John Deere introduces hybrid developments and innovations at BTME in the United Kingdom. John Deere has introduced two battery-powered hand-held lawnmowers and announced further hybrid innovations to its existing product portfolio.
At the BTME event, Jan. 24-26 in Harrogate, U.K., organized by the International Greenkeepers’ Association and its British member. For the first time, John Deere is showing the 185 E-Cut and 225 E-Cut – specially designed for golf course maintenance.
These two mowers feature the same quality components and technology that John Deere customers are already familiar with, the only difference is the power system, these mowers are powered by a 3.2 kWh 58-volt lithium battery
As the model number suggests, they differ from each other only in size and width of cut. The 185 E-Cut has a cutting width of 18 inches (457 mm), and the 225 E-Cut has a cutting width of 22 inches (559 mm).
Another difference from gasoline-powered mowers is the nearly silent operation, thanks to battery operation, the mowers can cut about 50,000 square feet of grass on a single battery charge. You should also note that cordless lawn mowers don’t have fuel leaks on their lawns.
John Deere, had previously announced the development of these products in the U.S. in 2022 and they have been tested for a year in a variety of environments including courses.
In the U.K. and Ireland, these machines will be available at official John Deere dealers closer to the end of 2023, if nothing changes in the company’s plans.
“Battery-powered innovations in the golf and professional sports turf markets have advanced rapidly over the past few years.
With the introduction of our first lithium battery-powered machines, we can provide a solution for our customers who are looking for a more favorable environmental profile, generate energy locally or want to significantly reduce the risk of leaks and spills,” said John Deere golf and turf division sales manager Chris Meacock.
Hybrid Innovation
Also at BTME, John Deere unveiled its exclusive 6700A E-Cut three-wheeled hybrid fairway mower equipped with five brushless electric drum motors.
The same hybrid solution was applied to the 7700A E-Cut four-wheel mower. That minimizes the risk of hydraulic and fuel leaks.
Using John Deere hybrid solutions, customers can realize fuel savings of up to 30 percent and noise savings of up to 3dB with reduced throttle.
The 6700A E-Cut and 7700A E-Cut will be available for order later this year.
“These two models have been two of our most popular products on golf courses for years, so it’s an exciting step to be able to further develop our hybrid drive to offer greenskeepers reduced risk and increased efficiency,” said Mr. Micock.
Connected John Deere OnLink Technology Demonstrations
At the John Deere booth, there will be a demonstration of OnLink technology, a state-of-the-art fleet management system for the green and those who want to reduce their carbon footprint in nature.
OnLink allows users to automatically synchronize any machine and operator using John Deere satellite technology and cloud-based software. And control them remotely, anywhere in the field.
For golf course managers, this means that tasks can be spread out over several days, and operator accountability is increased.
In addition to these efficiencies, equipment maintenance schedules are simplified through the use of OnLink for remote tracking of work hours.
“At John Deere, we believe the future of golf course maintenance is about connectivity, sustainability, autonomy and intelligence, as well as the use of electricity,” said Mr. Micock.