T


here is a vast selection of pedestrian rotary mowers on the market and, even having pinned


down the required cutting width - for the purposes of our test we chose the popular 53cm (21in) size - the selection varies from semi-professional, single speed drive models suitable for occasional use, to heavy duty rough cutters ideal for the contractor. Identifying the purpose for which the mower is to be used, then, is crucial. We enlisted the help of Loughborough University for our test, a centre of sporting excellence which also has huge areas of amenity and ornamental grass. Head Groundsman, Mark Freeman, has the challenging task of looking after one of the most high profile groundcare sites in the country.


Loughborough University campus covers an area of approx 500 acres, comprising high and low amenity gardens, top quality sports pitches and two heritage woodlands. During term time there are approximately 15,000 students, and approximately 3,000 staff on campus at any one time. The amenity gardens are maintained by seventeen gardeners, led by Assistant Supervisor Grounds and Gardens, Karen Setchell, and divided into small teams for each park on campus, with additional seasonal labour brought in when required.


Upkeep of the campus is a huge job, varying from cleaning up rubbish after student activities to maintenance of a wide range of shrub beds and amenity areas. A fleet of four ride-on cylinder mowers and fifteen pedestrian rotary mowers are used to maintain the grass areas. This team is also responsible for planting a huge number of indigenous trees and whips to create several new wildlife areas, including a carbon emission wood and, in doing so, enhance the biodiversity of the campus. In recent years, other projects have included working alongside the local authority and other local partners with the ‘East Midlands in Bloom’ competition, where a Silver Gilt medal was awarded. Loughborough University’s sporting


reputation is known both nationally and internationally, with many of the country’s leading sports men and women having passed through the university or currently being based there. Loughborough is also the home to many of sport’s national governing bodies, especially with the opening of the SportPark headquarters development imminent.


As a consequence, the demand for high quality outdoor sports pitches is at a premium and they are often used by high profile visitors to the campus. The sportsgrounds are maintained by two teams of four groundsmen, led by Assistant Supervisor Sportsgrounds, Will Relf, one dedicated to the National Cricket Academy and the second to all other sports, both off and on campus. Karen Setchell, explains: “We use ride- on Hayter and John Deere triples for much of the mowing, plus a Shibaura flail for rough cutting, but having the right pedestrian mower in the fleet is crucial for back-up mowing and for high presentation areas. We currently use Hayters, but we’re interested to see what else is on the market.” We invited the leading manufacturers to submit mowers for the test, which included tidying a cricket square in the closed season, cutting high presentation areas and tackling rough wet grass on the level - adjacent to the university’s Helipad - and on slopes. Collector mowers were also deployed to pick up leaves from


grassed areas.


Whilst the quality and effectiveness of the cut are obviously important, there are many other criteria which must be met if the mower is to be useful to the professional operator, who may be mowing for several hours a day or manoeuvring tools between a number of work sites.


“Manual handling is a major issue for employees,” comments Karen. “So, mowers must be easy to move about, whether loading onto a truck or trailer or wheeling them onto a lawn.” “Vibration, too, is a vital factor, and we chose our current mowers mainly for their low vibration figures.” Practicality was well and truly put to the


test. Poorly sited starting handles and long flexes meant a long stretch and difficult start. Dead man’s handles that cut the engine as well as the rotation of the blade when they are released - although laudable for the effort to improve safety - mean an annoying restart every time the grass box is taken off.


Hand mowing tends to be a job that is


shared between several members of the team, both to cut vibration exposure and to make best use of labour, so controls, starting and operation need to be simple enough to be anyone’s job. All too often this was not the case, with some of the control layouts foxing the most experienced of operators. The choice of a wheeled or roller mower depends on its main function, with big chunky wheels being better for rougher environments, but a rear roller does give the facility to stripe the grass for ornamental areas and sports pitches. On many hand mowing jobs, collection


is a pre-requisite, but side discharge mowers are useful for rough cutting, and the ability to drop clippings out of the back of the mower or fit a mulching plate could come in handy at times. Build quality is important for the longevity and safety of the machines, and it does seem to follow that you get what you pay for. But, a heavy duty mower may be overkill for occasional back-up mowing, where a more compact, cheaper model may fit the bill.


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