Twenty years ago, Wiedenmann UK’s National Sales Manager, Mike James, was a young operations manager watching the turfcare industry shift dramatically.
“It was a pivotal time in the world of deep spiking,” Mike muses. “We’d brought out the Terra Spike XP in 2000, which gave us the ability to tine down to 40 cm. Then, by 2004, the extra-fast Terra Spike XF came along, able to cover a full pitch in about three hours. These were massive firsts. The XF marked the beginning of twin-drive technology for Terra Spikes, ushering in what we used to call the era of ‘smooth’ — machines that ran quieter, with less vibration, and a much better operator experience. That advance has since become firmly established, paving the way for the GXi models and the XD and SL versions.”
By 2006, Wiedenmann had added the Whisper Twister blower with its 180-degree swivel, along with the first Super 500s. The Super 500, with its independent floating head, was the first collector that could properly follow contours, taking undulating ground in its stride. Around the same time, the Verticut Harrow was rebranded as the Terra Rake, setting the stage for the versatile range seen today.
“With the Terra Spikes taking off and the rough management machines capturing everyone’s imagination, I was out on demo all the time,” Mike continues. “Those were great sessions, and I could never get everything I needed on one trailer. The demos were just as much about listening as they were about showing; there were so many good exchanges. Customer feedback went straight back to the factory and the design team in Germany, and soon upgraded models and new accessories began to appear.”
“I didn’t realise then just how much these machines would become the backbone of maintenance for so many clubs and businesses.”
Today, the fleet includes ten Terra Spikes, the Super 500 and 600 sweepers, the recently added Super 1300 — a 1,600-litre, semi-trailed compact cut-and-collect machine that complements the larger models — five versions of the Terra Rake, and two blower models.
“Our Terra Float Air pneumatic seeder has quickly become a must-have on championship courses for regular overseeding programmes, and it also allows us to cater for full renovation of fine turf,” says Mike.
“It’s a great example of how feedback from those early demos has carried through — practical ideas from the field turned into machines that really make a difference. Looking back, it’s satisfying to see how many of the features we now take for granted began with those conversations out in the field. And the journey isn’t stopping there — the next generation of machines is already taking shape.”