Established in 1910, Eaton Golf Club offers its members a mature parkland setting for a picturesque 18-holes of play on the outskirts of Norwich.
Jay Seaman, Head Greenkeeper, has become all too familiar with the challenges that come with managing such an established parkland site – with leaf fall not only proving to be a drain on time but also on the finances. Making the process more economical is a GKB Leaf Blower.
“Due to the age of the trees we have here on site, we can be clearing leaves for anywhere up to three months of the year,” explains Jay, who heads up a greenkeeping team of six. “Our previous trailed blower ran on petrol and could cost us in the region of £50 a day just in fuel.”
Deciding the time was right to find a more cost-effective solution, he spoke with Eddie Jack from local dealers Ernest Doe who swiftly arranged a demonstration of the GKB Leaf Blower.
“We had the machine in for a few days and the feedback from the team was really positive. It’s a solid, well-built piece of kit and, importantly, is PTO-driven so it just runs off the tractor with no need for additional fuel.” As an added bonus, when the order was placed last October the team got to keep the Leaf Blower on site, seeing them up and running in-time for the start of another busy leaf-fall season.
The Leaf Blower from GKB Machines delivers high airflow output, with low demand on the tractor – requiring less than 40hp. The adjustable rear chute and air capacity of 380m3/min makes light work of clearing leaves and other debris, to swiftly improve both playability and presentation. “Compared to other blowers I’ve used, the chute sits lower to the ground allowing you to blow leaves into the wind without them coming back at you which makes a big difference when working in challenging conditions.”
“Another thing we really like is the jockey wheels and rear anti-scalp roller which do a great job at keeping the machine stable and preventing scalping on our undulating landscape.” He adds, “It’s also incredibly simple to hitch and operate meaning anyone on the team can jump on and use it confidently.”
Beyond the machine itself, Jay also notes the excellent aftersales support they’ve received from Ernest Doe. “Eddie has kept in touch regularly just to check how things are going. Everything has been top notch.”