demopark + demogolf 2015: Experience innovations in compact tractors up close

Between 21 and 23 June, demopark + demogolf 2015 in Eisenach will present the entire spectrum of machines and devices for professionally maintaining green areas. The 25 hectares of exhibition space on the airfield at Kindel offer a unique overview of technologies for the landscaping industry. One of the most extensive exhibition areas will present a wide range of compact tractors, alongside professional mowers and equipment carriers. Not without reason is versatile tractor a popular all-rounder: both in horticulture and landscaping, and in communities, for greenkeepers and service providers. Thanks to the large number of available attachments for a wide range of jobs, it can be used year-round for lawn and area maintenance as well as for winter services. Tremendous area performance – from lawn tractor to compact tractor The transition from lawn tractor to compact tractor is smooth. Current models in the diesel sit-on mower segment have tremendous area performance. Fitted with front linkage and a front PTO shaft, they can also take a wide variety of other attachments such as front sweepers or snow ploughs. Small but comfortable is the order of the day. Adjustable tilt steering wheels ensure unimpeded access but also guarantee a comfortable arm position while working. The Zero-Turn mower also falls into this performance category and cannot be beaten on manoeuvrability. High area performance and no more need for a garden trimmer are also a significant argument for service providers. Landscaping professionals should not miss the opportunity to try out several models for themselves. Finally, demopark + demogolf offers the unique opportunity to test many new machines extensively on site. Maintenance professionals can have a close look at the entire spectrum of model ranges for compact and communal tractors together with attachments for a wide variety of jobs on the demopark site.

Intelligent electronics reduce fuel consumption Alongside high performance and good cabin comfort, new transmission designs which noticeably reduce the driver's workload in particular have proven to be significant trends in compact tractors. Intelligent electronics are thus able, by now, to automatically adapt the engine speed to the load state at the time, leaving the driver free to concentrate fully on the actual work. Reduced fuel consumption thanks to significantly increased productivity is the welcome result for the user. As numerous manufacturers will confirm, the demand for refined technology is already increasingly heard in the compact tractors segment – thanks, among other things, to constant professionalisation in the field of landscaping. An example is the use of electronic front linkages which replace the mechanical detensioning spring which has long been used. The driver can thus steplessly adjust the pressure level of a front attachment while driving in order, for example, to prevent scalping of the turf while mowing. While mowing laterally on a slope, the front axle can be prevented from slipping by increasing the pressure level. The new rear-mounted assistant which a manufacturer is offering for its compact tractor is also interesting. A toggle switch on the rear fender can be used to move the tractor forwards and backwards at 12 millimetres per second as well as to move the lifting gear up and down precisely. The inconvenient need for the driver to get in and out to uncouple an attachment is thus a thing of the past. Optimised versions of many attachments in the fields of mowing and mulching technology, grass and leaf removal, soil aeration and cultivation, copse and hedge trimming, sweeping technology, weed eradication, path construction and winter services will be on show. A variable plough with side expanders which can be folded in or out as required by the driver in the cabin, for example, is new. Snow can thus be removed both from narrow paths and from large parking areas in one go. Full hybrid in sight Particularly relevant are the emissions values required for mobile machines which demand even greater efforts in engine development from the manufacturers. Since January 2012, new tractors with engine outputs from 57 kW brought to market have had to comply with Tier III B. Although Tier IV, which came into force as from the beginning of 2014, only affects tractors above 130 kW, the next EU emissions Tier from 2019 will include more machine classes and will once again significantly reduce the pollutant emissions. In addition, small particles will be included. Experts expect that, along with exhaust gas recirculation and after-treatment, diesel particle filters will increasingly be used. A manufacturer in the USA has announced that it will present the first full hybrid at demopark + demogolf 2015. The diesel professional mower, designed for the golf industry, can have a lower engine output because it covers its energy peaks when required from the additional electric motor. It charges its batteries through recuperation when braking or when driving downhill. This saves fuel and protects the environment. As a useful side effect, it also doesn't need to use hydraulic fluid thanks to the electrically driven mower. Leakages are thus a thing of the past, which can only be good for the sensitive grass on a golf course. The alternative drive concepts will be interesting to see.

The largest open-air exhibition in the industry in Europe As the largest European open-air exhibition for the professional use of machines in green area maintenance, garden and landscape construction and communities, demopark + demogolf offers the unique opportunity of experiencing machines and devices pragmatically in practice. The trade fair is organised by Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Machinenbaus mbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of VDMA. You can find more information at www.demopark.de.