Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/49497
GIE+EXPO 2011 RECAP Toro introduces fuel-efficient mowers The Toro Company unveiled several products, highlighted by the Z Master Professional 5000/6000 Series electronic fuel injection (EFI) and GrandStand EFI mowers, Z Master Commercial 2000 Series zero-turn mowers, and TimeMaster 30-inch wide-area walk-behind mowers. Powered by Kohler EFI engines, the Toro Z Master Professional 5000/6000 Series EFI and GrandStand EFI mowers offer the latest in fuel management tech- nology, reducing fuel consumption and emis- sions while increasing performance. Owners can save up to 25 percent on fuel costs. "Fuel expenses con- Toro Z Master Professional 6000 Series EFI mower tinue to rise, leading con- tractors to look for alternatives to reduce op- erating expenses," said Chris Hannan, marketing manager for Toro. "EFI mowers allow contractors to cut their fuel expenses without the effort of converting their fleet over to alternative fuel sources." An optimal mix of the best features from Toro's consumer Titan MX and Z Master Commercial 3000 Series mowers, the new Z Master Commercial 2000 Series is built for landscape professionals and acreage owners alike. Features include powerful Kawasaki FX engines, intuitive controls and the smooth-cutting Turbo Force deck in 48-, 52- and 60- inch widths. Designed for consumers, the TimeMaster 30-inch wide-area walk- behind mower cuts lawns 40-percent faster than using a typical 20- or 22-inch walk-behind mower, leaving users more time for the important things in life. It is equipped with a Personal Pace automatic-drive system, 12-gauge-steel deck, cast-aluminum frame, 190-cc Briggs & Stratton OHV engine, hill-assist handle, twin-blade cutting system, and Spin-Stop system to stop cutting blades without shutting off the engine. Isobutanol fuel blends show promise for use in small engines, off-road vehicles The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced the completion of fuels testing on Briggs & Stratton small engines for a side- by-side evaluation of the performance, durability and emissions of ethanol and isobutanol fuel blends. Results show that isobutanol fuel blends pro- vided by Gevo, Inc., do not cause any irregular or unstable engine or per- formance issues, suggesting that isobutanol could help meet the renewable fuel mandate with minimal-to-no impact on existing equipment and off- road vehicles. "We are pleased with the results of isobutanol testing," said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. "It shows us that isobutanol could be a bio- fuel alternative that can be introduced into the existing supply chain without the potential disruption and harm to our outdoor power equip- ment engines. In the economic interest of our members and the safety in- terest of consumers, we need to be open to a biofuel that can perform reliably in the millions of products on the market — lawn mowers, chain saws, motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs and UTVs, boats and older cars." Continued on page 38 24 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com