All Doe for GKB

Tony Hawkinsin Machinery & Mechanics

Ernest Doe are expanding their successful hire fleet to introduce a whole range of specialist turf machinery for groundsmen and greenkeepers.

Whilst the company covers the whole country, over six hundred golf clubs in their immediate territory put aerators and sandfillers high on their list of priorities for equipment. A visit to the new, state-of-the-art GKB factory in Holland was the ideal opportunity to assess the performance of the latest GKB Sandfiller, and the demonstration quickly confirmed this was the right choice for the fleet. Designed to offer a fast solution to tackling areas on the golf course, especially the greens, and all types of sports pitches, the GKB Sandfiller provides an all-in-one combination of aeration and sand filling.

"This is an exciting new venture for us," says Ernest Doe's Andy Turbin, "and any kit we introduce has to stand the rigours of the hire market. The GKB Sandfiller not only does a good job it's also quality, solidly built machinery. We had a lot of recommendations from customers who had bought them and our staff were impressed with the demos. Tom Shinkins from GKB is great to work with and we think we have the perfect choice for the fleet with their machine. We'll be adding more as we build the new venture."

Use of the GKB Sandfiller for intensive aeration of the grass also leads to faster drainage of surface water and quicker recovery. The combination of aerating and filling the topsoil with sand creates the right conditions for root growth without the need for complete renovation. Material that is removed by verticutting is collected in a tipping container, so the whole operation is done quickly and cleanly in one pass.