TOOLS , PLANT & EQUIPMENT
Windstorm scores highly at North Hants Golf Club t Saltex 2023 , on the
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STM Co Ltd stand , Sam Evans , the Course Manager at the prestigious North Hants Golf Club , and his Grounds team took particular interest in the SCAG Windstorm debris blower .
This is a stand-on zero-turn machine with a 37HP motor , 10mph ground speed and a colossal output of 600cfm .
They could see immediate advantages over their present system of a leaf blower unit towed behind a utility vehicle , a system that means that two engines are required , one for the UV and the other for the blower . The operator also struggles with restricted rearward view because of the blower size . There is also the general safety aspect with the operator needing to look behind regularly to check blower performance and suitable clearance .
The next step was to have an on-site demonstration ; this was arranged with David Gray of the STM Co area dealer Lister Wilder .
The Windstorm performance on that demo went beyond expectations ; clearly an immediate saving was there being only one motor in use , but the visibility and zero-turn manoeuvrability were real sellers once experienced by the operators on their regular grounds . Not only that but there was an additional benefit ; the Windstorm has so much power it can cope with clearing leaves within heather areas , which has been very time consuming in the past . Sam ’ s expression was “ that stuff can be like Velcro ”.
The general reaction and enthusiasm were such that Sam was easily able to persuade his General Manager , who was equally impressed with the demo , that this was money well spent .
So now the machine has completed its first winter debris season – but it doesn ’ t end there because routine mowing can leave grass cuttings on the surfaces . The North Hants greenkeeping team have always cleared this away to keep the fairways pristine , and now , with the
Windstorm , they can do it in two-thirds the time it took them before .
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They could see immediate advantages over their present system of a leaf blower unit towed behind a utility vehicle , a system that means that two engines are required , one for the UV and the other for the blower .
That , with general requirements for clearing wind and storm debris , plus the fact it does its job so well has made the Windstorm a firm favourite with Sam and his team at North Hants .
The machines are available through the STM dealership network . To find your nearest dealer ring 01789 488450 , email info @ st-mach . com or look at our website www . st-mach . com
60 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | May / June 2024