Harrogate, Yorkshire, England: John Deere is using this week’s BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) to demonstrate its commitment to offering turfcare professionals a more connected and electrified future.

The company’s latest products for greenkeepers and sports turf professionals are showcasing advances in battery and hybrid technologies.

This includes a preview of the John Deere 2775 battery-powered riding greens mower – the first time the machine has been shown in Europe.

Demonstrations of the state-of-the-art fleet management system, OnLink, are providing greenkeepers with a detailed insight into how every action on the course can be integrated into one management system.

With the first United Kingdom and Ireland deliveries of John Deere’s 185 E-Cut and 225 E-Cut battery walk-behind greens mowers being made to golf courses this month, the BTME show is providing the perfect opportunity to talk to turfcare experts on the stand about the new technology.

“As a global company we are able to learn from our experiences across the world and see what golf courses of the future will look like,” said Chris Meacock, Division Sales Manager for Golf and Turf at John Deere, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

“It’s clear that battery, hybrid and connected machines are going to play a huge role in making operations more efficient and effective. The models we have launched and the advances in mowing technology we are developing will support this new era in greenkeeping and professional turfcare,” added Meacock.

BTME is the first turf show in Europe where John Deere has shown the 2775 battery-powered greens mower. Elements of the machine are still in development, but the model shows what is in John Deere’s innovation pipeline.

The 2775 will run off four 58.1-volt lithium batteries and will be capable of mowing at least 22 greens from a single charge.

Functionality will closely mirror the popular 2750 diesel riding greens mower with a TechControl display, frequency of clip control and clean-up pass mode. The flexible link system will offer 42 degrees of contour following.

Almost silent operation and no hydraulic leak points will also appeal to many greenkeepers.

John Deere launched the 185 E-cut and 225 E-cut at BTME 2023 and throughout the year the machine was demonstrated at a number of courses across the UK and Ireland.

This included at Gleneagles where Golf Courses Manager Stephen Lindsay was able to put the new walk-behind through its paces.

He said: “We used the 225 in tandem with the petrol version (John Deere 220) so each machine would cut nine greens. You couldn’t tell the difference between how the two machines presented the greens.

“The battery life was good and charging is easy. The clean-up function on the TechControl panel slowed the unit right down and gave a nice cut around the edge of the green. The 225 is slightly heavier but it doesn’t affect ease of operation in our opinion.

“The noise emitted is the biggest difference between the two machines with the 225 being much quieter.”

John Deere is also using BTME to make two announcements about machine connectivity.

OnLink allows greenkeepers and club maintenance staff to automatically synchronise any machine and operator working anywhere on the course, managing activity remotely.

In 2024, OnLink will be fully integrated into the John Deere Operations Centre, which will simplify and optimise activity within the platform, regardless of operator or task.

A further announcement being made at the show is that John Deere’s range of commercial mowing equipment – front rotary, wide area and zero-turn mowers – will be fully connected later in 2024.

Connectivity means the machine’s activity can be tracked by the owner through satellites, with data shared between the owner, operator and dealer via the John Deere Operations Centre.

Meacock said: “When a machine is connected it allows the owner or operator to capture information which will help identify where it is being used and important parameters such as its operational time. There is also a benefit in terms of ensuring that scheduled maintenance is carried out on time, optimising the performance and lifespan of the mower.”