FEL, TORO Groundsmaster Put Together

[Xfaxman]

Got a request from MBTRAC to do a build thread on what is pictured in my Avatar. So here it is.

Started with this 1990 TORO Groundsmaster Traction Unit. It didn't have the rotary deck on it. Notice the seat is offset to the left, the decks are offset to the right to mow around trees like a zero turn.



Got it in September, 2004, had just over 3,000 hours on the 3 cylinder, 22 horsepower Mitsubishi diesel engine.
It drives a hydrostatic transmission bolted to a Spicer automobile type axle rated at 1800 pounds.

Here is a better view of the axle (don't ask how I got it ):


Changed the turf tires to ag type:

 

[Xfaxman]

Got the Kwik-way loader at an auction in June of 2005, was told it came off of a Wheel Horse like this one:


I don't think it had been used much, the bucket is 42" wide.



First thing I did was make sure I could mount the pump, the second option was drive it from the PTO.

The first option worked!
Bought a fan drive pulley and used longer metric bolts


Cut the original pump bracket and drilled new holes to match where the fan belt shield was mounted, at the back of the engine.

Then I removed the pump so I could drive the TORO while I was doing the rest of the put together.

 

[Don87]

I like that.

 

[Xfaxman]

Cut the loader mounting frame at the width of the TORO frame. Welded it to a piece of ¼" angle that bolts to the TORO frame where the ROPS would go. There is 2" square tubing that the bolts go through.


Flattened and drilled tubing ends to brace the towers, used existing holes in the TORO frame.


Extending the loader arms. The tubing slides over the tapered loader arm. Will drill the tubing and bolt through the the original ¾" pivot hole.


Extensions are long enough to clear the front of the TORO.

 

[Xfaxman]

Mounting the control valve.

Cut, drilled and welded a mounting bracket.


Installed the valve bracket, had to remove the toolbox. Used an existing hole on the left, had to drill the first hole in the TORO for this project, on the right end.


Got the longer cylinders installed. The pins are on bronze bushings and spacers as required.
The temperature gauge appears to be upside down, but sitting on the seat with your left hand on the valve handles, looking at it under your armpit, the numbers are right side up in relation to your head, which is kinda upside down!


More tomorrow.

 

[mjncad]

That's pretty cool, thanks for sharing. What PSI does your hydraulic system run at? The reason I ask is that it looks like you used some common (e.g. Home Despot) threaded plumbing fittings in some places.

As a side note...Mohammad; if you're listening, please incorporate a modern pop-up photo gallery viewer to make threads like this easier and more enjoyable to read.

 

[MBTRAC]

Thanks Xfaxman,

Much appreciate you taking the time to detail your build in this thread - the Toro's can be picked up quite reasonably over here - it's prompted me with a few more ideas & to get started on something similar for garden duties I've been considering for a while ( as they say so many projects, too little time )

 

[willi67]

I just saw something similar .. don't know if this was a factory option on these machine .. nice job Xfaxman
COCKERAL MOWER TORO BRAND | eBay

 

[Xfaxman]

That's pretty cool, thanks for sharing. What PSI does your hydraulic system run at? The reason I ask is that it looks like you used some common (e.g. Home Despot) threaded plumbing fittings in some places.

I set the pump relief at 1150 lbs. At this point in the put together the only fittings I added are on the suction line out of the reservoir where the temperature gauge is. Everything else came with the loader, and has been working for almost 8 years now.

 

[Xfaxman]

Thanks Xfaxman,

Much appreciate you taking the time to detail your build in this thread - the Toro's can be picked up quite reasonably over here - it's prompted me with a few more ideas & to get started on something similar for garden duties I've been considering for a while ( as they say so many projects, too little time )

Well thanks for asking me to do it. I hope it does give guys ideas to build their own versions.
There are many brands of out front mowers to choose from. I would recommend using a 4WD.

 

[Xfaxman]

Took it to a hydraulic shop to get hoses made. Here are pictures from 8-17-2005, if you right click on the pictures, you can open them in a new tab or window, depending on your browser.

Hoses on, it works!

 

[Xfaxman]

8-18-2005 Made this fork carriage many years previous for an old Craftsman loader.
Works on this one, using longer pins. I later added angle iron to support a shorter pin the normal way.


Boom pole on the forks.

 

[Xfaxman]

9-2-2005 Wheel(less)barrow on the forks with a load for the recycle pile.


Brinly cat 0 A Frame bolted through the holes in the forks that came with it many years ago.


4' cat 0 box blade

 

[Xfaxman]

8-24-2005 Had this old tractor brushguard in my scrap pile, so I welded a piece of 2 inch square tubing to it, so that it would fit in the receiver hitch.

11-7-2005 Ten sacks of horse feed. Notice the old Craftsman Loader for sale by the fence. I was going to use it, but got this wider KW loader.


11-10-2005

P.S. it was dry dirt!

 

[Xfaxman]

Forking brush


7-22-06 Removed the receiver hitch from the Toro, modified the brushguard to bolt on where the hitch was, and built a receiver hitch into the brushguard.


That is a 100 pound block of steel laying between the brushguard and the frame.


Two 100 pound tractor weights.


11-30-2005 Added a guard to prevent full speed forward, when it touches a tree trunk at the edge of the burn pile. Guess how I know it would do that! :laughing:


12-11-2005 Cut a 90° conduit, put it over the cut off exhaust pipe, to keep the brushguard cleaner.

 

[Xfaxman]

This happened 8-9-2006. Was using the forks to knock the dirt off of the root ball on a willow tree that the dozer dozed. Backed up, but it didn't turn uphill, because the right front tire was almost flat (slow leak). The right front dropped into a hole, and the Toro went over, I fell off of the seat onto the side panel. The engine was still running, I had to raise up and reach under my butt to turn off the key. I was right at the edge of the water, the loader tower was in the water. I got my tractor, put a chain on the left loader arm and pulled it upright.

Looking south from the dam.


Bottom view.


Rear view.


Front view.


This is the root ball I was knocking the dirt off of.


Notice the 100 pound block of steel at the lower right, that fell off of the brushguard.

I left it chained to the tractor, got on, crossed my fingers, it started and I backed up the hill.
The loader wasn't up very high and the hole wasn't very big, but it sure went over fast.

 

[Xfaxman]

Another use for the forks, 5-10-2009.

 

[Don87]

That's a nice little toy, er tool. Looks very useful to have around.

 

[Xfaxman]

That's a nice little toy, er tool. Looks very useful to have around.

Thanks, it is both a toy and a tool, but not a toy tool.

I have used it a lot, some of the dead trees in that burn pile were pulled by the MF240D, but it didn't have a loader, so the pile was made with the TORO.

 

[Dr Dave]

Cool build, how much can you lift?