Superintendents Talk About Their Reelmaster® 5010-H

When you want a true picture of what a piece of equipment can do, you ask the people who use it every day. So we recently talked with a few golf courses about their experiences with the Toro Reelmaster^® 5010-H hybrid fairway mower.

These golf course superintendents have had their 5010-H units anywhere from a few months to a full year, and a few of the same key benefits kept coming up in our conversations. Here’s a look at what stands out for them about the Reelmaster 5010-H so far.

“Fuel consumption is excellent.”
“We just did a quick figure the other day and right now we’re looking at about 30 percent, which is huge,” says Don Kessler of Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, Calif. “I like the electric motor drive on the reels and the ‘hybridness’ of it – to where the fuel consumption is excellent.”

Tom Huesgan, superintendent at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., has also noticed fuel savings with his two 5010-H mowers. “We haven’t quantified it because we have quite a large operation, but I think it’s probably in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 percent less fuel,” he estimates. “I like the fact that it’s a hybrid. So not only are we saving fuel consumption, we are also doing the right thing for the environment.”

“It’s quite a bit quieter.”
“It’s quiet – much quieter than its predecessor,” notes Nathan Gingrich, superintendent of Estero Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla. Adds Huesgan, “I like that the noise level is much lower than the conventional, prior generation.”

Similar observations came from Ross Laubscher, superintendent at Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club in St. George, Utah. “We run a couple of 5410s that are the older model, and [the 5010-H] is quite a bit quieter,” he notes.

“It’s simple to operate and user friendly.”
All of the superintendents we talked to commented on the unit’s ease of use. “It’s simple to operate and user friendly,” Huesgan says. “The InfoCenter is nice in terms of adjusting for your ground speed and your frequency of cut. And from an operator standpoint, there’s no prolonged fatigue from excessive engine noise. The operators I have all enjoy running that mower.”

“It’s simple – that’s what I like about it,” echoes Kessler. “I like the versatility, overall, where we can program the speeds for operators and so forth, so they can’t play with it. We have a lot of control over it.”

“It’s easy to operate,” Laubscher confirms. “Plus, as far as the clip rate goes, we’re able to set that speed and the reel speed and the height of cut, so it’s really easy. It’s nice. And it’s not something that an operator can really get into too much, so it stays put.”

“The quality of cut is excellent.”
Another thing all four superintendents like about the 5010-H is the cut. We heard, “The quality of cut is excellent,” again and again. The Reelmaster 5010-H with 7-inch reels was the first Toro fairway mower to feature the new EdgeSeries™ cutting reels.

“We run the Toro EdgeMax bedknives on that reel setup,” Huesgan explains. “It holds the quality of cut so well. We check it every day it goes out, of course, but very rarely are we finding that it’s out of line. It’s really good and reliable in terms of holding the quality of cut.”

Laubscher credits the quality of cut to the fact that operators can’t change much about the settings. “I think that’s probably why it cuts a little better,” he observes. “Plus, the reels seem to be heavier with the electric motor, so we like the quality of cut because it’s pressing down a little bit more.” Laubscher uses 7-inch (17.8 cm) reels due to the grass conditions at his course, which is near Las Vegas.

“My mechanic says it’s easier to set up as far as height of cut and adjustment,” he adds. “It stays in adjustment really well but if he does have to touch it, it’s really quick for him.”

“It’s been solid — no complaints whatsoever.”
Maintenance was another area where the superintendents saw a benefit. “It’s a good unit – easy to use and easy to service,” Kessler comments.

“It’s been solid – no complaints whatsoever,” Huesgan says. “We have our regular service intervals that we come to, but beyond that, no repairs, no issues. It’s been great.”

“I think, given its hybrid nature, there’s less involved with the hydraulics,” Huesgan continues. “Certain components of the machine are hydraulically driven, whereas other components are electrically driven – so with less hydraulics, there’s a lot fewer hydraulic lines, hydraulic pumps, and less chance for hydraulic leaks.”

“We’re happy with it,” Laubscher adds. “We’ve had a couple of instances where the operator hit a piece of iron, and the reel automatically stops and gives you a warning. If it can’t go, it won’t, so you don’t cause any more damage.” He also appreciates the reduced risk of hydraulic leaks. “We’re happy to have no hydraulic hoses,” he says.

Learn more about the Reelmaster 5010-H.
The Reelmaster 5010-H is the industry’s first and only fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system. It features Toro’s patented hybrid power delivery system, PowerMatch™, which matches the power generated to the power required for all cutting conditions. The result makes over 40 horsepower available, but only when conditions require it – saving an average of 20 percent on fuel usage.

For complete details, contact your local Toro distributor or visit toro.com.