Newslines Spring 2019

news lines . spring 2019 . 05 deep leaf litter, a second pass at the desired mowing height then allowing the deck to deliver a clean finish. The easy adjustment of the deck mowing height proved itself in these conditions. Emptying the hopper is a two-lever job, the first lever raising the hopper to allow it to be tipped into a trailer, the second lever tips the hopper to dump its contents. The hopper door remains closed until it reaches a point where it can release and open fully. This means all the material is dumped in one go. For stability reasons, emptying a hopper at its full discharge height should be done on level ground. The bottom line A collector mower will only succeed if it can deliver good performance in more demanding conditions. There will be occasions when a mower clogs up, but this should be an exception rather than a common occurrence. Has the Toro ProLine H800 got what it takes to deliver when the grass grows quickly, and needs cutting wet or when it is called upon to deal with deep autumn leaves? With the usual caveat that a great deal will depend upon the operator, the best answer is that you should give this machine a try. The only stoppage encountered during my test was due to the hopper filling so quickly with leaves that we needed more room in the trailer sent out to cart them away. Test conducted at the Oxfordshire Golf Club, with greatest thanks. 01 The ProLine excelled with the collection of long wet grass as well as leaves. 02 With a dump height of up to 2m, the ProLine is able to tip into both conventional and high sided trailers. 03 A key feature of the collection system is that it hoovers up loose material without getting chopped up by the blades. 03 02 04 Toro ProLine H800 FIRST IMPRESSIONS A collector mower is only as good as its ability to deliver in varied conditions. A machine that has stellar performance in typical summer mowing can often prove somewhat finickity when tasked with mowing ground littered with wet leaves. Meanwhile other mowers work well in difficult conditions but prove a little on the slow side in fairer conditions. The trick is to find a machine that can cope in all conditions and deliver a high quality cut. Add the demands of a top-notch finish and your mower choices can look rather slim. Is the out-front rotary Toro ProLine H800 direct collect mower the answer? Chances are, yes it is. Machine spec: Engine: 23.8hp Yanmar 3-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel Fuel capacity: 41ltr (10.8gal) Tyres: Front 23 x 10.5-12. Rear 18 x 7.5-8 Mowing rate: Up to 12,000m 2 /hr (3 acres/hr) Height of cut: 20 to 110mm (0.8 to 4.3ins) Width of cut: 126cm (49.6ins) Collector capacity: 810ltr (214gal) Overall height: Up to 2070mm (81.5ins) with ROPS up Length: 2910mm (114.6ins) Width: 1430mm (56.3ins) Weight: 980kg (2160lbs) with deck Warranty: Two-year limited warranty 04 No tools are needed to raise the deck for service access. The deck underside has a number of design features to enhance the collecting power of the mower and the smaller central rotor provides generous clearance for bulky material between the blades of the two contra rotating rotors. 06 The blades create an updraft, the turbine at the base of the rotor generating extra draft to help force bulky material into the collection hopper. Note the small paddles (arrowed). These are activated each time the deck is raised, clearing any material build up adjacent to the deck’s rear outlet. Full report at reesinkturfcare.co.uk 05 Viewed with the trunking removed, the deck central guidance ‘dart’ can be clearly seen. This, and another on the opposite side, helps to channel airflow through the deck, boosting the mower’s ability to pick up and discharge material into the hopper. 05