First GKB Sandfiller in Ireland

Tony Hawkinsin Machinery & Mechanics

Brian Martyn has a long-established association with GKB Machines, having sold them in the USA, and Martyn's Turf Machinery are handling GKB as dealers for southern Ireland. They have recently delivered the first of the new generation of GKB Sandfillers to be sold in Ireland, the customer being Harris Turf Improvements of Dublin. The company specialises in golf course maintenance and services customers in a radius of around a hundred kilometres in the Leinster province.

The GKB Sandfiller is built to tackle the problems of surface drainage and aeration, especially on golf course greens. In areas on the golf course where standing water and moss formation are a problem, the Sandfiller offers a fast solution for drainage and intensive aeration. Aeration of the top layer is economically and environmentally friendly, say GKB, while being cost-effective through the all-in-one combination of aeration and sand filling.

"There has been a great deal of interest in the Sandfiller", says Mark Harris, "and we have already done several demonstrations. It's a different approach from what has been used before and this is much quicker, cleaner and far less labour intensive. Everyone is very impressed with the machine and the first green treated has shown improvement within only a few days."

Using the Sandfiller for intensive aeration of the grass leads to quicker recovery, greater green longevity and faster drainage of surface water, without the need for complete renovation. Because the Sandfiller simultaneously aerates and fills the root zone with sand, it creates the right conditions for excellent root growth. To allow the machine to properly follow the contours of the ground, three adjustable depth rollers are used while a slitting rotor, situated between conveyor rollers, operates the aerating and slitting actions. Material removed from the top layer by verticutting is immediately collected in a sideways tipping container, making the overall operation very quick and clean.