The Eco Clipper leads the way in cost-effective sports field maintenance

ARTICLE

SOIL & SOIL BIOLOGY

Broer de Boer, Monday 23 December 2024

159 sec

The Eco Clipper is an ecologically and economically efficient mowing system. Versions with working widths of up to 14 meters are used by turf growers. Thanks to its modular design, field managers can choose more modest dimensions.

Alderman Durk Durksz and driver Willem, flanked by the Leijenaar brothers

Syb Leijenaar is the initiator of this concept, which has been on the market for seven years. It operates with electrically powered mowing units, where a PTO drives a generator. The generator supplies the electric motors with 400-volt power: 'The goal is to mow sports field grass surfaces at the lowest possible cost,' he explains. On turf farms, our approach has been proven to be 30 percent more cost-effective than using traditional rotary mowers. This includes all fixed and variable costs, as well as labor. The Eco Clipper operates without gears and V-belts and has small mowing blades. This makes the system lightweight and maintenance-free. If a blade hits an obstacle, the corresponding electric motor immediately stops without getting damaged and resumes operation once the obstacle is cleared. Replacing a defective motor is a simple task.'

High-voltage motors

The Eco Clipper looks simple but is a piece of well-thought-out engineering. The undersides of the approximately 100 cm wide mowing units are made of PE plastic, which is smooth and remains smooth. Grass residues that could later clump and fall onto the field do not easily adhere to it. Each mowing unit contains three three-phase high-voltage motors. These drive the spindles with small blades at a tip speed approximately two-thirds of the usual rate. The rotation speed is about 3,000 RPM. The blades cut the grass only once. With some lift from air support, the clippings are quickly expelled from the mower deck at the rear. 'The clippings are neatly spread across the turf with a clean mowing pattern,' says Leijenaar. 'The direct spindle drive and lower tip speed save a lot of energy. This allows for the use of a lightweight tractor. The Eco Clipper offers machines between 2 and 14 meters in width, with front, rear, and combined mower decks. A 40 hp tractor is sufficient for a mowing width of 411 cm. For a 14-meter width, a minimum of 100 hp is required, allowing a turf grower to mow at speeds up to 25 km/h. The mowing capacity is high, with a favorable purchase price.'

Engine speed

Syb continues: 'In terms of maintenance and fuel consumption, the Eco Clipper is at the lowest end. The engine characteristics of the tractor play a crucial role in our energy-efficient operation. These characteristics determine the optimal RPM that aligns with the best torque (Nm) for driving and mowing with the most favorable fuel consumption. We discuss this with our customers. Generally, the optimal speed for a light 40 hp tractor is around 2,000 RPM. For a much heavier tractor, such as the one we will see in Opsterland, it is around 1,200 RPM. This runs much more smoothly. In theory, you could mow at an idle speed. The 400-volt AC power is generated by a PTO-driven generator weighing approximately 250 kg. It can be mounted at the front or rear of the tractor's hitch, which can help with optimal weight distribution.'

Severely underestimated

This fall, Ymco Leijenaar joined his brother's company. Drawing from experience, he convincingly states: 'The financial advantage of professional robotic mowers on sports fields is smaller than generally assumed. Especially municipalities and specification writers severely underestimate the cost of "management." Due to the high unit price of robotic mowers and capacity limitations, they must be scheduled to mow day and night for a good return on investment. The situation is different if unpaid volunteers are available 24/7 and if the sports complex is completely secured against vandals.' Ymco, in his previous role as a project manager, tested professional versions of two brands of robotic mowers and compared their costs with a self-propelled rotary mower.

'Nineteen professional robotic mowers: half a worker needed weekly'

The study involved nineteen robotic mowers covering more than half of the fields, while a rotary mower covered the rest. Ymco's conclusion is that the number of malfunctions is too high to allow a robotic mower fleet to operate autonomously. The primary issues were vandalism, nocturnal hedgehogs, stray balls, unremoved goal nets, or excessive grass accumulation under the mower deck. At the landscaping company where he worked, it was calculated that managing the robotic mowers required half a worker per week during the growing season. Factoring in all logistics and backup rotary mowing, a rotary mower was found to be 40 percent more cost-effective than robotic mowers. The Eco Clipper, in turn, was 30 percent cheaper than a traditional rotary mower of the same width.'

This article was originally published on December 23, 2024, on the Fieldmanager website.

EcoClipper

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