Photo: DvorakDvorak showcased its Spider 3RIDER at this year’s GIE+EXPO.
This machine is remotely operated and now allows operators to sit and drive the machine. The company says the machine can be operated by a seated driver on slopes of up to 15 degrees. When the slope becomes too extreme, operators can then dismount and continue to control it by remote control.
The company says that for this concept, it was imperative for the company to further develop their steering system known as Dance Step.
There are three steering system options for the 3RIDER, according to Dvorak. The first option, Dance Step, is where all wheels are steered together in 360 degrees. The second option, the Ackerman steering system, allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds. The third option is zero turn, which allows all four wheels to be positioned at 45 degrees allowing it to turn around its vertical axis without damaging the grass or terrain.
The front mowing deck is attached to the main frame at midpoint and is kept on the terrain by a torsion bar. The operator’s seat is centrally located.
Using seven small high-speed rotary motors and blades, the company says the mounted 5-feet 3-inch deck has proved to be efficient. The rear bank of three blades rotate in the one direction while the front row of four blades rotates in the other.
To change to the mulching option, the company says the standard blades can be replaced with mulching blades, and a switch on one of the drive motors is activated so that all the blades rotate in the same direction.
Using a 24.9-horsepower Kubota diesel engine, the company says it provides the power for a high quality cut of 2.4 cares an hour. The company says that since it is below the Tier 4 Final threshold, it doesn’t need the regenerative capabilities associated with larger engines.
Spider 2SGS
Dvorak also introduced the Spider 2SGS, a remote-controlled mower specifically designed for the maintenance of turf areas around photovoltaic (PV) panels on solar farms.
Photo: Dvorak“Spiders’ ethos has always been about efficiency, safe working and effectiveness and we are now applying this to solar farms, sometimes known as solar parks or solar fields,” said Jason Bristow, Spider’s territory manager for the USA and Canada. “With four of the world’s top 10 solar farms located in the USA and with the majority of states offering incentives, we see this as a growing business opportunity.”
Adapted from the Spider ILD02, the company says the Spider 2SGS features upgraded hydraulic motors and a lower profile. Dvorak says rubber fenders were added to reduce any impact damage to the framework supporting the panels.
“We appreciate that loss of generated energy equates to loss of income for the solar farm operator, so the maintenance of these areas cannot be underestimated,” Bristow said. “The Spider 2SGS is also the only machine on the market with test certification relating to thrown objects. PV panels are fragile, so damage limitation is a priority and we can prove that our machines meet the approved international standards. Add to this the rubber fenders and you can see that we are doing everything we can to help the solar farm operators to maximize their return on investment.”
Spider ILD02
Dvorak recently announced its newest change to the Spider ILD02, which the company says has a 4-foot cutting width and the ability to climb slopes up to 55 degrees.
Photo: DvorakThe Spider ILD02 also has the patented drive system Dance Step, which Dvorak says utilizes a patented chassis design that enables omni-directional mowing without complicated maneuvering.
The company says the machine’s four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering allows the mower to move and mow forward, backwards and sideways with unlimited continuous turning of all wheels through 360 degrees.
Weighing approximately 809 pounds, the company says this gives an advantage on steep hillsides and weakened terrains. The mower’s light weight, the company says, ensures tight turns without damaging the turf.
The Spider ILD02 offers the ability to control the mower remotely, and Dvorak says the unique drive system allows the mowers to work on extremely steep slopes with an incline up to 40 degrees. The integrated hydraulic winch, according to Dvorak, then increases the climbing ability to 55 degrees.
Powered by a 24-horsepower Kawasaki engine, the company says this model is also equipped with a skid steering system to allow the mower to turn around its vertical axis.
With a top speed of five mph, the company says this mower is capable of mowing 1.73 acres an hour with a fuel consumption of 0.95 gallons per hour.
With a standard cutting height range of 3.5 – 5.5 inches with an optional lower height of cut of 2.8 – 4.7 inches, the company says these are all controllable from the operator’s remote-control unit.
To increase productivity and cost-effectiveness of the mower’s seasonable cycle, the company says a snow blade can be easily attached to the front of the machine. The company says the 55-inch wide part is ideal for parking lots, other pedestrian areas and sidewalks to clear snow in the winter.
