Issue No. 4, February 2002
Information From Toro to Help YOU and YOUR Course
Introducing the New
Toro Groundsmaster 4500-D
®
®
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
®
®
2
4
6
8
Operator Training
Toro Groundsmaster 4500-D
®
ProCore Operator Video
Quality Design For A Quality Cut
TM
®
Toro Greensmaster® FlexTM 21
10
T.Map
Improve Irrigation Control
Exceeding Expectations
14
Options & Attachments
Factory Service School
Education Program Earns An A
®
Toro Debris Blowers
+
1
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4500-D
you get a nice even cut. You know, the
like it in this size category,” explains Tim
Koch, Toro’s Marketing Manager of
Groundsmaster Products. “It has incredi-
ble power for a nine-foot machine, with
117 foot-pounds of torque
available. The hydraulic paral-
lel traction system gives
the engine down to 2600 rpm results in
a quieter operation,” Koch points out.
Other unique features include a large
operator platform and easy-to-reach deck
levers. There is even a cup holder and
extra space available for a water cooler
and other storage.
ground is not totally level out there, but
having this solid roller all the way across,
it’s a lot more uniform.”
superb traction, and it’s truly
very strong. That means bet-
ter ability to maneuver on
hills.
“I’m convinced it’s the best rotary
mower out there.”
“What this machine is
really about is undulating
terrain and superior cutting,”
Koch says. “It’s being able to
mow in rough areas with a
rotary product.
– Bryan Miller
“These features all combine
to produce a fantastic quality
of cut,” he emphasizes.
Better for Everybody
In addition to its superior
quality of cut on undulating
ground, the Groundsmaster
4500-D is more enjoyable to
operate and maintain. Among
its popular features are easy
serviceability and accessibility:
the decks can be raised or
removed quickly, and in
almost no time, the exterior
enclosures can be pulled off without
tools, so technicians can get at everything
right away.
Jeff Connell (inset) is the golf course superintend-
ent at Columbia Country Club in Columbia,
South Carolina, a 27-hole private facility. The lay-
out of the course is particularly suited for the
®
®
Toro Groundsmaster 4500-D.
Just the Beginning
With shipments starting in early Spring
2002, the Groundsmaster 4500-D is sure
to be popular with any superintendent
who wants more power, more control and
a better cut on undulating terrain. But
that’s not all.
Although it has a wide cutting ability,
the Groundsmaster 4500-D is remark-
ably versatile. It can zip through roughs
and then do great mowing on trim areas
as well.
“It gives you a large piece of equip-
ment that acts
like a small one,”
Even with all that horsepower and
torque, the engine speed on the
Groundsmaster 4500 is quite low—just
2600 rpm.
Also shipping in the Spring of 2002,
the even larger 4700-D features seven
free-floating cutting decks, which pro-
duce an amazing swath 12.5 feet (3.8
meters) wide! Designed for rough mow-
ing, it will be a real productivity booster.
And because it’s from Toro, you know
it’ll perform.
Combined with
a variable
clutch on the
engine-cooling
Connell adds. “It
cuts a large
swath, but in the
fashion and
fan, that means
All things considered, Toro
closeness of a
smaller piece of
equipment. It
much lower
sound levels.
“The engine
Groundsmaster mowers are taking preci-
sion cutting to a whole new level… espe-
cially on ground that isn’t.
acts as a trim
provides many
mower; it does
benefits in
both jobs at the
addition to
same time.”
“There’s nothing
more power
and torque, slowing
The Georgian Resort, Villa Rica, Georgia.
3
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TM
T.Map Software
TM
Picture This: Improve Irrigation Control With T.Map
oro has made irrigation man-
agement easier by making it
more advanced. Building on
click of your mouse.
up real-time screens indicating areas in
question, and then click on the map
symbols to adjust sprinkler run times,
engage rain holds, initiate starts and
syringes, and more. Field-status monitors
tell you which satellites and sprinklers are
running and which are on hold, and alert
you to any problems.
T.Map’s advanced technology interacts
with the SitePro control system database
to create dynamic graphic displays of
your golf course. Using comprehensive
interactive site maps on your computer
screen, you can accurately locate irriga-
T
our history of innovations and leadership
in irrigation systems, we consistently
incorporate the appropriate technology
into our products.
You can also use SitePro
and T.Map to display simula-
tions of projected water flow,
measure areas and distances,
issue work orders, help in
event planning and many
other tasks.
Control is Just a
Click Away
“With T.Map, you are
looking at your course on the
screen, just as it is physically
in the real world,” explains
Aivars Jurkis, Toro’s Senior
Customer Support and
Technical Advisor. “You get a
picture of your course with
all these dots on it to show
the irrigation stations. You
just click on the ones you
want.” It’s that simple.
“The SitePro
engine runs the irri-
gation system.
Tom Walker is the golf course superintendent at the Inverness Club in Toledo,
Ohio. He credits the T.Map system for providing flexibility and efficiency.
T.Map just allows
you to view the set-
up a lot more
TM
graphically,” adds
Bill Thornton,
The development of Toro’s PC-based
SitePro central control system gave
tion elements such as
sprinklers, pipes,
Toro’s Western
Regional Sales
®
superintendents an amazing way to
improve irrigation management and stay
informed. As good as SitePro is, those
capabilities can be taken to an even high-
er level.
sensors, pump sta-
tions, electrical lines,
valves and
wire splices.
T.Map also
Manager. “That
helps especially
when the
operator
isn’t a
computer
TM
With Toro’s T.Map , included in the
shows you
SitePro software, you can create a precise
graphic representation of your golf
course. T.Map puts a new world of
resource management right at your fin-
gertips, because you can use it to make
instantaneous system adjustments with a
the precise,
expert.”
in-scale locations of physical features on
your course, such as greens, bunkers, cart
paths and so on, right down to individ-
ual trees.
“For example let’s say there’s a spot
that’s dry on the golf course, and you
want to give it more water,” Jurkis
explains. “Just click on the head there.
T.Map will ask you how long it should
With T.Map software, you simply pull
4
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run; enter how long you want, and it will
automatically turn it on. You don’t need
to know the satellite station number or
any of that, because it looks it up for
you.”
“It’s just a great, great benefit,” says
Tom Walker, Golf Course Superintendent
at The Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
“The ability to change the time of cer-
tain sprinklers, to take your mouse and
improve accuracy.
heads are and what you’re running. After
this,” he adds, “you wonder how you
survived with the old system. It’s that
good.”
At Caves Valley, T.Map does much
more than irriga-
The AutoCAD data is then converted
into T.Map-shaped files and layered
color-coded images.
“What the data conversion does is to
look at all this
course info, create
tion. “You can see
your whole
course,”
Glossinger says,
“so we use it as a
“As far as saving me time and
getting the job done better, it’s
what it needs to
create, and saves it
in a zip file,”
explains Toro’s
Jurkis. “That one
file is all you need.
just wonderful.”
– Tom Walker
tool to implement
strategies. For
Tell SitePro to do a File Open, and there
it will be.”
When setting up the initial AutoCAD
image, which most new courses already
have, you can determine how detailed
you want it to be.
example, we were getting ready to put up
corporate tents, but instead of going
down there and doing all that measuring,
with a couple clicks on the screen we
knew how many tents would fit.”
The advantages of SitePro and T.Map
are just starting to be discovered—water
conservation, irrigation troubleshooting,
locating trees for removal, determining
square footage of greens and bunkers,
measuring for paving estimates—and the
list goes on. Better yet, it’s easy to get
introduced to the program and quickly
benefit from it.
Everything You’re Looking For
“It’s unlimited what you can do,” says
Steve Glossinger, Golf Course Manager
at Caves Valley Golf Club in Baltimore,
Maryland. “We put in all the surfaces,
contour lines, fairways, bunkers, trees,
even paths and buildings. We did just
about everything on the property.”
Caves Valley, site of this year’s Senior
Open, has relied on computerized irriga-
tion control for several years, but T.Map
is a big improvement, Glossinger feels.
“I didn’t
TM
Toro’s T.Map system provides an accurate
graphical representation of the golf course to
simplify irrigation management.
loop around a few heads and put them
on hold for one day, two days, whatever,
it’s wonderful.”
“You don’t need technical savvy to run
this,” says Walker. “You just point your
mouse at something and click. It’s 100
times simpler than programming a VCR.”
Built in 1903, The Inverness has host-
ed many major tournaments, including
four U.S. Opens. It typically ranks
among the best-groomed courses in
America, so Walker has high standards to
uphold. He feels that SitePro and T.Map
have helped him a lot.
know it was
going to be
“There’s so much flexibility,” he adds.
“Not only is it an excellent irrigation
package, it also gave me an accurate map
of the golf course. I can use it for chart-
ing square footages, charting out holes,
locating drain lines, even trees,” he says.
“As far as saving me time and getting the
job done better, it’s just wonderful.”
this good,
quite
frankly,” he
says. “It’s
friendlier; I
picked up on
it quicker. It
has every-
thing super-
Easy Installation
intendents
are looking
for. With this
system, you
really see
your golf
course and
where your
When T.Map is installed, whether with
new or existing SitePro software, it
requires a designer or consultant to pro-
vide an AutoCAD image of the golf
course—from a survey, GPS program,
aerial photos or even drawn freehand.
GPS isn’t required for T.Map, but it does
Golf Course Manager of Caves Valley Golf Club Steve Glossinger uses a 40 inch (101.6
TM
cm), flat panel display with his T.Map system.
5
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Factory Service School
Toro’s Customer Factory Service Education Program Earns An A+
eing a leader in the equip-
ment industry requires more
than great equipment. We
ful topics as cutting unit adjustments,
hydraulics, electrical systems, equip-
ment maintenance, diagnostics and
troubleshooting.
“One thing I’ll say,” he adds, “is that
they didn’t run away from someone
who said, ‘Hey, I have a problem with
something.’ They listen to what the
people have to say.”
The chance to meet with Toro engi-
neers and ask them specific questions
has always been one of the most popu-
lar features at Factory Service School.
The technicians in attendance know
their equipment better than anyone,
and Toro appreciates the opportunity to
get first-hand input from people who
put the machines through their paces
every day.
B
depend heavily on the people who
operate and service our equipment.
That’s why we have a long-standing
commitment to training and education,
to help ensure that customers are as
comfortable and knowledgeable about
equipment as they can be.
One of the many popular things we
offer in our training spectrum is Toro’s
Customer Factory Service Education
Program, or as it’s more commonly
known, “Factory Service School.” Our
Factory Service School is a three-day
session held at Toro’s Training Center
in Bloomington, Minnesota, including
a visit to our assembly facility at
Tomah, Wisconsin. Designed primarily
for technicians, the guests at Factory
Service School attend a variety of help-
ful seminars that address issues of con-
cern to them and the industry. They
also get unique
“It was very informative,” says Rick
Paré, Equipment Manager at Eagle
Crest Resort in Redmond, Oregon. He
attended Factory Service School this
past September. “Training is beneficial
for everybody. You always like to see
new updates and new innovations that
are coming along. The mere fact that
greens are so fast and are cut so short
now, we’ve got to be on our toes all the
time.”
In addition to the training classes
and seminars themselves, Paré enjoyed
the chance to swap notes and tips with
the technicians he met there.
“One person’s attitude on how to
maintain a piece of equipment differs
from another’s,” he adds. “Whenever
you get together with a bunch of tech-
nicians or superintendents, you always
talk about what
“They asked us if we had any prob-
lems, or if we had any questions we
wanted answered,” Paré says. “I thought
that was good; they were very straight-
forward.”
Customer-Focused
Given the wide range of products
Toro represents, part of the challenge
opportunities to
works for you and
meet other techni-
what doesn’t.”
cal professionals
“When you hear
from around the
someone else with
country and
a situation similar
exchange ideas.
to yours, it helps,”
Created over 20
agrees Michael
years ago to pro-
Koopman, another
vide training for
technician who
distributors, Toro’s
attended Factory
Factory Service
Service School last
year. Koopman is
the Equipment
Manager at Old
Toro’s Factory Service School gives equipment man-
agers and technicians hands-on instruction on how
to properly service Toro equipment.
Technicians benefit greatly from the interac-
tion with Toro employees and peers at the
Factory School.
Schools have since
been expanded to
include technicians
from golf courses, sports facilities and
municipalities. Currently Toro offers
these end-user Factory Service School
sessions about five times a year.
Collier Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
“It was geared more for education,
but they gave us the option of giving
our feedback,” he says about Factory
Service School. “I think one of the best
things—and something that people are
really interested in—is when they
brought the engineers in and asked if
we had any questions for them. That
was on Monday, the first day. Then, if
they couldn’t answer a question, they
said they would get back to us before
we left for home on Wednesday.
with any type of training is to make
sure it’s relevant to a particular cus-
tomer, to give him or her the informa-
tion they need most.
“We have two different types of
schools we offer to our customers,”
explains Jim Peterson, Toro’s Education
and Learning Manager in the
Commercial Products Division. “One
has a golf focus and the other has a
grounds focus. So the technical infor-
mation we provide is specific to the
needs of the technician,” he says.
Useful Information
The Factory Service School program
usually starts on a Sunday night with a
welcoming get-acquainted reception.
Then over the next three days, “stu-
dents” of Factory Service School attend
informational tours, presentations and
hands-on sessions addressing such help-
6
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TOROfor
you
Michael Koopman upholds high standards
for the quality of his maintenance facility.
Michael Koopman services almost exclusive-
ly Toro Equipment at Old Collier Golf Club.
The equipment facility at Old Collier Golf
Club, Naples, Florida.
“For a golf school, we would concen-
trate on products used on greens and
fairways, and those things of particular
interest in a golf setting for that group
of customers,” Peterson says. “For
example, golf school might focus more
on reel-type cutting units. Some of the
most lively discussions we have at any
golf school will surround the subject of
reel-type cutting units.”
Tailoring the presentation material to
keep it pertinent and interesting is vital
when your goal is to offer truly useful
material to those in attendance. Toro
firmly believes in the value of making
information available to the people who
need it. We also believe in putting that
information to good use.
School is scheduled for September
16–18, 2002. Some of the planned top-
ics for the program include an intro-
duction to the ACE System to aid in
troubleshooting, and a seminar called
“Cutting System Dynamics,” which
addresses the design, set-up and adjust-
ment of cutting units. The cost of
attending is $600 US per person, which
includes three nights’ lodging, meals,
local transportation and all classroom
materials.
If you would like to attend a Factory
Service School, or want to obtain more
information about it, please contact
your local Toro distributor.
“I’m glad that I went, and I would
love to go again,” says Paré. “There’s
still a lot to learn.”
ing is not the goal; behavior change is
the goal, and learning is how we get
there,” Peterson says. “We want to
make sure that whenever we get into a
certain topic or subject, that the partic-
ipant is able to make that leap, where
they’ve learned something new and now
they can take that and use it. We want
them to be able to do something more
efficiently, or do it in a new way that
improves their skills and abilities as a
service technician,” he says.
“Helping them to personally grow in
their occupation is what this is really all
about,” Peterson adds, “and it’s going to
benefit everybody if we can do that.”
Next Session Sept. 16–18
“At the end of the day, merely learn-
An upcoming Toro Factory Service
A Memorable Trip Becomes Truly Unforgettable
ick Paré and Mike
Koopman both have good
things to say about their
“I was scheduled to fly out on
“On September 11th, the airlines were
shut down,” he explains, “but my wife
got me connected with a salesman from
her company who was in Minneapolis
for a convention. He happened to run
into another guy from our area and a
friend of his from Boise. He told me,
‘I’ve got room for one more,’ so I hitch-
hiked a ride home with them. It was 30
hours… not the way I wanted to see the
country,” he says.
Thursday, but didn’t end up leaving until
Saturday,” adds Koopman. “We had to
stay all those extra nights, but Toro said,
‘Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it.’ On
Tuesday, I’m sure those Toro guys would
have liked to go home to their families,
too, but they stayed there with us. They
could have just sent us back to the hotel
for two or three days, but I don’t think
that crossed their minds,” he says. “I was
impressed with that.”
R
trips to Toro’s Factory School, but their
experiences there will undoubtedly be
forever fixed in their memories for other
reasons: they were attending their ses-
sions on Tuesday, September 11, when
the horrible terrorist attacks hit America.
“We were going through the plant, in
the special operations area, and that’s
when we heard about the plane crashes,”
recalls Paré. “So it got cut short, and we
didn’t get to see everything we would
have liked to, but they did the best they
could with the situation the way it was.”
“But I feel so strongly about the Toro
program and wanting to return, that I
would hitchhike back!”
Paré was actually able to head back
home to Oregon shortly after the attacks,
but it required some fortunate coinci-
dences.
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7
Operator
Training
®
ProCore Operator Video Teaches Proper Techniques
hen you don’t do a
particular job every-
day, it’s always a good
sides of the aerator. If tine depth is
changed, recheck the aerator angle
to ensure it is still 4 degrees.
Practice using the aerator. Before
actually aerating the course, find a
clear area and practice stopping and
starting and rais-
aerating, lower the engine rpm, raise
the aerator, depress the clutch on
the tractor with your foot and stop
the PTO.
Always stop for people. If anyone
comes near the area of operation,
W
idea to refresh your skills before
jumping into the task. With that in
mind, Toro recently released the
®
®
Toro ProCore Operator Training
Video (Part No. 01087SV) to help
sharpen your skills.
ing and lowering
the aerator. Be
Recorded in both English and
Spanish, the video covers the initial
set-up and operation of the ProCore
series of aerators. These aerators
cover a lot of ground so any mis-
steps can slow you down. Taking the
time to view this short video before
aerating is useful for new operators
as well as a nice refresher for sea-
soned operators. The operator’s
manual should also be read in its
entirety to ensure safe and proper
operation.
sure to mark all
obstacles on the
course to avoid
things like irriga-
tion heads and
electrical wires.
Any debris like
rocks that will
damage the aera-
tor should also be
removed.
Start correctly.
To begin aerating,
use a low tractor
Some basic tips for good
aeration:
engine rpm in an
appropriate gear.
Set the speed
between .6 and
2.5 miles per
hour (.97 and
4.02 kmh). As
Make sure everything is level
from the start. Mount the aerator
on a level surface and check the
machine to see that it is level before
beginning operation.
Pay close attention to the Power
Take Off (PTO) shaft. The PTO
cannot be too long or it will damage
the shaft or gearbox. It may need to
be changed by the equipment tech-
nician.
Use the best settings. The aerator
should be set to lift about 4 inches
(10 cm) off the ground during oper-
ation. Adjust the aerator to a 4-
degree forward angle for the best
holes. NEVER angle the aerator
rearward or damage may occur to
the machine or turf.
Get the right tines and set the
penetration. There are a variety of
tines to choose from. The depth
chart in the operator’s manual has a
guide to tines and proper settings.
Set the tine depth the same on both
you begin and the
tractor moves for-
ward, fully lower
the 3-point link-
age and increase the engine speed
until you reach 540 rpm on the
PTO. The machine must be on the
ground when set at 540 rpm. The
aerator may be damaged if the tines
are not working in the turf when
operated at full speed.
Use the right front tractor wheel
as a site guide. The right front trac-
tor wheel should be used as a site
guide to maintain equal lateral hole
spacing with the previous pass. This
will allow you to use the offset of
the aerator to stay off the area you
already aerated.
move off the area you’re aerating and
stop the machine until the area is
clear. Since tines are pummeling the
surface of the turf, a tine may break
and fly off or debris may fly out
from the aerator. Always be aware of
any people around you.
®
The new ProCore Operator
Training Video is available from
your local distributor. Other new
operator training videos available
®
include: the Groundsmaster 3500
(Part No. 00061SV), Groundsmaster
®
4000 (Part No. 01085SV), and the
®
TM
Greensmaster Flex 21 (Part No.
01086SV). Each video is $16 US.
Stop correctly. When finished
8
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Capacitación
de Operadores
En el video vídeo de ProCore se explican las técnicas correctas de operación
uando un operador deja de
hacer un trabajo particular
todos los días, es recomend-
que esté nivelada antes de comenzar la
operación.
dañarse si las agujas puntas no están tra-
bajando en el césped cuando opera a alta
velocidad.
Use la rueda delantera derecha del
tractor como guía. La rueda delantera
derecha del tractor debe usarse como
guía para mantener el mismo espacio lat-
eral entre agujeros después de cada pasa-
da. Esto le permitirá mantenerse fuera
del área en que ya trabajó.
Detenga correctamente la máquina.
Cuando termine de airear, baje reduzca la
velocidad del motor, eleve el aireador,
oprima el embrague del tractor con el pie
y pare la toma de fuerza.
Siempre pare cuando vea gente. Si
alguien se acerca al área donde opera,
apártese del área y pare la máquina hasta
que la gente se aleje. Como las puntas
golpean con fuerza la superficie del
césped, una de ellas podría romperse y
salir lanzada o podría golpear un objeto
que también saldría lanzado del aireador.
Siempre esté alerta por si hay gente a su
alrededor.
C
Ponga especial atención al eje de la
toma de fuerza (PTO). La toma de
fuerza no debe ser demasiado larga
porque podría dañar el eje o la caja de
engranajes. Quizá Es posible que deba ser
cambiada por un técnico especializado.
Use las los mejores regulacione-
sajustes. El aireador debe ser ajustado
para elevarse unos 10 centímetros del
suelo durante la operación. Ajuste las
puntas a un ángulo de 4 grados para que
hagan bien los agujeros. NUNCA ajuste
el aireador a un ángulo hacia la parte
trasera porque podría dañar la máquina o
el césped.
Use las puntas correctas y ajuste la
penetración. Hay diversas puntas entre
las que puede escoger. La tabla de pro-
fundidad en el manual de instrucciones
tiene una guía de puntas y ajustes correc-
tos. Ajuste la profundidad de las puntas
al mismo nivel en ambos lados del
aireador. Si cambia la profundidad de las
puntas, vuelva a revisar el ángulo del
aireador para asegurarse de que todavía
esté en a 4 grados.
Practique usando el aireador. Antes
de empezar la aireación del campo,
busque una zona despejada y practique
parando parar y arrancandoarrancar, ele-
vando elevar y bajando bajar el aireador.
Recuerde marcar todos los obstáculos en
el campo para evitar daños a objetos
como cabezales de irrigación y cables
eléctricos. Debe quitar los objetos que
puedan dañar el aireador, tales como
rocas.
able que repase lo que sabe de ese trabajo
antes de volver a realizarlo. Pensando en
esto, Toro preparó recientemente el video
vídeo de capac-
itación de oper-
adores del
®
equipo Toro
®
ProCore
(número de
catálogo
01087SV) para
ayudar a los
operadores a
mejorar sus
habilidades.
Está narrado
en inglés y
español, y
cubre la
preparación ini-
cial y la
operación de
los aireadores
de la serie
ProCore. Estos
El nuevo videovídeo de capacitación
de operadores de ProCore está disponible
en su distribuidora local. Hay otros
videovídeos de capacitación de oper-
adores nuevos, incluyendo los siguientes:
aireadores
cubren una
gran extensión
de terreno y
cualquier paso
incorrecto puede
®
Cortadora Groundsmaster 3500 (No. de
catálogo 00061SV), Cortadora
®
Groundsmaster 4000 (No. de catálogo
®
01085SV), y Cortadora Greensmaster
Flex 21 (No. de catálogo 01086SV).
™
retrasar el trabajo. Será muy útil dedicar
el tiempo necesario para ver este breve
videovídeo antes del de hacer trabajos de
aireación tanto en el caso de operadores
nuevos como de operadores experimenta-
dos que necesiten una buena repasada.
Debe leerse completamente el manual de
instrucciones para asegurar la operación
segura y correcta.
Cada cinta de videovídeo cuesta $16
dólares.
Arranque correctamente. Para
empezar la aireación, use una marcha
lenta del motor del tractor. Ajuste la
velocidad entre 0.97 y 4.02 kph (0.6 a
2.5 mph). A medida que comience a
avanzar con el tractor, baje completa-
mente el acoplamiento de tres puntos y
aumente la velocidad del motor hasta
alcanzar 540 rpm en la toma de fuerza.
La máquina debe estar en el suelo cuan-
do la ajuste a 540 rpm. El aireador puede
Sugerencias básicas para una
buena aireación:
Asegúrese de que todo el equipo esté
nivelado desde el principio. Monte el
aireador en sobre una superficie nivelada
y revise la máquina para asegurarse de
9
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®
®
TM
Toro Greensmaster Flex 21
Exceeding Expectations
hen Toro introduced the
The flexible cutting unit is separate
from the traction unit so it ensures a
superior cut and less scalping than any
other mower. This innovative develop-
ment allows for crisp, tight mowing at the day,” Wilkerson says. “On the undula-
height you want, even on the most chal-
lenging greens.
said it was.” Wilkerson reports.
®
TM
Greensmaster Flex 21 a
year ago, the industry had
His new mowers went right into action
and immediately made a difference. “On
the Super Dwarfs, it was like night and
W
never seen a greens mower like it.
The Flex 21 had been conceived and
designed based on specific requests and
input from real-world equipment users.
Toro engineers had gone out and
talked to superintendents, oper-
ators and technicians, all with
the golfer in mind, about
what they needed in a bet-
ter walk mower.
tions, we didn’t see any bruising or scalp-
ing. It was pretty dramatic.”
“It was a no-brainer for me when I saw
“We developed this product based on
customers’ needs and concerns,” says Jerry the difference it made,” agrees Steve
Goman, lead engineer for the Flex 21.
“We were hearing more and more about
new grass cultivars and lower height of
cut, combined with undulations and
movements in the green. There was a
need for this machine.”
Nelson, Superintendent at Mississippi
Dunes Golf Links in Cottage Grove,
Minnesota.
“There are severe undulations on the
greens here,” Nelson explains. “My slopes
are so severe, for walk mowing there are
some greens I could only mow in certain
directions.”
That kind of guid-
ance and recommen-
dations led to the
many special fea-
Tremendously Positive
Response
tures of the
Nelson had tried several different types
of greens mowers, but nothing was satis-
factory. “I was still getting the scalping,”
Flex 21,
“It surpassed what I thought it would
do,” says superintendent Mitchell
Wilkerson. “What they promised it would he adds. Then he heard about the new
be able to do, it has.”
Flex 21 and was able to borrow one from
a friend to try it.
“When I took it out there, I could see
what it can do,” he says. “It was nice
because I had every other brand out there,
Wilkerson is a Certified Golf Course
Superintendent at the 36-hole Moss Creek
Country Club of Hilton Head, South
Carolina. Last year, he was in the market
for new equipment, and had some specific and it was easy to see the difference. I did-
needs in mind.
n’t get the scalping the other mowers did.”
®
TM
Toro’s Greensmaster Flex 21 greens mower
offers several substantial benefits to superin-
tendents, operators and technicians.
“One of our problems was that we have
Super Dwarf Champion on our north
course, and we have a lot of undulations
on our greens,” he says. “At the height we
were mowing, with any little movement
we would just scalp it.”
Cutting Shorter
With the Flex 21, Nelson was then able
to improve the putting surface of his
greens. “We wanted to start stepping
them down,” he says. “Once I saw that
most notably its unique flexible cutting
unit, which is essential for undulating
greens and the new Ultra Dwarf grasses.
The cutting unit not only flexes from side
to side around the bedknife centerline,
but also forward and backward around
the reel centerline.
Wilkerson had been told about the Flex the scalping wasn’t there, I knew I could
21 and arranged for a test with Toro. He
was immediately convinced. “That made
me a believer. It was just everything they
start taking them lower, and start getting
the quality and speed we needed.”
Mitch Fossey is another superintendent
10
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scalping, they’re pleased with the
machine’s improved operating and main-
tenance features.
All controls are easily reachable from
the operator position. The clutch and reel
engage from hand controls. The reel
clutch and the traction clutch have been
incorporated into a single multi-function
control lever and all controls have been
assimilated into the gearbox.
Technicians appreciate the Flex 21’s ease
of maintenance. No grease zerks means it
never has to be greased, and will keep
grease off your greens. All you really need
to check are the height of cut and bed-
knife adjustments. The Flex 21 has an
exclusive bedbar geometry that keeps the
bedknife aligned for the life of the mower.
When the reel wears, the bedbar geometry
remains constant to maintain a consistent-
ly aggressive, even cut with minimized
maintenance.
The Flex 21 was also designed for easy
removal of the cutting unit. Simply take
out two bolts, and the cutting unit comes
off quickly for grinding or replacement.
Golfers will notice the Flex 21 too,
because it gives them a good-playing
green with faster, more predictable ball
roll.
®
TM
The Toro Flex 21 mower was a perfect fit for
the undulating greens of Troy Burne Golf Club,
a dazzling new course in Hudson, Wisconsin.
who was looking for a closer cut. Fossey is prototype stage.
the superintendent at Troy Burne Golf “We ended up being a test facility,”
Club in Hudson, Wisconsin, a new course Fossey explains. “We actually ran the pro-
with very undulating greens.
totypes on that machine. We helped Toro
in the fine-tuning process.”
At the end of the testing period, Fossey
bought the club their own Flex 21s.
“We were having a lot of problems get-
ting good quality cuts on our greens,” he
explains, “because they’re brand new
greens on 100% pure sand base. We just
couldn’t get a mower to cut short enough High Praise
for us without damaging or scalping the
“It is the best walking greens mower I
grass. They built them with some big rolls have ever used,” Fossey adds, “and I’ve
“I’ve had several people call and ask me
if I’d recommend a Flex 21,” says Fossey,
“and I tell them I recommend it 150%.”
“There is nothing else out there like the
Flex 21,” agrees Mitchell Wilkerson. “I
have total confidence in it.”
through the middle, and some pretty
severe dips.”
been in the business for twenty years and
used a lot of different ones. If someone is
going to walk mow, this is what they
should walk mow with!”
Fossey made calls to find out if some-
one could provide an answer to his prob-
lems. He met with a Toro representative,
who told him about the new Flex 21
mower, which was then still at the
Other superintendents have had similar
great things to say about the Flex 21. In
addition to excellent close-cutting without
Moss Creek Country Club, Hilton Head, South Carolina, is
a 36-hole golf course with very distinctive architecture.
11
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Rotary Mower Tips
For Smooth Operation
oro’s line of rotary mowers
will provide excellent quality
of cut providing they are serv-
Service Recommendations:
T
ꢀ Check mower blades daily.
iced correctly and consistently. Regular
scheduled maintenance will reduce prob-
lems associated with equipment wear and
tear and ultimately reduce costly
repairs. The following guide-
lines will ensure peak
ꢀ Grease gauge wheel pivots daily.
ꢀ Grease gauge wheel axle daily.
ꢀ Torque blades every 50 hrs.
performance of
ꢀ Grease spindle bearings every 50 hrs.
ꢀ Check drive belt tension every 50 hrs.
ꢀ Check gearbox oil every 50 hrs.
ꢀ Change gearbox oil every 250 hrs.
your rotary
mowers.
Irrigation Tools You Shouldn’t be Without
hen Toro engineers aren’t
busy developing better
products for you, they
to hold up the riser while you’re working
beneath it. Multi-directional for use on
both 700 and 800S Series sprinklers, the
hold-up tool is like having another hand.
It replaces part no. 995-55.
(3.81 cm) Valve Insertion Upgrade Kit
(Part No. 102-2063).
W
work on ways to make those products
easier to use.
5/8'' Nutdriver
Here’s another handy tool you shouldn’t
be without. This new 5/8'' (1.5875 cm)
nutdriver is a big help for removal and
installation of all 800S Series main nozzles.
Here are several new tools that were
created to make servicing of Toro golf
sprinklers faster and simpler than ever.
These particular items were designed for
Toro 800S Series golf irrigation systems,
but all of them are downward compatible
to be equally effective with the 600 and
700 Series sprinklers.
1.5'' Valve Insertion Tool
This extremely helpful device has been
upgraded for more
efficient use, espe-
cially by providing
improved retention
of the snap ring
during valve instal-
Snap-Ring Pliers
Talk about making
the job a snap! This
durable, long-han-
dled set of pliers
Universal Riser Hold-up Tool
Now it’s much
lation. This new
insertion tool
replaces part no.
995-10.
provides an ideal
grip and reach for
easier removal of a
sprinkler’s valve snap
1.5'' Valve Insertion Tool
(Part No. 995-101).
simpler to
replace a sprin-
kler nozzle. This
versatile little
However, if you currently have the
existing Toro Valve Insertion Tool #995-
10, you can also just modify and
improve it yourself with our new 1.5''
ring, as well as the
new removable rock
screen. This tool replaces
part no. 995-07.
Snap-Ring Pliers (Part
No. 995-100).
gadget slips
Universal Riser Hold-up
neatly into place
Tool (Part No. 102-0336).
12
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Technician
tips
Inspecting and Sharpening
Rotary Mower Blades
Figure 2
otary mowers cut grass by
the blade’s cutting surface
impacting against the grass
1. Check the blades to ensure that it is not
bent and has the correct attitude in rela-
tion to the housing and ground surface.
DO NOT grind bottom of cutting edge.
This will cause poor quality of cut and
demand higher horsepower.
R
stems at a high velocity. To ensure good
quality of cut, the cutting edge of the
blade must be kept in a sharp condition.
A dull blade will produce a ragged cut
2. The blade must be sharpened correctly.
3. Check blade balance each time the blade
is sharpened.
Grind top side of cutting edge only.
Ideal angle for cutting edge is 30º.
4. When installing the blade, tighten the
blade retaining bolt or nut to the correct
torque so it will not loosen during operation.
Figure 1
anced blade will stay in a horizontal posi-
tion on the balancer. A blade that is not
balanced will settle to the heavy side. If
the blade is not balanced, grind some
metal off the heavy end of the blade.
SAIL
FLAT PART
OF BLADE
If blade is allowed to wear, a slot will
form between the sail and flat part of the
blade (see figure 1).
SAIL
WEAR
Eventually a piece of the sail may
break off and be thrown from under the
housing, possibly resulting in serious
injury to yourself or a bystander.
Blade Bolt Torque
When installing blades, be sure to
tighten the blade retaining bolt to the
proper torque. Do not use an air or elec-
tric wrench to apply the final torque. To
prevent loosening or damaged threads,
always use a standard torque wrench to
apply the final torque (see figure 3).
SAIL
SLOT
FORMED
Sharpening Process
Before sharpening the blade, check to
make sure it is straight. Lay the blade on
a flat surface to check.
INCORRECT This will cause poor quality
of cut and high horsepower requirement.
Do not try to straighten a blade that is
bent, and never weld a broken or cracked
blade. Always use a new Toro blade to
ensure continued safety certification of
the product.
Figure 3
CORRECT
When sharpening the blade, grind the
top surface only, trying to maintain the
angle of the original cutting edge. Do
not grind the bottom surface or a chisel
shape will result (see figure 2). The low-
est portion on the blade that contacts the
grass must be the cutting edge or the
grass will not be cleanly cut and excessive
horsepower will be required.
To prevent possible personal injury,
wear a face shield or safety glasses when
grinding or sharpening is being done.
After the blade has been sharpened,
check the balance. This can best be done
by using a blade balancer tool. A bal-
INCORRECT Bent lades will cause poor quality
of cut and demand higher horsepower.
CORRECT
and will require an excessive amount of
engine horsepower to rotate the blade
through the grass. The most common
causes for rotary mowers not giving a
good quality of cut are due to dull cut-
ting edges and/or bent blades. Whenever
a blade is removed for sharpening:
Check blade retaining bolt torque any
time a blade has hit a solid object.
13
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Options
&
Attachments
®
Toro Debris Blowers
An Easy Way To A Cleaner Course
oro has a commitment to
helping you have a better-
looking golf course, and some-
in the opposite direction. That’s impor-
tant because it allows you to immediately
make additional passes at an area without
having to drive all the way back around,
and still blow the debris to one side.
Other stan-
dard features
on Toro debris
blowers
include heavy-
seat with the electric control kit.
You know what it’s like to have
unwanted leaves, pine needles or other
natural debris detracting from the beauty
and playability of your course. So trust a
T
times it means providing you with equip-
ment that goes beyond the mowing and
growing of turfgrass.
Our versatile line of options and
attachments includes several handy
debris blowers which you can conve-
niently use to remove grass clippings,
leaves, twigs, pine needles and other
debris off of your fairways, cart paths
and other surfaces.
duty construc-
tion on a 1/4''
(.64 cm) steel
Toro offers different sizes of blowers to
fit a variety of uses and applications.
That’s especially true since Toro recently
acquired the well-respected Goossen line
of debris blower products, now enabling
us to offer you an even wider range of
options and choices.
frame, plus
skid plates and
rear rollers to
help protect
your turfgrass.
Whatever
your golf
Whichever of our debris blowers you
select, though, it will give you a much
more efficient way of keeping your
course neater and cleaner. Instead of rely-
ing on a lot of manual labor and back-
pack blowers, a Toro debris blower can
simply be towed behind a tractor, or for
the more compact self-contained units,
behind a utility vehicle. In any case, a
Toro debris blower enables you to clean
course’s partic-
ular situation
calls for, there’s
sure to be a Toro blower that’s just right
for you.
Toro’s new debris blower products allow quick
and powerful clean-up of golf course areas.
hard-working Toro debris blower unit to
keep your turf looking better… with a
lot less time and labor.
Also now available from Toro is
Goossen Industries’ powerful line of
®
Toro Debris Blower 400
This compact unit goes anywhere a
tow vehicle can. It generates an air dis-
charge of 6000 cubic feet (170 cubic
meters) per minute (cfm) and a wind-
speed of 140 mph (225 kmh). Airflow
direction is easily changed from the oper-
ator’s seat. Solid, durable construction
promises years of trouble-free service.
®
Toro Debris Blower 600
When you want to quickly clear large
areas of debris, use this Toro blower to
create a incredibly powerful wind force
of over 9000 cfm (255 cmm) at a velocity
of 153 mph (246 kmh). The rugged 600
Series includes a second rear roller to pro-
vide even more protection for your turf.
®
Toro Debris Blower 400 (Model No. 44523)
®
Toro Debris Blower 600 (Model No. 44536).
BL-3000 Debris Blower
up large areas in a short time, with just
one operator.
Toro debris blowers offer you bi-direc-
tional air chutes as standard equipment.
That means you can blow debris from
either side of the unit, and then simply
This versatile self-powered unit (Model
No. BL3000PT) packs a lot of force,
with 6170 cfm (174.7 cmm) of airflow
at a velocity of 145 mph (233 kmh).
This hitch-mounted blower is easily
towed behind any utility vehicle. Airflow
can easily be changed from the operator’s
Versa-Vac and Mid-Vac products. These
machines will help you maintain high
quality turfgrass and become more pro-
ductive at cleaning up your course. For
more information on Toro’s new blower
and vacuum products, talk to your Toro
distributor.
º
turn the chute to send the airflow 180
14
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Innovation Drives Year of Solid Performance
New And Upgraded Products Introduced At GCSAA In Orlando
®
id you happen to invest in a
Toro Greensmaster Flex 21
with MultiMatrx adjustable flow
nozzles and the TruJectory feature.
ted with powered rear roller brushes
for grass clipping dispersion.
®
®
TM
D
in 2001? How about a
I Smart OSMAC–Now give your E-
OSMAC and OSMAC RDR narrow-
band satellites standalone capability!
Simple satellite programming with
the use of a laptop, the Smart
OSMAC User Interface software and
a serial cable.
I A new adjustable height-of-cut kit
®
Groundsmaster 3500-D? These are two
of our innovative products that helped
lead Toro to a year of profitability amid
economic and world turmoil.
Beyond delivering products that help
make your job easier, what does it mean
for you when Toro turns a profit when
the economic odds are stacked against it?
More new products, upgrades and
enhancements to existing products.
allows for a higher cut—up to 1-3/8
®
inches—on Reelmaster 5200-D and
5400-D mowers.
I Improved verticutters are available for
®
the Reelmaster 3100-D, 5500-D
and all 6000 series Reelmasters.
®
I Groundsmaster 4500-D/4700-D–
I Hydraulic hose replacement kits
These powerful rotaries will stripe
rough and trim areas with productive
9-ft. and 12.5-ft. cutting swaths.
prepackage all the components
you’ll need to service your Reelmaster
5000 and 6000 series mowers.
®
®
I Greensmaster 3150–The most often
New Toro Products
I The redesigned Workman includes an
optional high flow hydraulics kit for
added hydraulic power. Also watch
relied on riding greens mower from
Toro gets a new look. It has the same
great features you’ve trusted for years,
but now your operators get additional
comfort from easier joystick control,
plus added safety with the ability to
exit the machine from either side and
optional Roll Over Protection System
(ROPS). The redesigned hydraulics
control leaks better and provide
dynamic braking and suspension trac-
tion control.
Introduced at the 2002
GCSAA Conference and Show
I The 800S Series Sprinklers offer the
ultimate in performance, reliability,
and durability at the lowest cost of
TM
ownership. The new Spike-Gaurd
solenoid offers more than twice the
surge protection than the other sprin-
klers.
I 720G Series Sprinklers–Toro captured
the strength and performance of a
golf sprinkler in a small-diameter
body that’s ideal for tee boxes,
®
I Multi Pro 5600–Toro’s latest concept
in spraying is expanded into a
approaches and other block system
areas with special requirements. Fully
adjustable for optimal performance
machine with a 300-gallon tank. The
Multi Pro series now has faster reac-
tion time—it’s instantaneous—and
more accurate spray control from the
TM
Pro Control sprayer system.
®
I Workman 3000/4000 Series Heavy
®
Introduced last year, Toro’s Greensmaster
TM
Duty Vehicles–Ten years after Toro
changed the definition of how a heavy
duty vehicle should perform, the orig-
inal Workman gets a boost with up to
25 percent more horsepower. It’s avail-
able in three engine configurations.
Flex 21can be customized for your course
conditions.
for new Workman attachments to be
introduced in 2002 including a
®
Vicon Spreader.
I Outfit your Flex 21 any way you
want with optional light kits and spe-
cialized bedknives, groomers, brushes
and rollers to meet your needs.
®
I Reelmaster 2000-D–With a new
engine and greater operator comforts,
this new triplex mower offers excel-
lent performance at a real value.
I Debris Products–A host of new debris
products are now available under the
Toro brand, following the acquisition
of Goossen Products. Look for the
Toro Versa-Vac and several new blow-
ers for your debris management needs.
Upgrades, Accessories and
Attachments for Existing
Toro Products
®
I New Reelmaster 5000 and 6000
®
®
The Toro Groundsmaster 3500-D was introduced
in 2001.
series fairway mowers can now be fit-
15
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We Appreciate Your Feedback
fax 952.887.8693. Send us your ideas for future topics or tell us what you think about this
issue. We hope to hear from you soon.
Send Address Changes to:
Canyon Communications, 1630 S. Stapley Dr., Suite 117, Mesa, AZ 85204 or [email protected]
©2002 The Toro Company, 8111 Lyndale Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55420-1196
www.toro.com
New Services
Introducing Toro Financing
Enhanced Financial Solutions for Acquiring Equipment
and Irrigation Systems
oro commercial turf equipment and irrigation systems can now be
acquired in one easy step with Toro Financing. Offered in partnership
T
with GE Capital Vendor Financial Services, Toro Financing makes
obtaining the products you want even easier.
You can choose the solution that best meets your needs:
I Conditional Sales Contracts
I Leases
I Seasonal Skip Payment Plans
I Municipal Financing and Leasing
Irrigation systems including pipe, wire and labor costs can be financed by courses
with the required credit rating using conditional sales contracts.
“We’re excited to be bringing financial solutions to a new marketplace and are
committed to providing flexible options to organizations managing landscapes with
Toro equipment and irrigation systems,” said Jim Kelly, Senior Vice President
/General Manager of GE Capital Vendor Financial Services. “We’re bringing our
superior customer service, vast resources and financial expertise to Toro Financing to
help Toro better serve their customers.”
“We’re pleased to be able to extend these financial offerings to irrigation systems,”
said Bill Hughes, Vice President/General Manager at Toro. “A golf course can reno-
vate its irrigation system and get equipment to for its fleet in one transaction from
one manufacturer. That’s unprecedented.”
Initially, Toro Financing will be available to golf courses, municipalities, schools,
universities, sports organizations and others who purchase commercial turf mainte-
nance equipment and irrigation systems in the United States.
Bulk Rate
U.S. Postage
PAID
St. Louis, MO
Permit #1977
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