Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/351389
The durability and reliability of equipment has continued to improve. Technology is giving landscape professionals a height- ened ability to understand how equipment is performing, with warnings when critical thresholds are reached, and advanced diagnostics to quickly get to the root of problems. It's leading to longer equipment life and higher resale values, which improves the ROI of the equipment. Equipment is also getting more versatile, allowing one machine to be used in a wider variety of mowing conditions. I'll use the rear-discharge cutting deck as an example. Not only does it do a great job on lawns, it can better handle cutting very tall grasses and weeds — what a lot of folks call "bushwhacking." The rear-discharge design also offers reduced noise and greater clipping control that is ideal for use in parks and other public and municipal spaces. — Daryn Walters, director of marketing, Exmark Diesel-fueled mowers remain popular among professional landscape and lawn care markets because they are easier to main- tain, have a longer service life, and run quieter, making them more comfortable. At the heart of the ZD326H is the Kubota diesel engine, proven as the professional's choice when it comes to power and reliability. From agriculture to construction, Kubota diesels are the engines trusted to get the job done. They deliver maximum torque to cut through the thickest grass while offering 30-percent greater fuel efficiency than comparable gas engines. Kubota is known throughout the industry for building quality equipment to a higher standard, ensuring more productivity and less downtime, which is what professionals continue to demand. — Christine Chapman, Kubota Turf Equipment product manager Fuel costs are the second-largest expense in most landscapers' budgets, followed only by labor. As fuel costs remain high, more landscapers are turning to alternative engine strategies to decrease operating costs. This has led manufacturers to offer more options to meet customer needs. John Deere offers gas, diesel and pro- pane fuel systems in its commercial mowing equipment. John Deere also offers a Flex Fuel model for customers looking for alternative fuel options beyond propane. We also continue to see a demand for compact stand-on models. More and more contractors are realizing the benefits of these units. From transporting more on trailers to quickly get- ting off a unit to move a piece of debris, the stand-on market continues to expand. — Steve Wilhelmi, tactical marketing manager, John Deere commercial mowing Our customers are telling us that they need machines that can make them more efficient and profitable. For instance, compact utility loaders have been met with great and growing success in the landscape market because of how much more you can get done with fewer people. CULs are very cost effective when compared to the labor they replace. Customers are also asking for their equipment to be as easy to operate and service as possible. Ergonomics and operator safety are also top of mind with equipment owners. — Jay Sunderman, strategic business unit manager – tree care/rental & landscape, Vermeer Corporation We've seen widespread adoption of Kohler's EFI technology with landscapers, including many of the largest landscapers in the country choosing Kohler EFI engines over traditional carbureted engines. This has been driven mainly by the benefits the technol- ogy offers to end users. First and foremost, that is the fuel savings our technology offers (25 percent, representing approximately $600 per year based on average industry run times). On top of this, our EFI technology also offers improved reliability, better performance, and less emissions. We've also seen increased adoption of equipment with our propane EFI engine, which saves up to $2 per hour over carbu- reted gasoline engines or up to $1.50 per hour over carbureted propane engines. The fast adoption is due to the economic ben- efits, as well as the environmentally friendly benefits of propane. In certain areas of the country where ozone action days are in force, having propane in a fleet allows users to continue to oper- ate on these days. — Mark Johansen, director marketing, gas/gasoline engines America, Kohler Landscape customers, like many customers, are working on small or tight job sites that require more compact machines in order to complete the task. For that reason, customers are plac- ing a premium on machine visibility, as we are on more compact "power dense" machines that provide a lot performance in a small package. To evaluate a machine's performance, customers should eval- uate a machine's rated operating capacity, horsepower, width, lifting height, ground pressure and travel speed versus the applica- 10 Landscape and Irrigation August 2014 www.landscapeirrigation.com Special Feature Photo provided by Kubota