The search is now on across the nation to find the oldest AMAZONE Groundkeeper mower/collector that is still hard at work.

Most probably found finished in red paintwork, this doesn’t mean one in the nettles but one still carrying on doing what it does best – cutting and collecting anything and everything – from litter to leaves, spring bulb tops to hedge cuttings, mowing down to a fine turf finish, scarifying or clearing out roughs and semi-roughs on golf courses – they really are a machine for all seasons.

The horizontal flail rotor of the Groundkeeper, with its unique combination of wing blades and grass-cutting blades, shreds the long grass stalks down into manageable clippings that they can be readily collected in the capacious hoppers without taking up a huge amount of space.

These short clippings also easily compost when removed from site and the Groundkeeper is guaranteed to pick up wet or dry for use any day, anywhere, anytime. But we are preaching to the converted here, as the potential beneficiary of our quest will know all this as they will be using it every day any way.

With the current economic climate, especially in the world of contractors and local authorities, the current trend is leaning towards reducing the number of cuts per year; and this results in the subsequent need to handle long, lank, wet grass.

However, the SmartCut flail rotor system, with its tool-less blade change and newly laid out chevron blade arrangement as found in the Groundkeeper, means that the machine takes these difficult conditions in its stride.

The new 2015 Groundkeepers have been improved still further, if that’s at all possible: the top link mounting and damping has been improved, hydraulic hoses extended, an additional lower link mounting point, easier access for slip clutch and valve block maintenance, new height adjustment system on both mounted and semi-mounted models, strapping points for trailer transport, etc., etc.

Fundamentally the new model range stays much the same; with working widths starting at 1.35m and going up to 2.10m with hopper capacities from 1,350 up to 3,500 litres. The trailed GHS Drive, with its high speed transport rating, continues to be the popular option.

When our unsung hero of the grass cutting world is discovered, the lucky owner will be presented with their replacement machine at the new-look Saltex 2015 Show which is to be held at the NEC in November.

So get out the camera, have a look on the serial number plate and forward your ‘evidence’ by e-mail to sales@amazone.co.uk or phone 01302 751200 and put your hat firmly into the ring for a claim on the big prize. Don’t worry – we will be in touch to verify your entry.

The prize is centred on a ‘like for like’ exchange – if the oldest working machine turns out to be a GH, or even a LG, 150, then the machine will be replaced by a new GH1500, and so on. So should you wish to update to a high-lift model, or semi-trailed machine, you can do so by paying the difference between the two models.