Cub Cadet suspends robotics program

Attendees at the 2018 Golfdom Summit take a look at the Cub Cadet RG3. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)

Cub Cadet has suspended support of its RG3 robotic greens mower.

“We identified some technical challenges during field testing … so we’re refocusing our efforts in other areas of the business,” said Tony Whelan, director, sales and marketing, Cub Cadet – Golf & Sports Turf. “MTD is serious about our commitment to quality, and we are not willing to bring a product to the market that doesn’t meet our customer-facing specifications and quality demands.”

Whelan stressed that the company will still develop other products in the golf and sports turf market.

Scott Ramsay, CGCS at The Country Club at Farmington (Conn.), said he thinks remote-controlled and autonomous mowers will still be prevalent in the industry.

“The first person to market usually is plowing ground for other people. It might just have been a product before its time,” Ramsay said. “I think (Cub Cadet) probably prepared us for other companies and other groups to move forward with what they’ve originated.”