Toro 21 60v Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler Lawn Mower Review Its Deja Vu All Over Again
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REVIEW A few years ago, I boughtand really likedthe TORO Super-Recycler gas mower. Then I killed it. In a move too stupid to admit in public, I neglected to check the oil after a year of use. One day as I was pulling the string, it seizednever to start again. I had to revert to an older mower I despised. It was smelly, loud, and not fun to use. Then Toro came out with a 21 60V Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler lawn mower that even I couldnt screw up.
Self Propelled Rwd Electric Start
- Electric Start, no need to pull the recoil cord to start the engine
- Personal Pace self propel system automatically adjusts to your walking speed
- Rear Bag, Mulch, or Side Discharge
- Bag on Demand allows you to switch from mulching to bagging in seconds while leaving the bag on the mower
- Guaranteed-to-Start engine warranty*
MSRP List: $419.00 USDModel 20334 Sale Price $399.00, we take trade-ins, unit on display)
Personal Pace First Impressions
A few years ago when shopping for a new push mower, I had to decide between a standard mower and a self-propelled model. I cared most about weight, gas consumption, and ease-of-maintenance. In the end, I opted for the self-propelled model and never looked back.
On the AWD model, Toros Personal Pace feature gives you three basic options for operation. You can go fully manual, use the fully-automatic self-propelled handle that moves forward as you move forward, or use the traction assisted handle that gives you the ability to control how much assistance you want.
Ill admit the fully-automatic handle took some getting used to because its not a static bar. As you put pressure on the handle, it moves forwardgiving you more or less assistance according to how hard you press it. At first, it felt like mowing the lawn with a bungee cord because the gripped handle constantly moves back and forth as you walk.
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Toro Personal Pace Lawn Mower Review
I recently purchased a used 22 Toro Personal Pace lawn mower online. After owning a similar 22 Recycler I knew I wanted another one. The ride on mower does a horrible job on my front yard because its a bit hilly, causing it to be a little dangerous when riding sideways. It also digs up the lawn when trying to ride uphill. Alas, I needed another push mower.
Self Propelled Rwd Cast Aluminum Deck
- Personal Pace® self propel automatically adjusts to your walk speed
- Powerful 7.25 ft-lb Gross Torque Toro® TXP 159cc OHV w/AutoChoke, no need to prime or choke
- Covered by a 5-Year Guaranteed-to-Start Engine warranty plus a 5-Year Full Coverage Warranty
- Iso-Flex Handle – Vibration isolation and gliding height range for the ultimate operator comfort and control
MSRP List: $599.99 USDModel 21381 Sale Price: $549.00 USD, we take trade ins, unit on display
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Variable Speed High Wheel With Smartstow
- Breakthrough Mow ‘n’ Stow engine technology by Briggs & Stratton
- 11″ Rear High Wheel for uneven terrain
- Rear Bagger, Mulcher, Side Dishcharge
- Variable Speed Self Propel with front wheel drive
- makes it easier to maneuver in tight spaces
- 2 Year Full Warranty
Model 20339 Sale Price: $359.00, trade-ins welcome, unit on display)
Briggs & Stratton 725 Ft
The Briggs and Stratton 163cc engine is a beast! I travel for work a lot and often come home to an unruly yard after a week or two of being away. The top-notch cutting power makes it a breeze to get caught up.
Even the non-AWD Personal Pace model packs a punch. The 7.25 ft-lbs of gross torque at 2600 RPM shows itself when pushing the Personal Pace handle down as far as it will go in a thick St. Augustine lawn. The power coupled with the rear-wheel-drive on this model makes for a strong combo. The mower doesnt bog down at all. Rather, it hums right alongeven when carrying an increasingly heavy bagger.
I didnt experience any hesitation from the engine even while mowing tall and wet grass. It took about one hour to mow a half-acre of St Augustine.
Also, the engine runs smooth and sounds surprisingly quiet. I could have a conversation with my Dad from 10 feet away while mowing the lawn. While we always recommend the use of hearing protection, the output of this mower allows for several hours of use without violating OSHA standards. Since Im a musician and sometimes sing while mowing the lawn, I found out that the tone of the engine runs to the tone of F#/Gb
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Why Choose A Toro Lawn Mower
- Vortex Technology for increased airflow through your mower.
- Personal Pace Auto-Drive on select models that lets your self-propelled mower adjust to you.
- Recycler Cutting System that turns your grass clippings into tiny, nutrient-rich vitamins for your lawn.
- Smartstow design that makes storing easy and takes up less space.
- ProDNA that gives you the same commercial grade cut as the pros.
Why Choose America’s #1 Lawn Mower Brand*
With roots dating back to 1914, Toro was built on a tradition of quality, long lasting products and innovative features to make your mowing experience and caring for your lawn easier. Toros line of walk-behind mowers offer battery powered self-propelled mowers, mulching mowers that fertilize as you cut, and 30″ wide-cut mowers to help you finish your lawn faster. Discover the POWER OF EASY with features designed to fit your unique mowing needs.
Super Charged Clippings
Vortex Technology provides more airflow to supercharge your grass cutting. The ultra-fine clippings created by our Recycler® Mulching System become Lawn Vitamins, nourishing your grass and cultivating a greener, more lush lawn.
Pick Your Pace
Self propel mowers that adjust to you – No knobs, no levers, no messing around. Grab the easy-to-steer handle and go with Personal Pace® Auto-Drive.
Recycler® Cutting System
Don’t just cut your grass nourish it with Toro’s Recycler Technolgy. Slice and dice those grass clippings into tiny pieces and return that nutrition back to your lawn. With a Recycler, a healthy, green, lawn has never been easier.
Battery Recycler® Series
- 60V battery cuts up to 1/3 of acre in 40 minutes* on a full charge
- Reduce mower storage by up to 70% with SmartStow® storage
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Standard Push Model Rear Bagger / Mulcher
- 21″ Cutting Width
- Steel Deck is lightweight and maneuverable. The smaller width allows for easier mowing in tight areas.
- 6.75 ft-lb Gross Torque Briggs & Stratton® 163cc w/Just Check & Add engine
- 3-Year GTS and 2-Year Full Warranty
MSRP List: $289.00 USDModel 21320 Sale Price: $269.00 USD, we take trade ins, unit on display
Top Ten Reviews Verdict
This mower is easy to control and has enough features to maintain small or midsized yards well.
Pros
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It is convenient in its propulsion and adjustment capabilities.
Cons
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The engine is small and not very powerful.
The Toro Personal Pace 20374 is a sturdy gas lawn mower with a design that is both user-friendly and accessible. We tested it and found it to be one of the best lawn mower options for small and midsized yards, thanks to its design and ability to adapt to different environments.
This Toro lawn mower has a blade width of 22 inches, which is above average and lets you cover a lot of ground. The noise level is 97.8 dB, which is slightly less disruptive than average for a self-propelled lawn mower. Some communities have rules on what noise levels are acceptable at what times, but this lawn mower keeps the noise to a reasonable minimum. If you need the most quiet lawn mower, consider the Craftsman 37744.
The mower’s number of cutting positions is smaller than normal at only five, but we did not have any problems with the adjusted positions. The minimum cutting height is slightly lower than usual at just an inch, and the maximum came in at the highest we found, 4 inches. The mower earned an overall performance score of 85 percent.
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Cleaning Using The Washout Port
Like many mowers, the Toro 22 Personal Pace Recycler Lawnmower comes with a washout port for hooking up a hose to clean the blades and deck. Hold the plastic nut securely while spinning it onto your hose.
While it does make the deck easier to clean, it doesnt get everything. We recommend it for those who cannot lift the mower up and hose it off manually. If you can, turning the mower on its side and spraying it down still wins. For me, the wetness of the cut grass determined whether I used the quick wash connector or tilted it up to spray it off.
Push Model Rear Bagger / Mulcher Smartstow
- 22″ Cutting Width
- SMARTSTOW® feature allows the mower to be stored upright, reducing the storage footprint needed by up to 70%
- 6.25 ft-lb Gross Torque Briggs & Stratton Mow N’ Stow EXi 150cc w/Just Check & Add engine
- 3-Year GTS and 2-Year Full Warranty
MSRP List: $319.00 USDModel 21329 Sale Price: $299.00 USD, we take trade ins, unit on display
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Toro 20353 Lawnmower All Wheel Drive Feature
My favorite feature on the Toro 20353 lawn mower is the All Wheel Drive traction assist. The Toro 20332 Personal Pace lawn mower uses only the rear wheels. When mowing on uneven surfaces, you start to lose traction, especially while mowing up or down steep slopes. With All Wheel Drive, the front and rear wheels have a nice aggressive tread and spin independently. This gives you the best traction possible when mowing on inclines.
The Toro 20353 AWD mower definitely outperforms standard Personal Pace in this area. The maximum speed on these mowers felt similararound 4.8 mph. I found that more than enough for fast-paced mowing.
Self Propelled Rwd Briggs & Stratton 163cc Exi
- Personal Pace Self Propel self propel system automatically adjusts to your walking speedBag on Demand allows you to switch from mulching to bagging in seconds while leaving the bag on the mower
- 7.25 ft-lb Gross Torque Briggs & Stratton EXi 163cc w/Ready Start- no need to prime or choke. Just Check & Add feature – no oil changes for the life of the engine
- 2 Year Full Warranty
MSRP List: $389.00 USDModel 20332 Sale Price $369.00, call for current sale price, we take trade-ins, unit on display)
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What Is It
The Toro 21 60V Battery Personal Pace Super Recycler lawn mower is the newest mower in Toros growing array of battery-powered mowers. It is designed much like the gas version, but with an electric battery-powered motor.
It uses what Toro calls Personal Pace Auto-Drive self-propel technology. The speed of Personal Pace is dependent on how fast you walk while mowing. The handle slides forward as you walk. Its an ingenious system thats been included on gas Super Recycler mowers for years. I love it. There is no jerky movement as the mower ramps up to speed. It works smoothly as you begin to walk faster.
The 60V Super Recycler lawn mower has a cast aluminum deck thats a bit heavy, but solid and rust-free. Toro has what they call Vortex that creates high-speed rotation under the deck, reducing grass clippings to smaller pieces for improved fertilization. If you choose to bag clippings, Vortexs smaller clippings make bagging less frequent. Even so, I never bag clippings. My yard needs all the help it can get.
Note that the Toro has SmartStow. Its handle folds over the motor and the mower can stand up vertically taking up much less room in a garageand since its battery-powered, theres no gas to leak out!
The battery that comes with the mower is interchangeable with all other electric Toro yard tools. The more Toro tools you have, the more Toro batteries you can swap around. The 7.5 ah 60V battery that comes with the mower is heavy but packs some serious power.