Top quality Dennis performance
Top quality performance from Dennis at BTME
By Sue Meeken
At BTME 2004 on STAND B32, Dennis will highlight their precision-engineered products for golf greenkeepers and other turf professionals. The company designs and builds all equipment in-house at its Derby factory, giving total quality control and ensuring machines give performance, reliability and longevity.
Featured items on the stand will include the pioneering FT and Supersix machines, the first units ever made to feature quickly interchangeable cassettes for true multi-tasking capability. The result of 11 years' ongoing development, units are used by facilities worldwide and at all levels of sport.
The golf sector is a growing market for the FT and Supersix, which span widths from 17-24in (43-61cm) and can accept verti-cutters, scarifiers, aerators and turf brushes, as well as mowing reels. Greenkeepers appreciate this versatility, which allows them to undertake different tasks quickly on greens and tees. The machines are designed for easy handling and to provide a precise cut on tees and surrounds. Another derivative, designed as a dedicated mowing machine, is the 22in (56cm) Sport. This has an ultra-short wheelbase and a small diameter cutting cylinder, allowing it to follow undulations closely and making it ideal for achieving a fine cut on greens.
The Dennis S500 is also being targeted at the golf market. It is a low-cost, high-benefit machine that surface aerates the turf, mechanising the otherwise laborious manual operation of sarrel rolling. The 20in (50cm) unit can be fitted with a spiker to keep greens and tees free-draining, allowing air, water and fertiliser to penetrate the rootzone for healthy growth.
The movement of machinery and foot traffic on the green can cause a surface pan to develop, a thin compacted layer preventing essential nutrients to reach the roots. Regular use of the S500 can help keep the turf healthy. The machine, which is easy to use and transport, can also be fitted with a surface slotter attachment for precise seeding during renovation operations.
The latest version of the company's state-of-the-art G150 battery-operated golf car will be displayed. Dennis has responded to customer feedback over the last 12 months, which has helped guide the company towards a production design. The single-seater machine is designed for ease of use, reliability and performance. It complements two-seater units a club might have, allowing them to offer older or less mobile golfers a dedicated vehicle.
"BTME is the ideal showcase for us to exhibit our machines designed to make 'greenkeepers' work easier," says Ian Howard, Managing Director of Dennis. "We will also have much to interest the growing number of local authority staff and personnel from other grounds care sectors who visit the show."