Dennis E-Series shines at San Siro

Two models in the Dennis E-Series battery-powered range are setting the standard in Italy by maintaining the pitch at the world-famous San Siro stadium.

San Siro is the home stadium of two of the most successful Italian Football League clubs: A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale (Inter), and in addition to hosting the matches of Milan and Inter, it welcomes concerts of many of the most renowned Italian and international artists.

Giovanni Castelli has been the Agronomist at San Siro since the Italia 90 World Cup. He oversees a team of 6 groundstaff and is responsible for every pitch operation. Under his remit, Giovanni also decides on which machinery should be used at the San Siro, and he explained his reasons for choosing the Dennis ES-860 and ES-34R.

“From ordinary maintenance to the extraordinary, our main goal is to have a perfect pitch for every game,” he said. “There isn’t any room for mistakes and if you don’t want to make mistakes then you need the best machines – for innovation, quality, and performance.

“We looked at other battery-powered mowers, but the Dennis E-Series was the best. With the E-Series you get a better cut – you can set the clip rate, and you can also cut in difficult conditions, when it is raining or when the pitch is very young.

“Another reason for switching to the E-Series was to become greener,” continued Giovanni. “Milan is a city where the green culture has influenced the architecture, production technologies, and transport, and we decided to be part of this evolution. The San Siro is the most important theatre – not only in Milan but the whole of Italy and we must be a pioneer of the green conversion and lead the way.

“Last but not least we have many tourists who visit the stadium every day and the experience of the peaceful, empty stadium is an incredible moment. With the Dennis E-Series that silence is safe and doesn’t disrupt the tourist experience.

“The work we do in San Siro helps other teams improve the pitches all over Italy and I would recommend the E-Series to every club in the country.”

For many years, turf professionals have been choosing Dennis Mowers for their superb cut quality and reliability, and anticipation quickly started building when the company announced its new battery-powered range.

Leaving no stone unturned, Dennis Mowers spent three years working with carefully selected partners to develop a range of quality battery-powered equipment befitting of the Dennis badge. The aim was to provide a reliable and long-lasting solution with the ultimate performance that helps professionals meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, reduce carbon footprint, emissions, running costs and noise without any range anxiety.

After an E-Series demonstration, Giovanni selected the ES-860 and the ES-34R.

The ES-860, 34” battery powered turf management system delivers maximum versatility and the range of 13 interchangeable cassette options provide a solution to many day-to-day maintenance tasks such as cutting, scarifying, brushing, slitting and verticutting.

Furthermore, traditional G860 cassettes will also fit the ES-860, meaning that customers will not have to purchase additional cassettes.

The ES-34R is a 34" (860mm) battery powered twin blade rotary mower. It is ideal for fine turf mowing and cleaning up operations in stadia and training facilities. Utilising the contra rotating hardened steel blades and low chute ensures maximum collection performance.

A robust LCD keypad screen is an integral feature of the handlebar console on every model in the ES range. This provides the operator with a multitude of information options including speed, clip rate, service checks, lifetime running reports and battery information.

Antonio Di Nunzio, the Head Groundsman at the San Siro, is also a big fan of the Dennis E-Series.

“We have two of the biggest clubs in Italy playing on this pitch and we have a high frequency of matches - approximately one every two days over the season. Therefore, we need the best machines to combat the high usage.

“We’ve always used Dennis mowers at San Siro - we had the petrol versions and now we have switched to their electric models. I’m really happy with them for several reasons. They allow us to work without the noise of engines and there are less vibrations which make them easier to control, more comfortable, and less stressful to work with. The quality and result of finish is always good because you can set the machines to exactly the way you want them.”

The San Siro grounds team purchased the E-Series models through Pratoverde, a Dennis and SISIS Italian distributor, and Antonio said their support has been invaluable.

“Pratoverde were instrumental in our decision to purchase the Dennis E-Series machines. We have a great relationship; they offer us good support and are always quick to answer any questions we may have."