Page 13 - OPE November 2020

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ZTR Mowers
services in New Zealand. Those businesses that have online purchasing services validated this by way of sales.”
Steelfort expects to get a mid-season sales boost when its completely new range of zero-turn models arrive in December
to complement the existing steering wheel range and Gavin Lowndes is enthusiastic about its prospects: “The Cub Cadet Ultima range has had a major impact over the last year in the USA and we expect it to have strong retail support in NZ as soon as it is released.”
However, he adds that Cub Cadet’s unique zero-turn feature – a steering wheel
across the current domestic and commercial ranges – WILL continue to be a major feature driving demand for the brand.
In terms of Masport’s models and features that are proving particularly popular with contractors, Simon Gaunt finds the Gravely Pro-Stance 36 is enjoying more popularity due to its compact size and manoeuvrability.
“It allows operators to enter most standard gates, it’s easy to trailer, and it delivers agile performance when cutting in tight and narrow spaces.
Also, the low centre of gravity means an operator can take on hills with confidence and with the versatility to flip up the
suspension platform, operators can choose to walk or ride the mower as needed.”
Plus, adds Simon, a lot of early interest is being shown in the new 32-inch Pro-Stance, that is suitable for even tighter access and spaces, and will be available from December.
And on the accessories front, Simon Gaunt says one with strong appeal is the Operator Controlled Discharge Baffle that provides the option to temporarily close the mower’s discharge chute, keeping grass off of unwanted areas such as garden beds, paths and roads, thus reducing clean-up time and increasing profits.
Zero-turn accessories sparking interest
Andrew Peacocke of Zero-turn Mowers in Tauranga has been consolidating his range of ride-on and stand-on mowers this year and notes two aspects of mowing in which his business continues to see strong interest.
“The first is powered grass collectors. Many contractors try to get away from collecting
if they can because it is time consuming
and increasingly expensive to dispose of the clippings. However, an effective collector still gives the cleanest and tidiest finish.”
Andrew is also seeing much demand for Grasshopper’s PowerVac grass collection
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