New products abound
A visit to Stand R5 close to the Show's north entrance is a must for all turf professionals, as Ransomes Jacobsen return after a year's absence with a host of new products.
The Ipswich-based manufacturer is keeping tight lipped about a new, lightweight Ransomes mower, which is understood to be targeted at the municipal sector. It will form the centrepiece of the company's show display and will be launched to the media at a press conference on the first day of the show.
There will also be the opportunity to see the new Jacobsen R-311, which was launched at the GIS Show in New Orleans in February 2009. This new wide area mower has all of the inherent features of the popular HR-5111, which it replaces, plus many other improvements.
The Jacobsen AR522 rotary mower with new TrimTek cutting decks will also be making its Saltex debut. The TrimTek technology ensures that the grass clippings are suspended longer within the unit for exceptional mulching, especially when handling heavy volumes of grass and maintaining a high quality of cut. With the rear discharge option, a three-tiered discharge opening distributes the clippings more evenly for a superior finish.
The ever popular Jacobsen G-Plex III greens mower has been upgraded with the introduction of a hand operated parking brake and joystick lift and lower control. This makes for a smooth and uncluttered floor plan for the operator and easy operation when lifting and lowering the cutting units.
There are also debuts for the Ransomes Spider II, the latest version of the specialist remote controlled slope mower; the revolutionary E-Z-GO RXV golf car and the Turfco WideSpin 1540EC top dresser.
The Spider II can tackle slopes of up to 55 degrees with its integral winch and is more powerful and productive than the original Spider. It features a 680cc Kawasaki petrol engine which drives four blades and produces a 1.23 metre cutting width with improved quality of cut.
This is the first opportunity to see the new RXV golf car, which has taken the market by storm since its introduction last year. Engineered for reliability, superior performance, operating efficiency and safety, it is delivering exceptional value to golf course operators.
The latest Turfco top dresser, the WideSpin 1540 EC, is similar to the trailed version of the WideSpin 1530, but has the ability to distribute light top dressings to an impressive 12.2 metres (40'). This new machine also features electronic controls which can be used to preset three spinner and belt speeds.
And finally, from Iseki there are the SXG15 and SFH240, two ride-on mowers, aimed at differing markets.
The Iseki SXG15 tackles the major compact tractor manufacturers, Kubota and John Deere, head on. This highly specified mower has many attributes which the company believes will make it a best seller in this sector. It features rear grass discharge with a central blowerless collection system and a shaft-driven mower deck with overlapping blade configuration.
The Iseki SFH240 is a new out-front rotary mower with a choice of 1.22 metre (48") or 1.37 metre (54") rear discharge cutting decks. The collecting system features a high dump hopper with a clearance height of 1900mm and an offset of 750mm, which provides easy access when depositing the cut grass into waste skips and bins. Highly manoeuvrable, it can access hard to reach areas and is ideal for landscape and professional grounds care contractors and caravan park operators.
Ransomes Jacobsen's three-storey stand looks set to dominate the exhibition arena and will be the focal point for all visitors, old and new. R5 is the stand to visit, proving once again that Ransomes Jacobsen is the one-stop shop for turf professionals.