Masport says its TTM range of ride-ons are powerful, balanced and very comfortable for the operator. Landscape Contractor took out the new Masport TTM102RH rear-bagger model for a test drive to find out how the rear-discharge unit differs from its side-discharge cousins in the TTM range.
When Landscape Contractor magazine needs sensible opinions from an experienced operator, Mat Wandmaker of Blue Ridge Property Maintenance is our go-to guy. Mat’s driven, ridden, pushed and punished just about every type and class of landscaping machinery and tools there are.
When he came away so impressed with the Masport TTM102RH, you can bet we sat up and took notice.
Features
Masport brands the TTM102RH as a ‘lawn tractor’ rather than just a ride-on, and we’re guessing that’s something to do with not just the look of the machine, but with its versatility. The list of features is impressive, and includes:
• The Masport MVT500 Series 586cc V-Twin 19HP engine
• A 40″ (102m) steel rear-discharging cutting deck
• An alloy spindle housing to keep bearings cooler
• A Tuff Torq® K46 transmission
• A mulch option
• Modern LED lights
• An electromagnetic clutch which allows engaging and disengaging the cutting blades with the pull of a switch
• A pivoting steel front axle
• Reverse Mode Operation (RMO) which allows mowing while in reverse
• A steel front bumper
• A 7.5-litre translucent fuel tank
• Front 15 x 6.00-6, and Rear 18 x 8.50-8 wheels
• Seven-position cutting range from 30mm- 90mm cut height
• Adjustable high-back seat
• Ergonomically positioned controls
• Deck wash for easy cleaning
• Anti-scalp wheels
• Park brake, and
• Tow hitch.
On board
Mat had driven the TTM108SH V-twin previously, which is the platform for the new unit, which, thanks to the catcher, is now designated ‘rear bagger’, and designed for those who want to leave a cleaner finish to a job. All the clippings and leaves and whatever else the mower picks up are thrown into the rear catcher, and it can be emptied by the operator without leaving the seat, thanks to a lever just behind his or her right elbow.
Mat was very keen on the 40″ deck and the fact it would take a mulch plug, and that the unit itself cut so cleanly.
“The beauty about this particular deck,” he explained, twirling his fingers in demonstration, “is the blades counter-rotate, so they’re both spitting the grass right up into that rear hopper.”
Mat was also particularly impressed with the front bumper being a standard feature, and the simplicity of the heel-and-toe control. He demonstrated how it made selecting forward and reverse a smooth and seamless process which lost a minimum of time. He was also quite excited about the ease of a push button on the dash which kept the blades cutting while the mower was reversing.
Mat’s thoughts
The rear catcher is obviously a focal point on the TTM102RH, and something which received a fair amount of attention during the video shoot.
Mat was a fan.
“The catcher holds a staggering 245 litres of grass or material,” he said, clearly in approval. “It’s just phenomenal.”
“It’s easy to dump from sitting in the chair. You just pull up the lever and pull it forward, and the waste all comes out. It’s so simple!” he beamed.
He also pointed out the tow hitch was a standard fitting, and then went all gooey with excitement because the Masport had a cup holder.
See for yourself
It’s an impressive machine, there’s no doubt about that, and Mat points out the various features and puts the TTM102RH V-twin through its paces on the video, which you can watch on the Landscape Contractor website.
To see more detail on the TTM102RH and the TTM range of mowers through Masport, go to masport.com.au.