ProSport UK Ltd building on Foley Grinders success in the UK
*This article is then from Greenkeeper International December 2018 Issue
Efficient workshop practice is the challenge that every Head greenkeeper/course Manager faces and choosing the right course maintenance equipment to deliver that goal is crucial.
Foley United’s grinders are playing their part in this equation, by delivering on performance and reliability. Nearing the end of an exceptional year, Foley and UK distributor ProSport UK Ltd are delighted to acknowledge St Andrews Links Trust for choosing Foley Grinders as part of its maintenance programme for its complete range of professional TORO cylinder mowers. It is about being part of a wider picture to get the best out of your workshop resources and greenkeeping team.
Education is an important element of Foley United’s corporate strategy in the UK and was the catalyst in becoming BIGGA Education Supporters. Information is paramount to greenkeepers and for Foley to explain the benefits of grinding to OEM specifications is a long-standing mission for the company because it is a vital tool in achieving best practise.
Benefits of Relief Grinding:-
By removing metal from the trailing edge of the blade, it forms a relief angle, which reduces the contact area of the cutting edges, resulting in less friction, longer wear life.
Typically, when a new mower is delivered, the reels will be a perfect cylindrical shape. Over time, the blade naturally loses shape, and the sharp edge it arrives with becomes flat and dull, often meaning the reel is no longer a perfect cylinder from end to end. This is referred to as 'coning' and a natural point for grinding to take place.
The decision then sits between touch-up spin grinding, or relief grinding. If there is sufficient relief still on the reel, then a quick touch-up is fine but, once more than 50% of the relief has gone, it is advised to relief grind again and remove any coning. Failure to remove the coning will eventually be seen in an uneven cut appearance of your turf.
Foley United appreciates that budgets vary across the wide range of courses and clubs in the UK and to address that a range of six new grinders were added to the market that offer a broad range of options to suit all levels of expectation. This will guarantee that in-house grinding is a financially sound investment, with a range of products that can be upgraded over time while always delivering a top-quality grinding experience.
Other prestigious golf clubs that have introduced relief grinding to their grinding regime include Sandy Lodge Golf Club situated in the beautiful rolling landscape of the Moor Park Estate on the Hertfordshire/Middlesex borders and featured in the Top 100 golf courses website, has embraced the practice of relief as well as spin grinding within their sharpening programme, with the delivery of two Foley grinders; the Accu-Master 653 and an Accu-Pro 673 Bedknife Grinder.
This follows hot on the heels of the newly built Ardfin Golf Club on the Isle of Jura, Scotland, which purchased a 672 Bedknife Grinder and Accu-Master 653 reel grinderto enable them to grind back to optimal OEM specifications.
Earlier in the Spring, Leamington and County Golf Club asked for the best grinder available to suit their budget so they could bring grinding in-house and decided on an Accu-Sharp 605 after extensively researching the marketplace.
Ian Robson ProSport UK managing Director is optimistic about the future. ” We have a huge amount of interest going forward which means busy times ahead for ProsportUK with Foley. The greenkeepers and course managers are finding the answer to their grinding needs within the extensive Foley range and that is key to our current success.”
