Honda Versus Toro

Rich M.

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Hello, just joined the forum to be schooled on lawn mowers.

Over the last 40 years, I have been a Craftsman Briggs and Stratton fan. I am now trying to broaden my horizons and looking at the Honda HRR216VKA and the Toro 20382. I would like input to help me decide.

Now that I have developed shoulder issues, I need to go with a person pace or self propelled system.

Thoughts on the good and bad.
 

primerbulb120

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I would personally prefer the Honda. I have a Toro 20054 with Personal Pace, and if I had to get a mower to replace it I would get the exact Honda model you are looking at.

Here are the statistics from Google Reviews:

The Toro gets 4.6 out of 5 stars and it has 73 reviews.
The Honda gets 4.4 out of 5 stars and it has 2,091 reviews.
 

Ric

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Hello, just joined the forum to be schooled on lawn mowers.

Over the last 40 years, I have been a Craftsman Briggs and Stratton fan. I am now trying to broaden my horizons and looking at the Honda HRR216VKA and the Toro 20382. I would like input to help me decide.

Now that I have developed shoulder issues, I need to go with a person pace or self propelled system.

Thoughts on the good and bad.

Actually the Toro is the better deal. It has a 5yr warranty vs the 3yr Honda warranty. When you look at the mowers there both running the same Honda GVC engine, they run the same ground speed. The Toro will cut a fraction higher and side discharge which the Honda doesn't and it has an aluminum deck vs a steel on the Honda so there basically the same thing. The Toro I'm guessing is a little cheaper price knowing Honda and with the better warranty I'd go with the Toro 20382.
 

Rich M.

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The Toro I'm guessing is a little cheaper price knowing Honda and with the better warranty I'd go with the Toro 20382.

Thanks for the reply. The Toro is actually a little higher in price, but still in the ball park. If you buy the Honda before May 31st, Honda will give you four years of warranty coverage. The Toro still has Honda beat by one year, which is nice. The only negative thing that I have read in the different reviews is that Toro has not been standing behind their warranty coverage. Of course, these negative comments may have come from operators who did not follow normal maintenance procedures,etc.

By chance, do you know if Toro has replaced mental parts with plastic ones? I say this as a past Craftsman person. I noticed the newer Craftsman's mowers have more plastic on their mowers, especially the gears in the drive wheels. Certainly, a high wear area.
 

primerbulb120

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The Toro will cut a fraction higher

The Honda will cut a fraction lower. :biggrin:

and side discharge which the Honda doesn't

The Honda isn't side discharge, it's rear discharge. And it has Honda's Clip Director system that allows you to switch between mulch, bag and discharge by just turning a lever.

The Toro I'm guessing is a little cheaper price knowing Honda

Actually you could go up to the HRR216VYA model, which has a blade clutch and manual throttle, and still get it for less than the Toro.
 

primerbulb120

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Thanks for the reply. The Toro is actually a little higher in price, but still in the ball park. If you buy the Honda before May 31st, Honda will give you four years of warranty coverage. The Toro still has Honda beat by one year, which is nice. The only negative thing that I have read in the different reviews is that Toro has not been standing behind their warranty coverage. Of course, these negative comments may have come from operators who did not follow normal maintenance procedures,etc.

By chance, do you know if Toro has replaced mental parts with plastic ones? I say this as a past Craftsman person. I noticed the newer Craftsman's mowers have more plastic on their mowers, especially the gears in the drive wheels. Certainly, a high wear area.

Both the Honda and the Toro have metal gears in the rear wheels, but the Honda has ball bearing rear wheels while the Toro does not.
 

Rivets

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First I must say I work for a Toro dealer and that I have been a Toro fan for most of my life. The drive wheels on model 20382 are metal on metal. Think that was the question you wanted answered. As to warranty, I don't know of any time when I have asked for what I feel was a legitament warranty claim, that it was denied. They have even stood behind some of the ones which I felt were questionable, most times these have dealt with either fuel and/or customer abuse. Could also be caused by techs who don't know how to work with their dealer tech service reps, which I have found helps me alot. I have even been called by my rep to see if I have run into problems which are new to them. I'll bet the reviews you have read are from people who have either abused the product or bought from a big box store. It's never their fault.
 

Ric

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Thanks for the reply. The Toro is actually a little higher in price, but still in the ball park. If you buy the Honda before May 31st, Honda will give you four years of warranty coverage. The Toro still has Honda beat by one year, which is nice. The only negative thing that I have read in the different reviews is that Toro has not been standing behind their warranty coverage. Of course, these negative comments may have come from operators who did not follow normal maintenance procedures,etc.

By chance, do you know if Toro has replaced mental parts with plastic ones? I say this as a past Craftsman person. I noticed the newer Craftsman's mowers have more plastic on their mowers, especially the gears in the drive wheels. Certainly, a high wear area.

My pricing was just a guess, I just figured knowing Honda and that generally speaking there pricing on there equipment is more expensive. As far as any work being done on either mower goes you'll stand a lot better chance of that happening if you buy from a dealer rather than a BBS like HD. I've been running the Toro's for a number of years and never had any issues with there mowers getting repair.
 

javjacob

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Both the Honda and the Toro have metal gears in the rear wheels, but the Honda has ball bearing rear wheels while the Toro does not.

Its the details like that which make me a Honda fan. Nothing outlasts a Honda. If its made by Honda its going to be reliable and last decades if not forever.
I wish Honda would start making a lawn/garden tractors again.
 
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