Winterwork GKIV and PGM's

 Got the go ahead to start on my winter maintenance . The New Course has blown out their irrigation and are scheduled to close on or before November 11th. With the coming rain it should slow rounds down to a crawl . Our irrigation is next to get blown out on Monday November 4th.We had a good 4-5 frosts this week and the grass has pretty much stopped growing . We will most likely mow the greens and Tees  again . The rough units will be going out a few more times to mostly to munch leaves for the blower to spread out . New budgets starting up and I'm starting off with our approach mower . I have torn it down pretty good to get at a few areas that I have been putting off till now .

Most of the panels /seat /and fuel tank has been removed for easier access . I had a line under the seat that I've been keeping an eye on . Was easy to replace on site with the hydraulic supplies in the shop .

Bio oil has been drained out . We're having a few issues with the front reels swinging around to much . I'm going to shim under the pull frames so they won't be able to swing as much . One pull frame will need a little attention to get the clippings to go in the basket better. A little oxy / acetylene will take care of that.

The transport lever needs to be extended a bit to make it work every time instead of randomly . Also a new light switch .Fuel lines are looking a little weak and now would be a good time to replace while it's all apart . If we get another set of reels for our 3150 Toro greens master we plan to use it for approaches while we are mow with the flexes during the summer . This GK we will use to mow after top dress but keep one set of reels set up for approaches as a back up . This way the other older GK IV can be sold . If it's approved it will be nice to use the 3150 Toro all the time instead of it sitting in cold storage for half the season . Picked up the items I need at Eastern Turf today and should have most of it back together tomorrow . Then I'll get the reels ready to grind .

 For winter work I like to get all the grinding on reel type mowers done first . They are the most time consuming to do . While the reels are grinding I'm working on the mower . That way I can move back and forth getting both jobs done at the same time .

A few more weeks and it will be time to get the snow gear hauled up to the front of the shop and check them over . I think where going to get the white stuff early .

I had finished of my GK a few days after the last post .

Instead of getting some custom piping bent I decided to take everything apart and open up the exhaust pipe going into the home made pipe . There was enough flow that it wasn't getting to sooty. I did weld the exhaust together and pipe clamped it to the OEM one .  

Also added another support bracket and now is fairly quite for a diesel GK.

also added an exhaust cap in case the guys leave it out in the rain .

It's great to get a few pieces of equipment done early but sometimes the weather and later closures of the course may mean it could go out for a few more mows . You have to look at it as getting an early test run for next year and all the little bugs are getting worked out .

It has transport now do to the fact that one off the dash bolts was missing . Once replaced it gave the lever a little more movement .

My PGM's where up next a few of them couldn't be relief ground so new reels where in stock at Eastern Turf . I did the same process as an earlier post to install the new reels in 2 of our machine . 

 http://golfcoursemechanics.blogspot.ca/2011/10/pgms.html

Here are a couple of pictures of the difference .Also when replacing new reels replace any seal ,races (cups) and bearings (cones)while it's all apart.  .



 

Might have been able to just get away for another season by just spin grinding ( tee HOC )It's a fairly big job to just drop everything else to install them mid season where you need every minute for other things  . Yes they are still 11 blade reels the 9 blade ones I would have used for Tee HOC cost considerably more .Plus If we had to use one for  a spare or back up greens mower that option would be still open by just changing the bedknives to Tournament or low profile . The mower had been sped up a bit for this HOC and and 11 blade reel set up.

Clearing out some old Stock

Making room for new gear . Had some time on my hands today to haul a few unused items out for sale .

First up is an old farm style trailer . $800.00 or best offer . Needs some TLC.

SOLD 

I'm guessing 4 to 5' by 14 to 16'. Very large single center mounted ram . It will dump what ever you put in it depending on HP of tractor .  Hydraulics driven from tractor .

Still good for hauling brush ,rock etc. If you we're to reline the dump bed you could use it for soil type material .

Banner Slicer . Was used in the past for greens and towed by a Cushman truckster with remote hydraulics .

Hydraulics are used to lift and lower wheels for transport . Would also work well on a small tractor . Also has the smoothing roller that follows behind the slicing process. 



The slicing tines are in great shape and are hardly worn . Parts are available through Eastern Turf if needed . This one needs nothing . $1,000.00 .

We have 2 Gradens .one at each course .

Very aggressive deep verticutting units . Work great . Only used less than a half dozen times .

Just pulled this one out and cleaned up a little .

Here it is running . Still has a tag on it . We are asking $1000.00 for EACH unit .Or if your looking to buy both we can work out a better deal .  Parts are available at Eastern Turf if needed . They ran pretty strong with no issues .

Old Ashburn 902-443-8363 ask for Jason (superintendent )or Bob .
New course  902-861-1175 ask for Brian (superintendent ) or Al .

I may have a few more items once the final decisions are made on equipment 

Season rapidly winding down and I'm waiting for the mowers to be put to rest so I can start our winter work . I managing to get a few carts done and all 3 flexes with parts in stock .It will free up a little time for the big equipment repairs planned to get ready for next season  . We  we're just under budget ( equipment maintenance) and waiting to see what new gear we are getting for next season . We also did the Toro/Club Car fall booking this year which will save use 15% and free shipping . This way I'll have most of what I need for the season and don't have to pay till April + save the club up to $ 1750.00 at the end of it all . When doing this try to carefully plan to get all your  usual wearable items on the order . When working at the same club for many years and knowing the routine well you will be able to make a justifiable order.

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MDX (MD) sticky throttle problem and fix

Our MDX has a few season on her now . Still holding out well . Lately the throttle pedal has been sticking down causing the machine to keep running when you let off on the throttle . Pretty simple fix . After dismantling and cleaning up the parts I used a little never seize . I also drill and taped a hole for a grease nipple to solve the problem . My Toro MD's are a little newer but they will get the same upgrade  this winter . Good thing they have great brakes on them !!!! Ten minute repair. As a golf equipment mechanic you may have to do these type of alterations . Different climates may cause issues not foreseen by the manufactures . It will also prevent a run away cart running into a tree or worse someone on the course .   You can see my homemade plate to keep guys from pulling the throttle cable to make it go faster . They are factory issued on the MD's we have now .

 

OEM bedknive angle changes on our Toro 5410

I recently ground the newer 5410 with the damaged reels and with no time for repair could only spin grind the reel and grind the bedknives . When I reassembled the reels they where not cutting as well as I would have liked them to . I like the keep the bedknife angles ground to OEM spec's . After posting the issue I was having on Golftech's I received some ideas and answers of why and how to get my units to cut properly again .

This picture shows the newsprint being pinched by the reel against the bedknife before cutting . The OEM angles didn't provide me with a perfect edge to cut against on a worn down reel ( nearing 4.5  "). As the reel wears the front edge moves upward changing the angle for the grass to lay up on the front face before cutting plus it was affecting where the reel edge was landing on the bedknife . Eventually it could cause riffling of the bedknife .

Here is the newsprint cut after adjustments where made to the angles on bedknife . I went 7 Top and 7 front . Some guys suggested going as much as 8 from a new set up will avoid this issue in the future .

Remember my rough fairways and bedrock out cropping that I talk about . Well this how one of them came back today . The chunk also went back and went through one of the rear cutting units causing more damage .

Cutting newsprint cleanly at a whisper setting sounding smooth across the knife .

For as beat up as they are, there still providing a great cut . We are running the groomers again to thin the grass out . Grass is standing up very well now for play .

A small video of whisper quit sound ......and a little Billy Idle thrown in .

One thing about this type of work and why I like it so much is that there is always something new that comes up and  learning new and better ways to keep things rolling .



Changing out a rear roller brush on the Toro 5410

Noticed one of the rear roller brush was knock out of whack . It pretty much chewed the half bristles off .

Remove the j hooks from both ends of shaft .

Belt cover and belt next .Then the 3 bolts holding the plate on .

Take the brush adjustment bolts out on the drive side and pull it out of the other end as one piece .

Ready to pull out .

Pull the rubber seal off the end and slide the old one off , if it doesn't move just whined it off . 



New brush .

I lined it up with the old marks and slide it on the shaft . Went on fairly easy . 

 Put the J bolts back on and make sure the end goes in the other hole . Tighten up snug on both ends .  

 

Reassemble in reverse order .

All done . Love these brush kits .....so easy to work on .





Member & Guest Sept. 2013

Started of early ( 5 am ) and chipped in and helped mow Fairways . We just got off the fairways  in time for a members 9 am . shot gun. Then at 1 o'clock ,Member & Guest tournament  will be on their way . Clubs been busy getting all their tournaments out of the way before we start core aerating greens on Monday .  The New course has their tournament tomorrow . I'll be back in  real early to run the carts we borrowed back for their 9 am start .

Over all the course looks reely good and manicured . Green HOC was dropped for the tournament and the few guys that we have left got everything mowed up in time . We powered on through our breaks and lunches and grab and go are food as we went .

The extra effort by all paid off .

Here are a few pic's just before tee off time .

Back of 9 green area . It was a field a few years back . View on the way to women's 10 Tee .



Hole #5 par 3



# 10 view from back of 11 Tee decks . Women's tee hit down the fairway , Men hit over the irrigation pond on the right .



#11 Men's Tee deck . Everyone has a pond to hit over on this hole .





View from the back of #14 green . You can see some of the bedrock out cropping's we have on the course . Par 4 , Tee deck hits over a pond and up hill to this area . This is the smaller fairway landing area . Past the bedrock there is a larger fairway .



# 16 Tee . City of Halifax in the background .



Hole #7 . Club house is behind the big tree on the right .

  





Looking down #1 fairway from # 18 green . The cut on the rough looks great as do all the other cuts .

# 7 green . The Members/guest are rolling in .



Our new Club Car Electric fleet are ready to go .



# 8 green is looking pretty good . We redid this one a few years back using cores from aerated greens on the course. It's starting to mature pretty well .





Right side of dog leg on #1 rough . It actually looks this vibrant .



# 2 Fairway . Another pic of bedrock protrusions we have on the course on some holes . Reely takes a beating on the Toro 5410 reels .



The assistant ( Sean ) just finishing up the finally touches with the pro force blower . Will be heading out early when the tournament starts .

Should be a great round for all .



After the Rain !!!! 5410 cutting issue review

I'm sure everyone on the east coast have had their prayers answered to get some rain . After having near drought conditions and the cooler evenings plus the rain the turf took an aggressive jump in growth . Like a lot of the courses on the east coast it's been a battle to get turf knocked back down again especially being short staffed and the timing of the last big dumping of rain .

One thing I did notice is that the 5  - 2 " line pattern from our 5410's were very noticeable after the first cut on fairways . The lines are defiantly from the jump in growth . I also wished they made a 10 blade reel for this model .I'm reely starting to think it is not cutting all the turf and that's why some of us are seeing this line pattern from being double cut in the area where the rear rollers are of a different length  .

We are having another Member / Guest tournament this week . Yesterday we double cut fairways with the groomers engaged . It took care of the lines in a hurry . They look fantastic again .  

All this rain also gave the culvert at the

New Ashburn a good work out . Worked great .........no problems .



Bio hydraulic oil leak update

Well it's been about 12 days in now and we have a small 2 foot x 1 inch section that may have to be replaced . I think if it were rinsed right after the spill with Dawn dish detergent , it would have come back .

Here are a couple of pictures . Pretty much gone now .