TECHNICAL
In their last article, Reesink Turfcare took an in-depth look at the importance of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of turfcare machinery, concluding that it is, now more than ever, vital to consider the overall investment of the equipment’s expected ‘life cycle’, rather than focusing on the short-term cost. In this article, David Jackman, operations manager at Reesink Turfcare, takes a look at how to control spending and avoid spending surprises, allocating maintenance budget when the economy is uncertain, managing this cost component over time and warranties
T
he coronavirus outbreak has impacted the UK economy at a level unprecedented in modern times and, whilst a recovery is underway (according to UK
Parliament), there is uncertainty over how fast economic activity will regain lost ground. It is understandable that there is reluctance from businesses and consumers to return to ‘normal’ spending patterns, but that doesn’t seem to be a rule that applies fully to the golf industry. As we know, the industry has fared incredibly well post lockdown in membership and/or pay-to-play increases, with the majority of clubs clawing back on the deficit from the start of the year within six weeks of re-trading, according to The Revenue Club. Rounds have gone up, membership is on the increase, there’s a rise in younger golfers, lapsed players are back; it seems golf has been given a big opportunity to broaden its player base, improve the sport’s popularity and make up some serious lost ground.
With more people wanting to play, the best way for clubs to shine is through the course. The need for health and mental well- being is only going to become more of a focus and providing a beautiful place to play the game will make the difference when it comes to bringing in new business. Some clubs may have reduced
greenkeeping teams, perhaps there is more work to do after basic maintenance for so long, but now more than ever it is important to be able to rely on your machinery fleet. View it as an extended part of the team and get the most out of the investment and, just as you would invest in your employees with training and development for example, it is important to have a good preventive maintenance programme to protect one of your biggest assets, your turfcare
machinery.ery.
Maintenance and all that it entails
Equipment is one of the largest investments a golf course makes. But that equipment only delivers a return when it’s working properly. That’s why preventive maintenance is essential to get the most out of your machines.
It is inevitable machinery will break down at some point and you simply have to deal with it. But it’s not just repairing broken machinery and minimising the downtime when a problem occurs, maintenance also safeguards your investment, ensures a better performance for longer and ensures a higher residual value.
Many clubs will have benefit from a
workshop and part- or full-time mechanic, but many more don’t have that. And, in those cases, there will be a machinery maintenance programme to take away the workload, stress and burden. An effective preventive maintenance programme includes equipment inspections, scheduled servicing and replacement of parts as needed. For turf equipment, service intervals are typically based on hours of operation. A robust regime will reduce and/or prevent unnecessary, costly and unexpected breakdowns - it is surprising, for example, how the areas of maintenance that generate service time or bills are relatively easily avoided, such as lack of greasing, contaminated fuel or oil and blocked radiators or oil coolers.
A proactive cleaning and greasing regime will protect the residual value of the investment and reduce overall service costs, whilst prompt operator action to indicators such as noise, smell and vibration changes can save money through early intervention. Clean air and oil are the fundamentals to long engine life and reliability, in a similar way to cleanliness, good quality oil and controlled operating temperatures are key to hydraulic system reliability. We’ll discuss the components of a successful preventive maintenance programme in more detail in a moment, but first, it’s worth exploring why it makes sense to have a programme in place.
Why preventive maintenance is important
1. Safety - equipment and vehicles must be safe to operate. If worn components go unrepaired, it increases the risk of downtime or even worse, accidents
2.Availability and productivity - the team depends on equipment being ready to use when they need it. Preventive maintenance helps you maximise machine availability
PC October/November 2020 117
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