Civiline Track 40 mower review

If you think mowing your lawn is hard work, spare a thought for local councils in charge of vast parklands and kilometres of grass verges along the freeway.

A conventional walk-behind lawnmower doesn't cut it when hectares of land need to be mowed. Therefore, most councils and organisations have been using larger commercial ride-on mowers to maintain grounds or turf, which works well in most cases.

However, when these parklands and reserves involve slopes and uneven terrain, even ride-on units reach their limits due to the risk of rollover. In these cases, council workers might deploy brush cutters instead, but these also have their limitations. Firstly, using brush cutters takes a long time even with several employees on the job, and secondly, health and safety concerns remain as workers are still required to stand on the slope while using the brush cutter. So what is the ideal solution when it comes to clearing tricky terrain?

Enter the Civiline Track 40 radio-controlled tracked mower, distributed in Australia by Inlon. The specialised mower hails from Italy and has been designed specifically for clearing ground on rough and tricky terrain.

Farmmachinerysales recently had the opportunity to see a unit in action at the Barwon West Reservoir, where employees of Barwon Water have been using the Track 40 to clear land where they'd previously never ventured.

We made our way to a dam reserve where the combination of slopes and overgrowth showcased the Track 40's ability at its very best.

The Track 40 mower looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, especially when it jumps to life and starts climbing slopes at will. It seems to have a life of its own – until you realise there's a human operator controlling the machine remotely.

One of the key features of the mower is the fact it's radio controlled, which means operators can use it from a safe distance without having to stand on slopes.

It has operating range of up to 150m and comes with a belt strap that goes around the operator, so he or she can have two hands on the console.

According to Inlon, the Track 40 performs more like a remote-controlled slasher than a mower, due to its ability to clear waist-high growth and small shrubs.

"We see the machine fitting into applications like roadside maintenance, under canopy clearing, under power line clearing, dams, fire trail, fire breaks and more, especially in inaccessible areas where there's a lot of slope," said Inlon Civiline Product Manager, Glenn Dwyer.

"Especially with the emphasis on OHS lately… many more government bodies and bigger companies are keen to adhere to legislation and remove workers from danger. So this sort of machine fits that very well."

Inlon said the Track 40 unit is capable of mowing on slopes up to 55 degrees under its own wheel drive.

It was a case of 'seeing is believing' with the Track 40. While the operator in charge on the day, Steven Page, did not operate the machine to its full 55-degree capability, we were still able to witness its prowess as it glided its way along a slope at a precarious angle, clearing growth and grass at the same time.

The tracks on the Track 40 serve several purposes.

As tracks provide more ground contact compared to wheels, they offer better stability and traction for working on hillsides and slopes.

The tracks on the Track 40 also allow the unit to traverse rough and uneven terrain where wheeled machines might get stuck in holes or ruts in the ground.

Its track width is adjustable from 1360mm to 1860mm via the operating console to give the unit better stability when working at an angle.

A tough underbody coating is structurally integrated into the frame for durability and to prevent debris and fragments from damaging the machine.

The Civiline Track 40 runs a Perkins 40hp turbo-diesel engine with a service interval of about 150 hours.

The 23-litre diesel fuel tank provides between five and seven operating hours depending on slope and conditions, Inlon said.

Doors that swing wide open provide easy access to the engine for maintenance and servicing purposes.

Another notable feature of the Track 40 is the Flexxaire cooling fan, which ensures a safe operating temperature in all conditions.

Operators can also reverse the fan via the console to blow out built-up debris in the mower without even having to stop the machine.

The Track 40 is available with several different heads to cater to a range of applications. There is a Y-Flail cutting head for grass and light regrowth areas and a mulching head for heavier growth, shrubs and saplings.

The heads feature 360-degree swinging hammers that chew through growth with ease. The front door of the head is hydraulically opened to expose the cutters for mowing and mulching.

The cutting heads all offer a cutting width of 1500mm, or 48 inches.

While mowing and slashing is its primary purpose, the Track 40 can be optioned with various other attachments including snow blowers, front bucket, loader and rakes, making it a truly versatile machine.

Unlike ride-on mowers or tow-behind mowers, operators need not have heavy machinery operating experience to use the Track 40 correctly and safely.

"When we deliver a machine, we do operator induction training. That doesn't make anyone an expert straight away but it does give them the basics of safely operating the machine such as starting up, cutting, driving and so on," Dwyer said.

The operating console might look a bit overwhelming at first, with its assortment of dials and joysticks, but once operators wrap their heads around the main controls, operating the machine is a breeze.

In fact, operators need only worry about a few key controls during a normal operation, such as forward, reverse, turning, cutting door opening and closing, track width widening or narrowing etc.

An LED display on the console shows the degree of the slope and provides engine diagnostics.

Its remote-controlled nature also adds that element of fun to an otherwise mundane task, which might appeal to the younger crowd.

"Obviously younger guys with Xbox and PlayStation experience think it's great as their hand-eye coordination is a little bit better than the older guys, dare I say," Dwyer said.

"But once you're given instructions, I would say after two or three days of operation you would be good enough to start cutting some stuff."

I was handed the controls for a go at operating the Track 40 myself and while I am no gaming aficionado, I was able to grasp the basic controls quite easily. Having said that, carrying out a productive mowing and slashing task will take me a little longer.

The mower has a top speed of 7km/h, so don't expect to be racing it around the grounds like you would a remote-controlled toy car, but for the task at hand, the speed is ideal.

Steven Page from Barwon Water has been operating the Track 40 for only a short while since the organisation acquired the machine a few months ago, and said the mower has made his job easier and safer.

"We're currently doing off the side of the channel and we're mowing places that haven't been mowed before," he said.

"It's a trial at the moment to see how it all goes but at this stage, it's passed every test.

"It makes our job a lot safer as we're not working on slopes and in areas that might have holes or stumps, so it works out well that way."

He said ease of operation is another big plus with the Track 40.

"It's very easy to use. The controls look complicated but once you get to know what button does what, it is very easy.

"I've picked it up and I'm no tech guru."

Pricing for the Track 40 mower with a cutting head is about $100,000.

"It sounds like a lot of money but considering what this machine could do on its own, where you would otherwise need a group of people, it pretty much pays for itself," Dwyer said.