TDR15 roller mower earns its stripes

Supplied through Newmarket based distributor The Grass Group, Keith Ellis, Head Groundsman at prestigious St Johns College, Cambridge, has been using his ProgressiveTDR15 roller mower for over four years now, to maintain the ten-plus hectares of sports outfield currently under his stewardship. He says, "prior to acquiring the TDR15 we had been using a gang mower but had reached the point where maintenance costs were becoming prohibitive and an issue we needed to resolve."

Keith explains "I wanted to take a different route and considered all our options, including trailed, but I was wary of marking of our surfaces, particularly when the ground was wet. Ideally I wanted a cylinder quality finish but pto driven. Cost was also a factor and having opted for the TDR15 we have found it to be the ideal cost-effective solution for the college. The design is both robust and simple, which means we can carry out most of the on-going maintenance ourselves. As a result we have found our costs in that area are around 10% of what they were previously."

"The combination of a cut width of 4.7mtrs (15 1/2 feet), a variable cut height of between 13mm (1/2") and 100mm (4") and maximum cut rate of 11.3 acres per hour at 6mph, means the TDR15 is ideally suited for our cutting regime which is three times a week. Because it's very light, at just 1690kg, scalping or surface marking is not an issue for us. The deck has an excellent flexibility range of 40% (15% down and 25% up) and 12% front to back.

We use it year round for summer cricket outfield work and for winter topping for football and rugby pitches. Cut quality compares very favourably with a cylinder finish and the rollers give us excellent striping for an enhanced visual appearance while also dispersing clippings," says Keith. "The tri-deck design also gives an ideal cut quality if we work on any undulating areas and can also speed re-growth by promoting root-to-soil contact for divot repair. I must say that we have been really impressed with the TDR15's combination of performance, reliability and cost savings."

The Grass Group, Wadebridge Farm, Landwade, Exning, Newmarket Suffolk CB8 7NE UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1638 720123 - Fax: +44 (0) 1638 720128 - www.thegrassgroup.com