United States Army veteran Bryan Epland is the Equipment Manager at Arbor Links Golf Course in Nebraska City, NE. After an award-winning career as an army metal worker, Bryan transitioned to wheel mechanic and later pipeline specialist. Bryan’s varied experience in the Army prepared him well for the wide range of skills needed as a golf course mechanic. Bryan weighs in on the benefits of relief grinding, takes us through a few highlights of his many fabrication projects, and shares his favorite tool with a few previous guests. A hunter, fisherman, and gamer in his downtime, Bryan gives us a great tip on finding oil and hydraulic leaks. Get a true flavor of the heartland when this Nebraska native shares his side gig.
Transcript
Bryan Epland:
It’s pretty easy to get yourself down. I would just want to say to everybody, never be embarrassed to ask for advice or help. And I can honestly say in this industry, I’ve never been let down. I’m a firm believer after my six short year golf career that, you only get out of it. We put into it. And to get yourself out there, expose yourself to new things, never stop learning. everyone, whether young or old comes to a point in your life whether it’s in their career or just their life, but you realize what’s important. What things may be, let, go and not get mad about. it’s not what people think about you. It’s more how you think about yourself and your esteem. If you’re like me, you like to reflect like maybe once a month and yet realize how far you’ve come, especially me in 60. And what you’ve accomplished and you get to sit back and smile and relish in that. And you get to feel proud of your accomplishments and the person you’ve turned out to be income. I just want to say to everybody, never, never do. And be the person who had fought so hard to become, because for me, it’s gotten me very far in a short amount of time.
Trent Manning:
That is gold. That is gold audio gold right there, man. That was awesome. welcome to the reel turf techs podcast for the technician that wants to get reel follow along. As we talk to industry professionals and address hot topics that we all face along the way we’ll learn tips and tricks. I’m your host, Trent. Manning let’s have some Welcome to the real turf text podcast, episode 58. Today, we’re talking to Brian. Aplin. Uh, equivalent manager at Arbor links, golf course in Nebraska city, Nebraska. Arbor links is an 18 hole. Private course. Brian has an assistant technician working with him in the shop. Brian has also completed the GCs a. Uh, equipment management certificate program. Levels one and two. Let’s talk to Brian. Welcome Brian to the real turf techs podcast. How you doing today?
Bryan Epland:
I’m doing great
Trent Manning:
I’m doing great too. Thank you so much for coming on. Tell us how you got into the Turpin.
Bryan Epland:
So just a little backstory on me and how I got into it. I’ve always been pretty handy even as a kid, tearing stuff apart and more than likely not putting it back together at that stage. But as I got older, I definitely, as I got older and in high school, I took all the woods shop, automotive classes, everything I could, and my senior year ended up retaking the welding classes that had already. So I enjoyed it so much. So I did that, um, joined the army straight out of high school in 2007, as a welder in which they call it, what do they call it? A metal worker, I guess. But, so I learned, uh, learn how to weld on our lady and all that stuff graduated top my class there, how to 30 people, I think it was. Which was pretty great and got on a work for that and a ribbon and all that. And then. got into the turf industry. My job went away in the unit. I was inspired about transitioning into a like wheel mechanic, they call. So, you know, I was a mechanic on bigger trucks and things like that. And then that job happened to go away as well. So then I transitioned into a pipeline specialist, which is, you, basically pump fuel to the front lines is what your job is, your support. but that’s right. Got a lot of experience working on pumps on critical bombs and how to operate and all that stuff. So it’s funny how, uh, some of that stuff comes into play sometimes, especially in this industry, how it, I never thought I’d use that again, but here we are.
Trent Manning:
Right.
Bryan Epland:
So how I, how I got into the turpines cares, eating barbecue at a local place one day. And I wasn’t really looking for a job. I was happy where it’s at and the guy.
Trent Manning:
This is the best start to a story I get ever think of as I was eating barbecue.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah,
Trent Manning:
Yeah, it did you out. I’m sorry, but that
Bryan Epland:
no, no problem. I like the interruption. So I mean there one day and the guy’s name is Tom and, you know, he, he said, Hey, I think you should think as you go look at this job. And I said, oh, I’m not really unhappy, but you know, why not check it out? And so I went and interviewed and everything, and I ended up taking the job and I haven’t looked back and I love it. And I’ll never leave the industry, but I’ll tell you what. I walked on the golf course, and I had never seen a real. And it was. the scariest thing and the superintendent who I still work for. He, uh, he put me in front of the grinder for about five minutes and gave me a quick rundown and then walked away for the rest of the day. And I said, oh God, I’m going to screw something up, but I never have yet. And I’m loving every minute of it. So
Trent Manning:
Most awesome. So how long have you been at the golf course?
Bryan Epland:
I’ve been at the same course? Which happens to be in my hometown, thankfully. Um, but I’ve been here since 2016.
Trent Manning:
Okay, sweet. That was awesome. So you were in for eight years?
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. I did eight years. Uh, did a couple years? active then the rest inactive, or I guess reserve is what you call it that,
Trent Manning:
Yeah.
Bryan Epland:
and then my last two years inactive in my contract where some people don’t do no, but people had done no inactive means you can’t be called back. If it, if it were to happen, you know, something, but.
Trent Manning:
Awesome. Very cool. Do you relief grind?
Bryan Epland:
Uh, absolutely 100%. Um, when I started out, we had Bernhard, which is they’re great grinders, and they’re actually probably a little quicker than fully sedan now, but I do prefer it and there’s a lot of benefits to it. And I think the benefits outweigh the, the, you know, the downsides anyway.
Trent Manning:
For sure. What a model Foleys do you have?
Bryan Epland:
I think I have the same as you, I believe you have the 6 53, 6 73. And I will say I don’t ever use the program from 6 73. I don’t know if you do or not, but I prefer to just kind of feel it and feed on my own, you know?
Trent Manning:
Yeah, no, I’ll use the programs a lot of times. I mean, especially, so the most ground in that I do is grains rails and we’re running a Toro flex 21. Hundreds are pretty old, but 10 years old. Not that that matters. The reels have been replaced plenty of times by now, but a lot of times it’s just a touch up because we top dress once a week, basically from now until through September
Bryan Epland:
I feel your pain there. I’m in front of my granddaughters almost every day. So, but I, I liked it and I love it. And I’m very picky about my cut. I’m sure everybody that works around me can tell you that. So,
Trent Manning:
rat, rat rod. So yeah, I throw it in there and I usually just run. What is it called spark out?
Bryan Epland:
oh yeah.
Trent Manning:
You know, it only feeds one thousands to start with and then makes however many traverse passes. And then I let it make four or five passes and then maybe bump it in again, you know, I’ll all depends on what I’m seeing and what I’m hearing. That’s, uh, one of the great things about grinding reels is you get all that feedback.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, definitely. It’s all, it’s all. Sound-based my assistant. When he first started, he was like me, I’d never been in the industry. He thought I was crazy That for a few times I’d run across the shop and, you know, slow the real, you know, the real speed or slow it down or speed it up. He was like, what are you doing? I said, you don’t hear that.
Trent Manning:
That right. I know. I know. And I’m sure I probably get on the guys’ nerves that helped me on the shop because something doesn’t sound right. I’m saying way I’ve run it over there. Tweaking the knob
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, no, like man.
Trent Manning:
Yup. And, uh, I don’t, I just thought of this story. So, uh, Charlie, I talk about him often on the podcast. He’s a army retired first Sergeant 21, 22 years. And, uh, what was it? A black Hawk would come over, you know, the shop and he’d say black Hawk. And I told him how impressed I was that he could hear that sound. And, you know, no, it was a black Hawk
Bryan Epland:
Right. Yeah,
Trent Manning:
and he said it was kind of funny. So he put it in my words, he said, it’s just like you, when a pro Gator comes by and you can tell that the input shaft Barron’s bad. I was like, okay.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. They’re used to the noise.
Trent Manning:
Right. You’ve heard it enough times. You get used to it.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. that actually just happened to be, well, it wasn’t an audio cue, but it was visually a song. I dragged my shop yesterday and I saw a little puff of white smoke come out of the rear of this, TX Gator. It’s got, you know, tons hours on it. And I stopped. You guys said you put diesel in this and said, no. I said, well, don’t use it tomorrow. I got to tear it apart.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Bryan Epland:
he said, what? I said, you don’t see the white smoke coming out of the thing.
Trent Manning:
That’s funny. Yep.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah,
Trent Manning:
Yeah, we, we definitely, uh, hone in on different things
Bryan Epland:
Which is good, you know?
Trent Manning:
yep. For sure. Tell us something you’ve fabricated. Like.
Bryan Epland:
Oh, I love welding. Obviously. That’s some that I did for a living for a while, but, um, I fabricated, I think you saw that, that center Comber for our, one of our John Deere tractors. it’s on Twitter. I can show you afterwards. It’s, it’s pretty neat, but it just puts a phone right in the center of the tracker. So when he’s.
Trent Manning:
Um, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bryan Epland:
So when he’s, uh, fertilizing or whatever, with the allele, he kind of knows how much he needs to get over or overlap now. So that worked pretty good. Um, I’ve fabricated various things with clubhouse, you know, firewood holders, things like that. I, uh, refurbished, uh, 1988 cooler Magnum. I’m sure you’re probably remember
Trent Manning:
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Bryan Epland:
And I had to make a bowel spring repressor cause everything I had didn’t wouldn’t fit in there a little tight, you know, on the side of the machine there. Years ago, I fabricated that do drag and had boons that are pulled out and we had, you know, the broken a lead on, well, a guy hit a tree with it and broke the arms off. So that went away.
Trent Manning:
Right.
Bryan Epland:
You know how that goes?
Trent Manning:
yeah. Yep. We’ve been there before.
Bryan Epland:
I, uh, I’m sure there’s a lot of other stuff I’m not thinking of right now, but.
Trent Manning:
No, that’s cool. That’s good. And I really enjoy fabricating tools. I’ve been thinking about that more and more lately. Like what tool can I make? And it was really awesome to get up. Uh, to Jr’s and hang out with him for several days. He’s just amazing. And he’s, I don’t know. I was like a kid in the candy shop with all the tools he’s got up
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, I w I listened to his cast and then in the review, and I was, I always like, listen to, you know, he’s, he’s all over the place and sound like you got a lot of tools.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah, no, he does. He’s he’s got the dream shop. he was telling me a story. So he’s got this. I don’t know what it costs, but this, uh, park washer it’s, you know, fully enclosed. You put the part in there and it’s a kind of like a steam cleaner.
Bryan Epland:
Does it span and stuff.
Trent Manning:
Well, no, I mean, you still have to wash it manually. The solvent that comes out is hot. And then it also has a, an air blowgun. Hooked up to it. So, you know, blow the part off after you’re done. While it’s still enclosed, and then it steams up so bad, it has, uh, air that circulates in there to keep the steam. So you can see what you’re doing. I mean, this is amazing. So he tells me this story. I don’t matter as like a transmission or something. His brother-in-law said, let me borrow your pressure while. And I guess it was a small transmission and he says, stick it in my parts washer. He’s like, oh no, I’ll just use a pressure washer and giving some degrees or so. And he’s like, dude, stick it. And my parts washer. So he said he was over there for 30 minutes, just smiling ear to ear about how great this thing was. And then he goes home and tells, uh, Jr. His nephew. I’m going to buy one of those things. Like what are you going to use it for dad? He’s like, I don’t know. I might need to clean something one day.
Bryan Epland:
He’ll have a lot of really clean stuff.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, it was, it was cool. Very cool. What’s your favorite tool and why?
Bryan Epland:
I think I’m the same as a Ben beard. And I think Tony of Ebola said it too, but power pro I get really excited when I get to.
Trent Manning:
Okay.
Bryan Epland:
it’s a, it’s such a handy tool to be able to test surrogates grounds, apply ground of black power. And I shouldn’t be getting excited, wrapped to get it out. It’s usually not good, but I always knew.
Trent Manning:
I know, I understand. We all have, have those favorite tools and, uh, love to get them out. I’m trying to remember his name. It was a mess it up, but a guy met up in a. Rhode Island told me about a tool to install the Whopper seal for a hydraulic cylinder
Bryan Epland:
Oh, okay. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
and they sell them at McMaster-Carr.
Bryan Epland:
Is that like a pair of pliers that. I don’t know how to describe that. That’s a fires that makes them into like a U shape and you put it in And then it releases it into a circle again.
Trent Manning:
Yes. Yep. Basically like that. Yes. I’d never even seen those. And he showed me a picture and I was like, I got a bison go on to McMaster-Carr and I got three different sizes and I bought all three. So I’m waiting for a cylinder to start licking just so I can. Yeah. What do you do to relax or find your.
Bryan Epland:
Um, to be honest with you, sometimes it’s as simple as sitting in a quiet room with like the curtains drawn just in the dark, you know, out, especially in the summer, outside all day. So like the rest of my eyes, um, a lot of the times I’m out hunting, fishing, shooting, you know, the big on the season. I do play a little bit of video games, but usually, you know, I can’t get away from golf I guess, but Dylan gamma plays a golf game, so.
Trent Manning:
Bali.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, but it does all those things. Relax me quite a bit. So,
Trent Manning:
Yeah, I got you. So what’s your favorite kind of hunting.
Bryan Epland:
dear, I mean, I do enjoy a little bit of Coon and rabbit and things like that and winter, but Deere’s pretty much the me
Trent Manning:
Okay. Yup. Yup. That’s the guy too. What about Turkey? Y’all do any Turkey hunting up
Bryan Epland:
I don’t, but yeah, they definitely do wrap here. Yeah. I’m not into it.
Trent Manning:
No. So opening day of Turkey season was the. April 2nd. And my dad, he loves to deer hunt, but he much rather Turkey hunt and he’s deer hunted his whole life. He’s only been Turkey on probably for maybe the last 10 years. So anyway, Monday was actually the first day he went and he shot a Turkey and he’s hunting the last two years and hadn’t shot one. So he was all stoked.
Bryan Epland:
I don’t think I’m patient to, you know, sit there and call and all that. I don’t, I a hard for me to do that and sit there.
Trent Manning:
Well, from what I’ve heard about it is that you’re actually talking to the animal and calling them man, where, you know, deer hunting a lot of time. You’re just sitting there.
Bryan Epland:
Right? Yep.
Trent Manning:
At least we are in Georgia.
Bryan Epland:
No. Yeah. you do here too. I don’t have for trophies personally, so it’s about me and for me, it’s not, I don’t really care what walk by.
Trent Manning:
Right, right, right. You’re like one of my old buddies, if his brown is down.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. As long as I had met. Yes,
Trent Manning:
Yup. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen at work.
Bryan Epland:
I’ve got a couple of them. Um, what happened last year with the TX theater? There’s two guys driving at they’re coming across one of our bridges and one of them turned around somehow. Getting into the back of the Gator to grab something, you know, a water whenever he pushed his foot on the gas pedal this past year. So I guess they hit the bridge so hard to split the split the case in half and the transmission.
Trent Manning:
Wow.
Bryan Epland:
And they are, I’m just glad they’re okay. But it was pretty wild. Another one. I’ve had the same Crow in the leg. That’s been on Facebook and that’s happened six or seven times a year, but that’s always okay. So thankfully nobody got hurt there. And then, uh, another funny one was the assistant and I were digging for a mini excavator. We were digging for a water leak a couple of years ago, and it was a brand new excavator. So I’m looking up me sit in this truth. Boom, every time I said, Hey, do you just break that branch off of the excavation? We quit hitting it. So as soon as he gets that boom, all the way in the air, what do you think happened that the excavator tipped over. It was okay. It stopped, you know, the boom stop itself. I’ve never seen somebody moves so fast. He was climbing out of that excavator. It’s funny. He said, all I remember is I heard you start laughing as soon as the excavator start tipping over.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah, that’s funny. I don’t know if I can do it justice when I’m going to try to explain our really good trick. If you’re the spotter, when somebody’s digging with an excavator, you throw your hand up really fast to your face, your, take your hat off, adjust your hat or something like that.
Bryan Epland:
When you start seeing it.
Trent Manning:
Well, no, you know, they’re, they’re digging, you’re the spotter. So you’re, you’re watching them real close. And you just happened to throw your hand up real quick and, you know, to adjust your hat or, you know, run your hand through your hair, something like that, just to catch them off guard a little bit, make sure
Bryan Epland:
Oh, yeah, To see if the jumper okay. yeah, I’ll try that.
Trent Manning:
yeah. Especially, you know, when they’re digging close to a pipe or, you know, power lines or
Bryan Epland:
Or, or blind. Yeah. my signal here. We’ve done that before.
Trent Manning:
Yup. What’s one of your pet peeves around the shop.
Bryan Epland:
I think the biggest one it happened today, but one of my biggest ones, like a lot of guys parked in front of the shop door, especially in the afternoon when I’m getting orders in and out of they’re checking on them, you know, all that. And I’m usually pretty passive aggressive about how I go about telling them they should put it in front of the door. You know, like I’ll say something sarcastic, just trying to be funny, but at the same time, usually upset with them.
Trent Manning:
Yeah,
Bryan Epland:
And then, uh, I think. Not putting tools away or where they should be, I guess, you know, it’s my go to grab a tool and it’s not where it should be. I get pretty mad. I’m sure my assistant could attest to that.
Trent Manning:
yeah, no, I feel you for sure. I can’t stand it. And even. Like the guys that work for me, they’ll use stuff out of my toolbox and I tell them, I don’t care. You know, you can use whatever you want to use. And if you don’t know where it goes, put it on the top of the box, I’ll put it back and then they’ll put it in the right drawer, in the wrong spot. And then I’ll be, you know, where the hell is, whatever.
Bryan Epland:
Well, Hey forever. Yeah,
Trent Manning:
well, right, exactly. It was like, that’s not where it goes. Yeah. Do you have a mentor in the industry?
Bryan Epland:
Uh, yeah, exactly. Since I’m new and nothing to industry. And I don’t, I’ve only been at this course and, well, I guess this network, because I do travel a bit work at other courses, but, um, it’s my current superintendent. He’s always pushed me to be a better person, be a better mechanic than always strive to do better, which has helped me get to where I’m at. Um, we’re starting the equipment management chapter for the rescue GCSA, um, you kinda helped, helped me realize I needed to do something like that and get the mechanics involved in this area, which is, it’s been a struggle. I could say that just, I don’t think people understand exactly what it is and what we’re trying to achieve with classes and round table events and things like that. But, um, his name is Mike. Michael Shelia is his name. He’s one of the best in my opinion, but I’m sure a lot of people would say that about their surfer for two.
Trent Manning:
No. That’s awesome though. And you know, if you didn’t have the confidence in the person you’re working for, you probably wouldn’t be working for them.
Bryan Epland:
No, definitely.
Trent Manning:
So I, and I agree with you. I, I think the guy I worked for as the best,
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
would think a lot of us do. And that’s why we’re working with them.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. As long as you get along and things are done at the end of the day, then that’s, what’s important to me, but.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Hands down. And that’s great what you’re doing there and Nebraska, and if you need any help, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll help
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, I’ve asked a little bit and, um, you have been beer, both reached out. which was great and helped me do get a few things going. And I think you’re getting a round table going here in the next month. So just to get one out of the way, but.
Trent Manning:
Wow. That’s awesome. Yeah. And I think, you know, it’s, it’s a slow process. It’s a, it’s a grind getting stuff together and you put together, you put all this work into an event and then there’s five guys show up.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, and that’d be fine. I don’t, you know, hopefully there’s more in future, but five for the first one would be, be based static, you know?
Trent Manning:
Yeah, but I think it just takes a little while to get the word out and to get a good crowd. What would be your dream job or opportunity?
Bryan Epland:
I think I’m doing the dream job is being an equipment manager. It is. I just love it. I’ll never leave the industry, but I think as far as an opportunity? um, I would like to work for a top 50 course.
Trent Manning:
Okay.
Bryan Epland:
and then just be, I think it’d be, uh, just a lifelong lifelong career for me at this point, but I’d also maybe like to go somewhere, you know, for our country be. Just see how much difference it is and maybe experience something else. Take waste. What I can from it, but tropical and warm, I hope.
Trent Manning:
Well, I had Matthew Cain on he’s from Barbados but the supply and demand and all that stuff, craziness, you
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. From what I.
Trent Manning:
three months or four months for parts and the.
Bryan Epland:
what I’ve, from what I’ve seen the WhatsApp group, it sounds like he does struggle quite a bit. So
Trent Manning:
Yeah, no, this is a struggle. So yeah, I think being in a beautiful environment would be nice, but if you can’t get any parts to fix anything, what’s the point.
Bryan Epland:
That’s true. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
But at his place, it was really cool. He basically set up a machine shop inside his maintenance.
Bryan Epland:
I’m jealous of anybody with lazy.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. I’m with you. I am too. So my wishlist, and as soon as I get our, we’re going to redo our shop possibly at the end of this year and the light is on the list of the redo. So yeah, I can’t wait, what technician would you like to work with for a day?
Bryan Epland:
I, you know, I I’ve put some thought on this question and I don’t, I’ve worked with some pretty good guys. I don’t know if there’s just one that I would like to work with because I’d like to meet everybody and just see how they do things, because maybe I can take some away from it. But personally, I don’t think there’s one person that I would focus on. I mean, I’d like to chat a stick by, and sometimes he’s pretty knowledgeable guy, but
Trent Manning:
When skip, he’s definitely open to check. If you want his contact, shoot me a message and I’ll send you his stuff and he is a stand up awesome person. And he’ll help you in any way he can and be ready. He likes to talk to
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, no, that’s, that’s what I want though.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, yeah. That’s yeah, there’s a, there’s some of us that like to talk some of us like listened and the ones that liked to talk, need to know when to listen to. What are some of the latest tips and tricks you’ve seen or heard of or used?
Bryan Epland:
One thing that I know has not been mentioned is the use of UV dye to find small, uh, oil or hydraulic leaks that are just seeking maybe at a hydraulic block or about or something. Um, it’s, it’s, it’s pretty easy. They’ve got glasses where we put this dye in there and then have the guy go out and run the machine for a couple hours and I’ll bring it back in. And it’s usually a fair right away that where it’s leaking out. And it’s, especially with the very slow leak. It’s very easy to diagnose that it makes you look at it too. So.
Trent Manning:
That was awesome. Where can you pick it up?
Bryan Epland:
I just get them at the local art store. It usually comes in a kit with the flashlight. You be flashlight glasses, and there’s different types of get, um, UV diaper oil, AC systems. And I believe there’s, there might be one for fuel too. I’m not sure, but,
Trent Manning:
Okay. Awesome. Any other ones?
Bryan Epland:
I don’t know if this is the mission before we use the T handle doing justice.
Trent Manning:
Yes.
Bryan Epland:
five eights or a 16 millimeter socket or 15, it getting her wish. But
Trent Manning:
Yep. 16.
Bryan Epland:
I love the, I love that’s. It makes it so much easier to quit.
Trent Manning:
One thing I’ll learn up there Jr. And he reminded me talking about T handles. He has a T handle torque wrench.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. I’m curious about that. Especially for bed night.
Trent Manning:
Well, and that’s exactly what he used for his bed, Knopf screws. And I took a picture of it and I don’t remember the name. That’s why I took a picture and I hadn’t, I hadn’t looked it up yet, but I’m definitely thinking about ordering some, because with that, I think it would be easy enough. Toward the bed, not screws. I’ve not been a huge fan of torque and midnight screws with a traditional tort ranch. And before people come at me or blow me up, I did my own little research and I’ve been using, uh, whatever it is, a 7.2 volt cordless impact. So it doesn’t have, you know, a lot of. And I give it whatever three, I go to Douglas and I call it a day. So anyway, I had done a bad knife like that, and then I’d done a bad knife using a torque wrench, and I didn’t notice any difference. And when I say that I did like a whole set, so five and five, and I thought it was a pretty, pretty good a test plot. And I didn’t notice a difference when I went to grind.
Bryan Epland:
Guys we’ll Geisel Greenwich, but I use a, uh, impact driver. I’m open to working cause I’m a big fan of it and I’d be. And when I do try it, I’m going to impact drive a bed knife on a bar, and then I’m going to work one, and then I’m going to put it to the test without a gear and just see, just to see if I’m wasting my time or not, because I’ve put my bed bars and the, um, to the dial indicator report. And they’re all perfect. So, which is good, so I don’t know if I’m going to see a benefit or not.
Trent Manning:
Walk me through that process.
Bryan Epland:
As far as the vital indicator goes.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Dial indicator on the bed bar.
Bryan Epland:
So I, uh, I don’t remember how I did it. Like, I think it was like a year and a half ago, but I put it in, it’s just, I took the bed knife off the bar. and then I put it on the grinder, so the magnets have hold it. And then I put the dial indicator on the, traverse. So it moved back and forth. And I think I was within like a thousand or something like that side side. And I, I usually only get picky with my cranes as far as that goes, but.
Trent Manning:
Yep. Yeah, you can, you can definitely go down some rabbit holes and hurry on some of the stuff. And, you know, I can’t say it’s wrong because people that do it have really good results. So sometimes I just don’t think it might be quiet. You know, depending on, especially for fairway reels and rough rails, you know, greens is one thing. If you want to get down some of those rabbit holes, more power to you, but you know, the other thing that I remember coming up in the industry, you know, it was pretty shady back in the mid nineties when I first started compared to what we’re doing. For instance, we did not own a bed knife grinder. And so we didn’t grind bed knives.
Bryan Epland:
Yes.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. We back left everything and I know the standards have changed a little bit, but I remember having Toro five hundreds, if anybody remembers those and having them set at 90. So, I mean, I don’t think the height, the cuts changed a whole lot for me and our operation.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. I mean, I’m, I’m splitting hairs with my highest cut right now. We’re all in that grass. And our greens are so tight that even when we talk risks, we’ll choose Sanford like a week and a half because the sand, you said nowhere to go. So we’re really getting picky with Heights and cut and cut quality and all that stuff. And, um, stragglers, all that stuff. But,
Trent Manning:
Yep. Gotcha. What else do you want to talk about?
Bryan Epland:
I guess, one thing that I, didn’t know, getting into the industry. My first years I really struggled with is the grains and cut quality are the most important things when we go off course to me. Anyway, um, if you, if you have a bad kind of thing of the day, it looks bad and people see that they might not say something, but they they’ll tell their friends or whomever, you know, and things aren’t all that bad, you know, not to lose your cool, which I’m guilty of. Sometimes I’m sure we all are definitely shocked. A few wrenches in my day.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, for sure.
Bryan Epland:
Otherwise, something I didn’t know. I was going to be good at, when I got into this was irrigation wiring, understanding how to find breaks in the wire, um, in the, the, the wire finder that we have, or I don’t, I’m not sure. what they’re called, but it’s like out of the eighties and I still prefer that machine over the new ones. Cause I don’t know how the new ones work. I can’t run them. cause they’ll tell you debts. And, some other stuff I don’t even know, but
Trent Manning:
Was it the 5 21 locator.
Bryan Epland:
it might be, I’m not sure. It’s just got a BBC rod on the end of it. And it’s got, I’m not interested. It’s variable. I wish, I guess I can get a hold of this maybe. And I feel like no, but
Trent Manning:
Yeah, I don’t, I that’s, what I learned, um, was the 5 21 locator.
Bryan Epland:
it very well could be a.
Trent Manning:
It’s a little handheld thing. It’s got a piece of PVC that’s maybe a 10 inches long and you wave it back and forth. And when it goes Knoll, you’re over the wire.
Bryan Epland:
I think it’s similar, but it’s a little bit smaller. I just looked that up,
Trent Manning:
Yeah.
Bryan Epland:
but similar and I’m, I’m really good at finding why with that and with the new ones, I can’t even imagine how to do it. So.
Trent Manning:
Wow. So are you good at finding a break in a wire with one of those?
Bryan Epland:
Uh, yeah. Yep. I’ve done that. Um, we had a lightning strike last year and I ended up having it around like half mile. And you, um, I want to say it was the signal wire who the lightning strike took out a chunk of it somewhere at one of our bridges, but that’s, you know, my signal stopped on both sides of the bridge. So it’s got the bridge, I think, cause we’re extract.
Trent Manning:
Okay. Gotcha. Yep. Have you ever used the fall finder?
Bryan Epland:
I have, I won’t want it. It’s definitely on the capitalist for me as far as two tools go there. Cause they’re really good too. One way that I like to test irrigation wires is I got a little speaker and I’ll put them up to the column Myers on when you’re on tour. I’m not sure what Rainbird visas. I’ll look the speaker up to the common wires and I’ll hook my phone up the other end to play music through the wires on the golf course and wherever I hooked by speaker up, I can tell, okay, we’ve got signal here and it’s just a fun way to do it because you can listen to music at work instead of just listen for the tone that I’m not sure if you’re familiar, but it beeps at you. If you got
Trent Manning:
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, that is awesome. Let’s let’s get good.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah. I don’t know.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, no, that’s a good one. And I do think a lot of us end up working on irrigation and we, whether the irrigation tech, if you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated irrigation tech, you still have to land them. I, and from time to time, I spend my experience.
Bryan Epland:
I really enjoy it. It’s because it’s a new challenge usually, so,
Trent Manning:
Rob, do you get involved with the pump station and stuff?
Bryan Epland:
oh yeah. I’m usually the guy that has to work on all that. Some of the, do you understand some of that at all, but I’m definitely learning.
Trent Manning:
Yep.
Bryan Epland:
We run VFDs and we’re installing a new transfer pump right now.
Trent Manning:
do y’all have somebody come out that service your pump.
Bryan Epland:
yeah, we have an outfit out of Kansas city. The guy’s name’s John for a lot of people know who he is in this area, but he’s really, really smart. And I tell you exactly what, when you know, what’s new and what’s wrong.
Trent Manning:
Right, right. That’s what I was getting at is we have a guy here in the south, his name’s pat. And so, um, every time he comes out, I try to just kind of hang out with him and pick his brain a little bit and watch what he’s doing
Bryan Epland:
Especially. Yeah, the older, the older guys, they really know what they’re doing, so it’s good to listen to them.
Trent Manning:
yep. This it’s amazing. All you can learn, you know, that’s, that’s training it honestly, suddenly. Listening and picking up things. Tell me a little bit about farming.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, it’s, uh, I don’t do a lot of big stuff. I mean, I do a lot of the groundwork for those guys, but, uh, it’s, I’m sure my, my other half until I work too much. Um, I think she just doesn’t understand that I don’t like sitting at home, so it’s not about necessarily working, but, so I got involved with this farmer last fall. Um, did all of this harvest with them and then, you know, having to do all this groundwork and like a big, um, I had never been attracted that big. It throws me this big new Holland T 9, 4 50, which is, you know, it’s a 10 foot climb to get into the state’s huge, but, uh, I’m sure some guys probably understand that. So he tells me how to run this machine and then sets me free in it. And I’m sitting there thinking what the heck, but this guy must really trust me because, but I never broke anything. And I, we get along pretty good, but
Trent Manning:
Yeah.
Bryan Epland:
it’s, it’s a fun side job for sure though.
Trent Manning:
Very cool. How often are you doing stuff for him?
Bryan Epland:
Um, couple of times a week, and then usually a day on the weekend. If I have time,
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. That’s awesome though.
Bryan Epland:
whether it’s working on some forum or doing some groundwork or whatever,
Trent Manning:
Um, anything else you want to tell us about?
Bryan Epland:
One thing I’m curious about, cause this happened to me, uh, a couple of days ago. So last Friday guys, with pro Gators, 2030s with the diesel. When you’re taking off, off oil gets down in between the engine mounts. And so I had one sitting there leaking like three days, even though I cleaned it with brake clean and everything else, while it was still leaking something in a crack crack in the block or something crazy. So I ended up yesterday and I put it up on the lift and take manage, and actually out there only to find out there was just so much dirt back behind there. And it was holding enough oil that it was leaking, leaving a little spot there. So something look out for you yet, you know, cause it will leak down onto the belly or the, the pan underneath the, in there that hit the ground. So it’s hard to tell where it’s coming from. It.
Trent Manning:
Gotcha. Yeah, the keeping equipment clean is a
Bryan Epland:
It’s
Trent Manning:
struggle. The struggle is real for sure. We pulled the R whatever, 1570, you know, it’s the out-front mower, but from John Deere and I got the Buffalo blower on the front of it. And I don’t remember what the complaint was, but I pull it in the other day and pop the hood up and look at the radiator. And it’s just packed with grass and debris and it’s supposed to be blown out every time you use it. You know, obviously it did not get blown out for probably three or four weeks.
Bryan Epland:
My guys are usually pretty good about that, but there’s always no one time where a mower shut off out on the course. And they’re wondering why have I already know why it got hot?
Trent Manning:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. Yeah. That’s something else. And then, yeah, we get a call today. I think the skid steer is out of fuel. Oh. You know, in between one and two. There’s like, okay. You didn’t see the gauge when you got in it, that it was on empty. And you’re going to try to drive it back to the shop and mind you, we have a pro Gator with a hundred gallon fuel tank in the back of it. So we can come to you and fill up if we need to.
Bryan Epland:
nice.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, and I don’t, we just do so many projects and that kind of stuff. That’s the main reason actually it was a tank I kind of inherited and I didn’t need it around the house. So I donated it to the club and then the club bought a electric pump to go on it and it comes in really handy.
Bryan Epland:
I’m guilty of that too. You all use my own tools. They’re all donate stuff to that just cause I’m not using them. You know, I’m sure a lot of people are though.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, well, that’s the MIG welder I have at the shop. That’s mine that belongs to me. I got a thanks to Roland MacPherson. He let me have a milling machine that I still hadn’t found a project for,
Bryan Epland:
I want one of those. I know that I don’t know whatever he’s a poor either, but. there’s been some times and I had some aluminum, that needed to build out and we didn’t have a way to do it. And I wished I had one.
Trent Manning:
Um, that’s, I’m just waiting for the rat project to come across the desk and start buying some tools for it. But yeah. Anyway, I got quite a, quite a few things there. I had a, I bought a Samil. Um, what was it? The orange.
Bryan Epland:
Oh, I couldn’t tell
Trent Manning:
Well, yeah. Yeah. Um, Wood-Mizer I bought a Wood-Mizer, uh, LT, 15 Samil and had it set up, we were taking down a ton of tree, so we sought up a good bit of lumber. This.
Bryan Epland:
So is that in a drought drive longer and then try to use it at the golf course or,
Trent Manning:
Well, yeah, w we did, uh, and that was, we did make a bunch of benches too. And our, our benches are on all our par three tees and it’s just a log cut in half. So the band saw, made it really nice to be able to.
Bryan Epland:
And the industry.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, yeah. To make a straight cut in the center of the lock. So that came in real handy, but actually I just sold it back last fall because pretty much the tree removals done. And I found out mill and lumber is a lot of work and a lot of patients too. So you mill all the lumber and then you got to stack it and then you got to dry it and then you got to get it out and. You know, playing it down or cut it, you know, all this stuff, like this is about too much work, more trouble than it’s worth, honestly.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, I suppose you probably saved money doing that right now, but is it worth the hassle?
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. You know, if I had a, a farm or something like that, and a lot of free time, I’d love to do stuff like that, but
Bryan Epland:
Well, maybe when you retire.
Trent Manning:
yeah, exactly. Exactly. So, yeah, the guy sold it too. It was a good friend of mine and he just bought an island. It’s I say an island is about 250 acre island off the coast of Georgia, just south of Savannah. And there’s a ton of pine trees there. So he’s going to use it. He wants to make some pole barns and some lean tos and that kind of stuff. So that’s what he’s going to use it for. And he’s retired. So.
Bryan Epland:
So they’ll would busy then
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. So I’m going to keep him busy. We all need something to keep us busy. You ready for some rapid fire questions?
Bryan Epland:
that,
Trent Manning:
What’s your favorite movie?
Bryan Epland:
so just being the generation that I am, it’s either step-brothers or I’m a huge fan of Forrest Gump. Anytime either of those movies are on.
Trent Manning:
Brett, you can keep scrolling, not one, one of those.
Bryan Epland:
I could probably quote every line from both of them, but,
Trent Manning:
Awesome. What would be your last meal?
Bryan Epland:
I think it’s pizza hands down. Um, it’s a food group by itself, so, and I could probably eat it every day and I’m sure there’s some other guys that feel the same way.
Trent Manning:
Do you have a favorite type or style of pizza?
Bryan Epland:
yeah, definitely stuffed crust, but I, you know, I’m not, I’m open to toppings. I liked a little bit everything. So.
Trent Manning:
Okay. All right. Cool. So what are you most proud of?
Bryan Epland:
I think, um, in a short amount of time that I’ve been in the golf course industry and how far I’ve made it, I’ve heard myself that I have what it takes again and again, and I’ve honestly never really never let myself down, which is good. and this is, it’s just nice to feel accomplished and, uh, be rewarded with, you know, trust and with the tools to be able to perform my job the way that I’m allowed to.
Trent Manning:
Exactly. No, that’s great. But it’s all coming together. I love it. Tell the listeners how they can get ahold of you.
Bryan Epland:
my Twitter handle. That’s pretty much the only social media I really use, but it’s Brian. Aplin, it’s pretty simple.
Trent Manning:
We’ll make sure and tag it too. Well, thank you so much, Brian, for coming on. This has been great honestly, before today I seen you in the WhatsApp group a couple times. But I didn’t really know you. And that’s, that’s one thing I love about doing these interviews and the podcast in general. It lets hopefully the listeners understand Brian and his background and where he’s coming from. And I’m hoping for the listeners that it makes it easier for you to reach out to any of us.
Bryan Epland:
Definitely. Yeah, my door’s always open. My Twitter is open. I guess I’ve just got one more thing I’d like to say. And our little podcast, but, one thing, you know, I’ve thought about this a little bit, but, I’m a big fan of criticism and I’ve always thought that self criticism is very harsh. It’s pretty easy to get yourself down. I would just want to say to everybody, never be embarrassed to ask for advice or help. And I can honestly say in this industry, I’ve never been let down. I’m a firm believer after my six short year golf career that, you only get out of it. We put into it. And to get yourself out there, expose yourself to new things, never stop learning. everyone, whether young or old comes to a point in your life whether it’s in their career or just their life, but you realize what’s important. What things may be, let, go and not get mad about. it’s not what people think about you. It’s more how you think about yourself and your esteem. If you’re like me, you like to reflect like maybe once a month and yet realize how far you’ve come, especially me in 60. And what you’ve accomplished and you get to sit back and smile and relish in that. And you get to feel proud of your accomplishments and the person you’ve turned out to be income. I just want to say to everybody, never, never do. And be the person who had fought so hard to become, because for me, it’s gotten me very far in a short amount of time.
Trent Manning:
That is gold. That is gold audio gold right there, man. That was awesome. You want to just keep doing that for another 30 minutes? I’m serious. I’m serious. Not as so good. And it’s so true. Every bit of it, you get out of it, what you put in,
Bryan Epland:
Definitely
Trent Manning:
you know, keep your head down and there’s no telling what you can kind of.
Bryan Epland:
for sure. I’m a firm believer in that.
Trent Manning:
And I remember Roland MacPherson saying it. And I don’t remember if it was on a podcast or not about this industry is so small and so niche that you really have a good chance of being one of the top people in this. You know, if you not you or, you know, you, Brian, you, the listener, what we all do, and all it takes is some hard work and some dedication.
Bryan Epland:
Definitely.
Trent Manning:
like you said, if you’re stumped call a Fran,
Bryan Epland:
Oh yeah.
Trent Manning:
you know, call somebody down the road and all of us that I’ve met is willing to help hands down, do whatever.
Bryan Epland:
Yeah, definitely.
Trent Manning:
To, to help you out. Do you plan on coming to the golf show
Bryan Epland:
I haven’t talked to Superbad yet, but I do want to this year just to kind of meet everybody. Um, I’d like to go every, maybe every couple of years, but we’ll see, you know, sometimes things don’t work out you one them two, but I’m definitely wanting to go this year. I think they’ll support me a little bit. So.
Trent Manning:
if you’re looking for a place to stay or whatever. this, bring it up in the group because that’s the good thing about Orlando. our director he’ll usually rent a house and it sleeps whatever 10 people. So it ends up costing you a hundred bucks for the week or something crazy like that. So it is really cheap. Orlando is when it comes to stuff like that. So, yeah, definitely. Yeah. Look us up. I’m sure somebody will have a. Uh, house or extra room or, or something if bonds are tight or, you know, they don’t want to work with never. Yeah, for sure.
Bryan Epland:
I’ll keep that in mind.
Trent Manning:
Awesome. Brian, thank you so much.
Bryan Epland:
You’re very welcome. It’s my pleasure. My pleasure beyond here.
Trent Manning:
Hope you enjoyed hearing from Brian. Thank you for your service, Brian. And all the listeners do appreciate it. And we think anybody that has served this country. We wouldn’t be here without you. I think Brian’s wide range of experience in the army. I helped prepare him to be a golf course equipment manager. And definitely having a well-done background never hurts. At the golf course. Because we’re always needing to weld something. Somebody is going to break something. Have you ever felt like Humpty Dumpty? Or the story of Humpty Dumpty. And putting all the pieces back together again. I’ve definitely thought about that nursery round quite a bit. Over the years. What’d you think about Brian’s soundbite? That’s why we released it. As a soundbite. And if I didn’t know better, I would’ve think he rehearsed that. That was so good. He pretty much covered everything. And one little paragraph. Unbelievable. And it is easy to get yourself down. So the Laki said don’t be embarrassed. I asked for help. I asked for advice. This is one of the best industries to work in. And I’ve been harping on it. For a long time, get out of your comfort zone. Get comfortable being out of your comfort zone. And it’s amazing what you can do and what you can accomplish. Until next time. So you buy. thank you so much for listening to the real turf techs podcast. I hope you learned something today. Don’t forget to subscribe. If you have any topics you’d like to discuss, or you’d like to be a guest, find us on Twitter at real turf techs.