Steve Bullman

stihl will present a range of new products at this year’s SALTEX, Europe’s premier grounds management show, between 30th – 31st October 2024. Taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, they will be showcasing brand new battery-powered tools in the AP System range, including the BGA 250, STIHL’s most powerful handheld leaf blower, the KMA 200 R, STIHL’s most powerful KombiMotor, the TSA 300, STIHL’s first battery-powered 12” cut-off machine and the SHA 140, STIHL’s first battery-powered vacuum shredder designed for professionals. The BGA 250 is the latest battery-powered leaf blower from stihl. Weighing only 2.7kg, this leaf blower is lighter than the BGA 86 and boasts a significantly higher blowing force of 26 Newtons. This makes it the most powerful handheld leaf blower from stihl, with the same blowing force on the maximum setting as the BR 430 petrol backpack blower. Due to the location of the battery on the BGA 250, it has great balance and the variable speed trigger makes it perfect for leaf clearing jobs that require high power. Thanks to constant power output technology, the blowing performance remains consistent throughout use and does not decrease as the battery discharges. Whether you use it at 100% charge or 20%, you’ll get full power until the battery has completely run out of energy. Also on show at SALTEX is the KMA 200 R, the latest KombiMotor offering from stihl which has a higher power output than the KM 131 petrol KombiEngine. This new addition to the AP System offers professional landscapers unrivalled performance and versatility. What’s more, the KMA 200 R can be used with a wide-range of KombiTools for taking on landscaping tasks, including brushcutter, pole pruner, sweeper brush, leaf blower, lawn edging and hedge trimmer attachments. After many years of development, stihl is excited to present its latest professional tool for hardscaping, construction and pipework, the TSA 300 12” cut-off machine. This model has been developed with precision in mind and features a variable speed control for achieving a significantly narrower cutting kerf in comparison to its petrol equivalent, the TS 410. This results in greater efficiency and a more accurate cut. The TSA 300 rivals the TS 410 for power and has other benefits such as being lighter, more compact and having less vibrations. Finally, stihl will be presenting the SHA 140, its first battery-powered vacuum shredder in the AP System. Designed for professionals, this vacuum shredder is the most powerful in its lineup and has a robust build, as well as 15% more suction power than the petrol SH 86, making it ideal for the leaf clearing season ahead. Visitors to the stihl stand will get the chance to see these new tools up close, observe live demonstrations, and speak with stihl experts for advice and guidance on all stihl machines. For more information, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

The pinnacle of logger sports action, the stihl TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship, takes place in Toulouse, France on 8th and 9th November this year, and the athletes who will represent Great Britain in the Team event have now been selected. After going head-to-head against each other as rivals in the British Championship earlier this year, the top British athletes will now have to work together if they want to repeat their success on the world stage. In the Team World Championship, each team consists of four athletes who take on four TIMBERSPORTS® disciplines in a relay; the Stock Saw, the Underhand Chop, the Single Buck and finally the Standing Block Chop. The teams compete in knock-out rounds against each other, with the fastest team proceeding to the next round, so the athletes with the quickest times in their national championships stand the best chance of being selected to represent their country. British Pro champion Glen Penlington from Knighton, Wales took his third British title in a row in June at the Royal Three Counties Show, but it was his impressive times in the Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Standing Block Chop that guaranteed him a place in the team. Penlington was faster than his fellow competitors in all three disciplines, even delivering a new Personal Best time in the Single Buck, on his way to the top of the podium. With four other places on the team to be filled, including a reserve, the decisions in the rest of the selection process needed more consideration. But through analysis of each of the discipline times from the British Championship, the rest of the team was selected. Along with Penlington, Rob Chatley from Hanley Broadheath in Worcestershire, Graham Turner from Penicuik, Scotland, Tom Redmond from Bere Regis, Dorset and George Spencer from Hereford all made the cut, meaning that the British team for the 2024 World Championship is the same as the team that travelled to Stuttgart for the 2023 World Championship. Vicky Tween, stihl TIMBERSPORTS® Team Manager, was excited about the prospect of team reuniting again. “Individually, they are all really strong athletes, so it’s always great to see what they can do when they come together. Last year didn’t go as planned for the team, but it was a useful learning experience, and I’m certain they will improve this year,” she said. They will once again be joined by the British Rookie Champion, Jack Morris, also from Knighton, in Wales. Whilst Rookie athletes don’t normally compete as part of the team, Morris delivered some lightning-fast times at the Rookie Championship and will be nipping at the heels of the Pro athletes when he joins them for the three Team training camps that take place in the lead-up to Toulouse. These training camps are a great opportunity for the team to work out who will take which leg of the relay at the World Championship, as well as an opportunity to practice the changeovers between the disciplines. In a sport that can come down to the tiniest margins, the additional training is critical to the performance, and the team will be looking to build on their 14th place finish from 2023. If you want to see how Team GB fare against the best athletes from across the globe, you can watch the World Championship in full, live on the stihl TIMBERSPORTS® YouTube channel on Friday 8th November.

Leading woodchipper manufacturers GreenMech are pleased to announce the appointment of David Blackwood as their new Sales Director following the retirement of Martin Lucas. David joins GreenMech with a wealth of business acumen gleaned from over 30 years of experience in the machinery industry, giving him the foundation to flourish in his new role – leading the sales operation across the UK and throughout GreenMech’s global network. David started his career as a Design Engineer in the Massey Ferguson tractor factory in Coventry. From here, he spent the next 15 years working for Massey Ferguson/AGCO in the Asia Pacific region – looking after all aspects of the business, including product support, sales and marketing. He then took up a position with Kubota UK, managing the sales and marketing for their Tractor and Groundcare business throughout the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and the Baltics. David went on to return to AGCO, this time to manage sales of FELLA hay tools for western Europe and latterly all markets outside of Europe, for a further 10 years before, most recently, becoming UK and Export Sales Manger at Stocks Ag – the UK’s leading precision seeder and applicator manufacturer. With over three decades of knowledge and experience dealing with sales at home and overseas, David is well placed to spearhead the GreenMech sales team and dealer network around the UK, together with supporting distributors around the world in conjunction with colleagues from GreenMech France and GreenMech Germany. Commenting on his appointment David had this to say, “I am really looking forward to working with GreenMech – a British engineering success story and a brand synonymous with developing innovative products for the arboricultural, landscaping and green space industries. Having started at the beginning of July, I feel I have already gained huge insight into the market, its challenges, but also importantly, its opportunities. I look forward to meeting GreenMech customers past and present, along with other friends and associates at APF 2024.” He adds, “Together with everyone at GreenMech, we wish to extend a massive thank you to Martin for all he has done and achieved with the company and wish him the very best for a long and fulfilling retirement.”