By Simon Griffiths Case Study • Cricket Rollers • News • Re-Conditioned • Re-Power Kit • Service • White's Roller • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Wellington School Re-Power, Shot-Blast, Re-Spray

Wellington School have treated themselves to an early Christmas Present, they have invested in an Auto-Roller Re-Power Kit! Not only did they decide their roller needed painting they also had it painted in the Schools Uniform colours!

When the machine arrived, we checked the serial plate and were able to track it back to March 1981 when it was originally sold to Somerset College of Art.

We fitted this Re-Power kit on-site but we also supply a ‘fit yourself kit’ which takes around 1-2 days to install. The kit fits all makes and models of Auto-Roller from 1948 onwards! With the many years of manufacturing experience, we have been able to design the repower kit to complement the Auto-Roller design in keeping with the ‘Rolls Royce’ of Rollers!

Wellington School 1981 Cricket Roller
Before

Newly Re-powered Auto-Roller Cricket Roller
After

Customer Comments

Our roller was very old and worn out. We didn't know if it would start from one day to the next, and as a result, rolling during the cricket season became a job that no one looked forward too!! Autoguide have carried out a complete overhaul of the roller (including new engine, bearings etc.) and the machine is like new. With power steering and hydrostatic drive it will be a race to see which of the ground staff can get on it first this cricket season. The roller has also been resprayed to school colours to an extremely high standard. We couldn't be happier with it and the communication with Autoguide throughout has been superb.  

Graham Cox

Wellington School Head Groundsman

For more details visit the RE-POWER KIT section of the Web-Site.

By Simon Griffiths News • Shows • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Wondering why we aren’t at Saltex…?

After many years of exhibiting at Windsor Racecourse for the well-known Saltex show, I guess you are wondering why we are not attending the new location of the NEC? For over 20 years, Autoguide have enjoyed exhibiting on the racecourse, sun, rain or shine (Not sure how the organisers managed it, but we were very lucky with the weather!)

Not only will we miss the Ice creams but we feel the show will miss the ‘ground care’ side now that the show is indoors! During these years of exhibiting, we have been awarded many Gold and Silver awards for stand presentation, and we didn’t feel it would be the same inside an arena! (There isn’t much preparation, grass to mow or holes to dig!)
Read more

By Amber Ransome Uncategorized 0 Comments

A Make-Over for The Autoguide Website

2015 has already proven to be an extremely busy year for Autoguide Equipment.  With the new revamped website our current and potential customers will be able to easily search through our extensive range of products/services.

As Autoguide is an ever developing company the new websites offer a distinction between its sister companies, Auto-Roller and ABC Anchors.

By Amber Ransome Funding • Grants • • • • • 0 Comments

Is your club in need of a new Auto-Roller…

Who provides the funding?

The England and Wales Cricket Trust (EWCT)

The EWCT also promotes work to improve provision of cricket in schools, clubs and other youth cricket activities.

Activities funded by the EWCT must benefit the community not just a small group or elite. This is a primary obligation of an applicant when applying the funds provided by EWCT.

What is the aim of the Interest Free Loan Scheme?

The scheme aims to finance capital projects to help create a sustainable future for cricket.

Who can apply?

  • All ECB affiliated cricket clubs.
  • Other organisations that can evidence achievement / delivery of the charitable aims of the EWCT.
  • Please note ECB Clubmark registration or accreditation is not a requirement.

How much can be applied for?

  • Cricket clubs with a junior section* – £1,000 – £50,000
  • Cricket clubs without a junior section – £1,000 – £20,000
  • Other organisations – subject to application
  • A cricket club with a junior section is defined as ‘a cricket club that offers appropriate coaching and competition to cricketers under the age of 18 years’.

How much partnership funding is required?

A minimum of 10% partnership funding is required from the applicant.

How do I apply?

Visit the ECB website- http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/facilities-funding/grants-and-loans/

By Helen Cricket Rollers • Re-Power Kit • • • 0 Comments

“Over the moon” with re-furbished Whites Roller!

Our popular repower kit fits into all Auto-Rollers, Auto-Mowers and T.H. Whites Rollers dating back to the late 1930s.

Halesowen Cricket Club, based in the West Midlands, recently sent in their Auto-Roller to be fitted with our repower kit as well as being shot blasted and re-sprayed.

The original serial number of the Club’s roller dated back to 1961 so over fifty years on, an Autoguide Repower Kit has brought this roller back to looking and working as good as new.

Nick Roberts from Halesowen CCC kindly got in contact to say “how delighted we are with the roller rebuild”. While the repower kit was being fitted in Autoguide’s workshop, the Club hired one of our 4ft rollers which Halesowen CCC’s grounds man “did not want to part with”. However, when their original roller was returned with a new engine, power steering and hydrostatic drive (to list just three of the features that come as standard with our repower kit), the Club’s grounds man was bowled over, “he could not believe how good their roller had turned out!”

Nick writes, “We are over the moon with our roller. The grounds man thinks it is brilliant as it runs on tickover with no strain on it at all. If you need a reference, you have got one from us!”

 

The repower kit that Autoguide Equipment Ltd manufactures and supplies, fits 3ft and 4ft Auto-Rollers, including Auto-Mower and Whites Rollers dating back to 1938! The Auto-Roller is renowned for its reliability throughout the world and machines that were built over half a century ago are still going strong today. Our repower kit complements this by being fitted into rollers to improve their efficiency, usability and functionality. Our repower kit includes a Hatz diesel engine, power steering, electric start and fully hydrostatic drive as standard- no compromises.

Having a standard Autoguide Repower kit makes future maintenance very straight forward (eg. buying spare parts or servicing) because we supply the original parts and our engineers have over 100 years’ worth of experience (obviously between them, we do allow employees to retire!) Consequently, we are able to offer the most reliable service.

Customers can either have the repower kit delivered in order to fit it themselves (with someone slightly mechanically minded, we advise 1-2 days fitting), or they can have the kit fitted by our specialist technicians (who know Auto-Rollers / Whites rollers inside out) here at our premises in Wiltshire. With the additional option of shot blasting and re-spraying the original machine, your roller can be transformed and given a new lease of life for many, many years to come.

Another customer who recently purchased and fitted an Autoguide repower kit contacted us to say “the operation [of the roller] is so much easier. Wish we had done this a few years earlier!”

If you have an old Auto-Roller, Auto-Mower or T.H. Whites Roller and would like further information about the repower kit created by the engineering team who designed these rollers, please contact us directly…and do not forget, if you are an ECB member you are entitled to a 10% discount off our price of a repower kit!

By Simon Griffiths Cricket Rollers • Re-Power Kit • • • 0 Comments

Re-conditioned Auto-Roller lands in Mauritius!

Autoguide recently shipped a reconditioned 3ft Auto-Roller to a customer in Mauritius.

This 1967 Auto-Roller was fitted with a repower kit providing the old roller with a brand new Hatz Diesel Engine (9hp), power steering, electric start and full hydrostatic drive.

The roller was also shot blasted and re-sprayed so that the second hand machine looks and works like a brand new Auto-Roller.

After leaving Autoguide Equipment Ltd, Wiltshire, towards the end of January, the roller arrived safely in Mauritius a month later and was serving its purpose preparing cricket grounds under the glorious Mauritius sunshine within days of its arrival.

If you would like to receive further information about our reconditioned Auto-Rollers, repower kits and new 4ft and 3ft Rollers, please do not hesitate to contact us.

By Simon Griffiths 3ft • 4ft • Cricket Rollers • ECB • Guidelines • News • • • • 0 Comments

Guidelines for Rolling in Cricket

Following the publication of ‘Guidelines for Rolling in Cricket’ we are pleased to announce that one of our precision rolls was used during the tests.

4ft Bath CC- Gordon Gillx800

On the publication of this document, we can confirm that the weight and size of our Auto-roller is in fact in line with the findings of this research.

 

Model DOW kg MWF@DOW MPW MWF & Max Weight
4ft 1800 750 500 960
3ft 1350 750 370 960

DOW = weight of unballasted roller with 1/2 tank of fuel and average operator
MPW = maximum practical weight of water & antifreeze which can be added
MWF = mass/width factor

The Cranfield university report is available here

By Amber Ransome Cricket Rollers • News • Re-Conditioned • Re-Power Kit • • • • 0 Comments

50 not out!

Ian Smith’s work colleagues thought he was a little mad for thinking that the 50 year old Autoroller would be worth salvaging…but he proved them wrong.

The well used, slightly rusty roller was brought along to Autoguide workshop where it received a complete overhaul. 

A week or so after Ian, head grounds man for St Albans School, had dropped off the lacklustre machine, Autoguide had shot blasted the body work, given the old roller a fresh coat of paint, installed a new repower kit and re-aligned the rear roller.

“If I could book the same service for my body when I am 50 in 3 years time that would be great!” was Ian’s reaction when he first saw the roller out of the workshop.

Let’s hope that St Albans get another 50 years from their sturdy Autoroller!

For more information on the Re-Power Kit, general servicing and even roller hire during a service, please contact us or phone on 01380 850885.