Ransomes remote controlled spider mowers for Conwy Council

Peter Driverin Industry News

Ransomes remotely operated Spider mowers, supplied by John Osman Groundcare of Oswestry, have been delivered to Conwy County Borough Council to help maintain the steep banks along the promenades of the local seaside towns

Conwy Spider 0360
Peter Barton-Price is the Open Spaces Area Manager and has worked for the Council for over 30 years, beginning his career as a gardener in the early 1980s. He was instrumental in the purchase of these specialist mowers and said,

"For decades we have been maintaining these steep banks with either walk-behind mowers or with a team of operators using brushcutters.

"If anyone has ever experienced doing this type of work, they will appreciate just how uncomfortable it is. You are standing at an unnatural angle, putting pressure on your knees and ankles due to the severity of the slope and on your back through the sweeping movement of the strimming action. There is also a further risk of slipping on damp or uneven ground.

"As a responsible employer the Council is committed to the health and well-being of its employees and the purchase of these specialist mowers further demonstrates this commitment. Unlike other bank mowers, the Spiders have an integral winch, which allows the operators to anchor the mowers and prevent them from sliding down the inclines. There are no hand/arm vibration issues either as the machines are remotely operated.

"They will also increase our performance and productivity as the process is much quicker than the strimming option and we can redeploy the team to other functions, so it really is a win-win situation."

Lyn Davies, Head of Open Spaces added, "Peter and his team undertook a detailed comparative study of all the specialist mowers in this sector and organised a series of trials to evaluate them. The Ransomes Spider ticked all the boxes; not only did it exceed our requirements, but there was a commitment from Ransomes and their local dealer to provide dedicated training for each member of the team. This dovetailed with our policy of having LANTRA qualified and BAGMA trained operators, so it all worked extremely well."

For more information, visit www.jacobsen.com.