TOOLS , PLANT & EQUIPMENT
INFINICUT ® FLEET
BECOMES THE NEW WAY FOR WEMBLEY
Wembley Stadium , the very heart of English football , is now the home for five 34 ” INFINICUT ® FL mowers . While the INFINICUT ’ s lithium battery power fulfils The FA ’ s drive towards increasing sustainability , and saw them make the shortlist , it was the functionality of the floating head units coupled with the quality of cut that sealed the deal for Grounds Manager Karl Standley .
Sustainability has been a key issue for The FA Group since the new Wembley Stadium opened its doors in 2007 . The sustainability strategy , governed by FAST – The FA Group ’ s Sustainability Team – is actively looking at ways of reducing both waste and the use of fossil fuels , meaning that when it came to looking for a new fleet of stadium mowers , the electric route was the way to go . However , as Karl explains , “ Having an electric mower is great , but with one of the world ’ s most iconic pitches to present and a hugely varied schedule of both sports and events , it is crucial that any equipment we invest in delivers from an operational perspective .”
“ Lockdown last year gave us the opportunity to really look indepth at the different options available . Three things really stood out for me with the INFINICUT ® machines – one was the battery life ; another was the versatility but perhaps the biggest thing was the balance . A football pitch will never be 100 % even , there will always be an undulation of a couple of millimetres here and there and with the INFINICUT ®, it almost ‘ sticks ’ to the surface . The floating head reads the pitch , every camber , every tiny movement and the whole team was very impressed by that and it shows in the quality of finish .”
Since taking delivery of the quintet of 34 ” mowers in the Autumn of 2020 , the INFINICUT ® s are now the main machines used for preparing the playing surface , primarily down to the cut quality . However , the additional benefits of the battery technology are also making themselves apparent . “ We ’ ve had all five machines running together in preparation for a number of fixtures and the silence in the stadium is evident . It ’ s an eerily quiet experience – prep has never been quieter - but the difference has also been noticed by our colleagues and the TV crews we have on site .”
Karl adds , “ In addition , the massive reduction in HAV for the operators is another important benefit that has come to light . We test all of our equipment annually to enable our team to keep an accurate track on exposure and in the last round of tests , the INFINI ’ s came out with the lowest HAV score of the equipment we have .”
With the INFINICUT ® fleet delivering on all fronts for the Wembley team , the benefits are also due to be felt further down the chain with The FA actively working on finding the previous mower fleet a new home at clubs and organisations at grassroots level .
Advanced Turf Technology Limited , 3 Redwood Court , Campbell Way ,
Dinnington , Sheffield S25 3NQ UK Tel : + 44 ( 0 ) 114 2122 200 Web : www . infinicut . com
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