Meet the Engine Behind the Machine: Yanmar Powers Toro’s Dingo TX-1000 Turbo
As a leading worldwide provider of innovative outdoor equipment solutions operating in more than 125 countries, Toro has built its reputation on delivering reliable, high-performance machinery for professional contractors and commercial applications.
Toro’s journey with compact utility loaders began in 1998, when it acquired the manufacturing rights to the Dingo line from Australia and introduced it to the United States. Over the years, they’ve expanded their lineup to include various sizes, from the smaller Dingo TX 700 with a naturally aspirated 25-horsepower (hp) diesel engine to the larger Dingo TXL 2000. However, the 1,000-lb class has emerged as a popular choice amongst contractors as it’s the right size for most jobs.
Choosing Yanmar: Building on Proven Success
The original Toro Dingo TX 1000 served the market well when it was introduced in North America in 2015, featuring the 25 hp engine. However, customer feedback indicated a need for more power and capability, and the company determined it needed a turbo option in its lineup. When it came time to develop the Dingo TX 1000 Turbo, Toro’s engineering team, led by Senior Design Engineer Eric Chinnock, had a clear mandate to deliver more power and torque while maintaining the machine’s compact profile. Toro chose the Yanmar turbocharged 3TNV80FT engine, but it wasn’t made in isolation. It built upon Toro’s existing successful relationship with Yanmar across multiple product lines.
Sam Dando, senior product marketing manager at Toro, who started in the company’s golf and grounds equipment division, had experience with the Yanmar engine family in the company’s product line for golf courses and municipalities.
“The Toro Dingo TX 1300 and the Toro GroundsMaster 3310 both used a similar Yanmar engine, and we were pleased with the performance across our divisions,” said Dando.
This cross-divisional success with Yanmar engines gave the team confidence in their choice.
“Yanmar has developed a good reputation across Toro,” Dando noted, emphasizing how the brand’s reliability and serviceability have proven themselves in various applications.
Engineering Excellence Through Partnership
The development process for the Dingo TX 1000 TURBO included significant voice of customer research. The Yanmar team demonstrated commitment to application engineering support, taking an active role to ensure the engine would perform optimally in the critical scenarios Toro’s customers required..
“Yanmar went above and beyond in our partnership, not only in the support but also in their testing requirements,” explained Chinnock. “They came to our site in Bloomington and went through some of the more important tests with us, validating everything to make sure both the machine and engine would be successful.”
The testing process was comprehensive, involving multiple rounds of prototypes and rigorous validation across a wide range of temperatures, from extreme cold (0°F) to sweltering heat in 100°F temperatures and higher. Yanmar’s engineers evaluated every component for heat stress, vibration levels and cold-start performance.
“The expectations were crystal clear right from the get-go,” Chinnock adds. “By the end, I felt really confident that we did everything right to make sure the application was going to be successful and the machine would work well for a long time.”
Delivering Real Performance Gains for Customers
The proof of the partnership’s success lies in the field performance of the Dingo TX 1000 TURBO. The turbocharged Yanmar engine delivers impressive torque characteristics, which directly translates into productivity gains for Toro’s customers.
The Toro Dingo TX 1000 TURBO is used heavily by contractors and in equipment rental fleets, and their feedback to the Toro team was clear. If they have a 1,000-lb load and have to climb hills, going back and forth with sod or pavers, they don’t want equipment to bog down. They want to be able to do this quickly and efficiently. The TX 1000 TURBO, paired with the Yanmar engine, has delivered for those customers who demand top power and performance.
The performance advantages are particularly evident in demanding applications.
“When you run auxiliary hydraulic attachments for augering and trenching, that takes a tremendous amount of torque,” Dando explained. “We get more than 60 ft-lbs of torque with the Yanmar turbo engine, and that helps contractors trench or climb hills quickly.”
This superior performance translates into tangible value for customers.
“If we can help our customers auger faster, that’s extremely important to us and our customers because that performance translates into real savings,” Dando emphasized.
Powering Success Together
The success of the Dingo TX 1000 TURBO has reinforced Toro’s confidence in Yanmar as an engine partner. The machine has become Toro’s number-one seller in the Dingo lineup, proving that the combination of compact design, powerful performance, and reliable engineering resonates strongly with customers.
Jen Burke is the director of marketing at Yanmar.
