E-Walk™ earns high praise

All-electric mower increases green speed without lowering height of cut

Spring 2004 - The E-Walk™ all-electric walking greens mower from Jacobsen earned high praise at last year’s PGA Tour Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

Mike McBride, who was Muirfield’s superintendent at the time, says, “We calculated that the E-Walk™, with its higher frequency of clip, would give us the same finish and green speed without having to drastically lower the height of cut. When we tested the E-Walk™, we used the same walk speed we normally do but with reel speed set to give a higher frequency of clip. When we finished single-cutting the green, we had 30 percent more clippings mowing with the E-Walk™ than with our other mowers. That meant we could get an improved quality of cut and the same speed on the greens without putting additional stress on our newly planted greens.”

During the Memorial, the Jacobsen® E-Walk™ allowed McBride and his crew to increase green speed without severely lowering the height of cut.

“Jack (Nicklaus) likes the greens to be fast during the tournament, and he was very pleased with the results we got from the E-Walk™,” McBride says. “Our greens were faster than the previous year, even though the height of cut was actually higher.”

The E-Walk™ is unique among walking greens mowers because the frequency of clip is easily adjusted. This is accomplished by using a patent-pending electrical control system that has two separate electric motors and two separate speed circuits. One motor and speed controller powers the drive drum and is used to control walk speed. The other motor and speed control deliver power directly to the reel and allow the operator to adjust the frequency of clip. Because the speed of the reel can be set independently of the speed of the traction drum, a unique phenomenon is produced. As walk speed slows, the number of clips per inch increases. The result is a smoother finish and faster green without stressing the plant.

E-Walk™ mowers feature the quick-release E-Pac™, a sealed battery pack that easily snaps out and in for quick changing on the course. The battery pack’s position can be adjusted to achieve optimum mower balance. Each E-Pac features a bright LED battery charge indicator that lets the operator know the charge level of the battery pack. In addition to the operator presence control and to ensure a consistent quality of cut, the E-Walk automatically shuts off the reel motor when battery power is depleted to a fixed level. Enough power remains to safely transport the mower to a vehicle or maintenance building so the operator can change the battery pack.

“Battery life was initially a concern,” McBride says, “but we didn’t have any problems during the tournament even though we were mowing once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Muirfield has eight E-Walks and 16 E-Pacs. Changing the battery pack is quick and easy, so it’s become our daily mower.”

Power is supplied to this 22-inch-wide mower by two weather sealed 48-volt DC electric motors. One motor controls ground speed, while the other controls reel speed. There is 90 minutes of power on a charged battery, enough to mow between five to seven greens before changing battery packs.

“Locally, there has been a lot of media exposure about the E-Walk before, during and after the tournament,” McBride says. “The press was really interested because the E-Walk™ produces no emissions and has no fluids to leak or fuel to spill. And, it’s so quiet.”

Ease of service
E-walk™ is easy to service. More than 70 percent of its parts are common to the Jacobsen® Greens King™ 500A Series of walking greens mowers. With no filters, oil or spark plugs to change and no tune-ups or other required engine maintenance, E-Walk™ reduces service time.

The patentpending mower has an electronically balanced 11-blade reel that delivers a tournament quality cut time after time. Height of cut is adjustable down to .062 inch. The high-impact PVC grass catcher lifts on and off easily. The ergonomic design of the Operator Presence Control increases operator comfort and control while reducing fatigue.

The Jacobsen® E-Walk™ electric greens mower, like all Jacobsen turf and grounds care equipment, comes with a CustomerCare two-year limited warranty as standard with an optional third-year extended limited warranty available at the time of purchase.