Pedestrian mowers

82V technology: Power without petrol

The Cramer range of 82V commercial tools delivers unbelievable power, low noise and unbeatable lifetime cost-efficiency.

Professional users have traditionally seen petrolpowered garden equipment as the only option for gardening and maintenance of the large park and recreational areas. That’s because battery-powered garden equipment hasn’t met the high requirements they need.

Until now. Cramer’s powerful 82V battery system delivers all the power you demand from commercial equipment without the negative effects.

If you are a professional user who wants powerful, high-endurance equipment that meets high-performance, commercial requirements in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way, then the Cramer 82V battery system is for you.

The technology generates less heat, increasing efficiency and battery life – reducing the risk of sudden interruptions due to overheated cells and motors.

If you’re looking for a battery you can rely on time after time, you need to look no further than Cramer Batteries. n cramertools.com

Ravens rave about the Dennis G860

Sean Kauffman, Head Groundskeeper for NFL side Baltimore Ravens, says two Dennis G860 cylinder mowers have significantly helped improve standards of their pitch.

M&T Bank Stadium is a multipurpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL, and Sean has been working for the organisation for 17 years.

“In the average season we generally have 12 NFL games and training sessions. On top of that we put on concerts, events, soccer games, NCAA college football, lacrosse and monster truck shows,” he explained.

It is safe to say that Sean and his two members of staff have their work cut out and is always being on the lookout for equipment that can make his maintenance programme easier and better.

“We were previously using a ride-on mower on the stadium pitch, but I felt this was certainly one area where we could upgrade.

“I first saw Dennis Mowers at the Golf Industry Show, and we got a good look at the machines. We felt the G860 cylinder mowers would be a better option than what we had and knew that it would certainly help to keep some weight off the pitch.

“A demonstration was arranged, and we really liked what we saw. I also spoke to some people who had worked with the G860s and they encouraged the purchase. We ended up buying two.”

The mower features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish on every occasion. The Dennis G860 also features an interchangeable cassette system to assist with a wide range of tasks such as including cutting, de-thatching, verticutting, brushing, spiking, and slitting.

Sean said that the spring tine cassette and the eight bladed cutting cassette are the two that he most relies on.

“As one game ends, preparation for the next begins and this is where the G860 comes in,” he said.

“Following games, both of the Dennis mowers immediately give the pitch a sweep to clean the debris off and then we will repeat the process a couple of days later.

“Then we’ll use the eight bladed cutting cassette to mow the pitch to prepare for matchday.

“We absolutely love the quality of cut and the presentation it offers. I also like how easy they are to manoeuvre; and it is very easy to switch the cassettes around.

“Our pitch has been better since using them. Everything has been great; the machines have been running brilliantly and hopefully that continues for a long time.” n www.dennisuk.com

Why Etesia is the one for wet grass

Adam Patterson, Owner of Patterson’s Gardening Services in Northern Ireland, needed a mower that would perform in the wet, and in his opinion, there was only one brand which was comfortably up to the job.

Over the past 30 years, Etesia ride-on and pedestrian mowers have become world renowned for being able to cut and collect – in all weathers. Even in long and wet grass conditions, the mowers provide a quality finish with outstanding collection performance.

“When it comes to the design and build, Etesia has thought about all the things that other manufacturers simply have not,” said Adam.

“This was always going to be the career for me – grass cutting was my summer job and I absolutely loved it,” he said.

He now employs four members of staff and the company is highly regarded throughout Lisburn and surrounding areas.

With a glowing reputation to maintain, Adam takes it incredibly seriously when it comes to purchasing new equipment. Therefore, when his pedestrian mowers needed upgrading, he phoned Etesia.

He was recommended two models from the PRO 46 range; the PHTS3 - a single speed self-propelled mower and the PHE3 – a push variant.

Following the same concept of the PRO 46 range of pedestrian mowers first launched in the early 1990s, both models feature Xenoy cutting decks for increased strength, shear washer crank protection, individual height of cut adjusters, a new 22mm handlebar design, the latest Honda GCV170 engine and are supplied complete with 80 litre grass box and rear deflector as standard.

Adam ended up buying two of each model from his local dealer RD Mechanical and hasn’t looked back since.

“They have an excellent build quality and the weight of them really appealed to me. They are just perfect for all our small amenity lawns. However, we find ourselves using them on the bigger lawns too, especially if it has been raining or there is a lot of dew.

“We have received an excellent service from our dealer RD Mechanical throughout the process – from advising the correct model, to the delivery, so it’s safe to say I am one happy customer.” n www.etesia.co.uk.

Adam Patterson says Etesia have an excellent build quality

Momentum of battery power sways turf professionals

A growing number of turf professionals are gearing up to make the change to batterypowered lawn care equipment as performance expectations begin to meet and exceed expectations.

The Toro Company has answered the call with a fleet of low noise, zero engine exhaust and powerful professional battery equipment.

With the Toro 60V 53cm Commercial Heavy-Duty Mower, professionals can be ready to transi-tion to a zero-exhaustemissions lawncare fleet of mowers and tools in the years ahead.

The 60V HD Proline features a 6mm thick cast aluminium deck and is designed to withstand the demands from professional gardeners and landscapers – but still remains simple and easy to use for the everyday gardener. The HD Proline is the ideal choice for those with slightly larger areas of land, where a standard consumer lawnmower would not be suitable, and a ride on would be too large an investment – the 60V HD Proline fits perfectly in this gap.

The Recycler technology is designed to lift, suspend and recut grass clippings into a fine mulch, which it redistributes across the lawn to contribute toward a much healthier turf. The deck is de-signed to reduce the chance of blockages and efficiently collect grass. While being designed to withstand the extremes of commercial mowing, the 60V HD Proline is extremely lightweight for its purpose, allowing for extended daily use.

The 60V HD Proline uses two heavy-duty 7.5Ah 60V lithium-ion batteries to optimise its runtime and output. These batteries are also interchangeable with the Flex-Force range of garden machinery, to allow for maximum flexibility to get the job done.

The range includes a leaf blower, hedge trimmer, chainsaw and string trimmer – all of which may be required to maintain area with more land. The Flex-Force range also includes 60V Recycler lawnmowers. n www.toro.com/en-gb

INFINICUT impresses in Latin America

Turf Managers Specialist (TMS) Grass have become the first sports turf contractors in Central South America to own a pair of 34” floating head mowers from INFINICUT. Having spent years travelling the world to discover the top tools and techniques for grounds maintenance, Owner, Enio Cubillo, began to see the INFINICUTs at leading venues and decided that the sustainable credentials would be a perfect fit for their projects around Latin America.

TMS Grass began life seven years ago in Costa Rica and the team have since installed and maintained hybrid and natural surfaces in countries including Mexico and Guatemala. One of their most recent projects was to install a new pitch at Panama’s National Stadium, Estadio Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez.

“We were responsible for all stages of the new hybrid surface from installation through to the ongoing maintenance” explained Enio.

“We wanted to use the newest and best technologies in the market and that was the reason for the purchase of two INFINICUTs from FLexGrass in May 2021.”

“The INFINICUTs are very comfortable to use and, being battery powered, bring multiple benefits to the operator and surrounding environment. We are increasingly finding that venues worldwide are looking for greener solutions so having two electric mowers is a great addition to the services we can offer. Since the stadium pitch was completed in July, the pair have been used on a daily basis, with everybody very impressed with the quality of cut and the definition of stripe we achieve.”

Enio has also praised the versatility and the adjustable parameters on the INFINICUT, particularly the adjustable bedknife angle which means it has delivered cut consistency on the Bermuda grass construction.

Together with National League and LPF training and fixtures, the Estadio Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez is also hosting five qualifier games for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

“It’s important that we are delivering the best surface possible and the quality of finish with the INFINICUT is unbeatable. As important is the support package and we have had nothing but excellent service from both FLexGrass and INFINICUT with any technical help we need, no matter the time difference.” n infinicut.com

Same power and performance but without the fumes

With the launch of the Kress 60V max battery operated garden tools at SALTEX, professional landscapers and grounds maintenance staff can now turn to a greener alternative to petrol-powered tools without the hesitation of losing much needed power and performance.

Although professionals have used petrol for over 100 years, battery power is taking over.

Petrol-powered products are increasingly being scrutinised, petrol itself is becoming more expensive and big cities across the world are enforcing bans due to associated risks. Risks like emissions aren’t the only issues that can impact professionals and the public’s health: prolonged exposure to loud noise and hand arm vibration can lead to serious health concerns.

The Kress 60V max battery range offers top working comfort and performance at a comparatively light total weight. The tools are ergonomic and include numerous features which make working with them noticeably easier. The noise data that the Kress WG760E 51cm lawn mower produces is considerably quieter and at a safer decibel levels than most standard petrol mowers.

The WG760E also features a steel deck, a variable handle bar and a pace-setter speed setting to match your walking speed.

The mower uses intellicut to increase the motor speed should you find a thicker patch of grass, it has a side chute for discharging the grass clippings, or a mulching chute that is integral and easy to use. It also has ball bearing mounted wheels.

The WG760E mower covers up to 2,000m2 area on a single charge with two 4AH batteries, perfect for large grounds. There are also the WG575E and WG576E (46CM) in the Kress 60V mower range and cover up to 800m2 and 1,200m2, respectfully. All the mowers cables are integrated inside the bar, so you can easily fold the bar and have more freedom of movement while mowing.

All the products in the 60V range, including the 51cm mower fully exploit the higher power of the 60V battery. The lithium-ion battery guarantees continuous high power and faster charging. It also stays cool, even during heavy work. Kress batteries are made from top-quality materials for a longer service life, and they meet all recycling requirements.

The battery charge status displayed on the handle where it is always in view. No need to worry about oil, petrol or grease anymore, and you won’t need any of these with our Kress mower.

All of the Kress garden tools feature a brushless motor and are designed for high loads and optimal combination with our 60V max batteries. The battery energy is efficiently transformed into performance, with 85 % energy utilisation (compared with 75 % for brush motors, 15 % for petrol engines).

Brushless motors are also wear free which results in long life and not having to replace any worn out parts. n kress.com

The pedestrian machine, for garden and landscaping needs, is with us just as much as ever, with major manufacturers embracing green technology.

In the more intense grass maintenance world of estates management and contractors, where the machines are used hard every day of the week the heavyweight pedestrian mowers like the SWZ range from STM SCAG still enjoy huge popularity.

Strong and reliable, they perform consistently and reliably. 2022 is already showing high order levels for the pedestrian machines.

The range now includes the new SFC 30” finish mower to augment the existing SW and SWZ machines that go from 32”@ 14hp to 61”@ 22hp.

Over the last few years, where walking behind a mower has not always met the requirements of terrain or workforce individuals, specifiers have been able to introduce the SCAG stand-on mowers.

This is the V-Ride range, where the operator is positioned almost directly above the centreline of the deck offering excellent visibility for intricate areas.

All backed up with the STM training, maintenance and spares facilities. n www.st-mach.com

The bottom blade evolves after 190 years

Since the invention of the first lawnmower by Edwin Budding in 1830, the bottom blade or bed knife has not changed in 190 years.

The blade has always been manufactured with one cutting side and only a single set of holes to screw the blade into the blade carrier.

The first fine cutting golf greens mowers arrived on the world market around 1920 and have since then been constantly improved and refined – however the bottom blade remained unchanged in its design.

Donovan Ritchie has re-engineered the bottom blade by adding a second row of holes and thus making the blade a mirror image of itself, reinventing the blade forever.

No other manufacturer has ever manufactured a greens mower bottom blade that can be used twice therefore our blade is effectively 2 in 1, says Ritchie & Ritchie, whose products won first place in the SALTEX 2021 machinery category innovation award.

“Our blades have proven to be of the highest quality with the top golf courses using the reversible blade, to date we have not lost a customer back to the OEMs or to any aftermarket manufacturers,” says Ritchie & Ritchie, adding: “Why would they go backwards?”

The blades are manufactured from a spring type steel with a high carbon content.

“Our blades will not vary more than a 1/4 mm over its entire length making back lapping to a minimum if at all required.

“Our blades meet and exceed the OEM manufactures specifications with a Rockwell C rating of 50 – 52 hardness thus making it a premium product.

“By manufacturing the blades in this way, we are able to half the emissions compared to the manufacture of two ‘last century’ single cut blades.”

The reversible bottom blades replace Toro, John Deere, Jacobsen, and Baroness greens mower blades.

See Ritchie & Ritchie at BTME on stand 275D.