation for blazing trails with quality, innovation and technology. Now the company is introducing the ultimate in remote controlled machinery with the next generation ROBOCUT range being launched at Saltex.
Designed for the most challenging conditions, the all-terrain capability of the all new ROBOCUT is superior on every level. The range comprises two new models, ROBOCUT RC56 and RC75 which surpass all expectations with an exciting new ground up design which incorporates the very latest advancements in technology. The new models boast more power, an advanced feature set and a revolutionary control system for greater output, safety and control.
ROBOCUT power comes in the form of two new engine choices, 56hp and 75hp, which have been developed in a partnership with Hatz GmbH specifically for working on steep gradients of 55 degrees. New engines provide up to 75% increase in power resulting in market leading power-to-weight ratio. Fuel efficiency has also increased by 20%, coupled with 100% increase in fuel capacity enabling up to eight hours of operation between refills.
A new common chassis design provides a lower centre of gravity and perfect 50/50 weight distribution for maximum stability and control in challenging terrain. Fully integrated, dual roll-over protection bars, quick access lifting points and dedicated accessory mounting points also come as standard.
The new feature set includes, a programmable attachment floatation system, StaySafe flailhead hood control for highway mowing, On-machine Activation digital display for customisation of machine settings, Keyless start technology for improved safety, Daytime running lighting to aid visual orientation at distance, high intensity LED work lights and four integrated LED strobe lights with pre-set ECE compliant sequences.
The new remote control unit features informative, high visibility digital display providing valuable feedback to the operator including machine engine RPM, engine temperature and signal strength. ROBOCUT’s new ROBO-READY battery dock simultaneously stores and charges one of the two remote control battery packs for quick and convenient change over in field for reduced downtime.
The introduction of fully enclosed body panels protect the power unit from damage when working in harsh environments whilst also keeping out grass and debris. The stylised design also incorporates gull-wing style side panels that provided quick and easy access to engine bay.
For the first time GPS Autosteer will be available, developed in conjunction with Trimble, a world leader in a wide range of positioning technologies. GPS Autosteer enables operators to control precise cutting to an accuracy of 25mm from up to 150 metres away, eliminating wasteful overlap with each pass, dramatically increasing productivity.
The new power plants enable wider 1.6m and 1.9m flailheads to be fitted to ROBOCUT for greater output. The popular 1.3m Grass, Forestry and Mulcher flailheads remain available within the extensive attachment line-up.
Retail Price: ROBOCUT RC56 power unit from £46,000
Retail Price: ROBOCUT RC75 power unit from £54,000
