How the Turfsaver transformed life for a Wiltshire lawncare company

Posted on 14th May 2009 @ 1:46 PM

Ian Handy “retired” 12 years ago at the age of 58 – but having been the largest garden machinery dealer in Wiltshire he couldn’t relax.

And his experience of all things horticultural gave him the idea to start his own lawncare service.

With no shortage of knowhow or professional equipment he took on some prestigious clients with large gardens and “The Lawn Doctor” was born.

It wasn’t long before he was joined by another lawn expert – Gareth Case, who has been with the company for 10 years. He had previously been a landscaper with his uncle, on whose land Ian Handy had a barn.

And now two youngsters have joined the team, David Sanders (three years) and Sean Curran, who is three months into training.

With most of their clients owning a couple of acres or more, and some with large estates, the need for drastic lawn-care measures is often called for.

And the team, on one of their regular visits to IOG Saltex at Windsor, spotted a machine on the DJ Turfcare stand that was just what they were looking for.

“We are often called on to do some serious scarifying and overseeding,” says Gareth. “We had been looking for a machine that does both jobs – and then we saw the Turfsaver on the DJ stand.”

Since buying the machine, immediately after the show, Gareth has used the Turfsaver to scarify and overseed a cricket square, croquet lawns, a tennis court and a golf green – as well as domestic lawns.

“This business is all about education and we go on courses run by the IOG and local colleges to keep in touch with the latest techniques and general turf science,” says Gareth, a member of the IOG. “It’s because of this knowledge that we know how important scarifying is."

“Some of the clients are a bit worried when they see their grass being ripped up, but we carefully explain that before long they will have a completely healthy sward – with all the thatch gone and new healthy grass coming through.”

He finds the Turfsaver ideal for scarifying jobs that need a heavy-duty machine which is easy to handle and transport.

“The Turfsaver is ideal for us,” says Gareth. “We have a machine that can combine several jobs – and that is always a bonus with demanding clients like ours.”

Says Ian Handy: “It’s easy to recognise a machine which is versatile and the Turfsaver is a tough piece of useful kit for contractors.”

About the Turfsaver

THE TURFSAVER is a new machine from the US that de-thatches and overseeds (or fertilises) in one compact unit ideal for contractors and groundsmen.

Fitted with blades to verti-cut, it covers a 22-inch wide swathe in a single pass.

Manufactured by SourceOne, innovative designers of the Plugger aerator, reliability is guaranteed
Self-propelled, by a powerful 10hp Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine, it has four forward speeds plus reverse and neutral to enable the operator to choose the ideal speed for the job.

Knife spacing goes from fine (20mm/0.8inches), normal (40mm/1.6inches) or flail reel to match the job in hand.

Blades are made of high carbon steel with eight teeth per blade ensuring a clean finish and minimal disruption.

The seed or fertiliser spreader is rust-proof with a see-through cover to enable the operator to easily check the content level.

The DJ Turfsaver slices up to 20per cent more turf than comparable models to increase seed penetration and germination.

The optional flail reel can be installed in minutes to allow the Turfsaver to be used as a premium dethatcher even in rough terrain.

Large pneumatic wheels and well-designed handlebars create excellent weight balance making the Turfsaver light and easy to use and manoeuvre

Says David Jenkins, managing director of DJ Turfcare:

“The Turfsaver is proving incredibly useful to turf professionals because of its versatility. To have one machine capable of doing many jobs makes this a vital piece of kit, particularly for groundsmen and contractors.”