Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, has a renowned and solid reputation for educating and preparing students for their role in life.
An important part of the school curriculum revolves around sport and Blundell’s boasts some nine cricket squares, ten rugby pitches and five football fields.
Maintaining these facilities to the highest standards is Head Groundsman Graham Cox with his team of eight professional ground staff including two gardeners for the gardens and formal lawns.
Commented Graham Cox, Head Groundsman: “The school management team at Blundell’s understands and appreciates the need for investment in quality equipment to enable us to provide the very best grounds and sports facilities for our pupils.”
Blundell’s School recently took delivery of two new Iseki TG6495 50hp compact tractors and a Major 4m Swift trailed roller mower. “We chose what we consider the best for our purposes - not necessarily the cheapest, but equipment that gives greater performance and efficiencies,” explained Graham.“We liked that the Swift came with a three-year guarantee and was gear-driven, meaning there were no belts that would need adjusting.”
The Major Swift is a 4m trailed roller mower that folds to a neat 2.4m for transport. It is constructed using high-performance Strenx 700 MC structural steel, which is lighter but stronger than ordinary steel.The reduced weight minimises ground compaction and fits to a wider range of compact tractors. Rollers at the front and rear of the cutting deck means that it leaves a clear striped finish in all conditions from its six cutting rotors and twelve cutting blades.
“This year, even with the wet conditions, we have been able to get onto the grass, six to eight weeks earlier than historically because of the Swift being lighter and trailed - so there’s another big advantage for us.The Swift gives us a really high quality finish, pretty much the same as you would get from a cylinder mower, but without the maintenance and high repair costs,” concluded Graham.
