SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/77829
Tools&Equipment "Friday Night Lights" contest for high school turf managers W help schools keep players safe from fire ants with the 2012 "Friday Night Lights" contest, running August 1-31, 2012. Three schools will each win ten (10) bags of the new Talstar XTRA granular in- secticide featuring Verge technology (a $500 retail value) and all five seasons of ITH HIGH-SCHOOL FOOT- BALL season just weeks away, FMC Professional Solutions will NBC's award winning TV show, "Friday Night Lights" on DVD. Have you recently had a fire ant prob- lem? Have your budgets been slashed? Or do you have players destined for greatness? Visit the FMC promotions web page (click Friday Night Lights) and tell us why your school deserves to win. Only high schools or the companies contracted to treat high school athletic fields are eligible to win. "School budgets are shrinking, yet the need for fire ant control is more important than ever. We've all read stories about kids getting stung and games being cancelled," said Adam Manwarren, FMC Product Manager for turf and ornamental products. "FMC is happy to help some deserving schools have a safe football season." To enter the contest, visit www.fm- cprosolutions.com/Home/Promotions.aspx Verticutting and aerification Over time, the development of excessive thatch on turfgrass can restrict the movement of air, water, fertil- izer, and other materials to the roots. The thatch can be removed by various methods and/or tools. Several products manufactured by Wiedenmann can aid in thatch removal by either verticutting, by aerifying with cor- ing tines, or by de-thatching with rake fingers. The Super 500 and the new Super 600 will verticut and collect the thatch in one pass. This allows for verti- cutting without making a mess. Verticutting becomes a one man, one tractor operation. These units work ex- tremely well as a core pulverizer by installing brackets on the rear door of the hopper, creating a 4" gap that allows materials to fall back to the surface. The full range of Terra Spikes by Wiedenmann will aid in thatch removal by using coring tines while provid- ing the benefits of deep tine aerification including de-compaction, increased root depth, elimination of black layering, and profile exchange. The Terra Spikes are durable and user friendly, offering a variety of features such as the Quickset adjustment of the entry angle and depth, the VibraStop and PowerPack anti-vibration and ab- sorption systems, the Quickfit tine mounting and extraction system, and an advanced tine control system. The third method for thatch control is to use the Terra Rake to pull up the thatch material from the turf and deposit this material on the surface. Wiedenmann North America, LLC Verti-Cut 1200 from Redexim The Verti-Cut 1200 is a machine that will dethatch and penetrate even in hard ground using the standard carbide tipped blades. It is the ultimate rootzone management tool for all surfaces and can work at depths from 0-2" at high working speeds. Unlike other verti-cut, the Verti-Cut 1200 can be used behind utility vehicles, small tractors and most other prime movers, due to it being offered with a standard PTO drive or as a self con- tained machine that is powered with an 18-hp Briggs and Stratton engine. Redexim North America Turfco TurnAer XT5 upgrades Turfco revolutionized aeration with the patented and patent-pending TurnAer XT5 steerable and reversible aerator. Now with increased speed and a new weight system, the XT5 is more efficient and performs better on hills. With a new gear ratio system, the aeration speed is increased by 14%. More ground can be covered in less time without sacrificing quality or the ability to turn while aerating. The new weight system allows operators to adjust the weight in the back of the aerator, improving hill performance and control on hills. The TurnAer XT5 uses Turfco's patented steerable aerator technology with a new variable-speed hydrostatic drive system. As a result, the XT5 is 50 percent more productive than traditional aerators. It is also simple to understand and oper- ate and requires little maintenance. In addition, the XT5 features new EasyChange tines for fast, easy access for changes and cleaning. Sealed, self-aligning tine shaft bearings keep maintenance to a minimum and reduce down time. Turfco Direct ThatchMaster with rolling aerator TurfTime Equipment pairs its ThatchMaster with Advantage heavy-duty rolling aerators for an unbeatable turf enhancing duo. ThatchMaster clears debris, promoting nutrient uptake and speeding drainage, creating voids for surface aeration, and promoting new growth. Chisel point Revolution tines on the Advantage aerator loosen the next soil layers even in heavily compacted areas. ast and frequent 7" deep aeration then keeps the field in top shape for uninterrupted play throughout the season. Slicing, coring and sports tine sets are inter- changeable on the Aerator. The ThatchMaster also adapts to the job with choices of blade thickness and spac- ing. Three foot units fitted to the smallest tractors are built to the same rugged specs as large commercial sizes, making this pair the perfect dethatching/aerating choice for small or large facilities. Turf Time Equipment 34 SportsTurf | August 2012 www.sportsturfonline.com