Preventive maintenance for mowers often is put on hold or even ignored, given departments' many other duties, but that decision could negatively affect equipment performance and the department's bottom line.
"Managers should always be willing to calculate the costs and benefits of running certain equipment configurations in an effort to maximize their productivity," Simmons says. "Often times, managers overlook basic preventive maintenance simply because the task gets lost in the daily grind. However, it is not best to run a product into failure, but to proactively maintain equipment. This way, lost time is limited and managed effectively, because the manager has a complete working knowledge and history on each piece of equipment. A small loss of time and convenience maintaining a machine today can save thousands of dollars in repair or replacement in the future."
As managers explore ways to do more with less, they need to consider products that crews can use year-round.
"A mower that can not only mow but switch to an aeration implement or snow-clearing implement adds value in that the entity can get year-round use without buying several pieces of equipment with multiple engines to maintain to perform the same tasks," Dobson says. "Value-added features are also related to transmissions, engines, ergonomics, and frame and deck construction. Many of these value-added features separate true commercial mowers from flashy marketing gimmicks because these features extend past the price."
Specifying Mowers with Manufacturers as Partners
Turf Considerations When Specifying Mowers
Versatility, Maintenance Factors Important Issues when Specifying Mowers
