Benton Hodges

Spudgusta Turf Team | Superintendent & Turfgrass Technology Consultant | Masters of Science in Agronomy from Mississippi State ‘14. @turf2050

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@oncourseturf Ive heard it’s still pretty consistent snow from 9k and above. Low elevation had a bad winter because of warm storms but higher elevations got a lot of snow because of those same storms.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

Finally pulled the trigger myself on a home robotic mower.

He’s out maintaining the wedding lawn where we got married last September.

It’s pasture grass and rougher than I’d normally recommend to clients, but once I filled in a few holes, it’s been smooth sailing.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@KidFancE Kress KR172. $1700. They are more dealer dependent for installation of these models but have newer models that are DIY mapping.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@TylerPurcell24 My home unit’s submission for A level stripes. Maybe I’m just too enamored with my backyard scenery to mind the narrow stripes!

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

My home unit laying down stripes in front of the mighty Tetons.

This is in pasture grass and is certainly pushing the acceptable use case of this model, but he does a better job than me and more importantly, he does it much more frequently than I have time for.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

Biggest thing you have to worry about with robotic mower brand for your home yard:

Will this brand be around in 2 years when I start needing replacement parts?

[Daniel Sinclair @_DanielSinclair]

It’s still underappreciated how quickly we’ll see dispersion of these robots. You could easily spend 3x the cost of this one on a riding mower, or even double that annually for a lawn service. These are going to be adopted so much faster than robotic vacuums were.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

Most days it feels like I’m drinking from a fire hose out here, but at least the scenery keeps me calm.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@4SamsAlan Cub Cadet was ahead of its time. It was the first robotic mower used on a golf course in the US, and was actually a greens mower. It was discontinued a few years ago.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@JerryKline21054 He should clean his razor blades.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@trnidadscorpion That’s my point.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@AryTexasRE Bigger sizes mean bigger expense.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@FlakeSamael Kress Voyager, Scythe, Greenzie. There are plenty of driverless ride ons. They are just much more expensive.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@HarryCincy Not too far from that being a reality. They have commercial units available already. https://t.co/Ne0mMIKhJH

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@AnandoRando I promise you I have plenty of unruly nature in all it's glory at my house, and enjoy it's glory often. Thanks for checking though!

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@AnandoRando

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@AnandoRando Absent HOAs, plenty of people would still prefer to have at least some section of maintained lawn at their house.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@enL3X1 Much bigger brands than those two in the game. There will be plenty that will be around for the long haul. But also a lot that won’t be.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@Yehaw_lad You could look at them like that if you’d like. That’s a very fair way to approach it. But I think there are folks who would prefer to have one with a bit more longevity, support, and reliability long term.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@TylerPurcell24 $180k + some yearly subscriptions. Just like anything, sometimes ya gotta pay for the A level.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@TylerPurcell24 Oh boy. You undershot it by a bit but you didn’t set a price point. Simply said a robot.

[Benton Hodges @BPHTurf]

@duane2020a Youre gonna hate to hear how long they’ve been going in Europe.