News
Talking with Toro - The 5010 Fairway Series
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- Category: Articles
- Published: Friday, 23 October 2009 20:08
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Q. When did Toro first decide to create the 5010 series fairway line?
A. Toro began to work on the Reelmaster 5010 series products about three years ago. We conducted market research with many superintendents, operators and technicians to determine what problems they were having and what could be made better with the new mowers.
Q. What factors were involved in the decision; upgrading components in the traction unit, the reels?
A. Our goal was to provide a solution that was easy to use, affordable and provided the superior quality of cut and aftercut appearance. Primarily we focused on the customer. We didn’t compromise by simply upgrading the cutting units we already had, we started fresh and implemented the latest technology. For the cutting units, we knew that the Toro Greensmaster DPA cutting units were far superior to competitive units, we were able to carry over that concept to the new 5010 series fairway mowers. A major influence was seeing how often QOC problems were the result of incorrectly adjusted reels; especially rollers out of plane (either came out of adjustment or never were properly adjusted). This could be the result of many factors, one of which is a complicated adjustment process. It was a major reason for selecting the design we have which is easy to adjust and holds its adjustment.
Q. How does the process begin? Does everyone get together and write down what you want to accomplish?
A. The process is driven by the customer. Marketing’s job is to understand the need, issues and concerns expressed by customers and communicate those to engineering. Engineering is involved with the early stages of the project because we like to have engineers who are well acquainted with customer needs in order to make better decisions. The key is to develop prototypes throughout the process and go back to customers to verify that they value the features we develop and their concerns are addressed. Their input is gathered for implementation. We do write a Customer Specification Document that is used to determine the Design Specifications and the Test Plan. We test the product to the Customer Specifications to ensure that we are meeting the needs.
Q. In the end, what were the goals that were set for the new fairway line?
A. In general, we set out to design, test and build a product that would meet or exceed customer needs without having any weaknesses to competition. I’m proud of what our team has accomplished.
Here are the key features and benefits that we are able to provide to our customers.
Low Compaction with High Productivity
The new Reelmaster mowers’ optimized design and use of lightweight materials means less weight and turf compaction without sacrificing performance and functionality.
We trimmed unnecessary weight so the mower would have a lighter footprint on the turf. The result is a highly productive 100” width of cut with less compaction and turf abrasion.
Superior Quality of Cut and Impressive Aftercut Appearance
The newly designed Dual Precision Adjustment (DPA) cutting units are based on the highly successful greens mower DPA cutting unit concept. Optimized cutting unit features provide more precise adjustments and longer edge retention, which produces a clean crisp cut and healthier turfgrass. Optimized traction unit design features provide lighter weight machines and a high performance cutting unit suspension system, which leads to less turf abrasion and damage and a more consistent cut. A full line of accessories enhances grass preparation, cutting, clipping dispersion, and collection for superior cutting management and customer satisfaction. Accessories were designed at the same time as the cutting unit – not an afterthought.
Exceptional Operator Comfort and Ease of Use
The newly designed traction unit features provide operators with ergonomic adjustments, comforts, and placements, which leads to less operator fatigue and a more productive and efficient mowing experience. Innovative design features result in quicker set-up times, fewer adjustments, and intuitive controls for quicker operator training and convenience. This results in more consistent performance across varying workforce experience levels.
Reduced Simplified Maintenance
Improved access to routine service points and service components, along with a robust machine design, results in less frequent maintenance intervals and less time required to perform maintenance tasks. This leads to higher machine and operator productivity and allows mechanics to be more efficient.
Q. When it comes to delegating areas of responsibility for a project; do you “draw straws” or does everyone have their own expertise and they get assigned to that?
A. The selection process is based on availability and expertise. The product development team has one or more representatives from each area of discipline. We will draw on additional resources as required.
Q. How many different engineers were involved in the project?
A. There was a group of core engineers and a support team who contributed to the project as required.
Q. What special engineering software do you use?
A. ProEngineer.
Q. How long did it take from the first “creation meeting” until the first machine rolled off the line in Tomah?
A. Depending on the size of the project this can be a two to three year process.
Q. Did you gain any insight on anything from the testing and the feedback from that; and were any changes made as a result?
A. These products were tested extensively at each phase of the development process. Numerous design changes were made based on testing and customer feedback.
For example, after dialing in the desired mowing performance on each grass type, we noticed the wheel tracks were detracting from the aftercut turf appearance. There was a 3” gap between the front and rear tires causing a line in the turf. Based on that testing observation, we stretched the rear axle to allow the tire tracks to abut and eliminated the line. This allowed us to enhance the aftercut appearance to provide a more visually appealing result.
Q. What difference is there in the hydraulic pump compared to the 5000 series line?
A. We are using a newly developed Sauer pump so we can benefit from their latest technology.
Q. Explain the new “CrossTrax” 4wd system and how it differs from the current system on the 5000 series line.
A. The CrossTrax™ all-wheel drive system transfers power from the front tires to the opposite rear tire resulting in improved traction on slopes and undulations, even when wet. Essentially, the unit would have to spin a front tire and the opposite rear in order to get stuck. This is virtually impossible to do.
Q. What changes were made to the down pressure of the reels?
A. We were able to eliminate the down pressure springs on the cutting units and still provide a cutting unit that would conform to the undulations of the fairway. The down pressure spring could exert up to 40 pounds of additional weight onto the turf. That means that the new 5010 series has less turf abrasion due to reduced cutting unit weight/pressure.
Q. You’ve moved the traction speed control from the steering tower to the traction pedal. Is this operator-proof so they can’t tamper with it?
A. A couple wrenches are required to change the mowing speed setting. The idea is to prevent the operator from mowing faster than the superintendent has specified. This is to avoid poor mowing performance by overrunning the clip rate setting. Also, the cutting units will not lower or turn on if the speed control is not in place. As long as the operator doesn’t have access to the toolbox, they cannot change the setting.
Q. What is the average weight difference per reel, compared to a comparably equipped older 4-bolt version?
A. The new DPA reels are only a few pounds lighter. We have used aluminum and composite materials to develop the lightest cutting unit possible without giving up durability.
Q. Are all the reel and roller bearings on these sealed and non-greaseable as in the triplex DPA units?
A. In more demanding application/environment of fairways and roughs, we were not confident in the life expectancy of non-greaseable bearings. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, we have designed in greaseable bearings. We use the same bearing and seal package that has worked very well on the current 7” diameter cutting units used on the Reelmaster 5500, 6500 and 6700.
Q. What type rollers are available for these reels?
A. We have the standard Wiehle rollers as well as full and shouldered rollers. For the rear of the 5” diameter cutting unit, we have a shorter roller as standard. This has proven to eliminate the double roll mark on turf to give improve aftercut appearance in cool season grasses. The 7” diameter has a standard length roller, which performs better in the warm season grasses. The front and rear rollers are interchangeable on all cutting units.
Q. With the groomer and rear roller brush installed, are all the grease zerks accessible?
A. Absolutely.
Q. You now have DPA reels for greens walkers, triplexes, and now on this fairway line. Will we be seeing DPA reels in the future on RM 2000 series trim mowers and 6000 series fairway mowers? RM 3100?
A. Our plan is to implement the DPA cutting units on the Reelmaster 6000 series units early next year.
Q. Can the other 8 hole bedknives currently available be used on these reels?
A. The bedknives from the RM6000 series can be used, however they are slightly narrower and will change the cutting unit aggressiveness. We have four new bedknife options for the RM5010 series and we recommend using those for the 5010 series units.
Q. I know the bedknives are made of a harder steel; how about the reels?
A. The EdgeMax™ bedknives have a leading edge of harder tool steel material. These are standard on all the units. The reel blades are also made from a harder material and are hardened using the superior austempering process. This is the same process we have used for Greensmasters for years. The combination of harder materials provides up to three times longer edge retention thereby reducing the frequency of adjustments, grinding and backlapping.
Q. Can they both be ground using the current stones in our grinders?
A. Yes. There is a recommendation to dress the stone more frequently.
Q. When did you come up with the idea for the EdgeMax bedknife; and how long did it take to get it figured out?
A. This was early in the program in response to customers telling us how much they would like to reduce the amount of time they spend working on the cutting units. It took a couple tries to get it right, but it worth it to provide a superior product and mowing result.
Q. How did you get the tool steel imbedded in the landing area of the bedknife?
A. Sorry, this is a proprietary process.
Q. Will you eventually offer the EdgeMax for the RM2000, RM3100 and RM4000?
A. We have plans to carry EdgeMax technology to the rest of our product line.
Q. Have you done any extensive testing with the EdgeMax on Zoyzia and Paspalum for longevity of sharpness?
A. Yes. As you know these are tough grasses to mow due to the thicker stems. And the silica in the grass blades can wear knives more quickly. We have tested these mowers on every grass type. We are confident that the DPA cutting units will outperform current cutting units on the market.
Q. Will the 5000 series fairway line be phased out; and if so, how soon?
A. The Reelmaster 5000 series will be discontinued by the end of 2006.
Q. Will Toro U be offering a timeslot this winter for the new fairway line?
A. Yes. This is one of the many new products that we will feature at Toro U.