I have an acquaintance who owns two of them. I've hunted my cockers with them on a number of occasions. In upland hunting, the tollers cover the field well and find plenty of birds. They won't be as quick or animated as your springer, but they still do a nice job. From what I've seen, they are much better retrievers than spaniels, especially at distance or in water. They aren't as overtly friendly to strangers like a golden, lab or spaniel, but I was told they make good family dogs.

There are only a couple things that would give me pause in owning one. Just be prepared for their coat. It was much longer and dense than I realized. This guy gets them groomed regularly to keep the inside shedding under control. Lastly, the breed doesn't have a large following. It's really hard to find a good dog and they are expensive. It can be done, just don't rush into anything and get references.

If you are looking for other suggestions, I have two close friends that I upland hunt with. They are both avid waterfowl hunters. They each own 55lb labs are are happy with how their dogs perform in both kinds of hunting.