Компания Kress провела демонстрацию роботизированных газонокосилок на территории South Farms

It’s said to be the latest technology in lawn care: automated mowers, which are programmed to cut grass and return to their battery station when they’re done. The impact of this technology on the industry, according to some local companies, is a positive one, because it offers low emissions, low noise and a good result. South Farms, an entertainment venue in Morris with plenty of open lawn space for its concerts, weddings and other events, recently acted as host for Kress, an electric motor company, along with M&H Equipment and Litchfield County Lawn Systems and a group of landscape experts had a preview of how they work. An invited group of about 20 landscape companies were also recent guests. Andy Marek and Jon Leung, representatives of M&H, said South Farms was a perfect place to show off the newest models in electric lawn care equipment. The property is about four acres. M&H, which has sold power equipment for decades, is a Kress dealer. As he spoke, Kress’ KR804, programmed by tech Andy Grayson, zoomed past, heading for the far side of the entertainment field. Some of the landscaping group watched its progress from a tent near the South Farms barns, out of the hot summer sun. Others moved closer, watching the mower as it made its way back around. According to Marek, a mower like this can cut six acres a day. As its power supply starts to dwindle, it returns to its power station to charge up. The machine is programmed in advance, allowing landscapers to complete other tasks, such as trimming and cleanup, while the mower cuts the grass. “Ben’s a customer, and he has an amazing property,” said Marek. “Ben is helping us with installation and sales of our newest equipment, to help customers understand how it works. “I’d say in the next five to 10 years, all mowers will be autonomous,” said Will Bollash, another member of the M&H team. “Once people see how it works, they love it,” he said. “People are very curious and want to see it in action.” Automated lawn mowers are easy to spot these days, a small, four-wheeled, square machine that methodically rolls across lawns, pathways and property frontage, resembling a large gray bug crawling along. That technology allows the owner to “map” or program the mower, giving it a path to follow until its battery runs out. Along with these mini-mowers, landscaping companies use rechargeable leaf-blowers, trimmers and other equipment that, until a few years ago, required fuel or a long cord. And now there are full-size mowers that can take on acres of grass, as a result of the technology being developed by companies like Kress, an electric motor company founded in the late 1920s. When it joined the international Positec group in 2017, Kress began developing cordless power equipment for commercial landscapers and homeowners. In 2023, the company launched the CyberSystem, a “next-gen battery system that boasts the world’s fastest charging times,” according to the website. For landscape companies like YardScapes in New Milford, owner Shayne Newman has already begun using smaller equipment, like leaf blowers, which can be charged at his facility. But, he said, the demand for electricity is an expensive challenge. “We’re slowly embracing the new equipment,” said Newman, who has been in business for more than 30 years. “Fifty percent of our hand-held equipment is electric, but we need better infrastructure to handle the chargers. “We might have to upgrade our facility to upgrade our power sources,” he said. “We keep blowing (fuse) boxes because there’s such a demand on the system. I’ve considered reaching out to Eversource to see what they can do to help us.” Locally, as more homeowners ditch the push-mower and purchase a small self-operating machine, the Paletsky family is helping M&H with sales, delivery and installation. Sam Paletsky, son of South Farms owner Ben Paletsky, is a partner through his own small company, Litchfield Hills Lawn Systems. “We do a lot of residential sales, delivery and installation,” said Sam, who is 16 and a student at Lakeview High School. Newman said the landscaping industry has been affected by changing roles, fewer employees and cost. “The economics of the landscaping industry has been pretty challenging,” he said. “Roles have changed; there are fleet managers now, to keep on top of all the equipment. It’s a technological change, more than anything else.” Newman said he’s also had to re-train his employees on how to take care of these more expensive blowers and trimmers. “They have to be stored; you can’t just leave an electric piece of equipment out in the rain overnight,” he said. “They have to learn use them differently too. To make the battery pack last longer, you can’t have them running all the time. “But for our clients, it’s less noise, it’s more quiet, and that’s what they want,” he said. “We could eventually have an all-electric fleet.” Paletsky said he likes the new lawn care machines because they do a good job. His machines cut six acres a day, continuously keeping South Farms’ lawns neat. “I want our lawns to always look nice, and these do that, by just continuing to keep the grass cut,” he said. “There are less clippings; there’s more mowing and less maintenance. There’s no fuel to deal with. They work very well.” To learn more, visit kress.com, mhpowerequipment.com, or litchfieldlawnsystems.com.