GIS Highlights: Cub Cadet’s next gen robotic mower
At the 2019 Golf Industry Show, Cub Cadet exhibited equipment they believe will address the challenges facing turf managers: the next generation of the RG3 robotic mower — the Infinicut RGX.
“We’re taking the success of the Infinicut mowers — used at venues like Real Madrid, Wimbledon, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto FC — and applying it to the success of the RG3 robotic mowers and the result is the Infinicut RGX,” said Tony Whelan, director of sales & marketing of Cub Cadet’s specialty turf products division. The RG3 mowers are powered by lead-acid batteries, and the new RGX models will have all lithium batteries and a new positioning system.
The company demoed the new model for the first time at the Golfdom Summit in December. Whelan was chipper after spending a day on the show floor and demonstrating the mower at San Diego’s Santaluz Club at 5:30 the morning prior.
Justin Daigle, superintendent at Perry Park Country Club in Larkspur, Colo., uses the RG3 mower on his golf course and was present for the demonstration at Santaluz. His 24-second video of the mower from the demo had 7,000 views within 24 hours.
Daigle went fully autonomous last year with four RG3s and says that there is a clear difference with walk mowing greens and the robotic RG3s, due to the dual-mowing and rolling function of the RG3.
He’s been seeing additional benefits as well. “With autonomy, same amount of dollars, we’re now raking bunkers five days a week – we previously did it three days – and we string trim the course now as the first job of the day. It now takes us 15 man hours, down from 32,” Daigle said.
The Infinicut RGX mower will be available in late 2019 or early 2020, and Cub Cadet is currently in the heart of the field testing period. The company will start demonstrating the mower at regional events in North America throughout 2019.