| Aside from droughts, Chinese-made products are the biggest international industry issue. China has quickly established itself as a viable manufacturing power. Chinese manufacturers are offering the industry everything from components to finished products – all at very low prices. Quality remains an issue especially in areas that demand the most stringent manufacturing tolerances. However, most accept that Chinese manufacturing quality is improving. The products often appear very similar to existing OPE lines, causing established manufacturers to complain strongly about alleged “piracy”. Established manufacturers are making attempts to protect their intellectual property, where possible, but the “if-you-can’t-beat-‘em-join-‘em” philosophy has seen many establish their own manufacturing bases in Asia.
Several Chinese products have already entered the Australian market with varying degrees of success. It seems certain that others will follow.
An Operatorless Future
A decade ago when we published the first pictures of the solar-powered Husqvarna “turtle” some readers thought that it was a prank. And they were not alone: when its details were published in a British newspaper the following 1st April many of its readers thought that the report was an “April Fool”!
In the ensuing years several suppliers have produced similar units (whether solar-powered or self-recharging). This year, however, the trend towards operatorless mowers was quite clearly discernable: from domestic backyards to wide-area commercial applications.
Ambrogio AutoMowers
Italian manufacturer Ambrogio displayed a range of five robotic mowers that can mow areas between 1 000 & 11 000m2 (depending on the model). They have either Lead or lightweight Lithium batteries and are capable of safe operation on sloped of 30o without problems. Most units have a single four-blade cutter system while the top-of-the-range 300Model has three independent cutters.
Brill Auto Cylinder Mowers
German manufacturer Brill has taken the robotic concept and put it into a domestic cylinder-mowing context. The unit can be programmed to mow the distinctive cylinder-cut patterns and will avoid obstacles. Sensors avoid collisions with objects. The mower is designed for smaller lawns up to about 500m2.
MAS GPS/Laser Guided Operatorless Large Area Mowers
The two operatorless wide-area mowers manufactured by UK company McMurtry are not robotic. The MAS Mower 03/33 rotary combination is controlled by GPS satellite navigation while the MAS mower 01 cylinder unit is guided by long-range laser navigation. The GPS rotary mower has a basic 1.5m unit that can have two further trailing wing decks attached to provide a 4.2m cut. An operator has to drive the unit around the boundaries of area to be mown the first time locating trees, power poles and other obstacles inside the area. The on-board computer then mows any cut pattern entered from a manual control pendant. This information is stored for future use.
Because the MAS Mower 01 is designed for sports arenas where grandstands can obstruct contact with a GPS satellite, it is controlled by lasers. The can be programmed to make any 36” cylinder cut patterns and will run to any part of the stadium to empty its grass clippings. Both types of mower have fail-safe collision bumpers that stop the unit if it hits any object.
ENGINES & TRANSMISSIONS
B&S DOV
Briggs & Stratton unveiled its new “DOV” engine, aimed exclusively at high-specification products retailed through Servicing Dealers. DOV incorporates a range of features that combine to produce high performance. Outstanding among these is its innovative valve train, which directly activates the valve through a patented lever system, to deliver smooth and quiet performance.
DOV engines also incorporate B&S’ new “ReadyStart” system, which eliminates priming and choking when starting by delivering the correct amount of fuel and air to the engine.
Kohler Command Pro 38hp
Kohler has reclaimed the title of highest-powered “small” petrol engine with the release of the 38hp Command Pro. These new air-cooled, V-twins are available in both horizontal- and vertical-shaft configurations and meet EPA Tier III and CARB emissions requirements.
The new 34, 36 & 38hp engines target the growing range of larger and more sophisticated commercial and industrial applications, including mowers, ATVs, UTVs, generators and pumps. The basic engine configuration is the tried-and-true 90º twin-cylinder, OHV design with electronic ignition, two-barrel carburetor and mechanical governor. The engines have an aluminium block with cast-iron cylinder liners and boast a 999cc displacement on a bore and stroke of 83mm x 69mm and a dry weight of 60kg (130lbs).
Kohler has incorporated several patented features that aim to enhance and extend the engine’s performance.
The Kohler range now stretches from 4 – 38hp
Honda GXV57 Mini-4
Honda launched the new vertical shaft GXV57 in its Mini-4 range. The 57cc displacement engine is particularly suitable for use with lightweight trimmers and mowers. The engine delivers high power and torque with an excellent power-to-weight ratio to give superb maneuverability with the minimum of effort. It has a fixed engine speed for easy operation, an increased PTO length and diameter for greater strength and easier coupling and meets world emission regulations. Other freatures includea tune ddecompressions system and an improved recoil starter.
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Kawasaki TJ35E Brushcutter Engine
Kawasaki’s new brushcutter engine meets the stringent CARB Tier III emission regulations. It is designed for be used with the company’s straight-shafts in either a loop handle or bull handle configuration, this brushcutter is designed for commercial users who need a robust, reliable machine that can take on tough vegetation, day after day. Kawasaki’s engines are used by several OEMs as well as Kawasaki themselves.
Tuff Torq Hydro 4WD Transmission
Tuff Torq released a new hydrostatic Four-Wheel-Drive transmission system. The units allow for a flexible layout of motor unit and pumps and are suitable for use with both rigid and articulated machines. The reservoir is housed with the rear transaxle (common for 2WD/4WD) and connected to the Front Wheel Drive by hydraulic hoses. Pump units are integrated.
ALTERNATIVE FUEL
Ethanol-powered Mowers
As oil reached US$70 a barrel Stiga engineers looked at alternative fuels. The result was a domestic and a ride-on mower, both powered by ethanol. Ethanol is a word that will send many PEA readers into shock, as high ethanol concentrations in some Australian fuels have been blamed for many OPE engine failures. However, this is primarily with engines that were not designed for use with this fuel. In countries like brazil ethanol fuel engines are used in many applications including OPE and motor vehicles.
WALK-BEHINDS
Al-Ko Articulated Walk-Behinds
Al-Ko released its Vario mowers designed to manoeuvre easily around corners. The patented technology features an articulated front axle that moves in reaction to a movement of the handlebars once an activation lever is released. The mower’s handling is significantly easier. The new range comes in 51cm and 46cm deck widths.
RIDEONS
Gianni Ferrari Turbo 6
Gianni Ferrari Turbo 6 has a patented variable side-wing system that allows it to adapt to any required working width between 1.6m-3.1m. This allows an operator to avoid obstacles without needing to lift a wing deck and then return to the maximum swathe to maximise productivity. With a top speed of 24km/h the unit can cut 3ha/h (7.4acres/h). A tight turning circle, low centre of gravity and 4WD give it a combination of great manoeuvrability high slope traction for a wide-area unit. The heavy-duty mower has standard certified ROPS and seat-belts.
Countax X25 4WD
The Countax X-Series units are rear engine, ride-ons with fully articulating steering and front mount decks. There is a choice of 97cm (38”) mulching deck and 92cm (36”) or 107cm (42cm) mulching or high-grass mulching decks for fast, collection-free grass cutting
The X25 features the Kohler Command Pro engines and Tuff Torq 4WD hydrostatic transmission. The mower uses 4TRAC stability with dynamic traction control. The deck has electric lift and and operating management system with electronic slope alarm.
Stiga 320
Stiga has entered the wide area sector with this new front-mount unit. The Stiga 320 has a 32hp diesel engine and a 1.8m (72”) three-blade out-front deck. The unit has an integrated ROPS and enclosed cab for operator safety and comfort.
GizMow
GizMow is a hybrid ZTR that combines zero turn manoeuvrability with the familiarity of steering wheel drive. The patented steering system controls the front wheels that are castors in conventional ZTRs. Therefore the GizMow handles just like a conventional ride-on or motor vehicle. Turning the wheel both turns the front wheels and regulates the oil flow to the rear drive wheels enabling the machine to move from conventional mode to zero turn in a progressive manner. The inside wheel continues to move minimising turf damage while turning.
Powered by 27hp Kohler ES V-twins GizMow’s offset 1.55m (61”) 7-gauge decks are 4-in-1: rear-discharge, single mulching, tri-cycle reclipping and a combined tri-cycle reclipping and rear-discharge.
New Holland Commercial Our-Fronts
There are three models in New Holland’s commercial MC range: 22, 28 & 35hp. All three are powered by, fuel-efficient, isolation-mounted diesel engines. The engines feature under-hood exhaust for quiet, vibration-free operation. Their 60L (13.3gal) fuel tanks is the biggest in their class. The have two-range hydrostatic transmissions: low range for heavy, difficult mowing and high range for lighter mowing and transport. For increased efficiency on slopes or slippery areas the MC22 and MC28 offer a dual mode 4WD as an option while the MC35 has it as standard.
The units can be used with 60”& 72”side-discharge and 60”, 72” & 84” rear-discharge decks. Foldable ROPS and acoustic-lined FOPS area available.
JCB Mower Range
Joseph Cyril Bamford launched his construction and agricultural equipment company in 1945. Today the company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of heavy equipment, and has manufacturing bases in the UK, US, Brazil, Germany, India and China. The JCB range stretches from excavators, loaders, dump trucks and skid-steer loaders to skid-steer loaders, handlers, rough terrain forklifts and UTVs.
The company unveiled a wide range of compact tractors, ride-on mowers and ZTRs at SALTEX.
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