Essex County Ground replaces its mower fleet

By Alistair May 27, 2017 10:20 Updated

After 20 years of service the Essex County Ground in Chelmsford decided it was time to replace its existing mower fleet. Head groundsman at the club, Stuart Kerrison, wanted something ‘technologically advanced’ and, after some research and some recommendations from trusted industry colleagues, decided the Infinicut™ mowers from Cub Cadet were the smart choice.

As the ground is surrounded by houses, the environmental benefits offered by the Infinicut™ was one of the first things that drew Stuart’s attention. “In the main mower design hasn’t changed in 40 years,” explained Stuart. “Petrol driven types prevail along with their noxious fumes as they’re not fitted with catalytic convertors. Every mow means you’re chucking out carcinogenic fumes along with high levels of noise and vibration. With the all-electric Infinicut™ they charge on a trickle feed overnight, with no petrol expenses and no nasty fumes emitted into the air. Running these mowers purely on the battery would all but eliminate the noise we produce when mowing.”

What also drew Stuart towards the Infinicut™ was the range of cassettes available to carry out a host of maintenance procedures as well as the superior cut that the unit produced. They’d made their minds up but were then lucky enough to receive some additional funding from the ECB to enable them to purchase a fleet. In early 2017, they took delivery of one 34” Infinicut™ mower for use on the outfields and two 22” models for the squares along with some ATT SMARTUltraGroomer cassettes.

Stuart again: “With the Infinicut 22”, apart from cutting, we’ve been using the SMARTUltraGroomer and rotating brush set-up on the squares. When you run over it it doesn’t look like you’ve done anything but the box is full of debris – it’s a fantastic piece of kit, leaving a tidy finish without being too aggressive. We’ve already received positive feedback from players and umpires alike on the ground condition so intend to use the SMARTUltraGroomer cassette once a week to keep the square performing at its best.”

Meanwhile the benefits of using the 34” Infinicut™ on the outfield are also becoming apparent. “Though slightly smaller than our previous mower,” says Stuart, “the speed of this unit means the time it’s taking to mow hasn’t changed much at all. It’s much easier to control and takes the undulations we have easily in its stride. It’s also about half the weight so this has really helped to alleviate compaction.”

“Getting this kit has really helped to bring our mowing and maintenance practices into the 21st century. With the Infinicut™ there’s very little to service and, together with the environmental benefits and the quality results.