Cores and More: Three Timesaving Solutions for Fall Cleanup

Whether you’re picking up aeration cores or clearing leaves and debris, a sweeper/vacuum is a timesaving investment. Here are three Toro solutions to help with fall cleanup to keep your course looking its finest this season.

Toro® Rake-O-Vac® Sweeper/Vacuum
Designed to perform in wet or dry conditions, the Rake-O-Vac holds nearly 5 cubic yards (3.63 cubic meters) of debris, including leaves, clippings, aeration cores and litter. You can cover a lot of ground before needing to stop and dump the load. The secret is the rugged impeller fan, which pulverizes material to save space and maximize the capacity of the hopper.

Despite its large capacity, however, the Rake-O-Vac is compact and easy to maneuver. The narrow footprint allows operators to get through tighter spaces. In addition, the airflow in the hopper is designed to minimize dust by directing it back to the ground. That adds up to a cleaner sweeping environment that’s less disruptive to your players.

Another key feature of the Rake-O-Vac is the spring-loaded flex tip reel. Six rows of flexible nylon fingers get an extra “kick” from the spring-loaded design, gently lifting wet and dry debris from the turf to be vacuumed into the hopper. This results in extremely clean pickup of everything from wet leaves to those annoying pine needles.

The Rake-O-Vac is powered by a 23 hp (17.2 kW) Kohler® Command Pro® engine and is suitable for towing behind a heavy-duty Workman® HD utility vehicle.

Toro Versa-Vac™ Sweeper/Vacuum
As Toro’s largest turf sweeper, the Versa-Vac offers an impressive 6.5 cubic yards (5 cubic meters) of capacity. A rugged impeller fan shreds leaves and debris to maximize that capacity, which means fewer stops to unload.

This versatile machine allows for quick deck changes (as well as deck removal for servicing). Use the rubber finger deck to sweep up leaves, pine needles and other debris, then switch to the optional combination deck to verti-cut, pulverize cores or deep de-thatch and vacuum the debris away in one pass. An optional handheld hose is also available for debris removal near fence lines, shrubs and other tight spaces.

The Versa-Vac’s cargo door and dump function operate hydraulically with controls that sit directly behind the tractor seat for easy access. The Versa-Vac’s hydraulics, sweeping decks and impeller fan are all powered by a 540 PTO drive for plenty of debris-sweeping muscle.

Toro Pro Sweep® Debris Sweeper
Another productive tow-behind sweeper option, the Pro Sweep is faster than traditional methods of collecting cores and other organic turf debris. It features an adjustable roller height that can be customized for specific turf applications, and an exclusive floating brush housing that rotates from side to side and front to back to collect cores on uneven terrain.

The Pro Sweep comes with a handheld wireless remote control that lets you control sweeping and dumping operations with the touch of a button. It also lets you move the sweeper from tow to offset position or stop the power in case of emergency.

Other design features include a pivoting sub-frame that allows you to maintain positive tongue weight for better traction, even when the hopper is filling up. Plus, with the high-lift dump feature, you can dump all the cores easily into the bed of a Toro Workman or trailer and empty the hopper completely.

If you’re looking for a reliable solution to save time in your fall cleanup routine and return your course to play faster, check out Toro’s debris management options at toro.com. Contact your local Toro distributor for a demonstration or more information.