The latest greens’ and tees’ mowers

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Mowers are vital at this time of year and the main manufacturers offer products that suit greenkeepers’ differing needs. Andy Waple looks at the main machines and details what they can do for your greens and tees

Early season can be a difficult and frustrating time in the greenkeeping calendar as the grass is growing, yet the use of triplex units should be avoided. All is not lost thanks to the fine range of pedestrian mowers from the industry’s leading manufacturers who highlight their products and offer advice.

Dennis

The innovative Dennis FT interchangeable cassette system has established itself as a mower of choice for greenkeepers. With options of 17” (43cm), 20” (51cm) and 24” (61cm) cutting widths, there is a size to suit every requirement.

With 11 different cassette types, including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers and slitters as well as a 10 bladed cutter cassette, the FT provides greenkeepers with unrivalled performance and an impressive versatility from a single power source unit, minimising storage space and reducing ongoing maintenance costs.

Cassettes can easily be changed in approximately 60 seconds without the need for any tools. Using a height setting bar to ensure the desired height of cut is correct and level, adjustments can be made using the revolutionary click system, ensuring simple and accurate height control in 0.25mm increments, making changes on the green very simple and quick.

Controls of the machine are simple to operate, with a three-section rear roller that makes turning on the green straightforward without damaging the turf. Forward speed is fully controllable with the unique drive system that enables greenkeepers to have a variable clip rate for the ultimate bowls green finish.

Jacobsen

The Jacobsen Eclipse2 pedestrian mower uniquely features electric drive to the traction roller and the cutting units, powered from a battery pack, or from a Honda petrol engine powering a 48-volt generator while the mower is moving.

Mounting slots for both are elongated, which allows either power unit to be positioned to increase or decrease the weight on the front roller allowing the course manager to determine the aggressiveness of the cutting unit on the fixed head version and helps ease of turning on the floating head model.

Available in three cutting widths 45.7 cm (18”), 55.9 cm (22”) and 66 cm (26”), they can be specified with fixed or floating head cutting reels with 11 or 15 blades. The wider 66 cm (26”) version has a 7-blade fixed cutting reel, giving a total of 18 models to choose from. The patented TRUE floating head allows the lowest heights of cut to be achieved without scalping, even on the most undulating greens.

The mower’s ability to change the frequency of cut (FOC) – the number of cuts per metre – sets it apart from other pedestrian mowers.

Maximum mow and transport speeds can be locked in, providing the course manager with the knowledge that all of his greens will be cut to the same specification, whichever member of his team is using the mower.

The Eclipse2 features the lightest weight handle, with counter-balance springs ensuring that the cutting reel sits ‘true on the turf’ when the operator grasps the adjustable handle.

Each machine features a true automotive differential, which provides superior tracking by driving the traction drum from one point, making it easier to track straight across the green.

Toro

Toro is the only manufacturer with the full greens’ maintenance equipment package. For every job – from cutting, rolling and aerating to top dressing and spraying – there’s a quality Toro machine to help you produce the perfect green.

Whether riding or walk-behind, Toro’s industry-leading Greensmaster range offers high-quality cuts without sacrificing productivity, season after season.

Hertfordshire’s Manor of Groves Golf Club has purchased its first fleet of Toro machinery and resolved to be exclusively Toro by 2020.

The club invested in, among many, two Greensmaster Triflex 3400 greens’ mowers to update its front line cutting fleet.

Course manager Lee Brinkley says out of the new mowers, the Triflex 3400 stands out: “Maintenance is so easy! With our previous greens’ mower you had to forever pump grease into the bearings to keep everything lubricated, but the 3400 has sealed steel bearings which don’t need greasing – it makes maintenance far easier for us, and saves on time.”

According to Lee, Toro has transformed the club: “We’ve seen the difference Toro can bring to our course and as a result the club’s approach to machinery investment has changed – we now plan to buy new Toro machines every three years and hope to have an all-red fleet by 2020.”

MTD (Cub Cadet)

The RG3 from Cub Cadet, the well-known MTD subsidiary, is the only autonomous greens’ mower in the world. By placing four beacons around the perimeter of the green, the machine can triangulate its position. It accomplishes this through the use of ultrasonic transducers that continually measure signals between the beacons and the machine as it traverses the green. The level of accuracy is such that exceptionally straight, evenly spaced mowing lines can be accomplished.

The perimeter cut is achieved slightly differently. A wire is placed 10 to 12 inches in the ground exactly matching the shape of the green. A low voltage electrical current is passed through the wire and during the clean-up cut, a receiver senses the wire and positions the RG3 exactly to match the perimeter shape of the green. This results in an ultra-defined edge to the collar and the green and completely eliminates greens creep.

The RG3 also offers a consistency of cut that is impossible with a conventional walk mower. No foot traffic, inconsistent distribution of weight on the mower handles through human interaction and the fact that RG3 rolls at the same time as it cuts makes for a super smooth surface every time. Higher and more consistent green speeds are also achieved without the need for additional rolling or reducing the height of cut.

The most obvious effect using an autonomous mower is the increase in productivity that can be achieved. A single operator can deploy an RG3, set it to work and perform tasks such as hole changing, bunker raking, bunker edge trimming, tee marker placement and pop up trimming at the same time as the green is being mown. When compared to a traditional maintenance crew set-up, RG3 permits far more attention to detail on the course when using the same amount of personnel.