We’re
taught from a young age that ‘sharing is caring’ but for Grant McDermid, Head
Groundsman of Hearts Training Pitch, when you have a machine as good as the INFINICUT SM34 Rotary Mower it’s a challenging
philosophy.
Installed
for use at the Oriam Sports Performance Centre – which is also home to the
hybrid training surface of Hearts FC – the ability to pre-programme and select
set-up configurations of the SM34 on the InfiniApp has made the shared usage
situation that much easier.
Located in Edinburgh, Oriam is
home to some of the best sports facilities in Scotland, offering an unrivalled
performance environment for sports teams and athletes of all levels.
Working
alongside Oriam’s dedicated grounds team looking after the mix of natural and
artificial playing surfaces is Grant, who is solely responsible for the
maintenance of the hybrid pitch construction used for Hearts first team
training four times a week.
“The
majority of the equipment used across the wider complex, including mowers, are
ride-on whereas I hand cut this pitch” Grant explains. “To deliver the high
levels required by the first team, it’s crucial I have the right tools for the
job.”
“Oriam have a longstanding
relationship with dealers Fairways GM and, I myself, with Alan Jack of INFINICUT so there was very little competition when it came
to finding a new rotary mower for the all-important clean up cut. I’d been
fortunate enough to trial the SM34 previously so knew how it worked and how
easy it was to use, so was delighted when one was installed at the end of
March… the trouble is I have to share it!” he laughs.
One saving grace for Grant has
been the InfiniApp, allowing each operator to store a number of parameters such
as deck speed and walking speed, for quick and simple set-up straight from a
smart device. “Not only does this save a huge amount of time, it also means I
can be assured of consistency with every operation - and consistency, as they
say, is key.”
Grant continues, “Everything with
the purchase, the installation and all the support we received from both
Fairways and Alan Jack has been excellent and, since we’ve had the machine,
I’ve been really impressed with the quality of cut and finish it delivers.”
With
the end-of-season renovation now taking place on the Hearts pitch, the SM34
Rotary is primed and ready to be back in action when pre-season training
returns at the end of June. “Now that I’ve had a taster of what this machine
will help us to achieve, I can’t wait to start using it as part of my daily
maintenance programme. It’s going to be in demand that’s for sure!”
