Major CS Pro mower opens new business in sports pitch management for grounds management contractor James Pask in Lincolnshire.
James Pask started Greenstripe Groundcare providing residential services to clients all over Lincolnshire from his base near Grantham. A Ransomes 7ft Parkway triple mower with 10-inch Magna heads and a John Deere 1445 with 62-inch rotary out-front mower were specifically chosen to handle residential clients, large private estates and the occasional cricket pitch.
Five years ago, the local football club approached James to take on their pitch management because the existing service used cylinder mowers, which cut the turf too short. This degraded the pitch especially after hot dry summers, thereby making it difficult to prepare for the upcoming season. “I had to turn them down at the time because I just wasn’t able to manage that task,” James revealed. “I didn’t have the right machinery to do justice to their requirements. But it made me think a lot about future business as I’d always wanted to get into sports and amenity work, and I mulled over the best way of serving this customer.”
One year later the club – Barrowby Football Club – approached James again to see if he would reconsider. To fulfil the club’s requirements, James needed to expand his machinery offering, which is a significant investment. “If the club could guarantee to give me the work, I told them I would make the investment,” explained James. “It also opened my business up to other sports amenity clients in the locale.”
Both sides reached an agreement and James started looking at various machines.
Multiple candidates, but only one winner
His local dealer, Fentons of Bourne, arranged demonstrations of different machines including the TriMax Snake and Wessex. “When I saw them demonstrating a 50hp ISEKI 6507 with a rear-mounted CS Pro mower, I knew straight away that this was the combination for me,” exclaimed James. “The way the Major mower handled the grass and mulched the clippings, whilst leaving a really nice striped finish was just perfect. It was also a lower-priced machine, but in my opinion, it is higher quality than most of the other mowers out there.”
The Major CS Pro mower is a gear-driven rotary mower with four cut and mulch blades per rotor. The 3m model has four rotors with 16 blades which overlap to ensure all materials is finely cut and dispersed across the width of the machine. The height of cut can be adjusted to between 15mm and 100mm.
He purchased the CS Pro in 3m working width from Fentons of Bourne and started mowing in September 2022. Barrowby Football Club sits on a 10-acre site with 8.5 acres requiring weekly mowing. The grounds are not the flattest of surfaces, but the adjustable front and rear rollers on the CS Pro enabled him to set the height of cut to leave the perfect sward without any scalping.
Strength of build, galvanisation and low maintenance qualities protect investment
Manufactured using high-performance Strenx 700MC structural steel, the CS Pro is much stronger and lighter than ordinary mowers. The galvanised finish protects the unit from rusting and offers an extended period of reliable performance.
“We’ve had a couple of years of very wet weather and despite all that moisture there’s not a sign of any rusting,” remarked James. “In fact, it still looks like a brand-new machine! What I like about it is that regular maintenance is so simple, adjustment for the right finish is easy and once it has made the cut, it mulches the clippings so that they disappear into the sward – almost an invisible pass.”
Another major benefit of the Major CS Pro mounted on the ISEKI tractor is the convenient road travel: he can travel between customer sites by road, whereas his other machines had to be loaded on a trailer and transported, which adds precious time and fuel costs.
Performance and efficiencies delight customers
“The football club is absolutely delighted with the results of my Major CS Pro mower,” enthused James. “They are so happy that they have invited me onto the club committee as Pitch Improvement Officer. The grass sward that is left after mowing is just perfect for their fixtures schedule and they are now proud of what they have when other teams come to visit. Not only is the pitch cut at the right height, but the sward has thickened and is left with stripes right across the grounds, which consists of ten football pitches and two cricket squares.”
“What has impressed me most about the Major CS Pro,” continued James, “is that I can cover all the pitches at Barrowby in about three hours when the previous machinery would have taken all day. I can sit on the ISEKI at 540rpm PTO, set in the economy mode at 1600 tractor engine rpm and fuel economy is excellent.”
“There are lots of additional benefits that I didn’t necessarily appreciate when we first acquired the Major mower. The level of work output to cost of operation is very rewarding. Other than two regular blade changes, which is quite normal, there have been no other costs and so it is very reliable and cost effective to operate.”
“My business turnover has doubled because of the CS Pro. And because of the quality of finish that we are achieving at Barrowby Football Club, it’s already started to attract more customers to my business. Word spreads and this growth has happened because our investment is now receiving recognition from users and visitors alike.”
“If I were recommending this mower to potential users out there, I would say it is perfect for any undulating ground applications. It’s ideal for horse-race courses, caravan parks, public amenity areas, large garden and National Trust facilities. The application list is endless and all I can say is that for me it’s been the best reliable and cost-effective investment I have made for me and my business. And if you choose to acquire the Major CS Pro for your business, you will not be disappointed.”