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View Full Version : My first 3 wheeler experience...not Japanese......not Cagiva or Tiger....American?



Schigara
02-04-2017, 01:48 AM
Anyone ever heard of the American made Toro Sand Pro?

In my new member introduction in the commencement forum, I mentioned my first 3 wheeler was an 83 ATC110 which is true but the first 3 wheeler I ever rode was a Toro Sand Pro about a year and a half earlier and it is what turned me on to 3 wheelers.

I was riding my 73 Honda ST 90 when my dad pulled in the driveway with a trailer full of Toro demo equipment which included a 3 wheel Sand Pro, a Groundmaster 72 and some giant reel mower I can't remember the name of. He was a Toro salesman at the time which, then and now, consists pretty much entirely of golf course cutting and maintenance equipment. I immediately spotted the Sand Pro on the trailer. It was a 3 wheeled machine that had a tractor style seat and a round steering wheel used for maintaining sand traps which are now referred to as bunkers(I am now an avid 4 handicap golfer). I just had to ride it and dad unloaded it and let me have a go. This 3 wheeler was a 4 stroke and was hydro-statically driven by all 3 wheels. It had an incredible top speed of about 8mph with a zero degree turn radius and could climb like a mountain goat. I rode this thing around all weekend and had an absolute blast with just one condition and that was I had to clean it back to being spotless new condition before dad went back to work on Monday and I did.

Every weekend I would look forward to and hope that Dad would be bringing home that Sand Pro on the demo trailer but, more often than not, other demo equipment would take its place and I only got to ride the Sand Pro about 5 or 6 times in the 18 months before I got my ATC110.

I have just recently purchased a 2nd generation Tecate 3 for restoration, which I consider the most awesome of 3 wheelers, but this got me to thinking how this all got started. Maybe someday I will find an old Toro Sand Pro to restore and put in the garage next to the Tecate.

239496

BarnBoy
02-04-2017, 12:25 PM
Yeah, I have heard of the Toro Sand Pro, actually I know a guy who has one. Kind of ugly/strange looking, but neat because of the 3 wheel drive. He said it would really go through the mud.

6bt
02-04-2017, 03:39 PM
Haha funny you mention this. It was my first 3 wheeler ride too. Used to help my dad rake the baseball diamond at lemoyne college where he worked, circa mid 90s.

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Ranvier
02-04-2017, 04:24 PM
I used to have a used beat up sand trap rake for the horse arena. Now I use big red and a chain harrow. I told my wife it was "better" ;)

Big G
02-06-2017, 07:09 PM
How awesome is that. Thanks for sharing the story!

Schigara
02-07-2017, 12:35 AM
Thanks guys, Since finally getting my 86 Tecate 3, I have been tripping down nostalgia lane. Not because I used to have an 86 but because I remember lusting after them from the magazines and sitting on them at the dealer. I am looking forward to the restoration and sharing the journey with other 3 wheeler fans.