The electric and hybrid machines Toro is introducing this year

By Alistair March 21, 2020 09:59

Toro is well known for its innovation and dedication to new product development. Its global leadership as a manufacturer constantly bringing to market the very latest and greatest technology is renowned. Here we look at what’s new from the company in 2020.

With the industry’s first lithium-ion battery powered unit, Toro’s Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 is the quietest ride-on greensmower on the market.

The hot topic this year is without a doubt green technology. Responding to environmental concerns is a subject spanning the industries, and there simply has to be the optium for businesses to make the cleaner, greener choice.

Electric technology – the lithium-ion difference

Unveiled for the first time in the UK at the beginning of the year by Reesink Turfcare, the sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation, was Toro’s most eagerly anticipated technology, the most advanced on the market, the all-new all-electric Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 ride-on mower.

With a careful eye on the development of this technology in the car industry, Toro was ready to bring its benefits to the turfcare industry and in particular to a triple ride-on. Specifically, the issue of power to weight ratio had been solved, with the company able to bring enough battery power to mow up to 22 average-sized greens on a single charge without increasing the weight of the mower.

With the industry’s first lithium-ion battery powered unit, it also utilises all-electric components for traction, steering, lift and cutting unit drive and is the quietest ride-on greensmower on the market. It responds to customer demand for not only an environmentally-friendly mowing alternative but with the advantage of being able to more effectively manage business needs.

With electric mowing in particular and the significant reduction in noise incorporated into the eTriFlex 3370, work on the course can start earlier and meet local noise regulations and concerns from area residents. Plus, preventing delays to mowing certain greens early in the morning and getting greens ready sooner could enhance revenue by allowing earlier tee times.

Toro’s entrance into the all-electric triplex greensmower market brings customers less emissions and more fuel savings, yet ample power to get the job done. It delivers operational cost savings and other meaningful improvements to complement the ever-important Toro enhancements in cutting performance. And of course, the fact that it carries no hydraulic fluid means it’s cleaner cutting all-round.

Two power sources – an in-line motor generator and self-recharging battery pack – allow the RM5010-H to match the power generated to the power required for all cutting conditions. With over 40 horsepower available, but only when cutting conditions require it, this saves around 20 percent in fuel, improves operating costs and the vehicle’s carbon footprint.

Hybrid technology

With Toro leading the way, the greenkeeping industry has been heading towards electric power for the last few years and what its journey has resulted in is a fantastic range of hybrid mowers, which will come into its own this decade.

With smaller engines than their diesel counterparts, combining the benefits of hybrid technology with petrol power, Toro has created a hybrid range that means there is an environmentally-friendly machine for the greens, tees and fairways.

The hybrid drive system may be the most widely known form of hybrid technology, but it’s not the only one from Toro. In fact, several Toro products use hybrid technology in different ways to gain advantages in power and efficiency. Here are three examples which are leading the way.

Toro’s Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 hybrid is powered by a Kawasaki engine / generator and has all-electric components for traction, steering, lift and cutting.

Hybrid Drive: The Toro Reelmaster 5010-H

Perfect for the fairways, the Reelmaster 5010-H was the golf industry’s first fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system. This hybrid drive system is called PowerMatch and pairs a 24.8 hp Kubota stage 5B diesel engine with an inline motor generator and self-charging 48-volt battery pack.

In typical mowing conditions, the Reelmaster 5010-H has sufficient power from the diesel engine to support both traction and cutting. This allows for plenty of time to keep batteries charged and the system functioning optimally. However, when more challenging mowing conditions demand more power, the battery pack takes the load of the cutting units away from the engine, leaving more available horsepower for the traction circuit when cutting steeper inclines for example.

In more extreme situations where even more horsepower may be required for verticutting, the batteries take on the cutting unit load and send the reserve battery power back through the motor generator, boosting engine power to the equivalent of over 40 horsepower.

Depending on terrain and cutting conditions, you could see an average fuel saving of 20 percent over a conventional fairway mower, even more when you choose to run the machine in economy mode. In addition, the unique design also reduces maintenance time by eliminating all of the cutting units’ hydraulic components, making it cleaner too.

All-electric cylinders: Toro Greensmaster TriFlex hybrid models

Toro’s Greensmaster TriFlex hybrid series applies hybrid technology in a different way. These petrol- or diesel-powered greens mowers feature an all-electric cylinder circuit which was custom-designed for the most demanding applications on and off the green.

In addition to eliminating hydraulic leaks, each highly efficient cylinder motor has a nominal 1.5 horsepower (1.1 kW) that can increase up to 3hp (2.2 kW) during peak load periods. This translates into the power you need when you need it for the most challenging cutting or verticutting applications.

Toro’s TriFlex hybrid models also operate efficiently in energy saving mode. While in this mode, engine RPMs are reduced and the all-electric cylinder drive maintains a constant cylinder speed. This results in reduced fuel consumption and noise while maintaining a high quality of cut, performance and productivity.

All-electric components for traction, steering, lift and cutting: Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 hybrid

The Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 is powered by a Kawasaki engine / generator and sits under Toro’s EnergySmart range. It utilises all-electric components for traction, steering, lift and cutting units to deliver a much quieter performance than traditional engine-powered models.

Described by the company as a ‘revolution in efficiency’, its launch in 2019 presented one of finest examples of innovation in the industry, delivering outstanding cutting quality along with operational savings and consistent mowing.

Hybrid Drive cutting decks: Toro Groundsmaster 5900 and 4000

Toro’s Groundsmaster 5900 and 4000 mowers, which can quite often be a good option for roughs and surrounds, are yet another example of combining two technologies in a ‘hybrid’ application. These models feature the Hybrid Drive cutting deck system, which combines a hydraulic motor to drive one spindle with the remaining spindles driven by individual B section Kevlar v-belts.

Belts transfer power more efficiently than hydraulic motors while adding a layer of protection against hydraulic failures. In addition, the large-diameter spindle housing dissipates impact loads and dual tapered roller bearings last up to six times longer than ball bearings. Together, these components are designed for unmatched reliability.

Conclusion

Put simply, if you want cleaner, greener, quieter mowing options without the compromises, Toro is the brand to choose and Reesink Turfcare is the UK distributor to call.

Reesink Turfcare is the sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation products. It is based at 1 Station Road, St Neots PE19 1QH. Call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk, or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk