Technical
Types of roller and their uses: Description
Smooth roller
Grooved aluminium Smooth heavy roller Grooved steel roller Segmented roller
Weight Application 3kgs
Greens - Autumn/Winter Sectional grooved roller 4.5kgs
3.4kgs Greens - Spring summer 7.1kgs Greens - Autumn/Winter 7.8kgs Greens - Spring/Summer 3.8kgs Greens, Softer surfaces Tees & Surrounds mowing
preferred choice to reduce marking and give the smoothest playing surface.
Mowing heights:
Most turfcare professionals are aware that the actual mowing height is different to the bench set height. The grass plant will offer resistance to the weight of the unit and this will affect the actual height of cut that is achieved.
Taking a fixed datum point helps demonstrate the differences created by changing the front roller
This effect can easily be seen when a smooth and grooved roller (of the same approximate weight) are laid on a piece of foam. The grooved roller sits further into the material due to its reduced surface area, which increases the actual ground pressure.
It should be noted that this effect will
change with the growth rate of the turf in question, i.e winter and summer and will also vary according to the amount of thatch build up in the playing surface.
By changing the rollers and measuring to a fixed datum point on the unit, we can see the differences created by changing the front roller.
Fitting a heavier smooth roller can give the same actual mowing height as a lighter weight grooved roller, but with greater surface smoothing effect and less marking, which can lead to a faster, truer playing surface.
Accessories: Cutting unit fitted with bi-directional brush
The fitting of groomers, bi-directional brushes and/or rear roller brushes all add to
the overall weight of the cutting unit and will affect the performance of the unit in respect of its ground following characteristics and actual mowing heights.
Pedestrian Mowers:
With particular regard to pedestrian mowers, heavier front rollers can have a significant impact on the mowing height, as most operators do not allow the handles to float correctly.
Operators tend to have their hands placed on top of the handle, exerting downward pressure which attempts to lift the front roller, changing the effective height of cut. Fitting a heavier roller can reduce this effect and provide a more consistent cut.
The correct method of controlling a pedestrian mower is to keep the hands to the side of the handle, where it is easier to control the bale arm and avoid the downward pressure on the front roller
Some modern pedestrian mowers have moveable engines or battery packs, which allows the operator to change the forward weight bias of the mower to suit both growing conditions and the time of year to get the optimum results.
Conclusion:
There’s no ‘one choice fits all’ when it comes to the selection of front rollers for fine turf mowing. The choice of front roller is an important factor because, depending on the time of the year and the growing condition of the grass plant, it can have a significant effect on the actual height of cut. Fortunately, the major manufacturers have a selection of rollers to suit the requirements of today’s fine turf managers.
However, all of this advice will count for nothing if the mower is not ‘on cut’ with sharp cylinder and bottom blades, but that’s an article for later!
Operators tend to have their hands placed on top of the handle, exerting downward pressure which attempts to lift the front roller
128 I PC JUNE/JULY 2014
The correct method of controlling a pedestrian mower is to keep the hands to the side of the handle
The battery on the Jacobsen Eclipse2 can be moved front to back to adjust downward force on the front roller
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