Situated between the Firth of Tay and Firth of Forth, Fife is both a council area and historic county of Scotland. The inland boundaries stretch to Perth and Kinross, and Clackmannanshire and the area is well known for the University of St. Andrews, one of the oldest in the world, and of course the historic town of St. Andrews itself, the home of golf.
At the start of the 2014 season Fife council Service Manager, Damien Woods, was looking at tenders for replacing their old trailed gang mowers. The criteria were mainly changes in the economic climate and making savings without sacrificing the quality of the grass cutting throughout the county. With the responsibility for cutting all sports, parks and open space areas, Fife council took the decision to buy five Wessex ProLine RMX-560 tri-deck roller mowers. Chosen for the reduced mowing time and increased output the machines are based in Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and the Cowdenbeath areas and have already proved highly popular.
“The operators take a real pride in what they do,” says Damien, “and these machines meet their high standards. The cut is as good as the old gang mowers and we’re enjoying reduced maintenance which is saving time and money, as well as reduced fuel consumption, so there’s a saving on fuel costs as well.”
The Wessex RMX-560 is known for its high output, fast forward speeds and high tip blade speeds, all contributing to making saving. Operation is straightforward with no electro-hydraulics or electric clutches and wing control is independent. The folding wings can cut gradients from -30° to +30°, whilst the middle deck remains on level ground. “It’s easy to see why these are popular mowers with councils for cutting sports and amenity areas.”
Watch the video of the Wessex RMX-560 roller mower in action.