New riding mowers and concept for proper lawn care

Briggs & Stratton Netherlands is at the GroenTechniek Holland trade fair with novelties from the Ferris, Snapper, Simplicity and Billy Goat brands. 'Our brands will certainly be seen at trade fairs in the coming years.'

At the Van der Haeghe BV booth, in addition to the existing lineup, Ferris is showing the new 500S this year. This zeroturn mower is the successor to the 400S and, with a 25-hp Briggs & Stratton CXi twin-cylinder, features a more powerful engine than its predecessor. The mower features built-in lights and larger tires for even more grip. Marketing Manager Maarten Roes: "This comes in handy under the wet weather conditions of recent months. In addition, the mower's upgrades increase productivity up to 1.33 acres per hour. The 500S is our smallest model, aimed at the prosumer, but features the Ferris DNA, such as the unique suspension and a Triple™ mower deck."

Ferris' remote controlled mower FRC7 will also be on display at the show. In recent months, the Ferris R&D team tested the mower in many different conditions and improvements were made. "For example, the mowing speed has been increased and the mowing capacity improved, without sacrificing machine life. The machine continues to protect itself if the load becomes too high, preventing wear and tear. This upgrade will be implemented as standard in machines rolling off the line from now on. In addition, an upgrade kit will be available for machines already operating in the field."

Snapper is introducing its first concept battery rotary mower to the Dutch market. The mower will have a 42 or 48″ cutting deck and a 3.5 kW Vanguard battery with proprietary developed drive train. For Snapper, a good user experience is key. Therefore, a lot of energy has been put into refining the software so that the driving experience is not inferior to that of the gasoline/hydrostatic powered models. Through the display, both travel speed and blade speed can be adjusted. This allows the end user to choose the optimal balance between working time and performance. 

Simplicity launched this year the new line of Baron & Duke riding mowers with grass collection. Next year, a model with high dump function will be added. Says Roes, "With this, Simplicity is targeting the prosumer, such as landscapers, campgrounds and small sports clubs. The high dumpers come standard with heavier components, such as bearings, blade shafts and belts, so light commercial use is possible."

The Billy Goat brand will be represented at the fair by Lankhaar Techniek. That zooms in on the abc concept for lawn care: A scarifying, B aerating and C overseeding. "Scarifying and overseeding are generally well-known concepts, but aerating is still often an underexposed step in lawn maintenance and renovation. At the GTH, we are already taking a sneak peek at the campaign, which will run through the spring of 2025, to make both individuals and gardeners aware of the options for proper lawn care." 

In addition to the GTH, Briggs & Stratton is exhibiting at German trade fair Galabau. "We strategically choose the fairs where we ourselves are exhibiting. Of course, we already have distributors in every country representing us at trade fairs. We leave our partners free to choose the larger fairs or to go into more local events. We also pay a lot of attention to our online visibility. But our brands can certainly still be seen at trade shows in the coming years."