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Product News Continued from page 28 Honda demonstrates robotic lawn mower at The Honda Classic Honda demonstrated the Honda Miimo, a robotic lawn mower, at the 2013 Honda Classic — a PGA TOUR event that took place Feb. 25-March 3 at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Currently sold only in Europe, the Honda Miimo is the company's first commercial robotic product for domestic use, offering customers lawn mowing ease. Hard at work all weekend long between the 10th and 18th fairways, a Honda Miimo cut grass for tournament spectators, as well as was on display in the Honda product tent located by the main entrance to the course. The Honda Miimo is an ideal solution for people who want the benefits of a beautiful lawn without having to physically mow grass. The product requires minimal human interaction while in use, saves a great deal of time and labor, and produces a neat, manicured yard. The Honda Miimo operates a continuous cutting system, typically mowing just 2-3 mm (.08 inch-.11 inch) of grass at a time, several times each week. It cuts in a random pattern, a technique that results in less stress on grass, more healthy growth, and reduced moss and weeds. Unlike a traditional lawn mower, it does not need to collect cuttings; the clippings it creates are miniscule and easily dispersed into the lawn root system — breaking down quickly to act as a natural fertilizer that improves the health and quality of the grass. The robotic lawn mower navigates through an intelligent combination of controls, timers and real-time sensory feedback. It works within a boundary wire, installed under the ground or in the grass around the perimeter of the area to be mowed. The Honda Miimo detects the electronic signal in the wire and stays within the boundary. Powered by a high-performance lithium-ion battery, the Honda Miimo is self-charging, constantly monitoring its battery level and returning to its docking station when it needs to recharge. Honda Power Equipment ADVERTISERS' INDEX ADVERTISER PAGE # BasicSoftwareSystem s 30 Billy G Industries, Inc. oat 13 Briggs & StrattonC orp. 7 C REO O utdoor Power 23 D C ixie hopper 11 Ecolawn 30 Eureka C ical C hem o. 24 GC E apital C 2 over Harbor Freight T ools 29 Husqvarna Professional Products, Inc. 9 InterlubeInternational Inc. 25 MacKissicInc. 21 Masport Lim ited 27 nizeX, Inc. 12 O regon| Blount, Inc. C 1, 3 over Pathfinder C puter System Inc. om s, 30 PowerhouseProducts C 3 over Pressure-Pro 5 RapidBuyr 31 Rotary C orp. 26, 30, C 4 over ServantageD Sales ixie 30 W orldlawnPower Equipm Inc. ent, 17 34 WEB ADDRESS www .basic-software.com www .billygoat.com www .briggsandstratton.com www .coreoutdoorpower.com www .dixiechopper.com www .ecolawnapplicator.com www .fluid-film .com www .gogecapital.com www .HarborFreight.com www .husqvarna.com www .opti2-4.com www ackissic.com .m www asport.com .m www .nizex.com www regonC .O ordless.com www .pathfindercs.biz www .powerhouse-products.com www .pressure-pro.com http://greenm ediaonline.rapidbuyr.com /deal www .rotarycorp.com www ixieSales.com .D www .worldlawn.com OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT Exmark's new propane-fueled Lazer Z S-Series On March 1, Exmark announced the availability of its propane-fueled Lazer Z S-Series zero-turn rider through the company's nationwide dealer network. The new model will enable landscape professionals to use propane not just as a green alternative, but also as a competitive advantage for their businesses. The Lazer Z S-Series features a new Kohler propane Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) powerplant that offers a number of significant benefits, including improved starting, stronger performance and dramatically reduced fuel consumption. "Commercial landscapers who have adopted Kohler's EFI technology are documenting 25-percent less fuel usage than comparable carbureted engines," said Brandon Fredricks of Kohler Engines. "This, combined with the landscape company's ability to negotiate wholesale prices for propane fuel, will allow landscape companies to achieve a much lower cost of operation not previously attainable." The increased fuel efficiency allows Exmark to achieve up to 7.5 hours of operation from the Lazer Z S-Series on a single tank of fuel. Exmark's 1-tank system also offers increased balance for improved handling when compared to competitors' 2-tank systems, which often reside outside the mower footprint. The Kohler powerplant in the new Lazer Z S-Series is the first dedicated, propane-fueled EFI engine package that operates without conversions or aftermarket systems. The automotive-style closed-loop EFI system optimizes air/ fuel settings based on exhaust output, in real time, to maximize performance and efficiency while minimizing emissions and eliminating carburetor-related issues for the life of the engine. The ECU-controlled start-up simplifies the sequence and eliminates the need for a choke. Exmark Mfg. Co. Echo releases most powerful, low-noise, backpack blower Echo Incorporated announced March 5 the release of the most powerful, low-noise, backpack blower on the market, the Echo PB-760LN. The PB-760LN boasts a larger muffler, sound-deadening insulation and a mid-pipe baffle, which help lower the machine's sound output to 65 dB(A), which is measured per the industry standard for testing leaf blowers. Blowers with a rating of 65 dB(A) are quieter than blowers of older design. The annoying whine common to outdated leaf blowers, generated by the main impeller fan, is essentially gone on these models. While there are other low-noise blowers on the market, none compare to the PB-760LN in terms of air volume and maximum air speed. The PB-760LN features 535 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air volume at 214 miles per hour, whereas the nearest competitor only manages 477 cfm and 177 miles per hour at the same decibel level. "The PB-760LN is a great tool for those maintaining green spaces close to homes or noise-sensitive areas such as hospitals and golf courses," said Brad Mace, product manager at Echo Inc. "Most pros associate low power with low noise in blower design. Grounds maintenance professionals and landscapers using the PB-760LN will have more than enough power to perform their duties more efficiently and with less disruption to noise-sensitive spaces. The low noise of this blower will be very obvious to those familiar with standard backpack blower operation." Echo Inc. www.outdoorpowerequipment.com