SPECIALIST MOWERS
Improving pitch quality
hen Niall Hazlehurst
W joined Warrington Wolves as Head of Grounds in February 2021 , a quick trip into the equipment shed flagged the urgent need for an update to the club ’ s mower fleet . Recognising the number of elite sporting venues using mowers from INFINICUT ®, Niall put forward a case that if the club wanted to be the best , they needed to invest in the best equipment ! Convinced by both the superior cut quality and environmental credentials , the club purchased two 34 ” INFINICUT ® FX mowers , along with an SM34 Rotary , earlier this year .
“ Having used INFINICUT ® mowers in the past , it was fantastic to be able to explain just how many benefits they could bring to the quality of the pitch and the environment as a whole ” explains Niall . “ Like a lot of clubs , we ’ re looking at ways of being greener so the fact we can reduce emissions and cost by switching to battery power was a big plus . However , the mowers also need to deliver on the agronomic front . The number of adjustable parameters on the INFINICUT ’ s and the millimetre precision you get when setting the height of cut has taken our pitch presentation from nil to the best it ’ s ever been !”
Two 34 ” fixed head units are the primary mowers for pre-match cut but , in addition , the club decided to invest in the SM34 Rotary mower – delivered by dealers Turner Groundcare in August . The SM34 follows the same design philosophy as the rest of the INFINICUT ® range , offering best in class performance with an emphasis on a modern , clean power source . It takes its mode of traction from the INFINICUT ® reel mower , renowned for its durability , paired with a deck designed to facilitate optimal airflow .
“ Now that we ’ re out of season , we ’ re using our SM34 in rotation with the 34 ” FX units to help to stand the plant up and thicken the sward . In season , it is used for the clean-up cut and thanks to the phenomenal suction , it doesn ’ t miss anything !” Niall continues , “ In addition , if the weather is really poor on prep day and we ’ re at all concerned about dropping clippings , we will use the Rotary as this gives us an excellent quality of cut and finish . Having that versatility at our disposal is fantastic .”
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32 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | January 2022