The Toro^® Reelmaster^® 5010-H mower is the sports fields and grounds industry’s first fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system. Released in 2015, the mower has been a popular choice for sports fields managers in Australia.

“As a true hybrid, the 5010-H uses two sources of energy storage and delivery: a 24.8 hp Kubota diesel engine along with 48-volt rechargeable batteries and electric motors. Through the patented PowerMatch™ system, the mower optimises these two energy sources,” explains Paul Prout, Toro’s National Corporate Account Manager.

“During low to moderate mowing loads, the PowerMatch system will charge the battery pack, ensuring optimal power reserve. When conditions require more power, the battery pack takes the load of the cutting units away from the engine, leaving it with more available horse power for the traction circuit,” says Prout.

Because no power is wasted on the Reelmaster 5010-H, end users get excellent fuel efficiency. “These savings add up fast, especially on sports fields. You can expect average fuel savings of 20 percent over comparably equipped machines. Often in a sports field situation we are seeing significantly higher fuel savings, making the machine easy on your budget,” says Prout.

Tom Parker, curator of the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) loves the fact that the 5010-H is a true hybrid: “It is very quiet in operation and has less environmental impact because of the lower emissions. We also get major fuel savings. These benefits combined were the main reasons for us to select the machine.”

For Jarrod Bird, the Grounds Manager at Allan Border Field in Queensland, fuel savings were also a major factor to opt for the 5010-H: “The fuel saving advantage of electric cutting motors was a big factor. We use a lot less fuel than we used mowing with our previous hydraulic powered mower.”

Likewise, environmental reasons were a major factor for Mal Caddies, Grounds Manager of Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, who recently chose the Toro Reelmaster 5010-H: “As a major stadium, we must seriously consider anything we can to reduce our carbon footprint. Functionality and maintenance of the cutting system are also key elements we consider in our decision making process when purchasing grounds maintenance equipment.

“Another big advantage of this mower is that it has no hydraulic hoses to the heads, and therefore the risk of blow outs on the field is eliminated,” says Bird. Parker agrees with this being a major selling point.

The “cool top” overhead fan under the canopy is another feature that Bird and his team like. It helps keep dust off the operator when mowing, and provides cooling relief from the Queensland temperatures.

Bird also says that the easy-to-use integrated onboard InfoCenter™ display makes maintenance and diagnostics quicker and more helpful. It provides system information, alerts, service reminders, diagnostics, fault codes, and precise vehicle and cutting unit adjustments. It also tells the Allan Border Field grounds manager how much power is going to the heads.

Parker is impressed with the 5010-H high quality of cut and exceptional after-cut appearance, something that is of the utmost importance to a high profile ground like the SCG.

“The SCG have now been using the Reelmaster 5010-H for over a year, and because of their positive experience and feedback, Michael Finch, curator of the neighbouring Allianz Stadium, decided to opt for his own machine and recently took delivery of a 5010-H,” says Prout.