Toro Timemaster Warning and Review

[Blue88]

On the recommendation of a landscaper I bought the Toro Timemaster 30" in 2018, and it has given me good service for four years.

Warning: Mechanics know one should never tip a gas lawnmower on the wrong side. Many of the rest of us don't know that. Unlike most people, I did read the entire 33 pages of the manual so I had seen the three places where it instructed to tip the lawn mower with the oil dipstick down (air filter up). None of these three instructions explained why to do it that way, what might happen if you tipped it onto the other side, or gave a dramatic warning - though the manual has pages and pages of other warnings. The machine itself is also stickered with numerous warnings - but none about tipping it on the wrong side. Tipping it on the correct side is a bit counterintuitive because that means tipping the heavy weight onto the side discharge plastic grass chute lid rather than onto the sturdy metal side of the deck.

So, last month when I was tired and rushed I flipped it onto the wrong side to clean out wet grass. Then it wouldn't start again.

It turns out the oil system is not sealed, and when the mower is tipped the wrong way the oil runs into the carburetor, and air filter, and out. After replacing the $20 ruined air filter it still wouldn't start. A few days later, got it going by: removing the spark plug and air filter, filling the carburetor with gasoline to dissolve oil, removing most of that gas using a syringe with tubing, pulling the starter cord to blow fuel out of the cylinder through the spark plug hole, then replacing the spark plug and air filter. By the way, the manual doesn't mention the size but it's a 5/8" spark plug, and fortunately I had that size spark plug socket.

We have a lawn area of 0.4 acre, not large enough to justify a sit-on mower. The Timemaster's wide 30" cutting swath saves a lot of time. With a 223cc Briggs and Stratton engine this model 21199 has the torque to cut long grass, has worked reliably, and on level ground can go as fast as I can walk if the grass isn't too long. Got it from an authorized service dealer where it cost a bit less than at Home Depot though they didn't advertise that fact. If I were buying it again, I'd spend the extra money and get the electric start version; it has to be pulled quite quickly to start up. On the dealer's recommendation I end the mowing season by letting it run dry near the end of the last mow (I use ethanol-free gasoline to protect the hoses) and then finish mowing with a half liter of synthetic gas (TruFuel) and store it without running it dry (Toro recommended running it dry if leaving it unused for a month).

Most of the season I use the side discharge. If the grass is a bit wet and thick, which is often hard to avoid hereabouts, occasionally the side chute will plug up with grass cuttings and has to be cleared. This is easy to notice, because the grass will stop flying out the side. If I fail to notice that it has stopped coming out, the motor will soon tell me by stalling (which, so far, hasn't broken anything, but I don't recommend it).

For transporting in a vehicle I would recommend raising it off the wheels, supporting it on the steel frame, rather than attempting to wedge the wheels (I tried that, and it failed.) At 144 pounds it's heavy for lifting or turning and I use ramps from Canadian Tire to drive it into a storage shed. I do wish it had a more effective muffler; I use hearing protection earmuffs. You can find thousands of review comments about the latest version of the "Timemaster 76cm" (= 30 inch wide cutting swath) at Homedepot. As far as I can tell, the newest version is virtually the same as the version I own.

The Toro "Personal Pace" mechanism is a great assist and provides enough to pull the 144 pound machine on smooth level ground or downhill, but requires quite a bit of pushing when going uphill. Unlike some mowers its self propulsion doesn't use a hydrostatic or V-belt continuously variable transmission. Instead, when walking at less than full speed, for example uphill, it reduces speed by simple slippage of the V-belt. Due to this slippage the V-belt gradually becomes polished shiny and the self propulsion becomes less effective, requiring stronger pushing. Sanding the V-belt with sandpaper restores it. In theory it's a terrible design but in practice it works well. Perhaps that is why my two year warranty on this model was only for usage at a single location and not for all-day commercial usage; in any case I haven't needed any warranty work.

Walking fast at the machine's full speed, approximately 4 mph on flat ground, 0.4 acres in theory would take about 35 minutes, but with the various complications takes about an hour and a quarter in practice. (I used to do an acre with a 21" Honda in 4 hours. Unlike the Toro, it had a positive self propulsion that didn't need any pushing, just steering.)

Overall, have been pleased.

 

[bertsmobile1]

FWIW I teach all of my customers to trip the handlebars and tip the mower backwards
A;; of the locally assembled & Hondas will happily sit vertical , some need the catcher chute to be opened and sit on that,
Some USA imports will also do this but is always the best way so any oil of fuel that spills will spill behind the mower .

 

[Blue88]

FWIW I teach all of my customers to trip the handlebars and tip the mower backwards
A;; of the locally assembled & Hondas will happily sit vertical , some need the catcher chute to be opened and sit on that,
Some USA imports will also do this but is always the best way so any oil of fuel that spills will spill behind the mower .

Yes, I've seen that advice, but with this particular Briggs & Stratton engine that will result in fuel spilling out of the fuel filler cap unless the operator follows the manual's instructions exactly, which is to run the mower dry before tipping it up. With this particular engine fuel tank, following the manual's recommended tipping it on the chute side puts the filler cap at the top and didn't drip any gas out if the tank is only half full. So, for people like me who don't have much of a clue it's best to always follow the manual for the particular model of lawn mower engine, or ask a pro like yourself who's familiar with the specific machine.

What do you think of comments suggesting that Honda shifted their production site and decreased their mower and engine reliability and longevity a lot in recent years?

 

[bertsmobile1]

What do you think of comments suggesting that Honda shifted their production site and decreased their mower and engine reliability and longevity a lot in recent years?

Total BS
Honda exited the ride on mower market because they refused to downgrade their products to the price point that retailers & mower makers demanded .
Their good name is worth more than the few dollars they make from the lawn care side of the business .
Having said this we get different models than the USA does and our models were always better than what was on offer to the USA
The problem is all of the rubbish that your EPA & Product Safety Council force them to fit makes them less reliable than the older models so you owners get the perception that newer models are down rated .
Down here I can buy some 42" ride ons for less than the 3 speed Honda 21" commercials and they can still be ordered with snorkels, some thing that was never offered to USA customers

 

[Rein Ciarfella]

Very well written and hopefully helpful for the novice user of this machine. I'm just teaching myself small engine work and this is my first commercial customer and the first time I've ever seen this particular machine. I must say, the short test cut on my lawn impressed me a lot. His is a 2012 and started first pull very easily.

As a matter of fact, you can lock the drive wheels so it won't roll during transport. Simply secure the Traction Assist handle (by pushing forward all the way) to the Upper Handle with anything. I supplied my customer with a Gear Tie but you could use a piece of Romex electrical cable or tie it with a piece of rope or whatever you have on hand. I did try the largest spring clamps I had but they weren't quite big enough.

Re: tipping on side - I place a piece of plastic under the gas cap and screw it back on to prevent fuel leaking out while on its side. I've used a ziploc baggie, a chunk of a bag some parts came in, etc. Anything flexible enough to conform to the tank opening and allow the cap to screw on.

One thing I'm not crazy about - the wash port seems to be a press fitting for the hose attachment, which this customer doesn't have. He bought the machine used so I'm not suprised. He's never used the wash port, although I'm going to suggest he start if he wants this machine to really last. The manual shows what I take to be a fitting like this that also has threads further in for a garden hose. I may suggest to him that I replace the original wash port with a kit you can get online plus a quick-connect fitting to make it easier to service quickly after a day's mowing.

 

[Blue88]

Very well written and hopefully helpful for the novice user of this machine. I'm just teaching myself small engine work and this is my first commercial customer and the first time I've ever seen this particular machine. I must say, the short test cut on my lawn impressed me a lot. His is a 2012 and started first pull very easily.

As a matter of fact, you can lock the drive wheels so it won't roll during transport. Simply secure the Traction Assist handle (by pushing forward all the way) to the Upper Handle with anything. I supplied my customer with a Gear Tie but you could use a piece of Romex electrical cable or tie it with a piece of rope or whatever you have on hand. I did try the largest spring clamps I had but they weren't quite big enough.

Re: tipping on side - I place a piece of plastic under the gas cap and screw it back on to prevent fuel leaking out while on its side. I've used a ziploc baggie, a chunk of a bag some parts came in, etc. Anything flexible enough to conform to the tank opening and allow the cap to screw on.

One thing I'm not crazy about - the wash port seems to be a press fitting for the hose attachment, which this customer doesn't have. He bought the machine used so I'm not suprised. He's never used the wash port, although I'm going to suggest he start if he wants this machine to really last. The manual shows what I take to be a fitting like this that also has threads further in for a garden hose. I may suggest to him that I replace the original wash port with a kit you can get online plus a quick-connect fitting to make it easier to service quickly after a day's mowing.

Yes, if the dealer had mentioned locking the drive wheels with the traction assist handle when I bought it, and he saw me wedging the wheels with rags in the back of my vehicle, it would have saved me a car repair

 

[Blue88]

Total BS
Honda exited the ride on mower market because they refused to downgrade their products to the price point that retailers & mower makers demanded .
Their good name is worth more than the few dollars they make from the lawn care side of the business .
Having said this we get different models than the USA does and our models were always better than what was on offer to the USA
The problem is all of the rubbish that your EPA & Product Safety Council force them to fit makes them less reliable than the older models so you owners get the perception that newer models are down rated .
Down here I can buy some 42" ride ons for less than the 3 speed Honda 21" commercials and they can still be ordered with snorkels, some thing that was never offered to USA customers

The manufacturers claim the fixed speed of recent mowers was discovered to provide a longer machine life. I had assumed it was implemented because the machines were only emissions-tested and certified at a fixed speed. I don't understand why the emissions reduction would make them any less reliable. On a car I can understand it affecting reliability because the emissions systems are so complex it means a lot more things that can break, but on a mower I presume it's just the muffler and the fixed speed.

I believe North America is, on average, less dusty than your Australia so that might be why they don't usually have snorkels on the air intakes here. It's possible machines are built more durably for Australia; Hyundai cars here in Canada are required to go in for servicing every six months, while in Australia it's only every 2 years. Are your Australian Honda mowers manufactured in China? Or are the domestic and much more expensive commercial products made in different countries? Does it make sense for a homeowner to pay for a commercial quality, given that it's used once a week? (My Toro Timemaster was expensive, equivalent to about 1500 AUD, but still not commercially rated, only warranted for a single property.)

 

[bertsmobile1]

Engine speeds are set by maximum blade tip speed
Honda run theirs lower so the engines are quieter
In a governed engine the operating speed must be on the right side of the torque curve so when the engine slows down because of the applied load the torque increases or the engine will just bog down & stall.
Australia occupies roughly the same lattitude spread south of the equatior as the USA is north so that goes from tropical rain forest swamps to cool climate rain forest in the far south
Deserts are in the middle behind the big hills
And remember there are places like Ohio, Arazona, Texas in the USA.
EPA bans the use of mechanical chokes & petrol injecting primers so we have the air prime or thermo wax chokes both of which are nothing but trouble after a couple of years .
EPA requires mower engines to run far too lean so I am regularly drilling out main jets to allow the engines to run properly .
The whole idea that mower engines are a major pollutant is a joke
Most large jet engines dump 100 to 200 gallons of unburned Jet A1 out of the tailpipe every time they take off with a full pay load
Steel accounts for roughly 10% of world CO2 production and Aluminium accounts for 4%
So making short lived engines that run very clean thus need to be replaced 75% earlier than a "dirty" engine is counter productive unless you have shares in the factories .