Managing 76 acres of school grounds, 16 football and rugby pitches, 14 cricket squares, athletics facilities, tennis courts and woodland is no small task. For Grounds Manager Shaun Crowley and his team at Farleigh School in Hampshire, finding smarter ways to maintain the site without compromising standards has become essential.
The answer came in the form of Kress robotic mowers and battery-powered equipment, enabling the team to work more efficiently while maintaining the high-quality presentation expected at one of the country's leading independent schools.
Having worked at Farleigh School for 15 years and spent the last six as Grounds Manager, Shaun oversees a small team responsible for keeping the extensive sports facilities in first-class condition throughout the year.
With staffing pressures increasing, Shaun began exploring robotic mowing technology to free up valuable time for his team.
"We were a staff member down and needed to maximise the best way of cutting the grass," explained Shaun. "We couldn't afford to have someone sitting on a mower all day, so we started looking at robotics."
After researching several options, Kress stood out.
"What really sold Kress to me was the charging time and the runtime. A quick charge gives you hours of cutting, so they spend more time working than sitting on charge. They're also incredibly flexible and can work day or night in virtually all weather conditions."
Following an initial demonstration from local Kress dealer ATH Machinery, Shaun introduced his first Kress KR236 robotic mower before quickly expanding the fleet to three machines.
Today, the robotic mowers maintain around 78,000 square metres of grass, saving approximately ten and a half hours of mowing every week.
Those time savings have transformed the way the grounds team operates.
"The robots aren't replacing anyone," said Shaun. "They're giving us more time to do all the other jobs that often get pushed aside. Instead of spending hours cutting an outfield several times a week, we can concentrate on all the other tasks that make a difference."
The lightweight nature of the robots also provides significant advantages throughout the year.
"If you miss a cut with a conventional mower because the ground is wet, suddenly you're trying to catch up. The Kress robots keep on top of the grass all the time. They're lightweight enough to work when larger machinery might not be suitable, and because they're cutting little and often, the quality of finish is consistently high."
Alongside robotics, Shaun has invested heavily in the Kress commercial battery-powered range, including hedge trimmers, blowers, brushcutters, pruning equipment and walk-behind mowers.
"The battery equipment has been a no-brainer for us," he said. "The runtime is fantastic and the fast charging means we're never waiting around. On some of the batteries you're talking about an eight-minute charge before you're back working again."
Beyond productivity, the battery equipment has improved the working environment for the team.
"Not having petrol fumes, less vibration and lower noise levels makes a huge difference, especially around a busy school. We've also got solar panels generating electricity, so charging the batteries simply made sense. It fits perfectly with where we're heading."
Equally important has been the support provided by local dealer ATH Machinery.
"You can have the best product in the world, but without good backup it's pretty ineffective," Shaun explained. "Tim Lane and the team at ATH Machinery have been brilliant. If I have a question, they're always there to help, and that gives you confidence when you're investing in new technology."
For Shaun, the move to Kress has been about far more than simply changing machinery.
"It's helped us work more effectively, maintain high standards and make better use of our time. I genuinely think robotics are the way forward for schools. They're another member of the team, helping us keep on top of everything while allowing us to focus on the jobs that really need people."
For more information, please visit https://www.kress.com/en-gb/
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