This story was adapted from an article originally published by the Armidale Express.

Spring mowing and park maintenance typically starts in early October for Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. But an early, wet spring produced so much new grass in September, the city had to start three weeks earlier.

Savings Offset Early Mowing Costs

Recreation services manager Phil Brown told the Armidale Express that each additional week of mowing could add up to $15,000 AUD to park maintenance costs. Fortunately, the Armidale Dumaresq Council was able to save some of that money, thanks to increased productivity from a Toro Groundsmaster® 5910 large-area rotary mower purchased last year. In fact, Brown said some playing fields saw a mowing time savings of more than 50 percent last year with the new mower.

 

Covering More Ground Faster

The Council maintains about 5,663 acres (2,292 hectares) of playing fields, 3,721 acres (1,506 Ha) of parks and 350 acres (142 Ha) of roadsides (excluding rural areas) annually. With a cutting width of about 16 feet (nearly 5 meters), Brown said the Groundsmaster 5910 rotary mower is a real time saver, especially in large open areas.

Council mower operator Ken Fredericks agreed. “This new broadacre mower works better and faster than previous machinery,” he told the paper. The Council estimated savings from the new mower would cover the additional mowing costs resulting from an earlier, wetter spring.

Designed for Maximum Uptime

One of the keys to this savings is the Groundsmaster 5900/5910 series’ 16-foot width of cut. These machines are capable of mowing over 15 acres an hour or 100 acres per day. One or both wing decks can also be raised on the fly to mow between objects or along narrower areas. Plus, full-time 4-wheel drive offers superior traction and maneuverability — so it can mow around obstacles with zero trim and turn 180˚ without leaving any uncut grass.

Other productivity-enhancing features include the SmartCool™ system, which helps prevent overheating. Before things get too hot, SmartCool briefly reverses the cooling fan to blast chaff and debris from the air intake screens.

In addition, the on-board InfoCenter™ lets the operator monitor machine functions at a glance and see instant alerts if there’s a problem. Diagnostic information and helpful maintenance reminders help keep downtime to a minimum.

 

Exceptional Durability

The Groundsmaster 5900/5910 series also features cutting decks made of high-strength reinforced steel with rugged bull-nose bumpers that can withstand years of heavy use. A bi-directional impact absorption system further protects the decks from damage with a massive spring-loaded shock.

Want to Learn More?

Watch the video demonstrations and calculate your potential savings with a Groundsmaster 5900/5910 at toro.com/gm5900.