Must buy soon - Toro vs. Honda - Which?

wlpncp

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I have a small yard, 3500 sq. ft., but the front yard has about a 35 degree slope with lot of landscaping to negotiate. I want a self propelled, RWD Toro or Honda. I went to both stores today. The Toro salesman listened to my needs and recommended a more basic mower (Model 20314 - $299, no blade/brake clutch, 20 " cut, 70 lbs. weight) than the ones I had been studying (models 20092 and 20333 based on CR recommendations). The Honda dealer listened to my same story and had nothing to recommend except either HRR216K7VXA ($499) or HRR216K7VKA ($399). Both of these are much heavier that the one the Toro dealer suggested. I like the description of the Honda features and those of the more expensive Toro models, but think maybe the Toro dealer's recommendation will suit my needs best for the slope. Honda seems to have a better warranty, but if the machine is too hard for me (a retiree) to handle on the slope, I'm out of luck. So, all things considered (price, weight, blade/brake, durability, etc) what advice do you have for me? Need to purchase within the next several days. Thanks in advance.
 

Grass ala Mowed

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I was looking in the $500 plus neighborhood, I wanted a long lasting mower from a long lasting company. The company that made my last real good mower was bought for the name and right when things starting wearing out I couldn't get parts. To that point, I don't think either Toro or Honda are going anywhere. Toro was making lawnmowers when Honda was making 150 cc motorcycles. According to the Toro site, the 20314 has a 3 year powertrain warranty and 3 year guaranteed to start. More importantly, it has variable speed, I made the mistake of buying a single speed, it was usually too fast for heavy grass and too slow for thin grass. Another thing is the dealer, that can make it or break it and it sounds like you already like the Toro dealer better.
 

wlpncp

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Thanks for your comments. Yesterday I bought a Toro Recycler Model 20332. It has the Personal Pace feature, but no blade-brake clutch. I haven't used it yet, but I tried one in the garage at the dealer's. This one is an 80-pounder, but feels light enough. I'll see soon if I can handle it on my 35 degree sloping front yard. Guess I should mow left to right on the slope rather than up and down or diagonally, although diagonally may be easier. Anyway, I will know soon enough. Thanks again for your response.
 

Jetblast

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I have a ten year-old Toro Recycler with the personal pace system and electric start, and I've never had the slightest bit of trouble with it. The personal pace system works beautifully, great design IMO. I think you made an excellent choice.
 

wlpncp

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Thanks, Jetblast. It is good to get this reassurance from you. Now if it would stop raining here for a few days so I can "fire her up"! Any advice on how to mow the slope (about 20 to 35 degrees in places)? Also, when checking the oil, do I simply insert the cap or screw it in all the way?
 

wlpncp

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One more question: Do you think I should have gotten the model with blade-brake clutch? There is a 2-inch drop-off between the slopping front yard grass and the sidewalk, so I'm thinking that with BBC I could mow diagonally without scalping the front edge of the slope.
 

Jetblast

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Thanks, Jetblast. It is good to get this reassurance from you. Now if it would stop raining here for a few days so I can "fire her up"! Any advice on how to mow the slope (about 20 to 35 degrees in places)? Also, when checking the oil, do I simply insert the cap or screw it in all the way?

I had some very steep yet short berms to deal with and I just hit them at whatever angle was in line with my mowing pattern. The rear wheel drive was perfect for them and I strongly suspect you too are going to love your new Toro's performance in this regard. I think that once you get out there, you'll find what works for your situation intuitively. I believe the engine uses a splash oil system, so it's probably a good idea not to linger at extreme angles if able.

The technically correct way to check the oil level is to screw the cap back in, but an enterprising gentleman might mentally calculate the height difference and allow for it on the dipstick when using a quick "jab and read" technique.
 

Grass ala Mowed

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Excellent choice. The literature says my mower weighs 95 lbs, but with the balance and personal pace, it doesn't feel like it.

I'm confused about the blade brake comment. That does not affect the mowing performance, it just means the engine can stay running while the blade is stopped to change the bagger, etc. instead of having to restart the mower each time.
 

Jetblast

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One more question: Do you think I should have gotten the model with blade-brake clutch? There is a 2-inch drop-off between the slopping front yard grass and the sidewalk, so I'm thinking that with BBC I could mow diagonally without scalping the front edge of the slope.

I've never used a mower with that so I'm afraid I'm of no help there, except to say I never felt like I was missing that feature.
 
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