If you have a question about the GIS -- what we saw, who was there, why something happened -- ask us. Odds are, we were there covering it.
I say this with great confidence. We had the largest crew there of any industry publication, and thanks to Hollister's scheduling, we were spread throughout the San Diego Convention Center as efficiently as possible.
In fact, this became a point of consternation with one rival mag, and it gave me a good laugh. I was dropping in at the John Deere booth to say hello when I inadvertently (honest, it was an accident) interrupted a meeting between Deere's people and this rival publication. But Deere's folks got up to say hello anyway. I tried to excuse myself quickly, telling them I'd come back at a better time -- I didn't want to step on any toes. That's when our rival (a friend of mine who took my bad timing well) shouted out, "What is the deal?!? You GCM guys are EVERYWHERE!"
Of course, I like that thought. It reminded me of the Matrix movies. I borrowed a line from that film -- "We are everywhere... we're like a virus!"
Anyway, one of the many places we were able to get to (or, if you're our rival, invade) was the Jacobsen booth to see their new Eclipse 322. Actually, we got to test drive it, too.
The claim to fame for the Eclipse 322 is that it's the industry's only hydraulic-free riding greens mower. So... no hydraulic leaks. There's no valves or hoses. Pretty cool.
They had a course set up at the booth that included a steep hill to go up and come down. One thing they wanted me to test was the braking ability on a hill. Whether going up or coming down, let off the accelerator and the machine immediately stops -- no rolling forward or backward. And it's smooth, too.
Anyway, this is one of the many cool things I saw at the GIS. I'll have more in the future. If you'd like more information on the Eclipse 322, click over to www.Eclipse322.com and check it out. Another thing they're promoting about this machine is that it was designed to reduce operating costs... at the site, you can calculate how much this machine could save you.
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