Case study: The Dennis Razor Ultra

By Alistair October 27, 2020 06:28 Updated

After Ian Fraser, head greenkeeper at Pitmedden Bowls Club in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, trialled the Dennis Razor Ultra 560 for just a weekend – he quickly decided he couldn’t be without it.

Ian has long been associated with his beloved Pitmedden Bowls Club. He’s been a player, and still is, a member of the committee and now he is the head greenkeeper. Therefore, he smiles more than most when people lavish praise on the outstanding playing surface at Pitmedden.

Ian has transformed the greens over recent years. Determination, the willingness to learn and his love for the club have all been vital ingredients in his success. However, the modest greenkeeper also claims that the upgrade of various turf maintenance equipment has also been key – perhaps none more so than the new Dennis Razor Ultra 560 mower.

“I trialled a Razor Ultra for a weekend, said Ian. “From that moment I could tell just how good it was. It was easier to handle, it was wider, which meant that I didn’t have to do as many passes and the roller did a better job.

“My previous mower had a 9-blade cutting cylinder but the Razor Ultra has an 11-blade cylinder and I could tell the difference in the quality of cut straight away.”

Superbly balanced and ideal for bowls greens and other fine turf surfaces, the Razor Ultra has an operating width of 560mm (22in) and an 11-blade cutting cylinder for a perfect finish. An ultra-short wheelbase ensures easy manoeuvrability and excellent performance, even on undulating surfaces.

The Dennis Razor Ultra also encompasses the simple ‘no tools required’ click height adjusters for quick and easy operation, a feature which Ian is particularly impressed with.

“It is just so simple, especially if you cut at different heights like I do”, said Ian. “I normally cut at 5mm but when it’s competition time I cut it down to 4mm, and then maybe 3mm in the height of summer when the grass is quite sturdy and growing thicker. Even if you cut at 7mm with this mower, you can still play a good game of bowls on it.

“It’s an operator’s dream,” continued Ian. “It’s comfortable to use and I really like the round handlebars – it makes it so easy for turning and manoeuvring around the green.

“The finish is second to none and I find it hard to believe that there is another mower out there that cuts as well.”

Ian likes the fact that Dennis is a prominent British manufacturer with a great long-standing history and he also claims that he feels like he is in safe hands with the company.

“I’ve had a lot of equipment from Dennis and SISIS over the years and it is always a pleasure dealing with them – they look after their customers, that’s for sure. Ewen Wilson (Dennis and SISIS northern area sales manager) is always very attentive when he is here and is always available if I need him.

“It is a first-class service all round from the company.”