On the serene,
undulating grounds of New Hall Vineyard in Essex, Makita’s new cordless 36V LXT
backpack pruning shears are making light work of the annual seasonal
prune.
Spur pruning is an
essential requirement carried out on the estate by a team of professional
stewards who are involved in every aspect of the vineyards planting,
maintenance and harvesting routines.
The process of
pruning is essential to the quality of the harvested grapes and at New Hall the
routine is assisted with the use of cordless, battery operated pruners
throughout January and February each year.
New Hall, a family
run business, has been open since the late 60’s and excels in producing
award-winning wines. Vintners Andy and Lucy Hares have managed the 150
acre vineyard for the last four years. It is now one of the largest and
oldest first established commercial vineyards in the UK and referred to by many
as ‘a hidden gem’. New Hall has also taken The Winemaker of the Year
Award several times.
The new Makita Twin
18V LXT pruning shear, the DUP361ZN, provides 36V of power and features a
2-stage blade opening adjustment which varies according to the size of the
branch. The shear has a maximum cutting capacity of 33mm and a maximum
blade opening of 54mm. The blade can be interlocked with the trigger
providing smooth blade movement similar to that of a hand pruner.
A newly designed
slim backpack harness provides comfort, while an arm band and cord holder
prevents the connection cord from dangling around the operator’s body and from
getting caught on branches.
“Operator safety is
of great importance to us and many of our stewards have been with us a very
long time,” says Andy Hares. “Our team have a demanding 8-hour day,
regardless of weather, so it is essential that the kit they are using is both
comfortable and safe while at the same time offering high cutting efficiency.”
Two Makita 18V
Lithium-Ion batteries, housed in the water resistant backpack harness that fits
neatly into the small of the back, supply energy to the powerful 36V DC motor
drive and work in series. The DUP361ZN shear features an electronic
current limiter for overload protection, a motor protection circuit and a twin
LED battery fuel gauge clearly positioned on the switch box.
“The weight
distribution of the harness is particularly comfortable and secure, and wide
padded shoulder straps provide good support,” says senior steward Mary who has
been at New Hall for over 25 years, “The hand grip of the shear contours nicely
in my hand and feels lighter than others we have used. And its size
allows you to cut closer to the crown of the vine so it is really quite
flexible.”
Using two 5.0Ah
Li-Ion batteries a run time of three working days is delivered although
branches and growth of wider diameter can reduce this slightly. The
charge time of a 5.0 Ah battery using a Makita fast charger is 45 minutes and
Makita’s intelligent battery technology heightens charge retention. This
model has a net weight of 3.3kg, has low sound and low vibration levels.
New Hall, who
contract-makes for other vineyards, has an output of 150,000 bottles of still
wine annually while some 75,000 bottles of sparkling wine are made in the
traditional method requiring two years maturing in the bottle. In hot
summers, such as that of 2018, yields are significantly higher and some grapes
are sold to other vineyards.
New Hall excels in
customer relations with Summer and Christmas festivals, tastings, tours, trials
and Limited Edition celebrations. New Hall’s new book: ‘A History
of the Vineyard’ will be published in June 2019.
This Makita body
only machine comes with oil supply, wrench, diamond file and shear blade set
and is packaged in a robust and weatherproof Makita tool bag.
