FEL, TORO Groundsmaster Put Together

[Xfaxman]

Millnturn, thanks for the kind words and good luck on your build.

Your idea of lifting the deck with the loader looks good on paper, but you need to remove the deck, (read the manual first), drive the traction unit around, come back and put the deck back on. You might decide to make it strictly a loader.

Your model number is 30795. If you don't have a manual you can download it from: Toro |

The quick attach is a good idea, but I think skid steer may be too big. Most skid steer attachments are heavy. check the size of the mini track loader QA plate, it is an industry standard also. Attachments and TORO Dingo: Compact Utility Loaders, Dingo Compact Utility Vehicles | Toro

I like the single arm loader, my V417 has one. But I have no trouble getting on or off my two arm loader no matter where the arms are.

Looking forward to your build thread. Maybe you can get some ideas from this amazing little TORO Loader: It was a TORO GROUNDSMASTER 217D

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[Millnturn]

Xfaxman,
Thank you for the comments. All good thoughts and advice. As I said, I just got the machine, the gears are turning, but fabrication has not yet begun. I am sure there will be a great deal of changes in design before I'm done!

I am going to start the project by modeling up the Toro in Solidworks 3D CAD software. It's an incredibly powerful tool, and ideal for a project like this as it allows you to design individual components, assemble them, then move them through their range of motion. It will help me sort out cylinder strokes, check for interferences, and produce part files I can send off for laser/waterjet cutting of parts. I'm beyond excited to be at the point of welding, painting and assembling this thing!

I agree that the mower deck install/removal is a bit awkward. I've already done it a few times, just messing around. I've got it down to about a 10 minute task now. I live on 5+ acres of mostly hilly field grass. I mow about an acre of lawn around our home with my JD 318 on a weekly basis. I will be using the Toro with it's beast of a 72" deck to mow the field grass. It's picked clean of rocks, doesn't have brush, and only needs to be cut 2 or 3 x a season. The deck wheels adjust up to 6.5" cut, and the rear discharge should should have a pretty good flow of cuttings. It should work very well for that, and I don't mind doing the deck install a few times a year.

You bring up some good points regarding the quick attach. I think I would be better served by a custom, scaled down version sized for my machine. After all, I'm not going to go out and buy any attachments for a skid steer, I'm going to build everything myself. Might as well build it the right size.

I have no doubt that a two armed loader would work well, and entry/exit would be fine. Just look at yours! However, I am really liking the one armed concept. It will require much more complex fabrication of the arm (mitres, bracing, gussets, and more gussets), but I think it could turn out really cool and functional.

 

[Xfaxman]

I agree on the scaled down quick attach, that is what the Dingo uses.

I got this 72" side discharge deck and a two wheel drive 325D back in May of 2005. Still using it on the 4WD now.


Got this 60" flail deck a few years later.


Picked up a parts 325D and a good 72" recycler deck in May of 2008.


The latest one is a 88" Triflex rear discharge deck in november 2013.


Still using all three rotaries, so I have some experience changing decks.

 

[farm boy00]

Xfaxman,
Thank you for the comments. All good thoughts and advice. As I said, I just got the machine, the gears are turning, but fabrication has not yet begun. I am sure there will be a great deal of changes in design before I'm done!

I am going to start the project by modeling up the Toro in Solidworks 3D CAD software. It's an incredibly powerful tool, and ideal for a project like this as it allows you to design individual components, assemble them, then move them through their range of motion. It will help me sort out cylinder strokes, check for interferences, and produce part files I can send off for laser/waterjet cutting of parts. I'm beyond excited to be at the point of welding, painting and assembling this thing!

I agree that the mower deck install/removal is a bit awkward. I've already done it a few times, just messing around. I've got it down to about a 10 minute task now. I live on 5+ acres of mostly hilly field grass. I mow about an acre of lawn around our home with my JD 318 on a weekly basis. I will be using the Toro with it's beast of a 72" deck to mow the field grass. It's picked clean of rocks, doesn't have brush, and only needs to be cut 2 or 3 x a season. The deck wheels adjust up to 6.5" cut, and the rear discharge should should have a pretty good flow of cuttings. It should work very well for that, and I don't mind doing the deck install a few times a year.

You bring up some good points regarding the quick attach. I think I would be better served by a custom, scaled down version sized for my machine. After all, I'm not going to go out and buy any attachments for a skid steer, I'm going to build everything myself. Might as well build it the right size.

I have no doubt that a two armed loader would work well, and entry/exit would be fine. Just look at yours! However, I am really liking the one armed concept. It will require much more complex fabrication of the arm (mitres, bracing, gussets, and more gussets), but I think it could turn out really cool and functional.

Instead of completely redoing ur tractor. Have u thought obout building one???

 

[Xfaxman]

Made this receiver hitch many years ago for a garden tractor, sold the tractor, saved the hitch.

Bought two square U bolts and put the hitch on the brush fork frame. :thumbsup:

The view from the seat.

Very easy to maneuver a trailer.

 

[jrsavoie]

HAs anybody thought of doing something like this with a Reelmaster. They already have the big hydraulic reservoir and extra hydraulics to run the reels.

Don't know if that would make things easier or not

 

[Xfaxman]

HAs anybody thought of doing something like this with a Reelmaster. They already have the big hydraulic reservoir and extra hydraulics to run the reels.

Don't know if that would make things easier or not

Yes, the first time that I saw a Reelmaster without the reels for sale on eBay. They are wider, so would be more stable on side hills with a loader added.

They come in many sizes: Toro | Fairway Mowers, Golf Course Mowers

 

[jrsavoie]

I recently traded a Toro 223D Reelmaster for a Polaris 500 Sportsman 4x4 4 Wheeler. I would probably want a bigger machine thatn that for such a project. The machine was huge. but the engine was only 23 hp

 

[TheDevilYouLove]

Coolest thing I've seen in a long time, nice job

 

[Xfaxman]

Coolest thing I've seen in a long time, nice job

Thanks, muchly.

 

[Xfaxman]

Needed some gravel on a bare spot on the driveway. The bucket was already on, so I went to what is left of the gravel pile and scooped some.

Went back for more.

Missed it dumping out of the bucket due to shutter lag.

From the seat, good view of back dragging with the bucket edge.

Finished result.

 

[Xfaxman]

Still using the 27 year old TORO that I have owned for 14 years. :thumbsup:

Had some small dead branches laying around, so I hooked on the little dump trailer and put it to good use.

It is the beginning of the new burn pile!

 

[Xfaxman]

And here is the burn pile 3 months later.

Side view:

The TORO started the pile, but hasn't added to it.

 

[Xfaxman]

And what it looks like today:

Side view:

 

[Xfaxman]

Yesterday I checked the wind forecast on Windfinder.com, saw that it would be a good time to burn:

Parked the Ranger EV at the pile for a size perspective:

Poured some diesel on it and used a propane torch to start it burning about 2 PM:

At 5 PM:

At 6:30 PM after some more consolidation:

 

[Xfaxman]

From 10:38 AM today:

And 11:05 after more consolidation:

 

[Xfaxman]

7:05 PM, not much left:

 

[Xfaxman]

8:42 AM, the branch next to the big trunk had completely burned up and the trunk is still smoldering:

And the other trunk has almost burned away from the roots:

Added some small twigs to the thin spot at 8:49 and the heat started them burning:

Checked at 11:11 and it had burned through:

Flipped the roots around to see how much will burn, there is some red clay in there:

That is a root now on top of the trunk.

 

[Xfaxman]

Checked at 1:12 PM, the big smoldering trunk smoldered all the way through, leaving two pieces:

Flipped the small piece around next to the big piece, to let it burn some more:

The root ball on the other trunk burned a lot. I knocked more red clay off and put it on top:

 

[Xfaxman]

Went out at 5:44 PM, the root ball is completely gone, plus a lot of the end of the short trunk:

The small piece next to the big smoldering trunk is now a lot smaller:

Rolled the small smoldering trunk around against what is left of the big smoldering trunk:

Put twigs on them to get them burning again: