Pottinger is not only bringing its wares to Grass & Muck 2018 next week; its equipment is also busy prepping the site for the event (9:00am-5:00pm; Thursday; May 17).

Pottinger’s Ben Stokes is already on-site at Gurteen College (close to the Tipperary/Offaly border). He is cutting out the demo plots, walkways and trade village area; he’s also lifting the grass and hauling it into the pit.

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He’s using a Novacat Alpha Motion (front-mounted) mower and a Torro forage wagon. Stokes is working to a schedule; many exhibitors plan to start moving some of their larger machines to the site later this week.

Pottinger’s Ben Stokes pictured undertaking preparatory work on the site at Gurteen College

Diarmuid Claridge, general manager of Pottinger Ireland, explained: “Like all our mowers, the Novacat Alpha Motion mower’s bed is only 28mm deep. This slim, sleek design allows the cutter-bar to track [follow] the ground in the best way possible.

The mower bed’s gear-drive runs in a straight line with virtually the same-sized gears. These gears engage with one another using three teeth at all times – ensuring stronger and better power transmission and softer starting.

He added: “When it comes to front-mounted mowers, constant precise contouring is everything. Our technology is based on the advanced design of the mower’s mounting frame. The mower bed inclines upwards over bumps and slants downwards into dips – for a cleaner, safer cut.

“Two powerful springs are integrated in the headstock. These springs ensure an even release of the mowing unit over a distance of 500mm.”

Claridge added that Pottinger is a “worldwide market leader” in loader (forage) wagons; he says visitors to next week’s Grass & Muck will also be able to see the latest incarnations of these – up close and personal – along with a host of other Pottinger machines.

Publicity drive

Publicity is starting to mount ahead of Grass & Muck. There’s even a radio ad in play for the event. If you’re curious, you can listen to it by clicking on this link.

Progress (last week) on a new farm-road at Gurteen College. The timing is good; it will serve as the route from the car-park to the exhibition fields at Grass & Muck 2018

As previously reported on AgriLand, the FTMTA has released a site map, showing the locations of the various demonstration plots and exhibition areas.

Below is a JPEG image (of the map); simply click on the image to open up a larger version.

Grass & Muck 2018 site map

Alternatively, if you have a suitable viewer (application) on your PC, tablet or smart-phone, we also have a PDF version. Click on this link or on the button below to open it (in which you will be able to decipher all of the finer details).

Grass & Muck 2018 site map – PDF version

A full listing of exhibitors is provided below: