For DVML turf manager Michael Watson, who has a job looking after the turf under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium, the job has become much easier and a lot more fun.
Two Dennis Pro 34R mowers have arrived at the stadium and are being used to make sure the field is looking its best.
The new mowers are twice as wide as a normal household mower and also have the ability to pick up debris and other organic material when mowing.
A sweeper system in the mower picks up more materials than other mowers and keeps the grass strong.
Watson said the biggest benefit was the time saved mowing the grass. It used to take seven hours but now it just takes three hours. The machines, powered by a Honda GX200 engine, also gave the grass a very consistent mow.
With teams training nearly every day at times, it was difficult to mow the lawn all at once but the new mowers made that so much easier. The cost of the mowers was not disclosed because of commercial sensitivity.
The mowers are the first of their kind in Australasia. They are used by nearly all clubs in the English Premier League and also by football stadiums throughout Europe.
