Toro lawn mowers

[libertylover]

Anyone have experience, good or bad, with a Toro lawn mower?

My wife and I plan to go back to mowing our own yard again in the spring. We're pretty much adamant on having electric-start and one of the mowers we are considering is the Toro 20031. The only "problem" is that it has a Tecumseh engine.

Two mowers ago we had a Craftsman mid-priced mower with a Tecumseh engine. It was a TOTAL piece of junk. By the time you got the damn thing started you we too tired to mow the lawn. It never ran well and after a couple of long Florida seasons it began to require a valve-job every single year.

Our last mower was an Ariens and was, without a doubt, the best mower we've ever owned. The problem here is that the electric start Ariens with a Briggs & Stratton Intek is $250 more than the electric-start Toro with the Tecumseh engine.

So, any experience with a Toro and Tecumseh engine?

[Flanders]

Starts usually on first pull (assuming primed properly) The electric start battery will last several weeks without a charge. The motor has not used any oil, runs strong, does not bog down. Overall great mower for the money.

Flanders
00 540i/6
01 X5

[Hacksaw]

Go first class with the best and get a new Honda with the 6.5 HP engine. Your will love it and, you will never wear it out....providing you take care of it. I have two (big yard) and they just love to mow grass. Oh yes, be sure to get the hydrosatic drive model. It's awesome!

[Bostongrun]

and after two years of pretty heavy use it was still starting on first pull... Mower was stolen out of my garage or I'd still have it...

They stopped making Scotts mowers, and I replaced with a Cub Cadet with a Briggs and Straton 6.5 hp engine... After two years of simillar use, it mostly starts on first pull, but not always... Engine aside, the Cub Cadet is probably the best mower I've ever owned... All Aluminum deck will never rust, one handle height adjustment, rear weel drive... great mower...

I believe Cub Cadet is now using Kawasaki engines instead of B&S...

[Shawn]

I'm not sure about a Tecumseh engine. I have a Toro Z Mower that has a 38" cut and it is very nice. I used to run Toro Groundsmasters commercially and loved them. Get the Kohler engine if possible.

[andy]

you wouldn't catch me owning a tech. or a toro mower... i work at a lawn and garden dealership and am a firm beliver in you get what you pay for... keep that in mind when you go to home depot or wherever to buy a cheap mower also

[peterT]

All I know is after many mowers (sears,toro,etc) I bought a Snapper
10 years ago. Used Mobil 1, and changed the plug once, and air filter once, and the beast always starts, and the frame has never broken.

[Jeff]

On September 30, 2006 we shelled out $1678.00 for a Toro lawn tractor. Immediately we began having problems.

1. Immediate problems with belt jumping off the blade drive.
2. October/November 2006 Drive bolt sheered so mower no longer worked on the tractor. Take in for service. 2-3 hours of our time to take the tractor in for service, 1-week wait time.
3. Continuous problems with drive belt coming off blade pulleys.
4. May 2007 Left front wheel disconnects from steering column. Tractor cannot be steered. 2-3 hours to take the tractor into the service station. 2 1/2 weeks wait for repairs.
5. July 11, 2007 Drive belt will not stay on and mower deck in inoperable. Taking into have service done after Toro refused to refund our money or replace the unit. We are told the next wait will be 1-2 weeks.

Total hours of operation according to their time meter is 11.2 hours. Lawn has been cut less than two dozen times since unit was purchased.

Toro will not even consider a refund. The area service manager John Retzer told me if I take any legal action they will not help with the problem at all. Retzer told me not to worry about the grass “it’s been dry”.

Don't trust the compnay or the brand!

[Jack]

Toro is o.k., Tecumseh is terrible. I had an awful time trying to find a part for mine and finally found it at www.grishamsonline.com.

[Chaz/Longwood Florida]

My two neighbors have Toro Lawnmowers and without asking their opinions on satisfaction/ or dissatisfaction, I made the mistake of purchasing one too. It worked for about one month and I'm the type person who cleans the air filter and cleans off al the grass off the top and underside of the mower when I'm done using it, before it gets put back in the garage.
So it's not lack of cleaning or attention to my tools. I check the oil level, air filter and gas levels before I use the mower every time.

The carburator on my neighbors mower became an issue, the mower would start after priming and then die quickly. To test where the problem was, once we primed the mower and started it, I kept pressing the primer at the carburator to keep the fuel flow and the mower kept running. As soon as I stopped pushing the primer button, the engine died out within a few seconds.

The local Lawnmower Maintenance Shop said he could fix the problem. So we took it to him and $98.00 later we picked up the mower and it still had the same problems.

My Toro Mower developed the identical problem about two months after my neighbors Lawnmower. Same evaluation process used and same Lawnmower Repair shop and of course $98.00 and the Lawnmower has the same problem still.

TORO Lawnmowers = Unreliable, poor quality. I'm a consumer telling my friends about TORO ( Don't By this product ).

I don't know what I will replace it with, I will come back here to post the replacement product for everyones benefit.

happy lawn product hunting.

charlie