Ross, who has been working at Cheltenham Ladies’ College for 15 months, explained the reasons behind choosing a battery-powered cylinder mower.
“It is College policy to be sustainable. Whenever we are thinking of purchasing a new product, we must always look for an environmentally friendly option first.
“We needed a new cylinder mower and there was only one battery-powered machine we looked at. That was from Dennis because I don’t think anything else can match their mowers.”
The mower Ross was keen to look at was the Dennis ES-510. The ES-510 is based on the popular Dennis FT510. With a choice of 12 interchangeable cassettes, the ES-510 is capable of scarifying down to -10mm. Ideal for fine turf it has the power to cut 10km on a single charge.
The ES-510 features a robust LCD keypad screen on the handlebar console providing the operator with a multitude of information options including speed, clip rate, service checks, lifetime running reports and battery information. Furthermore, traditional FT510 cassettes will also fit their battery-powered alternatives, meaning that customers will not have to purchase additional cassettes.
The aim with the Dennis E-Series is to help professionals meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, reduce carbon footprint emissions, running costs and noise without any range anxiety. Ross believes the ES-510 certainly delivers on all fronts.
“We knew we instantly wanted it following the demonstration,” he said. “It is very easy to use, and it provides an excellent cut every time. Every member of the team enjoys using the machine. Personally, I like being able to change the clip speed while I’m mowing, and the fact you can set the speed of the machine to suit your walking style is a great feature.”
The mowers take just 2 hours for an ultra-fast full battery recharge utilising a 1.5KWh battery and will help turf professionals meet sustainability and carbon neutral goals. The ultra-low HAV’s and noise allows operators to use the machines for a full day in any environment and along with the low maintenance, very low lifetime costs and significant cost savings on fuel are all benefits of the Dennis E-Series range.
“It is very comfortable to use, and you don’t get the vibrations which you get when using a petrol mower,” continued Ross.
“We predominately use it on our cricket square, but recently we used them on the College lawns during lesson time to see if we got any complaints. Normally, we would have to cut these lawns early before classes start because of the noise of the petrol mowers. Not one person said a single word after using the ES-510 because they are so quite in operation. The noise level alone is worth getting them for and these will be great for when exams are on.
“We never have any problems with the ES-510, and it is a joy to use.”