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Bobcat Introduces TL623 Telehandler
Jessica Schwartz
Battery Power Gains Traction
Cordless battery-powered landscape maintenance equipment isn’t as new to the industry as you might think. How many of you are old enough to remember the General Electric (GE) E20 Elec-Trak mower? This squat, yellow, 900-pound tractor entered the market in 1970 and came equipped with a 42-inch, three-blade, out-front mowing deck. The E20 was a rugged little beast and could also handle a snow blade, loader or forklift. From 1970 to 1974, GE manufactured more than 33,000 Elec-Trak mowers and lawn tractors of various sizes at its Scotia, New York, plant, according to myelec-traks.com. Elec-Trak collector and enthusiast George Beckett describes E20 as “rock solid” and having “enormous torque.” A few E20s are still operable. The unit came with a price tag approaching $2,000. When GE got out of the electric mower business, Wheel Horse stepped in and began producing the Elec-Trak. Wheel Horse added other models and eventually branded them with its distinctive red color. In 1983, it also ceased production of battery-powered tractors and mowers. What’s old is new again, but the question remains: Has battery technology advanced enough since the Elec-Trak days to make cordless, electric equipment an attractive alternative to internal combustion engines (ICE) in the landscape/lawn services industry? Manufacturers claim the latest generation of batteries provides power enough to match the performance of gasoline equipment. Joe Conrad, president of Mean Green, which manufactures commercial- grade, battery-powered mowers, says advances in battery technology and engine design now make electric mowers worth more than a casual consideration ...
Can Electric Equipment Revolutionize Landscape Maintenance?
I first met Dan Mabe in April 2013 on the UCLA campus. Mabe is founder of the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA), a training and certification group for electric landscape maintenance equipment and gas-free "Green Zones." I direct a nonprofit organization, Quiet Communities (Lincoln, Massachusetts), which aims to bring communities and industry together to achieve cleaner, quieter and healthier environments. I had traveled from Boston to meet Dan at an electric equipment demonstration for the facilities maintenance crew at the UCLA campus in Los Angeles. I was impressed with the electric equipment’s performance and battery life, and clearly so was the crew. I thought then we could be on the verge of an electric revolution in landscape maintenance. After talking, Dan and I realized our organizations shared a common goal. We decided to collaborate. In June, Quiet Communities, with the participation of AGZA and Mean Green Mowers (Hamilton, Ohio), held its first series of educational and electric equipment demonstration events. Mean Green Mowers is currently the leading manufacturer of commercial-grade, cordless equipment in the U.S. The events were co-sponsored with the sustainability departments at Tufts University and Wellesley College, the town of Lincoln and the Ecological Landscaping Alliance (Massachusetts), Suffolk County and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in New York, and other public agencies. Continuing education credits for the were offered by the Massachusetts Landscape and Nursery Association, Northeast Organic Farmers Association and Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals. The events focused on educating people about the health and environmental impacts of gas-powered ...
Making The Switch To Propane
Russo Lawn & Landscape likes what it sees in mowing with propane power. By Jessica Simpson Russo Lawn & Landscape in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, is a family-owned, commercial landscape company. Established in 1990, Russo has grown into a large operation, at least for a landscape services business. It employs up to 80 employees during the summer and runs a fleet of 50 mowers. The company provides mowing and landscaping services in the spring, summer and fall, and snow removal in the winter. Kevin Salters is the firm’s account manager and is thankful for the four-season business, however relying solely on gasoline-powered equipment began to pose winter storage issues and put a dent in the company’s bottom line. In 2012 he began looking for a more cost-effective solution. Russo’s main objective was finding a fuel that wouldn’t degrade during winter storage or cause carburetor problems after sitting in a mower’s engine for too long. After evaluating the risks of wasting gasoline or ruining an engine, Salters began researching propane-fueled mowers. Russo Lawn & Landscape Founder & President: Mike Russo Founded: 1990 Headquarters: Windsor Locks, Conn. Markets: Connecticut and surrounding communities Services: Commercial mowing, landscaping and snow & ice management services Employees: up to 80 peak season Website: http://www.russolawn.com Salters initially discovered propane by conducting online searches and reading green industry magazine articles describing landscapers with positive experiences with propane. While he found more landscapers in the southern part of the country using propane, he still thought Russo Lawn & Landscape could ...
OPEI Expands Battery/Electric Initiatives
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute is ramping up its regulatory, standards and market reporting and statistics efforts to meet the unique needs of the corded electric and battery product segments. In recent months, OPEI has welcomed several new battery/electric companies to its membership, including iRobot, Positec, Stanley Black & Decker and Sunrise Global Marketing, and John Cunningham, president of the Consumer Products Group at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. recently joined the 2013-2014 OPEI Board of Directors. To help the industry have a voice in regulatory and standards development, OPEI also formed an Electric Products Committee, currently led by representatives from Stanley Black & Decker and Techtronic Industries, N.A. The OPEI Electric Products Committee is tasked with coordinating with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on standards for battery/electric products for international markets, as well as regional adoptions for the North American market. The committee members are given an opportunity to participate, review and give input in the development of product standards. The first order of business has been the development of the first ever OPEI/ANSI standard for an electric robotic mower. Fourteen member company representatives are currently reviewing IEC standards for electric robotic mowers and identifying modifications for the North American market. Projects are underway to develop standards for battery/electric chain saws, lawn hedge trimmers and lawn trimmers. As sales and demand for battery/electric driven outdoor power equipment increases, OPEI is expanding its market statistics collection to capture and track the growth of this product segment. Current reports for OPEI members include monthly shipment data for battery/electric blowers and ...
Alternatively Fueled Propane Engines Perfect Fit for Turf Care
DALLAS, Texas – The Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT) will participate in the 2013 Texas Turfgrass Association Conference and Show on Nov. 12-13 at the Dallas Sheraton Hotel. The council will be on hand to highlight the many benefits of using greener, domestically produced propane autogas for mowers and irrigation engines for turf care. The Texas Turfgrass Association Conference and Show draws turfgrass professionals from a wide range of industries, including irrigation, lawn care, golf facilities, parks and recreation, school districts, turfgrass farmers, athletic facilities and more. Up to 1,250 members and exhibitors from across the state are expected to attend this year’s conference. Attendees will be able participate in educational seminars, experience the latest turfgrass technology and network with industry colleagues. Re-engineered propane irrigation engines have re-entered the marketplace. Developed for agriculture, these engines could be the perfect fit for turfgrass farmers. The engine sizes range from 3.0L to 10.3L, and are reported to cost half of the amount of their diesel counterparts. Users tout the automatic fuel delivery, efficiency, and peace of mind that comes with not having to experience grid power interruptions. Propane engine users on both irrigation engines and mowers report significant fuel savings, as well as reduced maintenance and equipment downtime. The Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT) is participating in the Texas Turfgrass Association Conference as part of its Propane Autogas: Fueling Texas campaign. The public awareness campaign has made many stops across the state to educate Texans about the benefits of running on and off-road equipment on clean-burning propane autogas. To ...
Mowing’s Fuel-Efficient Future
Practical primer on EFI, diesel, propane, compressed natural gas and electric zero-turn mowing Click image to enlarge. It was hot. The little bit of coolness that had greeted the crush of rush-hour pedestrians had, by 10:30 a.m., been baked away, with not so much as a wisp of a cloud in the sky. This late June day in Washington, D.C., promised to be a scorcher. Even so, the National Park Service Going Green event at the Jefferson Memorial had to go on. The functionaries for the event, seemingly impervious to the morning’s oppressive humidity and heat, came dressed in business suits and in the case of Robert “Bob” Vogel, superintendent National Mall and Memorial Parks, in full park service uniform and wide-brimmed hat. Click image to enlarge. Martin Radue Fittingly, the event, which had the distinct feel of a coming out party, previewed the marriage of the two hottest trends in commercial mowing technology—propane-fueled commercial mowers featuring closed loop electronic fuel ignition (EFI) engines. About 40 well-dressed spectators sat attentively in metal folding chairs and politely listened as Vogel, Ron Flowers, executive director of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition, and Roy Willis, president and CEO of the Propane Education and Research Council, gave short presentations extolling the National Mall’s commitment to “green” goals and the role of six new EFI, propane-fueled Exmark mowers in advancing those goals. Then, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony, prim and attractive WUSA-TV personality Andrea Roane ordered the six shiny Lazer Z S-Series zero turns ...
