SALTEX 2016 – A Mowing and Growing Event


Now in its second year at the NEC, SALTEX seems to have overcome some complaints that since it is all about the outdoors it ought to be held outdoors. But if you want to take advantage of November “quiet time” and guarantee good “indoor” weather, then the NEC is an ideal venue. And there was even some outdoor space available for demos and “hands-on” use of smaller machines too. The successful formula from last


year was also built on and expanded with more seminars, discussions and forums discussing everything from Brexit to the fate of glyphosate. So, regardless of the opportunities to examine closely new machinery and kit, and possibly buy too, it is also a wonderful educational vehicle. Much needed when safety, regulation and digital innovation are all in the mix. Reports indicate that exhibitors were very


pleased with the quality of the visitors – many of whom were decision makers empowered to buy or order new machinery. Visitors were largely UK based, but the increasing trend for visitors from Europe and the Middle East was confirmed this year, with over 45 countries represented in the attendance figures. Some of the reasons for this


must be that SALTEX organiser, the IOG, has gone down the route of increasing the number of competitions (especially for younger employees in the industry), lectures and seminar discussions. We all have opinions about what and how we do things but it can be interesting to find out how others come up with solutions and especially how digital innovation is impacting on efficiency. GPS on excavators to tell them where and how deep to dig? - already in hand and potentially a revolutionary idea for landscapers and construction. As ever, I am interested in the machinery and


innovations. One of the things that really caught my attention was the Fence Master Post Puller. Having only recently been forced to dig out a few concreted- in fence posts, much to the detriment of my back muscles, I was much taken with the idea of a device that is simply wheeled up to the old fencepost (even broken off ones) then attaching the chains closely around it and applying the lifting force via the hydraulics. The result is that the post is pulled slowly upwards out of the ground usually with the seating concrete attached. If you dig out a post, there is always a much larger hole needed to get the concrete out. But the Post Puller leaves a much smaller hole as it pulls the post, which means that bedding in a new post will use a similar amount of concrete as the first one. So far it is all win-win for me and I can’t see why the Post Puller would not be universally adopted by fencing contractors. A much larger version using the same sort of technology is the Strimech Barrier


Master. It is used to safely withdraw barrier posts on motorways – a potentially dangerous job that is hard, slow work if it is done in the traditional way. The


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Barrier Master is much safer since the single operator works from behind the barrier he is removing and in the safety of the cab of an excavator with the Barrier Master attachment mounted on it. Recent demos have shown that a Barrier Master with a trained operator could remove 100 posts in a little over 75 minutes – about five times quicker than using current methods. The impact of Lithium Ion cordless technology is


bound to have an effect on the groundskeeping industries and an example of a company that is exploring all the options is EGO. A huge international company based in China, its R and D department employs over 300 technicians to design and develop the tools of the future – i.e. cordless if possible, non-polluting and as “green” as possible without sacrificing performance. Aiming to practice what it


preaches, EGO’s huge factory and design building’s PV roof generates 2 megawatts of electricity annually and therefore saves about 755 tonnes of coal. EGO had some impressive garden


maintenance machines on show at the NEC. The line trimmers, mowers, blowers hedge trimmers and chain saws all used the same 56v battery


pack that enables emission free work. The machines are much quieter too - early morning council workers won’t disturb residents and schools and hospitals will also appreciate the peace. For much longer daily work, EGO also has back pack mounted batteries that will last for a whole day. I was able to appreciate the needs of regular


SALTEX visitors by looking at the show through the eyes of Nigel King, MD of East Midlands Landscapers – a large company that regularly buys plant and tools - large and small. Accompanying him through the halls was very interesting. He was also looking for innovation and new ways of doing things, but definitely had an eye on which tools would fit within his current range. He was also having to think about replacing some tools that had recently been stolen. The dilemma? To try out a range from a brand not used before or to stick with a trusted supplier with whom you have already established a good working relationship? Since reliability and hard work are required from all his tools, I am quite glad I wasn’t having to make his decisions, especially as they involved several thousands of Pounds. Although my visit was too short to


attend any of the seminars and talks, I did have a look at the programme. There was quite a focus on football groundkeeping in its various forms. How to look after two pitches – one for football and the other for American football? That is what Tottenham’s Groundskeepers have to deal with. And there are lots of ways of doing things – an


American perspective was provided by Weston Appelfeller of Columbus Crew SC. Clearly the programmes were imaginative and designed to encourage participation and innovation. On the basis of what I saw at SALTEX, it is clear that the IOG development team has done some hard


thinking about its direction and what the visitors want. The huge range of exhibitors, visitors and the ground covered by the seminars and lectures is an indication of the general health of the industries concerned. An excellent show.


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