Troybuilt 30" rear angine advice

[58farmallcub]

I'm new to this forum and need some advice. In a nutshell, I have a .46 acre yard, mostly flat with a few trees and shrubs to get around, and it tales me an hour and fifteen minutes to mow the yard with a 21" mower. I also work a 60 hour week and am raising a family, so frequently get behind in my yard work because I have little time to spare. I was thinking of replacing my aging mower with a wider format model to save some time, but have found precious few choices in the category between 21 and 42 inches for the homeowner (non-commercial). I want to buy new, because I'm of the opinion than very few people properly service/maintain their lawn equipment and when you buy used you are buying other people's problems. Also I only have $1200 max to spend. So all there is in this market segment is a Toro Timemaster 30," walk-behind, or a rear engine rider (Troy-built/Craftsman/Cub Cadet CC/ 30"), which all appear to be the same machine at different price points, all made by MTD, which also have mixed reviews, just like the Toro Timemaster. I don't really want a 42" as it seems a little big for my yard and it would take up more room in my crowded garage.

So a few days ago, I purchased a "reconditioned" 2014 Toro Timemaster 30" at Home Depot for $400 off the retail price, thinking I got the deal of the century. I took it back the next day because it ran rough and took a million hard pulls to start each time. I think either the carb was leaking gas into the cylinder from lodged dirt in the float/needle or the compression release valve was stuck. Once I got it running, it cut the grass beautifully. But the engine had troubles. I took the reconditioned one back went to buy a new one, but the lawn and garden manger came up to me and said not to buy it. He said nearly all the Toro Timemasters he's sold this year have been returned for engine trouble. He said to buy one of the many riders they have online for about the same price. I'm torn because the the Toro Timemaster is perfect for my yard, but online reviews and the Homedepot Lawn & Gareden manager paint a picture of unreliability, and $1000.00 is a bit much to pay for a problem machine. I called an Atlanta are independent Toro dealer and they said they don't sell them anymore, just service them because it's not a quality brand anymore and parts are hard to come by.

So what would you do if you were in my shoes? Or in my yard?

Much thanks in advance for whatever advice you can give.

 

[Arwing64]

To be quite honest, I have never had any trouble with my TimeMaster. It always starts first or second pull, and cuts beautifully. Then again, I got mine brand new. A rear engine rider is a good option if you don't have that many obstacles. They will get the job done for you. You will have to do a lot more maintenance to a rider than you were to a push mower, without a doubt. The only problem I would have with a rear engine rider is build quality. Since it is a much cheaper unit, you are most likely going to find out that you get what you paid for. Low budget = cheaper mower. Cheap doesn't mean bad. They can last you many years if you take care of it.

I own several lawn tractors and zero turns including golf course equipment. One that I have is a 1996 Toro Wheel Horse 13-38 HXL. This thing is about 18 years old and still going strong. Has a 38" cut and a hydrostatic transmission. No more shifting gears. Another great tractor is a John Deere STX 38. Although you have to shift, this tractor according to Consumer's Digest was the best tractor you could get in 1986. Yeah it's old, but it still runs.

As a typical consumer, it would be easy to go into a store and buy a brand new one, but if you look around, such as at some small engine repair shops, there might be a good tractor that is waiting to be used.