JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. - Great Dane Power Equipment took advantage of having several distributors in town for EXPO 2000 to invite those company representatives together July 21 for an invitation-only reception, grand opening/house warming of the company’s new facility and an official introduction of the company’s latest mower.
Attendees to the event, held just across the Ohio River from EXPO 2000 and Louisville, Ky., had the opportunity to celebrate their involvement with one of the gurus of mower manufacturing, Dane Scag, founder of Great Dane, and learn about the new addition to the company’s Super Surfer line of mowers. According to Great Dane Executive Vice President Rick Cuddihe, the new 36-inch stand-on mower will “revolutionize the industry.”
The Super Surfer line was developed to increase the diversity of the company’s Surfer line of mowers. The original Surfer line was a series of walk-behind mowers with a fixed deck. The Super Surfer line changed all of that with the transformation to a stand-on mower with a floating deck. Previously available in 48-, 52- and 61-inch styles, the Super Surfer is now small enough to fit between tight spaces, such as fence openings and cemetery headstones.
The unit is one of the first three-bladed 36-inch mowers according to Cuddihe. It features three 12.5-inch blades, which feature overlap for a more complete cut. Cuddihe said the narrow cut will produce a better cut on turf. He also said the unit moves easily on hills, around bends and, especially, in tight areas.
The new 36-inch mower is scheduled to begin production September 1, and Cuddihe expects to ship about 1,000 of the new mowers to distributors worldwide between September and December.
The “Great Dane” himself (Scag) - dressed complete with a Milkbone dog biscuit tin strapped to his belt - welcomed the crowd in his typical off the cuff fashion, pretending to be confused about which facility he was introducing. His involvement in the industry is so extensive, he rattled off several other company names he had a hand in developing. When he finally got it right, he welcomed the crowd to Great Dane’s new 70,000 square foot facility, which can build between 100 and 125 mowers per day.
When asked why he carries the Milkbone tin, Scag replied that he needs to carry around his dog biscuits in case he runs low on energy and needs some nourishment.
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ASV Introduces The RC 30 All-surface Loader
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – ASV Inc., a Grand Rapids, Minn.-based designer, manufacturer and seller of all-season, track-drive vehicles, has debuted its latest product for use in the lawn and landscape industry, the RC 30™ (pictured at right and below), right here at EXPO 2000. ASV's new product is a driveable, all-surface loader that features ASV's rubber-tracked technology that helps limit damage to most terrain, including turf.
The RC 30 is designed specifically with the landscape contractor in mind. ASV's unique Posi-Track system, which is featured on the RC 30 and other company products, evenly distributes the weight of the units such that they inflict less ground damage than traditional skid-steers or tractors. The key to the tracks system is the unit's 24 pressure points on the ground. Despite the RC 30's overall weight of about 2,850 pounds, the extensive pressure points spread this weight out so there is only about 120 pounds of weight on the ground at any particular point.
According to Brad Lemke, director of new product development at ASV, the RC 30 was created to serve the landscape industry need for a small, maneuverable machine that could be driven by a seated operator and could traverse a variety of terrain. He predicts this machine will reduce the amount of hand labor that is common for areas where equipment usually can not reach. "Too often, hand labor and today's equipment are not economical solutions," he said. "With the growing expense and shortage of hand labor, combined with the importance of finishing jobs efficiently in any terrain or space, it was time to develop industry-changing technology."
The landscaping possibilities for the unit include backfilling, sod rolling, digging in tight or sensitive areas and mowing, according to John Perkins, owner of Minneapolis-based Perkins Landscape Contractors. Perkins had the opportunity to use prototypes of the RC 30 for several months. According to ASV, the machine increased his company's productivity by 50 percent and reduced labor costs. "It's so versatile, you could put a vibratory plow on it, install irrigation piping in the morning, and then put a sod rolling attachment on and sod over it in the afternoon," said Perkins.
The RC 30 features a Caterpillar 3013 model engine, which delivers 31.5 gross horsepower. It stands less than four feet wide and less than six feet high, such that it can fit in the back of most pickup trucks. The unit comes standard as a loader, however, several attachments are available, including trenchers, mowers, dozer blades, augers and backhoes.
ASV said the RC 30 is expected to retail for approximately $20,000 and will be available for rent. It is currently being shipped to U.S. dealers.
For more information about ASV and the RC 30 visit the company's web site at www.asvi.com.
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Gravely Highlights Skidster; Parent Company Highlights Internet Developments
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gravely, the grounds maintenance and construction equipment division of Ariens Company, highlighted its Skidster (pictured at left), a skid-steer loader that features multiple attachments, such as an auger, trencher, tiller and leveler, for use by landscape contractors and other construction professionals. The variety of attachments can help save money that would otherwise be invested in additional equipment.
The Skidster can be used for projects in open areas, but can also be used for smaller projects because it fits between fences, close buildings and other areas that have limited access. It can also be picked up by a crane and dropped into basements, sewers or other confined areas. The small project uses, such as clean up and backfilling in tight areas, as well as large project uses, such as trenching and grading, can save time and money typically spent on manual labor.
The Skidster features quick-release attachments and 12-gallon fuel capacity to minimize downtime. Other features include lightweight design, balanced weight distribution and an extended dump angle. The unit is available with either a 20-HP Honda engine or a 20-HP Kubota diesel engine.
OTHER ARIENS COMPANY NEWS. Ariens Company, the parent company of Gravely and Stens, also showcased new Internet tools it has developed for its dealer network. The company has developed a web site designed exclusively for dealers to provide online tools to assist them in selling Gravely, Ariens and Stens products (pictured at right). The dealer web site includes advertising information, down-streaming video and camera-ready print ads to help in the selling process.
Throughout EXPO 2000, Ariens Company is offering several prizes, including Ariens string trimmers, $500 worth of Stens parts and a Stens Smart Parts dealer display complete with product. A dealer appreciation event is also scheduled for July 22 in the evening.
For more information on Ariens Company and its products call 800/678-5443 or visit the following web sites:
www.gravely.com
www.ariens.com
www.stens.com
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Less than one year after the introduction of Husqvarna's new commercial equipment line, the company unveiled 15 new zero-turn mower models today, July 22, at EXPO 2000. The commercial turf care equipment company's engineering and design for the new models (i.e. model ZTH4821 pictured at right) features unibody construction and a 10 percent increase in ground speed over previous models.
Ergonomic Design
E-tech II is a refinement of the E-tech engine that was first introduced on the company's trimmers, blowers and hedge trimmers as early as 1997. According to Husqvarna, the company was the first to equip units in the U.S. with catalytic converters when it introduced the E-tech engine.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ramrod has extended its Taskmaster line of mini-skids with the addition of a new rubber track mini-skid designed for use on a variety of surfaces while reducing most damage to sensitive areas. The company demonstrated the product – the Trackmaster model 910 – at a press conference today at EXPO 2000.
The Trackmaster's design uses a dedicated track, meaning the tracks are part of the machine and not mounted over existing tires. This design eliminates the occurrence of flat tires, does not allow for debris to get caught in a tire-track system and reduces the amount of slippage.
The line of products uses water from a regular garden hose or other water source connection and pumps the water into the ground. As the ground becomes saturated, the unit’s shaft is used to dig deeper into the ground. The ground in the concentrated area of digging becomes a slurry that, once at the proper depth for planting or for installing a fence post, makes it easy to slide the desired plant or lumber into the ground. For fence posts, the ground hardens as it dries and provides a secure fit that is close to using concrete in the hole.