Mowers

Mower proves versatile

INFINICUT® extends fixed head range

Jay Berkhauer, head groundsman for Dartford FC, says that the Dennis G860 cylinder mower is hugely versatile and offers an unrivalled finish.

Jay, who is employed by Jordans Sports Ground Solutions, has been working at Dartford FC’s Princes Park Stadium for three seasons. As an experienced grounds manager, Jay has worked on many sports surfaces including football, rugby and cricket.

“I first started using Dennis G860’s when I worked at Crystal Palace FC – and I absolutely love them,” says Jay. “From all the mowers I have used in my career I am of the opinion that you just can’t get a better finish than a Dennis.”

When Jay started working at Jordans Sports Grounds Solutions, he was glad to have a Dennis G860 to use at Dartford FC. Relied upon at world class stadia and major tournaments, it is one of the most renowned cylinder mowers in grounds management. Lightweight at just 166kg it is incredibly easy to manoeuvre and comfortable to operate. The handlebar console houses the controls for the throttle, parking brake, roller drive and cutting cylinder drive.

The mower features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control. It also features an interchangeable cassette system to assist with a wide range of tasks such as including scarifying, verticutting, brushing, spiking, and slitting. This versatility is one of the G860’s best features according to Jay.

“We have the verticutting cassette, the brush and the cutting cylinder,” he explains. “In the summer months when the grass needs thinning out, I’ll use the verticutting cassette. I’ll also use it during renovations, just to give it a thorough clean and to remove any thatch.

“In winter, I’ll use the brush cassette after a game to give the pitch a tidy-up and to remove any debris. If I used a small rotary mower to do this after a game, I would be doing it all night, so the brush has certainly helped me to save time.

“Then of course, we have the cutting cylinder which provides an excellent finish every time.

“The G860 is a 3-in-1 for me and therefore works out to be very cost-effective.”

Following in the footsteps of the Mk6 SM34 Rotary Mower and floating head cylinder collection, INFINICUT® have now extended the Mk6 features and mantra across their fixed head range. Visitors to BTME were amongst the first to see the 2022 model FX range, which incorporates new features including CAN cylinder models. The electrical architecture has been completely overhauled, including updates to the battery, motors, controllers, contactor and VCM to deliver the robustness and reliability demanded by today’s turf professionals.

Incorporating CAN bus protocol into the design facilitates the communication logic, making the INFINICUT® the world’s first professional mower with Bluetooth connectivity – enabling wireless interfacing and adjustments to be made via the InfiniApp, available for smart devices.

While the electrical operation and other features have been refined, the leading-edge cut quality now synonymous with the INFINICUT® mower, remains. The in-house manufactured SMARTCut™ cutting reels are available in 7, 11 and 14 blade set-ups, with an optional contra-rotating groomer attachment available for alleviating grain and turf density problems. As with the floating head variant, the grass bucket is mounted on the traction unit providing a more consistent cut height and ensures the mower remains optimally balanced throughout operation and during end-of-line turning.

Available in four cutting widths, there’s a Mk6 FX machine suited to all types of surface, from bowling and golf greens to winter sports pitches. They are also both cool and warm season grass compatible. Alongside the renowned SMARTCut™ reel, a full range of compatible maintenance cassettes are available from the TMSystem™ collection – unlocking the full potential of your INFINICUT® pedestrian mower or mainstream models of lightweight fairway mower into a system for complete turf refinement.

Kubota best for showground

With 200 acres of grass to care for and a packed programme of events ranging from Truckfest to the International Antiques Fair and the Festival of Motorcycling, East of England Arena and Events Centre needs reliable, productive machinery.

After a round of demonstrations aimed at updating their fleet, the grounds team there has chosen a Kubota M5112 tractor, RTV-X1110 utility vehicle and ZD1211 zero turn mower, supplied by dealer Irelands Farm Machinery.

The main tasks for the 110hp M5112 are mowing the large expanses of grass used for exhibition space and parking, plus general haulage, head of maintenance Dean Wyers explains.

“We have also purchased a 4.6m Spearhead Multicut mower from Irelands, and the combination gives us the output we need to keep the extensive grass areas tidy. The Kubota tractor handles the mower really well, and it’s very comfortable to drive, with great visibility.”

Next on the shopping list was a ride-on mower, essential for cutting tighter areas.

“We had a front mower before but were interested in a zero turn to work around the many lamp posts, stand pipes and electricity boxes on the site. The ZD1211 is a huge improvement, so much quicker, but with a very good quality cut,” he comments. “It’s also durable enough to cope with the debris that can be hidden in the grass after an event and very easy to check and clean with its flip up deck.”

To get around the huge site and move tools and materials, the 24hp RTV-X 1110 has proved a great choice.

“It’s very good to drive and comfortable due to its all-round suspension – I’ve already clocked up some miles in it, and it’s proving economical on fuel. We do a lot of towing for which it gives plenty of power, and it can also be fitted with a specialist sprayer which we find very useful for weed control around fencelines,” suggests Dean.

The RTV has a hydraulic tipping bed as standard, handy for moving materials such as soil for ground repairs in the show season. The East of England Arena and Events Centre has specified a full cab with heater, for protection from the elements.

“We demonstrated one with a ROPS (roll over protective structure), but it is a very open site so we do appreciate the cab,” he comments. “It’s very roomy and easy to access.”

An onsite workshop means that most of the machinery maintenance is kept in-house, and Dean praises the ease of service access on all three machines, while Irelands are close at hand for back-up and parts should they be needed.

“The Kubota machines are robust and well made,” he says. “Reliability really is key for us as we can often have just two days turnaround to get the site looking pristine for the next event, and we’re confident that they will provide this.”

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