CARY, N.C. — The John Deere M and R Series Commercial Walk Behind Mowers were selected as a 2020 AE50 Award winner by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Each year the AE50 awards highlight the most innovative designs in product engineering in the food and agriculture industry, as chosen by a panel of international engineering experts.

The recoil start M Series and electric start R Series Walk Behind Mowers have been a gamechanger for the commercial mowing industry, as the redesigned machines directly address the primary customer needs of productivity, operator comfort, weight distribution, and frame clearance. The six models, including the W36M, W48M, W36R, W48R, W52R and W61R, offer new steering controls, improved hand position and increased frame clearance, along with several other features that reduce operator effort and minimize operator fatigue.

According to Carl Agee, product marketing manager for John Deere, the walk-behind mowers are designed entirely with operator comfort and productivity in mind. “When speaking with customers, we specifically set out to understand the daily challenges they face with productivity and comfort,” Agee explains. “As we developed these machines, our engineering team focused on implementing this feedback into every aspect of the machine design. From new steering controls that maximize comfort and maneuverability to improved ground clearance for curb-climbing applications, these units were developed to provide a solution for the challenges our customers regularly face.”

ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems. Each year the ASABE announces the AE50 awards and presents the award at the ASABE Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference in Louisville, Ky., in February. 

In addition to the M and R Series Commercial Walk Behind Mowers, John Deere received multile AE50 honors in 2020. Other John Deere product winners included the Quik-Knect system for compact utility tractors, the 2700 and 2750 PrecisionCut and E-Cut Hybrid Triplex Mowers, M and R Series Commercial Walk Behind Mowers, MowerPlus Smart Connector, LS475 Liquid System and N500C Air Drill. 

To learn more about the John Deere M and R Series Commercial Walk Behind Mowers, as well as the full line of John Deere commercial mowing equipment, please visit www.johndeere.com.