The Toro Company is making a good thing even better.
The Bloomington, Minnesota-based manufacturing of turf maintenance and mowing equipment has instituted innovations and updates to its reel-cutting systems that have been integrated into what the company calls its new EdgeSeries reels that will be available on all Greensmaster walk and riding mowers and Reelmaster fairway mowers. The units also will be available as after-market replacement parts.
The EdgeSeries reels feature updated blade materials for longer reel life, thus reducing maintenance costs and increasing productivity. The new reels also provide changes to blade angle and helix that the company says can result in a cleaner cut, reduced disease stress and improved fuel efficiency.
"The material properties itself, the hardness is often thought of as the key element in edge retention. Actually, the microstructue of the steel is ever more important," said Tom Langworthy, Toros senior program manager for greensmowers, in a video promoting the reels.
"We did a lot of testing both in the field and in the lab to ensure that we didnt just meet, but that we exceeded all of our standards we have today."
The EdgeSeries also can reduce backlapping and grinding.
"Simply put, these reels cut our reel maintenance labor by more than half, thanks to the composition of the reel material," said Jim Gloor, equipment manager at May River Golf Club in Bluffton, South Carolina, where the new reels were part of a trial program. "We put a relief grind on them, and backlap them, and they go out with no issues at all. I've been doing this for 32 years, and I've never had a reel like this."
Low-friction seals and bearings also are available on cutting units for select Greensmaster and Reelmaster models. The new system also is designed to yield greater fuel efficiency and maximize the overall productivity of the cutting system.
"Thanks to the reels, the sustainability of the aftercut appearance for our fairways is much greater than anything we've used in the past," said May River superintendent Chris Johnson.
Toro's EdgeSeries reels are available in a number of sizes and blade configurations to fit Toro Greensmaster and Reelmaster models.