For anyone having issues with clippings sticking to the bottom of your deck..... Grab some graphite spray paint (sometimes referred to as slick plate paint) and paint the bottom of your mower deck. You'll obviously need to clean and possibly sand the bottom of your deck first. It'll help keep the grass from sticking. It'll also make the grass that does stick come off easier when cleaning.
I've had mine for 7 years. Still runs strong and cranks within 2 or 3 pulls. With the exception of small wear and tear fixes, an absolute pleasure to have.
Ive had mine for a year i use it commercially but only mow 4 lawns a week with it where our big mowers don't fit and no problems what so ever its been a great mower and cut quality is really good.
I’ve had a 233 cc version for 2 years and it has performed flawlessly mulching on thick turf grass. It’s thirsty but that’s to be expected since it’s so powerful. It mulches leaves so well I don’t need to rake them. My only complaint is that it wasn’t put together well. It’s had numerous loose bolts. The drive belt came off the pulley then broke. When I replaced it I found that the whole pulley was nearly off the shaft. Toro never tightened it adequately at the factory. That caused belt problems. I replaced the belt and tightened the bolt on the end of the main pulley as best I could. The right side of the personal pace transmission is starting to fail. This mower is 165 lbs too big for one person to put in a truck to take for service. When it works it’s great, just hope yours is more reliable than mine has been
Awesome review! Someday I hope to upgrade from my Toro Recycler to this beast. I don't think I will ever go away from the personal pace at this point. It is just too smooth and easy. Keep this good content coming!
@@TurfCulture lol this things just a big heavy piece of shit have years of experience with it lol and the engines dont run very well lol they're a son of a bitch to use with any turns fine for straight lines, tight turns just no lol
I'm on my 3rd season this year with mine and really like it, fuel is the same that my lawn boy duro force was almost a tank per cut..(about same tank size) the grass does build under deck but what mower doesn't like you said clean after each cut and you will not have a issue....I spray mine with WD40 and really helps with grass sticking to deck....I'm very happy with mine it bags great, high grass is no issue....👍👍 From me!!!!
Dude, I know this is an old video, but excellent review. Clear, concise and unbiased. I bought my Timemaster 5 years ago with the smaller engine, wish I had sold it and got the bigger motor! The deck cleaning issue is a genuine pain, tho. Against mfgr's directions, I scrape the deck after basically every cut. Additionally, every spring, I use a brass cup brush and clean the deck off then spray two coats of primer on it to protect it. Yeah, the bag is nice and big, but I really wish Toro would offer a larger bag for leaf mulching. This mower is great for chewing up the leaves my neighbor's oaks drop every fall, but the bag fills in like 15 seconds (slight exaggeration), but Toro could easily fab a bag that is twice as wide for this application.
I have the Timemaster. I paid $1299 last year with electric start. Today, the electric start is $1499/$1599. I love the Timemaster. The only things that I would prefer changing would be adding 8" front caster wheels and a bigger gas tank. A bigger engine would add weight and the current engine purrs like a Ferrari. What I love about the Timemaster are cut, power, speed and easy start up. I have half an acre and I at age 55 do not want a rider...maybe at age 65+. I still love cutting grass!
@@bryanquall7435 It is superb for the price. Sure, the electric start is like $1,700.00 now. I love the machine. I have about 115 hours. I write my hours for myself since there is no hour meter.
I had the First generation Timemasters. They have come a long way. the 230cc engine was a nice improvement. The air flow in the bagger is three times better than the original and lets you get twice as much in the bagger than the original. The bigger rear wheels have helped. Being able to easily flip the handles to fully flat is nice. The bottom of the deck will get clogged if you mow a lot of wet grass - so have a scrapper and clean the underdeck as needed. Personal Pace is great and works best on flatter lawns. I cut 20-25 hours a week with the Timemaster so I go through two full sets of cables/belts and blades a year. Also I take off the front cover so the belts are exposed, but found out its easier to keep clean with a blower and the belts seem to last longer
The rear wheels are the same size on all Timemasters since the first generation. 10 inch. part # 125-2509. Maybe you just meant you like that they all have bigger 10" rear wheels?
I have the 190cc Version, and the criticism is valid. It just doesn’t have the power to really cut through decent thick (not overgrown) grass. It’s my only real gripe with it. Considering I picked up the mower for $400 AUD, and these things sell for more than double secondhand, & retail for more than $1600 AUD, I shouldn’t complain too much.
Want to get one of these for backyard squeezing where my 36" won't fit. All small areas and flat ground. Could be a good efficient option. Thanks for the review, well composed.
This mower is actually pretty high on my list to get. I'm probably going to wait until the season really gets going to see how much I'm really going to need it before I buy it but I do plan on getting one eventually, most likely this year
Good deal..but get from authorized Toro dealer not home depot..they do NOT have service technicians..and if you take YOUR mower to a Toro guy + you did not buy there...your mower will get fixed maybe..and go to the END of the repair que..so be prepared to WAIT your turn. Will they fix it? Ya probably...but on the 5th Wednesday of the 13th month... be forewarned..
I have had mine for 2 yrs. I'm a senior citizen and have been doing this for over 50 yrs. I had a $99.00 Builfers suare lawn mower with less trouble. I take very good care or my timemaster but something always goes wrong. I wish I could get my money back.
Good review. I've been using my Toro 22 inch recycler for 3 years now. I've been wanting a bigger mower but can't decide on the Turfmaster or Timemaster
Good positive review, pretty honest and accurate. My knowledge is based on what all the others say..., like yourself the reviews are pretty positive. Number 0ne in its homeowner style and commercial guts. Very Maneuverable, despite weight, because the balance is "weighted toward the rear drive wheels". The front floats up with just a little push on the green center steer handle, just below the personal speed control bar. Much easier than my 21 inch Troy Built, self propelled, front wheel weighted nightmare to steer, single blade mulcher, 190cc. The forward weight makes it not want to steer even when the wheels are off the ground in front... poor ergonomics.
I have the one with the 190 cc motor. The only problems I've had was the gas cap leaking and the pulleys for the blades going bad. I've had it for 6 years and I think it's a great mower.
Rubber belts weren't designed to last forever, I keep a few extras on hand just incase one wears out. These mowers should last a long time with regular maintenance.
@@TurfCulture yeah I'm looking forward to running it i ran it for a little bit the other day when I was checking it out and everything is running as it should
Few questions: Does it leave many clumps if you let the lawn go a week w/o cutting? Will it do okay with hills? Can you self-propel it without engaging the blades? Good video.
I believe you can, but the mower is 1499 at HD, I went with Honda and got it off Amazon cause lowes was out of stock in my city… I feel Honda has the better engine, better self propel system, and for 1000 extra I couldn’t see spending it for an extra 9 inches with a Briggs engine…
Yes it will clump if you get behind on your mowing schedule. It handled the slope in my back yard within no issues and yes you can self propel without engaging the blades (blade stop).
Only thing not cleaning your deck off is it will rust the deck out because the grass never dries. It won't make it work harder or wear it out in that sense
Nice review. Fuel consumption is my biggest gripe. My lawn is 3900 sq ft and I have to re fuel to finish. And having the toro 22" recycler first don't like the mulch plug on the TM.
I wonder how much more durable the commercial upgraded one does if it is worth the extra investment, I have 10 lawns on my route that I could see myself using instead of my 21 in recycler
I use it in my landscaping business and it is fantastic. It really does save time, especially as a solo operator like myself, I can literally get 30-40% more lawns done in a day using it.
Hi. Nice video. Do you find that the wheels of the mower flatten the grass so that grass doesn't get cut on the next circuit then the grass straightens up the day after the cut and is left longer than the rest?
Been eyeing this mower or purchasing a small rider perhaps a 42 inch Cub Cadet XT2. Sounds like the XT2 at 3300 might make more sense double the money but with the issues you bring up why bother?
Great veiw. I wish it was still 1100 dollars 😂 1699. They keep going up .. without any upgrades . Like a bigger tank .. im keeping an eye on it .. but for the right price
Ive just ordered a new one. I use them commercially and when they break i just buy another. I do grease every bearing once a year. The wheel bearings are total crap and they will seize up. I cut the side discharge hole bigger as i only use them for discharging. I tried the Turfmaster but im not impressed with it and now thats broken ive gone back to the Timemaster.
Great review! I don’t have one, but a friend has one, and loves it! Toro should offer one with an Aluminum deck, like the Super Recycler. That would be awesome.
@@TurfCulture Did you see Ryan Knorr's Timemaster project video? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ScW-OGCPsjI.html Timemaster part starts at 10:00.
Just bought mine today and cut for the first time. Loved it, but does it not push forward unless the engine is on? (not the blades) It only goes in reverse when not on.
You might have worked out now, if the motor isn't running, you have to use the bar with blue handle attached. Don't engage the pace system. If you think about how the pace system functions, applying the self propel will activate the drive pulley system. If the motor isn't running, the drive system can't propel the mower, effectively you are placing resistance onto the drive pulleys and this is causing a drag or brake effect, giving you the feeling the mower is locked when going forward. Pulling back takes the force of the belts so the mower simpky rolls, try pushing forward without using the pace system by pushing elsewhere on the top handle, you will find it rolls ok. Not a fault of the machine or the user, just need to understand the propel function. Hope that helps.
Remove the pivot bolt that holds the Blade Brake Arm and check to see if the arm has cut an angled groove into the pivot bolt. This throws the belt out of alignment and you will chew up belt after belt (the primary blade drive V-belt, not the wide cogged belt) . Bad design. You can replace the whole assembly with the parts from the Turfmaster and eliminate that problem for good but it will cost a few bucks and a little wrenching.
What? No comments about the blue sponge in the gas tank? did you pull it to get more gas in the tank? most people say don't I saw where one dude pulled it out,
The blue sponge hasn’t really been an issue for me. Toro recommends that you not remove it to prevent fuel agitation. I never really understood why this is such a comment complaint.
@@TurfCulture I don't have that but does it make it difficult to see the fuel level in the tank when it's not completely full? I could see that being a bit of a PITA!
I love Honda mowers . One pull & my mowers start even 20 years old . Can the Briggs and Stratton engine hold up like the Honda’s . That’s the only issue or concern I have . Briggs & Stratton were nightmares for me in the past but brands like Kohler have improved to b more reliable like Honda and Kawasaki ,but has Briggs done or achieved this ???
Mine has electric start but always starts right away. My wife wanted a Honda last year so she can cut with something less heavy. We bought it (HRX217) last year (2020) with top to bottom 5 year warranty from Honda per the brochure. From day 1 it would start surging and sputtering after warm-up but ran fine when blade was engaged. So, because of covid I held off taking it in to check due to the 5 year warranty. This summer it got worse so I finally called the dealership and was told it was bad gas or dirt so I should have taken it in right away because now, after a year, Honda would not cover it since they don't cover bad gas. I told them I use the same non ethanol gas in my Toro and Honda but they said Honda warranty wouldn't apply for dirt or bad gas. I again told them it has done this since day 1 with no change. I checked another Honda dealer and was told the same. I called Honda and was told the same thing. Both dealers said the cost would be about 100 bucks so I cleaned the carb myself and it now runs fine. My wife loves her Honda but I'll never buy another one and this was our 3rd Honda! I'll stick with Toro from now on.
Mine has electric start but always starts right away. My wife wanted a Honda last year so she can cut with something less heavy. We bought it (HRX217) last year (2020) with top to bottom 5 year warranty from Honda per the brochure. From day 1 it would start surging and sputtering after warm-up but ran fine when blade was engaged. So, because of covid I held off taking it in to check due to the 5 year warranty. This summer it got worse so I finally called the dealership and was told it was bad gas or dirt so I should have taken it in right away because now, after a year, Honda would not cover it since they don't cover bad gas. I told them I use the same non ethanol gas in my Toro and Honda but they said Honda warranty wouldn't apply for dirt or bad gas. I again told them it has done this since day 1 with no change. I checked another Honda dealer and was told the same. I called Honda and was told the same thing. Both dealers said the cost would be about 100 bucks so I cleaned the carb myself and it now runs fine. My wife loves her Honda but I'll never buy another one and this was our 3rd Honda! I'll stick with Toro from now on.
How many bushels does the bag hold? Saying it holds 'hole lot of clippings' isn't really a measurement. How many bushels does it hold compared to the Scag 32"?
I don't know but it packs the hell out of the bag. When emptying a full bag I usually have to reach in and pull the grass out to get it started. End up with a green arm by the time I'm done!
I think that was more of a issue with the 190cc model, in 2016 Toro made a few changes to the 223cc config and I believe the transmission was one of them.
My 190cc 2012 model never had a transmission issue but my yard is not huge and does not have any significant hills...but I put a new tranny on it anyway when I swapped out the briggs 190cc for a Kohler CV224.
I had 7 years of home mowing a 1/2 acre, mulching only - when the transmission finally gave up. I removed the trans, (see Tarylfixesall's video) and stripped it down to find the halfshaft retaining plastic bush, that also doubles as a oil pick up circulator, had sheared in half! This bush is under stress when you shock the right wheel over bumps or down flower border edges etc. Being plastic it's just wear and tear. Having a lathe (Southbend 9"), I made a new brass bush with stainless bolt retainer, instead of the little pin Toro used. I machined out the centre of the old bush / oil pick up part, so the blades could be bolted on the brass bush I'd made. Cleaned off all the silicone gasket sealant and sealed again with new oil in. All the gears and moving parts in the transmission apart from the plastic bush were in fine order. Saved $150 or £180 as they are this side of the pond! Works like new again. Easy job for someone handy / access to a lathe. If Toro uprated the transmission in newer models, I reckon it was beefing up this part!
Every mower that I have ever used has had some clogging issues at certain times of the year. With the Timemaster just try to keep the deck somewhat clean between mowings as a regular part of your maintenance program.
We probably got a Monday morning model. The back height adjustment slips out of the setpoint and if we engage the clutch to quickly it stalls (is this something you encounter as well?)
@@TurfCulture thanks, it’s less then 14 days old. So will rang the store again and otherwise indeed directly contact Toro directly. Thanks for the confirmation that this is not normal behaviour! Have a good day!
@@TurfCulture Well, it appears that Toro doesn't care about their non US customers, there is no EU contact (only the dealer) and toro international is not replying to my email or the reminder of it. So I'm very disappointed in the brand (at least in EU), but other then that the mower is fine, but it feels just plain wrong, I could get better support from my DIY store on a non brand mower. Thanks again for your thoughts!
Sounds like you need to replace a slightly bent wheel height adjustment lever (spring steel). Yes I've seen the stalling thing happen on this mower and my Honda HRX217 as well. Just engage the blade slowly and it will be fine. (It's also much easier on the parts, belts, etc.) Do it consciously for a while and it will become second nature.
@@mellowjammer thanks in the end I contacted Toro UK and they took care of me and the dealer 😉. Bend the height adjustment back and got a new one plus the Shute which got damaged and now it works flawlessly. Indeed if I somewhat slower engage the blades it works perfect now.
@@TurfCulture I thought about putting that striper on mine as well but I have a very weird shaped lawn and have to make a zillion turns. Is it more difficult to make turns with the striper kit?
Those brand new reviews are for people who are close on what mower they want, and just wanna see how everything works on them IMO. Three year review on this Toro is awesome for wanting to see how it has held up.
@@TurfCulture did I say I want to look at the commercial model I didn’t think so how dare you should suggest it I’ve seen so many RU-vid videos on this matter and that is what they are saying about the same issue is the gas tank issue so just asking did you tell everybody they might need to look at the commercial 1 so if you need to say anything further more to me say I’m sorry Mr Helms I apologize for my behavior I want say anything else to you cause I will promise I will slander your business all over RU-vid make my day