Author: Nathaniel Kok

To get the most out of your lawn, some maintenance is required. Keep your lawn green and healthy all year round with these simple tips.

WATERING – How often should grass be watered?

After the initial establishment period, it is recommended to give your lawn one good soaking per week in summer and one good soaking every 2-3 weeks in winter. If you are unable to water your lawn, most couch lawns will not die, but will likely lay dormant until the next heavy rain.

MOWING – How often should you mow your lawns?

Your lawn should be mowed at least once a week in summer and once every 2 weeks in winter using a quality lawn mower. The reason for mowing is to keep your lawn looking smooth and healthy and it helps to control weeds. Different lawn types have different mowing requirements, but generally, you should avoid long periods between mowing. Only remove one third of the leaf per mow. If your lawn is overgrown, gradually reduce it to the correct height over a few mows. Be careful not to mow too short as this will invite weeds to grow and put your lawn under stress. General mowing guidelines for three common types of lawns are:

• Green couch (15-30mm)
• Buffalo grass (30-50mm)
• Kikuya (30-50mm)

FERTILISING – When should I apply fertiliser to my lawn?

Fertilising your lawn regularly will help keep your lawn in great condition and help fight off weeds all year round. Fertilise your lawn 3-4 times per year with a complete lawn fertiliser. There are many different types of fertilisers available including chemical, organic, and liquid. These can be bought at all reputable garden centres and landscape supply centres.

WEEDS – How do you stop weeds from growing in your grass?

Regular mowing and fertilising is usually sufficient to keep weeds at bay. Many small weeds can be pulled out by hand, but to get the roots out, you may need a weeding trowel or other mechanical device. Longer lawns are better equipped to out compete weeds, so aim to keep your lawn the recommended height all year round. If weeds do become a problem, spray with recommended herbicides.

LAWN GRUB – How do you get rid of lawn grub?

There are many insect pests that can attack your lawn and lawn grubs in particular can affect all types of turf and can be especially damaging in a new lawn. If you suspect you have lawn grub, chemical treatment with a recognised lawn grub killer should rid your lawn of this problem. For surface dwelling pests, apply the chemical treatment in the late afternoon and combine with a light watering in. For root eating pests, the chemical treatment will need to be watered through the lawn and thatch layer to ensure contact with them. This will require a higher concentration of chemical and a heavy application of water to reach the target area.

AERATING – What is the best way to aerate my lawn?

Soil compaction in lawns is a common problem and is generally caused by heavy foot traffic, sport and vehicles. To test for soil compaction, push a garden fork or screwdriver into the lawn and soil. If it slides in easily, then your lawn and soil is good. If it doesn’t slide down to about halfway, then your soil is too compact. To fix compacted soil, you can use a several techniques depending on your lawn area. For small areas, you can use a garden fork. Start by pushing it into the soil and wiggle it back and forth slightly. Repeat this about every 50-100mm apart. A spiked lawn roller can be hired for light work, however this will not ‘core’ your lawn. For ultimate results, hire a petrol driven lawn aerator machine from your local hire store. This will allow instant access to air and water into the soil. These machines take out plugs from the soil which can be easily raked up and disposed of. Once your lawn is cored, you should top dress your lawn with washed river sand which will fill the holes and enable air and water to still penetrate.

DETHATCHING & SCARIFYING – How do I know if my lawn needs scarifying or dethatching?

Over time, your lawn can build up with thatch which can make your lawn thick and spongy. If not addressed, over years your lawn can gradually rise in height and the roots may end up growing in the thatch layer, not the soil, causing an unhealthy lawn. Thatch can cause mowing problems as it may be difficult to push through the lawn and thatch can also hinder oxygen, water and other nutrients from entering the soil. Regular mowing with a mower and catcher will help prevent thatch build up, but if this is not enough to remove the thatch, you can try other methods. For small lawns with minimal thatch, scraping your lawn with a metal rake may be sufficient. For larger areas and thicker thatch, it’s best to use a dethatcher, also known as a lawn scarifier. Using a specialised scarifying machine will remove not just the thatch, but also most of your lawn, leaving just the roots and stolons. As long as the timing is right, your lawn will recover quickly. For warm season grasses like buffalo, scarifying and dethatching should only be done during growing season where there are no chances of frost. Mid to late spring is the ideal time.

For more than 30 years, Master Hire has remained committed to our customers through managing the quality of our products and services, our impact on the environment and the health and safety our team, customers, suppliers, and visitors to our branches and sites. Our Integrated Safety, Quality & Environmental Management System meets ISO compliance requirements and has now been third party certified to the relevant standards. These standards align with our company culture and values and assists our team to remain focused on what is meaningful to you, our customer. Our team strives each day to continually improve every aspect of our equipment and service experience, because we are Built on Service.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY: ISO 45001

Master Hire is committed to providing a safe working environment and safe systems for everyone involved who comes in contract with our company. We believe that safety is no accident. It is the result of diligence and having and following clearly defined procedures. Our Integrated Management System is certified to comply with ISO45001:2018 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Master Hire is proud of our excellent safety record which is a direct outcome of our team following work instructions, operating procedures and complying with our WH&S Policy. Our company wide safety and equipment compliance program ensures that our equipment is checked, cleaned, and serviced before each hire to meet the needs of our customers.

QUALITY: ISO 9001

Through the successful implementation of our Integrated Quality Management System and our Quality Policy, Master Hire can guarantee the processes and procedures used to operate our business are compliant with and go well beyond the requirements of the standard. Master Hire is certified to ISO9001:2015 – Quality Management System. Master Hire is committed to nurturing a culture that delivers consistent quality services and products in an effective, efficient manner to the benefit of the customer and our business. This means when you hire from Master Hire, you are guaranteed a quality product with quality service from experienced and well-trained staff.

ENVIRONMENT: ISO 14001

Master Hire aims to provide a sustainable working environment where all activities carried out on our premises or undertaken by our team members are conducted in such a way that no or minimal harm is created to the environment. Master Hire is now certified to ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems. We regularly look for improvement opportunities so that we meet or exceed our environmental and sustainability objectives which are outlined in our Environmental Policy and our Integrated Safety, Quality & Environmental Management System.

Our policies are available to view and download from our website.

• Master Hire’s Quality Policy
• Master Hire’s Environmental Policy
• Master Hire’s WH&S Policy

Master Hire is a leading Australian equipment hire company with branches throughout South East Queensland and the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. For more information, contact one of our branches on 1300 107 107 or email us at info@masterhire.com.au

There are a number of ways you can get rid of a fallen tree in your back yard. You could turn it into firewood by stacking it and store it up off the ground to dry out. You could also take it to the green waste facilities, piece by piece, on the back of a trailer or you could even turn it into garden mulch.

Do I need to trim branches before using a wood chipper?

Master Hire’s large mulchers are equipped with feed rollers in the neck of their feed tables, which allows the blades to engage with the wood at a controlled rate. To prevent the machine from clogging these rollers move in both directions forward and reverse depending on its load.

While these rollers are designed to regulate the materials being fed into the mulcher they can also create some hazards while mulching your trees. Any large limbs or straggling branches can catch on clothing or ropes as they are fed into the rollers. It is critical that the area around the mulchers is kept clear and free of needless debris and any ropes used in felling the tree are removed. Anyone not operating the mulcher should stay away from the machine while it is in operation.

To help the materials flow smoothly into the feed make sure you trim branches to a manageable size. This may require making another cut in the tree branch so that it does not catch on anything as it is fed into the mulcher by the feed roller.

The best time to put wood through a mulcher is right after it has been cut down. Master Hire’s 9 inch mulcher can take branches or small trees up to 220mm in diameter. So that means you could feed the whole tree trunk into the mulcher – large end first and the branches and other leaves will slowly be dragged into the blades and mulched up as well. If you think there are too many branches that might catch or drag, you should trim it using a chainsaw into smaller manageable sections.

Can a wood chipper be used to shred tyres?

Tyres are not to be put through any wood chipper. Tyres have metal threads internally that will cause damage to the blades. We recommend recycling tyres at an appropriate site where they will be broken down and recycled. There are a number of creative ways you can use a tyre around your garden.

Can I use a garden mulcher to shred papers?

While its possible, its practically very difficult. We would highly recommend appropriate services that specialise in destruction and disposal of important documents or papers. It is much more financially practical as well. Since hiring a service to safely shred paper for you will end up costing you only a fraction of the cost compared to hiring a mulcher. Plus these services often come to you collect and destroy the papers at your location.

Can you put lumber or a 2×4 in a wood chipper?

Depending on the size of the lumber and the type of wood chipper you are using you can feed just about any type of wood through a wood chipper. Some of the reasons you would put lumber through a wood chipper are as follows:

• The wood has bolts or nails in it
• The diameter of the wood is too wide for the chute of the wood chipper
• The type of mulcher blades are not designed for it
• The wood is treated

Clean lumber, untreated timber or dead wood is fine to be put through a heavy duty mulcher. Check the manufactures guidelines and specifications to make sure the type of wood is suitable for the mulcher. Putting tough dried out timber through a mulcher that is not suitable can cause damage to the machine and blades.

What Size Wood Chipper do I Need?

Tackling a major garden project involving multiple trees can mean a number of trips to the tip and can some times take days. Strapping branches onto your trailer and then unloading branch by branch at the green waste section will take hours and hours. Depending on the number of trees you are trimming, pruning or even cutting down, wood chippers make light work of heavy awkward branches. Depending on the size of your material you could use a smaller mulcher or a may need a larger wood chipper.

When to use a small wood chipper

Master Hire’s small wood chippers are perfect for chipping small to medium branches into garden mulch. These machines are designed to tackle smaller branches, bushes and small low hanging tree branches. The garden mulchers that are used to shred and mulch up smaller branches and leaves gives you a much finer mulch that will decompose much faster. Keep in mind its the material you send through the mulcher not the size of the mulcher.

These smaller garden mulchers cannot be used to mulch up palm fronds, stringy plants like lantana or tree limbs older than 3 days. Small trees and branches that have been cut down in the last 3 days are considered green wood. As these branches and stumps get older they dry out and become much harder as the moisture leaves the wood. This hard, aged wood can be too much for some smaller mulchers and can even damage the blades.

Should I choose to use a large wood chipper?

Master Hire’s large wood chippers are a great way to save your self hours when clearing your garden. You can even use the left over wood chips to cover your garden. Medium to large branches will need to be fed through a larger heavy duty mulcher. These larger mulchers are designed to take fibrous plants as well as aged wood. They are also equipped with internal feed rollers to help pull in larger heavier branches and do most of the hard work for you. The heavy duty wood chippers like this machine will give you a much more fibrous mulch, with long shredded parts of wood and leaves.

Ideally mulch used for your garden is made up of a combination of bark, wood, and leaves. As these ingredients break down, they slowly provide small amounts of nutrients to your soil. Master Hire’s large wood chippers are the perfect machine to shred all these materials into a manageable mulch for your garden.

Very large branches and full-grown trees will need to be cut up into manageable sized pieces and fed into an industrial or commercial sized wood chipper. Sometimes these units are paired with a truck and canopy and the materials are fed into the rollers via a winch. These really coarse chips you see in parks and other places come from these really large industrial wood chippers splitting up really hardy materials where the main material is large tree trunks.

Safely setting up your wood chipper

Make sure where you are working is an appropriate distance from where you are cutting down tree and branches. Ensure the wood chipper is set up on an level surface and that all appropriate wheel choke and handbrakes are in place or engaged. Adjust or aim the chute into an open space in your garden or aim it into a trailer. Never aim point it towards people, where people are walking, toward vehicles or windows. The wood chips and debris that are emitted from the mulcher chute can cause serious damage or injury.

How do I Transport the mulcher?

All of Master Hire’s wood chippers are trailer mounted which means you can transport them your self as long as you have a vehicle with a towing capacity capable of pulling the machine. While Master Hire offer’s delivery options to all our customers, we recommend that Master Hire these very powerful machines are always attached to a vehicle while in use. 

Are wood chippers or garden mulchers dangerous?

Like some machinery, if used incorrectly wood chippers and garden mulchers can be very dangerous and can lead to serious injury and even death if safety measures and instructions are not followed. Master Hire’s wood chippers come with a number of safety features depending on which model you choose to hire. These safety features are designed to keep hands and limbs away from the most dangerous parts of the machine while in operation. There are also multiple emergency stops designed to stop the feed roller from feeding any material towards the blades.

Master Hire’s free customer hand over includes basic training to ensure you can operate the equipment confidently and safely at all times. We also include the operators manuals with all of our garden mulchers and large wood chippers. All of Master Hire’s advice should be treated as guidance only and you should always read the manufacturers instruction manuals and hazard assessments before starting your project.

Can I remove a tree from my backyard myself?

First, ensure the size and scope of the job is within your capabilities. If you don’t think you can remove the tree safely and confidently, then consider having it removed by a professional.

Make sure the tree you are cutting down will not fall on houses or damage fences. Make sure the space you are working in is safe, clear the yard of all unnecessary items and animals, and ensure you are working with all the appropriate safety equipment.

Depending on how big the tree is you might need to trim smaller branches first. These can often be reached with a pole chainsaw. Once the tree and surrounding area has been clear use a chainsaw to cut down the tree. There are many various techniques to cutting down a tree, including notches, rope and wedges to fell trees safely in a certain direction.

There are a number of ways you can remove a tree from your backyard. Here are a few things you will need check and a list of tools you will need.

Checks & Planning

• How tall is the tree?
• Which way is the tree leaning?
• Are their any objects near it that could be damaged when it falls?
• What do I do with the tree once I cut it down?
• Do I need to get Council approval?

Tools & Equipment

• Chainsaw/Pole Saw (depending on how tall the tree is) & Ropes
• Trailer & Straps or Heavy Duty Wood Chipper
• Stump Grinder & Shovel

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How do I remove a stump in my backyard?

After all the hard work cutting down and disposing of a tree you will be left with one or more tree stumps. The best way to remove a stump is with a stump grinder. These units are designed to undercut unsightly tree stumps and roots. The machines work by spinning a wheel of tungsten tipped teeth that will grind and chip away at the wooden tree stump. You can find out what size stump grinder you need here.

First, you need to prepare the stump for grinding – Start by cutting the stump as close to ground level as you can (with out putting the chainsaw chain into the dirt). Make sure any roots that are protruding up too far off the ground are dug out around them by using a shovel. Any dirt or debris left to close to the stumps roots can cause damage to the stump grinders tungsten tipped teeth. Ensure the stump has a flat even surface on which to operate and make sure you are using protective safety equipment to protect you from sawdust and wood chips.

Getting your hands on the tools for the job

Unless you’re planning on using the stump grinder, mulcher or chainsaw day in day out, the most efficient way of getting your hands on the right tool is to rent one. Master Hire has a range of gardening and landscaping equipment and the all the information you’ll need to use them. Plus, you can hire the equipment for only a few hours if need be or even a few weeks. The choice is yours.

Contact Master Hire

Master Hire has a large network of stores that covers much of South East Queensland and the mid north coast of New South Wales. We hire out much more than just stump grinders and mini loaders. We’ve got air tools & compressors, cherry pickers and scissor lifts, equipment for cleaning, compacting, concreting, earthmoving, generating power, lighting, scaffolding, trailers, tipper trucks and more. Master Hire is a family owned and operated company with over thirty years of experience and was recently awarded Australian Rental Company of the Year by the Hire and Rental Industry Association.

If you’re looking to rent or searching for another piece of equipment to hire, we’ve got you covered. If you’ve got questions about which piece of equipment is best for the job at hand, or about how to best use it, Master Hire will look after you. Get in touch today by sending us an email or call 1300 107 107.

COVID – 19 (Coronavirus) Infection Management

During 2020, Master Hire has undertaken various measures of control to minimise the risk of infection from COVID – 19 (Coronavirus) to our valued people, customers and suppliers. This is being undertaken to facilitate the continuation of service in a healthy and safe manner during the current crisis, which we acknowledge is part of our social responsibilities.

• We are ensuring our team is constantly informed with information on what can be done to minimise the impact and spread of the virus.
• We are minimising the spread of contamination and contraction between people through heightening the importance of personal hygiene, avoiding physical contact such as handshaking, and increasing personal space between team members and customers. We ask for support in this by following requests by our team.
• We are taking additional measures when servicing equipment for you by using sanitiser on main touch points such as handles, levers, controls, steering wheels, starter cord handles and keys etc.
• We are having a daily cleaning regime in and around our stores for common touch points such as counters, phones, keyboards, office equipment, drawer handles etc.
• We are enabling some team members to continue their work from home to reduce person-to-person contact and restricting internal movements of personnel to limit any cross contamination.
• We are ensuring management has the most informed advice to share with their teams on developments and any new strategies required.
• We are communicating any contingencies in the event of a major isolation to ensure continuation of service to our customers.
• We are using technology such as video conferencing apps to conduct meetings rather than travel and have face to face contact.

During these unprecedented and ever changing times, Master Hire’s primary concern is the health and safety of our staff, their families, our suppliers and you, our customers.

We are adjusting the way we do business and will continue to update you with what we are doing as a business as the COVID-19 situation evolves and further advice is given by government health officials.

Currently:
• All Master Hire stores are open and fully operational with social distancing measures and increased hygiene in place for our staff, suppliers and customers.
• Our mechanical staff and field service technicians are fully operational with the above measures also in place.
• All equipment is available for hire as usual with increased cleaning procedures in place for all items.
• Our delivery and pick up services are fully operational in all stores and available to service our customers across our network.

Master Hire would like to thank our customers, our suppliers and our amazing staff for their patience and support during these difficult times.

Are you stumped by the prospect of stump grinding in your yard? There are many commonly asked questions that people have when selecting a stump grinder. How big a stump grinder will you need? How much will you have to grind the stump? What will be required for cleaning up afterwards? After all that, is there a way to put the new wood chips to use? That just covers the technical side of stump grinding – there’s the commercial side, too. To ensure quality equipment for a reasonable price, where should you look when hiring a stump grinder? Well, to answer all these questions and more, check out our handy guide to stump grinders below.

How Big is Big Enough?

When you’re dealing with unsightly roots and hard-to-clear tree stumps, you’re likely going to need a stump grinder. Depending on the size of the job, there are a variety of options. For one, you could use a small walk behind unit. Alternately, there are larger stump grinders that work as an attachment on a mini-loader. If you’re totally green when it comes to removing a stump, it can help to talk to the professionals at Master Hire who can help diagnose the right solution for your problem.

How Far Should a Stump Be Ground?

There are limits on how far you can grind a stump down, which will differ depending on where you’re grinding. Generally, you should grind the stump down to a little under the surface level. It makes sense from a technical point of view, too. Any more than that, and you’d need something other than a standard stump grinder to access the roots.

Using a Stump Grinder as an Attachment

A mini loader, also known as a skid steer loader, is a small, engine powered machine with powerful lift-arms and hydraulic hose connections for various attachments. There are a range of different attachments which can be used with a mini loader to make the job easier, including a stump grinder. Depending on your situation and available room on the site, it might be better to use a stump grinder as an attachment on a mini loader.

Master Hire has a range of mini loaders available for hire: the wheeled mini loader and the tracked mini loader. Bother are perfect for moving and levelling dirt and are both powerful enough to run a stump grinder attachment on stubborn stumps. Master Hire also stock a wide variety of other attachments for the mini loaders, which will fit on a trailer for your convenience. Like all their equipment, they can be picked up or delivered from one of their many branches.

How to Clean Up After Stump Grinding

Woodchips can take years to decompose. If you don’t have that long and you don’t want woodchips in the area where you’ve ground the stump, you’re going to have to remove them. Once you’re done grinding the stump, rake away any debris in the area like wood chips, twigs and branches. If you’re planning to cover the area with topsoil and planting something new, pour the soil to slightly higher than ground level; during the planting process it will settle. From there, it’s up to you – you could plant new lawn, shrubs, or even a new tree.

Getting Your Hands on the Right Stump Grinder

Unless you’re planning on using the stump grinder day in day out, the most efficient way of getting your hands on the right stump grinder is to rent one. Master Hire has a range of stump grinders and the all the information you’ll need to use them. Plus, you can hire the stump grinder for only a few hours if need be or even a few weeks. The choice is yours.

Contact Master Hire

Master Hire has a large network of stores that covers much of South East Queensland and the mid north coast of New South Wales. We hire out much more than just stump grinders and mini loaders. We’ve got air tools & compressors, cherry pickers and scissor lifts, equipment for cleaning, compacting, concreting, earthmoving, generating power, lighting, scaffolding, trailers, tipper trucks and more. Master Hire is a family owned and operated company with over twenty-five years of experience and was recently awarded the 2019 Australian Rental Company of the Year by the Hire and Rental Industry Association.

If you’re looking to rent a stump grinder or are searching for another piece of equipment to hire, we’ve got you covered. If you’ve got questions about which piece of equipment is best for the job at hand, or about how to best use it, Master Hire will look after you. Get in touch today by sending us an email or call 1300 107 107.

(as voted by Dads) – We have taken the liberty of asking Dads the hard question. We even managed to extract an answer out of them! We surveyed dads and asked the question:

“What do you want for Father’s Day?”

See our top 4 Father’s Day requests below.

4. Socks & Jocks

Ahhh the ol’ “Socks ‘n’ Jocks”! Just be clear, our Dads answered the question, “What do you want for Father’s Day?” – not “What do you think you’re getting for Father’s Day?” Regardless, our survey results have shown and that the old socks and jocks have still found favour with Dads.

3. Tools

Maybe all of Dad’s tools have gone missing! Maybe he just wants a new shiny toolbox… Whatever the reason may be, tools are on our Dads wish-list this Father’s Day. At Master Hire we have a range of big tools for Dad – see our Big Toys (earth moving) section here.

2. Gift Cards

“Its more than a card”  This is a gift card! It could be anything!”
Dads have no doubt been watching too much TV. Our survey has shown that they want a gift card for Father’s Day. The good thing is, there are a lot of stores offering gift cards and vouchers, including Master Hire!

1. Nothing – “Just Time with Family”

“Ummmm… ahhhh nothing…”  was the common response followed by “Just time with the family… -spend some time with my kid/s.” Our Dads really just want to spend time with their families. If you already have something for Dad, make sure to give him some quality time this Father’s Day!

“Have a great Father’s Day!”
From Master Hire