Steve Bullman

Leading premium garden tools brand, STIHL GB, is partnering with Perennial, the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping people in horticulture. The STIHL team will volunteer in a wide range of fund-raising activities to provide financial support for Perennial with sponsored events including cycling, hikes, car washes and bake-offs. Helping the charity provide free and confidential advice, information and support to people working in, or retired from, horticulture and their families. As part of the new charity partnership Perennial will launch the STIHL equipment replacement fund, to help those in need with donations of tools and PPE. STIHL GB’s Head of Marketing, Simon Hewitt, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Perennial, a charity whose purpose is so closely linked to our own values. STIHL has been focused on making people’s lives easier when working in and with nature since our founder, Andreas Stihl, invented the first portable chainsaw in the 1920s. In pledging our support to Perennial and combining our efforts we hope together we can help many more people in horticulture.” Phil Swainston, Perennial’s Corporate Partnership Manager, said: “The financial and social pressures faced by individuals working in, and retired from, horticulture are acute, particularly in today's challenging economic climate where horticulture professionals often contend with relatively low pay and the physical demands of their work. Perennial serves as a lifeline for many in our community, and thus, STIHL’s invaluable support plays a crucial role in our ability to assist those within the horticulture community. STIHL’s support holds immense value, especially as we’ve seen a notable 21% increase in individuals from our sector seeking personal support and a significant rise in those accessing our online tools.”

STIHL has launched two new AP System battery-powered brushcutters with enhanced operational performance, specifically designed for professionals to tackle large areas of tough grass. Replacing the FSA 90 model, the new FSA 120 and FSA 120 R boast an impressive 40% increase in power, making them the ideal choice for professionals undertaking landscaping projects. The FSA 120 is available with a bike handle or loop handle (R) to best suit customer requirements. Thanks to the utilisation of the same gearbox used in STIHL petrol tools, the new brushcutters are compatible with a wide range of cutting attachments, including AutoCut, PolyCut, DuroCut and TrimCut cutting heads, as well as metal grass blades for greater versatility and longer working times. The FSA 120 offers flexibility with two-speed settings and a variable trigger, enabling users to adapt to different cutting requirements with ease. Not only do both brushcutter models feature an innovative ECO mode that reduces RPM to maximise working time, but they also automatically adapt their speed (in level 2) for optimum performance. With line head RPM at 7,800 and metal blade RPM at 9,700, professional users can trust in consistent, efficient results. Other features include a tool-free adjustable loop handle (FSA 120 R) for easy adjustment and maximum comfort, as well as an adjustable harness hook that allows users to move the attachment points along the shaft quickly and simply. The STIHL FSA 120 and FSA 120 R are ideal for use with the powerful AP 300 S Lithium-Ion battery, STIHL’s high-capacity battery, which offers up to 100 minutes of working time on a single charge when used with a metal cutting blade. For more information on the FSA 120 and FSA 120 R and STIHL’s wide range of professional battery tools, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

Following the formation of FSI Stump Cutters UK Ltd at the end of 2023, the stump grinder manufacturer has now released further details about their newly established network of FSI partners. With nationwide coverage, customers past, present and future can be assured of quality sales and service matched with consistent and localised support throughout the United Kingdom. In what has been a busy few months for Lee Hatton, Sales Director for FSI Stump Cutters UK Ltd, and FSI Managing Director Kim Schmidt visiting dealerships across the country, twelve FSI partners have been officially signed up – some having worked with the brand previously, and others new to the franchise. All, however, have been carefully selected for their alignment with the FSI values and vision to deliver industry-leading service and support. Confirmed partners at time of publishing are Davies Implements, DJB Machinery, Eastern Garden Machinery, Elmstar Machinery, FH & J Alviti Ltd, GA Groundcare Ltd, GGM, Global Plant Sales, ILH Groundcare, Landpower Machinery, Pro Arb and Stag Machinery. Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Guernsey, Alderney and Sark in the Channel Islands will be managed directly by FSI UK. The move to a more regionalised approach ensures that an FSI expert is never far away, meaning that advice and support is available in an efficient and timely manner. Commenting on the network, Lee adds, “The strength we have as a manufacturer-owned UK business is now paired with the support of our partners to the benefit of our customers. I am passionate about providing an industry-leading package based on three pillars – products, parts and service and I am pleased to be hearing reports from happy customers about their own positive experiences of working with FSI and our partners in our new era in the UK.” More details on the FSI partner network are available on the new FSI UK website, where product information, technical specifications and in-field videos can also be found, alongside the ability to request a demonstration. Please visit www.fsi-stumpcutters.co.uk for further information.

The team at Camel Valley Projects Ltd (CVP) Gardening & Property Maintenance admit to being ‘bowled over’ by the power and performance delivered by their new CS100 from GreenMech. The chipper’s ability to handle wood and green waste of all shapes and sizes has resulted in improved efficiency and cost-savings on jobs conducted across the west coast of Cornwall – so much so that Director Joe Herzberg claims the purchase via Vincent Tractors in early 2024 has ‘transformed his business’. Joe established CVP Gardening & Property Maintenance in 2016, quickly growing the business from one garden and one operative to six full-time staff and over 100 satisfied regular customers! As the scale of the operation increased, as did the demand for Joe to invest in a machine capable of tackling the waste produced from hedge, tree and woodland maintenance. “Clients were either having to fork out on cross-hire machinery, or we were spending time and money disposing of the waste at approved sites” he explains. “Now we can process everything ourselves, charging to cover the cost of our investment and producing re-usable chip and mulch at the same time. In that sense, it has transformed my business.” “I cannot fault the experience we’ve had with GreenMech and Vincent Tractors.” Joe continues, “I was really impressed with the showroom and, most importantly, the service, help and guidance I received from GreenMech & Vincent Tractors in Fraddon – everyone was incredibly friendly and accommodating throughout the demonstration, purchase and post-purchase process which made the team and I very comfortable with investing in our first woodchipper.” For chipping in confined spaces, GreenMech’s CS100 is the solution. At just 760mm wide, access to properties, pathways or hard-to-reach locations is no problem, with its 18hp electric start petrol-engine providing reliable power for ‘on-the-spot’ chipping. “We’ve found it to be easy to operate, simple to transport and it’s delivering the power and performance of a much bigger machine – we’re bowled over by what this machine can do.” Since its delivery, the CS100 has been flat out on a large estate project, and other jobs where material was safely stored ready to be chipped. “We’ve got plans in the pipeline for the next month and more including estates work, woodland management and thinning out some of the bulk waste stored in my own field under our EA waste licence. It is clear this machine will pay for itself in no time, and we couldn’t be more pleased with our decision.”