Toro 30" Timemaster - A Homeowners Perspective After 2 Seasons
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- Опубліковано 27 жов 2024
- Toro Timemaster - A homeowners perspective after 2 seasons.
This is my look at the Toro Timemaster 30" lawn mower of using it for a little more than 2 seasons.
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Enjoy!
Love how you care for your equipment!!!
Great video.
I service many of these Timemasters, both the 8.75/ 20199, 8.75/ 20200, and the new 10.00/ 21199,21200.
I have been working on a bunch of them over the years, no matter which one you get.
The biggest problems with them, from being a small engine mechanic, is they like to blow their head gaskets a lot, they only have 4 small head bolts that's why, and I mean all of them, 8.75 series, and the new 10.00 series, also another issue is the pulleys, cheap bearings, you can do the exmarks upgrade on the bearings/pulley, but that is quite expensive, 200 dollars, and finally the muffler likes to loosen, and or the bolts strip out, only way to fix it is buy a 1/4-20 helicoil kit, and rethread the holes.
I own the 21200 keystart version, with the 10.00 series briggs, I have a few videos on my channel, about the timemaster, and how to replace the head gasket, and other goodies on the mower. Again great video, and keep up on the mower, and it will last you quite a few years, if you take good care of it.
Would love your opinion on the best walk behind with bagger for large lawn
@@rupertmedford3901 all depends on what you're will to pay, you have large 42" walk behinds, some 33" walk behinds, and 20" to 30" walk behinds, the bigger the more expensive you can get, the best 20" would be the tried but true snapper high vac, 22" Toro Super Recycler also known as the SR4, 30" Toro Timemaster is ok but better can be had in the 30" sizes but they go up in price fast, the best so far in 30" to 33" is the Scag, top of the line but very expensive, the top of the line to me would be anything made by either Scag of ferris/snapper, if I had the money I would go Ferris/ snapper all day long, my personal equipment is snapper high vac 20" with key start, a Snapper pro50" and a snapper yard cruiser 38",a Toro SR4 with keystart, and a Toro timemaster with keystart.
@@knighthawk86855 I guess I have limits on price. I would like something bigger than the standard 21 inch cut. My lawn mower that I have now is a zero turn with a 42 in cut but it is too heavy for some of my yard, and too heavy if it's been raining, too heavy for new grass. I want a bag on the mower though.
@@rupertmedford3901 ok limited budget, the Timemaster can be had for around 600 used but most are beat to death at that price, personally I would go with a Toro Super Recycler sr4, they can be found around for about 300 used to about 150, and with the aluminum deck and briggs engine, are a very nice mower and give an excellent quality cut, so if I were you, find a mid priced used sr4.
@@rupertmedford3901 and the sr4 is a 22" mower.
Now that's how you take care of a lawn mower!! Good job!!
I've owned a 30" Timemaster for 9 years. I paid just under $1,200 for it, and I have paid just OVER $1,200 in repairs during that time. When it works it's great, but it's in the shop a lot, and it's not cheap to repair.
Ive had mine 10 years and have finally purchased a new set of blades for it.
I haven’t had any issues. After sitting all winter, I started it last week and two pulls of the cord and it fired up.
That diagonal cut is the move. Looks gangster af.
The mower wash was just the best… the blower and tire shine… great video for me,
Let me first say I could watch you mow your lawn all day with enough refreshments. The other thing, back about 10 years ago on Mothers Day I went out and got a Honda mower. When I got back from the store the wife ask where I was. I told her that I got her a nice silver and red Honda rear wheel drive. Then when I told her that it starts with one pull of the cord, well lets just say the look on her face changed a lot. Still got the mower and after almost five years of not being used it started with just two pulls. By the way, she still hasn't tried it out yet.
You bought yourself a mower on Mother’s Day? Legendary
I'm 42 years old, and have been mowing since I was 10 years old. Have always used a Toro 22 inch or smaller (can't remember how wide they were back in the day) Just ordered a Timemaster last week, and I'm pretty excited to start using it. I suspect it will save me a lot of time (no pun intended) on the yards I do. Thanks for the video
How are you liking it so far? I’m considering getting one.
@@peteross4879 I love it. It was a lot more powerful than I had thought. When I started it, it was a lot louder than my older 22 inchers so I knew it must be packing a punch. The thing I am still trying to get used to, is the blades extend over the wheel path. So to truly maximize the efficiency of the 30" width, you almost have to run your wheel on the inner groove of the track you made. (not sure if that makes sense)
@@AugustusMcCrae_LD it makes perfect sense. I’m currently using an ego select cut electric mower and while I love not dealing with gas and maintenance it just doesn’t cut it. No pun intended.
@@AugustusMcCrae_LD just bought one last week. Very quiet. You could almost mow without ear plugs. Almost. But don’t.
I bought the first year model 20200 and still use it today. A couple of years ago I removed the 190cc Briggs and put the Kohler CV224 engine on. Major power improvement and it's nice having an adjustable throttle to turn down while emptying the bag, etc. I also replaced all the pulleys with the heavy duty Exmark parts and put the Exmark's blade brake arm assembly on too (much more solid). The timemaster blade brake arm assembly is poorly engineered. I Heli-coiled all the aluminum threads in the deck, and made custom bolts for the belt cover that are easier to remove. I removed all the useless blue plastic at the top of the handle and modified the handle position assembly by creating a position between the high handle setting and the low handle setting that works perfect for my height (5'10"). I put an oil drain hose on the engine, and recently replaced my spindle bearings with higher quality SKF C3 bearings. Replaced wheels once, transmission once, tranny belt once, blade drive belt 4 times, plastic grass flap that drags on the ground once, and a broken spring. I did not waste my time painting my deck black or plasti-dipping my wheels or any useless bull$hit like that. I've tried many blades and have determined that for me on northern grass (TTTF), I run the low lift Atomic blades in the spring and mulch with them until about mid-late May. Then I switch to the High lift Atomics (mulching all the time unless over grown, wet, etc.) In fall I need to bag up my leaves as they are the little Honey Locust leaves which get matted down in the lawn so I use the Ballard Hi-Lift blades for bagging (fantastic). I've tried Gator G5 & G3 blades but G5 is really too big and heavy for that mower and causes too much blowout from under the deck. G3 did not cut as clean or mulch as good as the Toro atomic high lift, but I ran them without sharpening first. I will try them again after grinding the rounded powder coat off the blade edge first. They also left a few more stragglers. Oh well enough of my novel about this mower. I still like it...tried 2 battery mowers (Ryobi 40V crosscut and Toro 60V recycler) and neither have the power to cut my very thick lawn without leaving grass on the top of the lawn. I actually find the bigger Timemaster easier to use anyway...really!
You are definatly a professional homeowner, respect!
You basically re-engineered the whole machine. I can understand why. In 8 years I have replaced a handful of components, one which was the transmission which was an expensive repair. The Timemaster 20199 is a very unreliable machine. My son was using a 21" Toro for his lawn business and he cut over 400 lawns in the summer and it ran like a champ. The Timemaster is a weakling and Toro should be ashamed for putting out such a low quality product.
I have the same model and have used it for home and 6 years of lawn care at an apartment complex with minimal issues. Last night, it decided it wanted to act up pretty badly. I bought the new model today and will be repairing/replacing the engine on the old one soon. It will be nice to have a backup again, even though I only take care of my own yard these days.
Blue handle is for pushing up hills so you can keep a more consistent speed and nut push the personal pace bar all the way to fast.
This is the best video for the Timemaster I have seen. You’ve covered everything I needed to know. Thank you! 👍🏽
I bought a Timemaster 6 months ago. Hands down the best mower I ever owned and I have been cutting grass for nearly 60 years. Saves 1/3 of time vs. The old 21" super recycler.
It won't last. They are junk.
The Toro Timemaster is a great mower. I had mine for 10 years and it’s still going strong.
U R lucky mines 2 years old and takes 4 every to start
I use the 30” TimeMaster Commercial and happy to have spent the $600 more for better parts and engine!😊
I painted my wheels black and it looks sweet!
Relaxed and in-depth review 👍
I ran one pro for a season. I liked it. Fast, light, but not built for lawn butchers who abuse their machines. Takes a gentle touch.
Quick tip. Tape off small section around the rubbing areas then use a few coats of Plasti Dip spray in that area it’s flexible and will help prevent wear.
That is a great idea.
What is a “rubbing area”?
@@mmr0221 In the video, he explained that the grass bag constantly gets rubbed by the spring loaded flap. The corners of the flap are wearing through the grass bag. The other commenters idea was to reinforce these areas with rubberized coating, which will harden up the bag locally in those rubbing areas, preventing a hole in the bag.
I remember when these were $999 at HD a few years ago. Now they want almost $1500. That's nuts for this mower. You can buy THREE ( $479 each in May 2022) of the 22 inch Personal Pace for the same money. I have a TORO 22 inch PP mower (also pulls a stripping roller) that's now on year seven and works great. I would recommend anyone with that mower buy a inline fuel filter and install it.
I agree that $1500 is too much. I think when I purchased in 2019 it was $950. My machine also came with an in line fuel filter. 👍
Wow! My old mower has never had that kind of shampoo and conditioning!
I'm now wondering if he is going to wax and polish it!
That sort of treatment is not usual. :) I was just having a bit of fun. 🍻
@@DonBeforeDawn
Life magazine once did a feature on climbing Mt Rainier in Washington State. They used the professional guide service.
When they got to the summit after ascending 10,000 feet to 14,410 feet, the guides pulled out watermelons to share with everyone, as if that was regular climbing fare. I always thought that made for a good story, as does yours. I figured that was the regular care you provided for all your mowers.
Lol!!!
I am a Toro guy, the thing about them is the cut they give. Honda is close, but Toro gives the best cut.
Interesting note about the blue foam. I have the same mower and have had it for many years. I don’t have blue foam in my tank.
I love this mower. I can let it sit all winter, pull the cord and it starts.
The only thing I don’t like is that it doesn’t “pull” when I’m walking up a grade. I find myself having to push the mower.
About to start my 6th season and I have no regrets.
Bought one Sunday at HD for $1700 (minus 10% off coupon.) Mowed once. Did a good job. It is a lot faster. Weighs 135 lbs. Feels heavy . Cannot manhandle it like a 22" . FYI: 233cc= 6 HP. Wish it were an 8 HP.
10% coupon? Was this something a local store was offering or from the factory?
@@coniccinoc If you open a Home depot charge card acct, you will get 10% off. Mower is okay, but not great. 1) 6 hp is a little underpowered, 2) will need maintenance for blade belt and self-propelling function, 3) was too expensive at $1530, 4) Hose wash-out feature is an impractical gimmick, 5) For another $400 could have bought a nice small riding mower at Tractor Supply ($1950), 6) As you'll see, it's a workout to operate at 135 lbs. Not like a 22" (I'm a weight lifter at 6' 220). 7) DO NOT mow if it is at all wet grass. It will bog down and cut out. Seems like a dream mower, it is not.
IN HINDSIGHT: should have built my own with an 8 or 10 HP engine and direct drive blade AND no self propelled... just a raw monster lawn mower on a 36" deck to tear up 6, 8, 10" grass like butter. That'll be my next one...
@@seanbrown4023high praise loool. I think 'll stick to my 10 year old honda 21. Just put 20 dollars into it and tuned the governor and idle on the engine.
Amazing video. Thank you
Those Time Masters wear out the drive belt quickly because they are so heavy.That was according to a mechanic at a Toro dealership.I have the Toro 60 volt ‘Recycler’ and it isn’t as wide as the TM,but it is much lighter.
That's a beautiful mower. Been tempted to replace my recyclers with a Timemaster, would cut my mowing time down and larger stripes would be a plus. Also like that you keep the mower clean, still looks new!
In reality it's not. But the guy sure keeps it nice & clean.
@@johnpeterson8408 Yeah. My recyclers keep running so staying with what gets the job done. 👍
That level of grass sticking to the underside of the deck is a deal breaker for me. Unless using the washing port right after use improved that issue this seems like a total PIA to have to keep clean. At that price, its a bad flaw.
You should use the washout and keep it clean. It does work.
Put some foam pipe insulation on your flap so it doesn't tear your bag
Where did you find that cool no-spill gas can? I've never seen one of those. Thanks for the video!
I think I got it at my local Ace Hardware, but Tractor Supply has them also. It's called "Surecan". I have had mine for about 5 years now and it is my favorite gas csn.
My new stehl mower works great. Brand new to the us market
The Timemaster is the mower that one day I want to own, but for now, I can't justify for my lawn size.
You may want to consider the Toro Recycler. It's a 22" but still features the Personal Pace system.
DO NOT buy this thing. I work on these things at a dealer, total piles of garbage. Underpowered, over complicated, and a nightmare to work on. there is a long delay on the self propel, when your belt breaks, these chew through belts like no tomorrow, you have to remove the engine to do the blade belt, you have to tear the whole thing apart to do drive belt. total pile of garbage. Buy the super recycler, it mows very well, however the briggs engine on it is a horrid pile of junk that never stops having problems. but the rest of the machine is easy to work on and reasonably reliable. the standard recycler mows decently, but requires removing the baffle to do drive belt changes, and the transmission is very poor quality.
Same here I have 1500 Sq feet so I opted out for the Matt black super recycler with the Toro engine. I couldn't be more happier.
No you don't. If you buy one you won't be happy.
I just got my hands on a timemaster for this season (used commercially) and so far I definitely love it, I definitely put it through hell lol
Give it a min the belt will slip off and the personal pace will stop working to the point we’re your going to get mad and in tall damp grass not going to even say wet it will clog bad you will be have to clean the under body all day! The motor will start sergin but the secret to this mower is dry weather and only but all the other things are guaranteed to happen! But if you make your money back and some you won but had the commercial exmark to just broke down and got a Honda cuts wet grass and more power I’m out!
Is it broke yet ? If not, there is a breakdown right on the horizon.
Dang, you'd think it was a new C8 the way he details it. It's just a lawn mower.
As a business owner. Locked it to the curb on marketplace and went straight to the FW15
Have you been happy with the FW15? I am considering getting a 36" walk behind ( maybe Toro) but not sure if another brand would be better?
Let us know about the gas sponge when you remove it! Does it increase gas capacity!
I will be removing it at the end of this season. :)
It cannot increase capacity. The sponge itself takes up space. It’s likely to prevent sloshing.
@@briantii I agree to decrease sloshing. But when you take it out it has to increase in gas capacity, maybe a minimal amount.
@@TaylorGrayson33 Ah sorry. I misread it the first time. Strangely some people think the sponge itself increases capacity (which is physically impossible). I agree, the sponge decreases capacity by a (very) small amount while likely solving some sloshing issues. Removing it probably gives another 2-3 minutes of runtime assuming the sloshing issue isn’t excessive.
@@DonBeforeDawnRemove the foam at the end of the warranty because the foam breaks down and deteriorate with age.
Mine: top crank seal leak, eats belts, paint peeling, too heavy, rear wheel adjuster too flimsy, trans will not grab enough on a hill. Thanks, good video!
The mulch plug isn't even needed. The area will fill with grass so fast, The grass will become the mulch plug.
I only have 10000sq ft of lawn but it is very hilly, >30 degrees in a couple spots - would this unit make it easier than my cheapo 21” snapper with front drive? I’m imagining the power of this unit will help pull me up the hills
I have some hills as well and the personal pace makes it easy. I do prefer the rear drive of the Toro as it makes turning easy.
The only down side of the 30" timemaster is the price. When I purchased in 2019 it was worthwhile but I'm not sure I would pay today's price. Local to me these are going for $1500/1600.
Great video Don, very helpful. I'm picking up a used three year old model tomorrow.
One question: Does that mulch plug need to be installed when you are side discharging?
Yes, otherwise some of the clippings will be directed towards the back door.
I just bought my Toro, and it is a 3 year old, used commercial for sure. It does not shine anymore. I see the clutch cable is damaged., Looks like a tough job to replace it.
My machine is not commercial so it may not be the same, but here is a video I made of my cable replacement.
ua-cam.com/video/d_CqhIRfcvU/v-deo.html
Hello sir, what setting do you like for scalping? Thanks for your time 👍🏻
The lowest I have gone is 2 1/2 inches. Not sure what letter setting that would be be though. I always just measure from the cutting edge to ground if I need the exact distance.
The Super Recycler is a completely different animal from the regular stamped steel recycler. The SR4 is built to commercial standards with a thick aluminum deck, a heavy duty gearbox and an axle with Zerk fittings to keep the wheel ratchet pawls greased among other things. I agree with you about the Time Master, I’ve got an older one with the smaller engine and it’s never given me a lick of trouble (except the gas cap kept coming loose but I found a way to fix that). On mine I removed that stupid blue handle, rotated the recoil starter so it was sideways instead of pointing towards the handlebars (re-clocked the Briggs sticker so it was straight) and replaced that annoying push button stop switch with an on-off switch on the blower housing like a generator uses. Great mower worth every bit of $1000 IMO. I hear you can’t get them now because they’re back ordered, like everything else!
I don't have issues with clogging on my timemaster 30.
You can wash the whole mower? Won’t damage the motor or any components by spraying it with a hose?
I tried to keep from spraying water directly over the top of the engine.
I've never seen anyone detail their mower.
Can you say how easy it is to turn?
Since it is rear wheel drive it's not hard to turn by pushing down on the handle and lifting the front wheels to pivot on the rear.
The only thing I have run into is that sharp turns/pivots can cause the rear wheels to dig into the Turf a bit.
@@DonBeforeDawn Thanks!
Bruce's bagger for lawn mower
Please tell me Toro has made it easy drain and change oil
They have not made any changes that I am aware of. Tipping the mower is generally okay to do, just remember carburetor should always be upwards.
blue handles is for going up and down slopes
Does the side discharge have a latch it connects to? Because when I just slide it under the side it always ends up coming off.
Mine has no latch, but uses 2 points under the spring loaded door that seem to hold it place well.
Any issues with the flapper? Mine got destroy after only 2 mows
I am assuming the flapper you are referring to is the plastic piece that is behind the blades near the axle. This is my forth season and I have had no issues with mine.
For the price of these mowers the front end shouldn’t be plastic.
How
Long does fuel tank last?
Side-discharge is the way to go on this mower, it's not good at mulching at all.
add rubbing molding over the bagger flap
He says he never uses the personal pace? The mower will not even move forward without using it. He cannot be not using it! He is really getting a nice cut with this Toro mower.
The personal pace is awesome. It's the blue stationary handle that I don't use.
Mine is only 2 years old and never starts before 30 pulls wonder if mine is a lemon and toro is no help, looks like I'm out 1,800 bucks. done with toro
How big is your lawn, and how long does it take to cut?
My front lawn is about 6000 SF and my back lawn is about 7500 SF I mow the front in about 30 minutes and the same for the back. I usually bag the first 2 cuts to collect up all debris from winter which takes a bit longer due to having to stop to empty the back a couple times.
This year starts my 4th season with this mower and I have no regrets.
What type of grass do you show in this video? It's nice.
It started as a blend (KYB, Fescue, & Rye) from when the house was built (20 years ago). I have never killed it off and started over, but every time I over seed I use perennial Rye. Rye is by far my favorite but it struggles in the heat.
6.17 what fuel tank is that? really cool design
It's called "Sure Can". It works very good, but the downside is they are pricey for a plastic gas can.
@@DonBeforeDawn ok thankyou!!
I want to buy that mower
What the hell did I just watch this man literally put tire shine on his mower and scrubbed it
Doesn't owners manual say what blue foam is For
Bring lawn mower bagger to Bruce
You did not
Just tire shine your lawnmower tires…..
😎👍😁
Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.
mostly everyone on the net is a liar. that mower is $1500 with tax over $1600
My mower was priced at under $1000 when I purchased it three years ago. I'm sure it is priced higher now especially given the supply chain issues we are currently experiencing.
No sales tax where I live. 😊
Does it have an hour.meter?
It does not come with an hour meter, and I never added one. During the growing season I mow twice per week and I probably average 30 - 40 minutes per mow.
Toro PUC.
All in all, I don't think the Timemaster is a good machine. It will not hold up. Bought mine in 2015 and have had it in the shop 4 times for a cable replacement, a spindle replacement, the transmission went out which was an expensive repair, and the idler pully disintegrated. Now I have to replace the blade drive belt but that can be expected at this time. My Timemaster was a $1000 machine back in 2015 and now it's like $1500. I would not buy another one. They are severely underpowered for the size and weight of the machine. I never has a problem with Toro products before except this one. My advice, go buy something else.
I’ve never seen anyone wash a push mower!!! Water is the enemy
Agree those wheels are pizza cutters.
Toro put a roller on the back and I'll buy one
Use a heat gun and bend up the tabs that are digging into the bag.
Problem solved.
Bagger for lawn mower
Need to get bagger
I have a bagger, and I use it sometimes. Mostly I try to mulch the clippings back into the lawn.
Really , cleaning your push mower . Must be retired. 🤯
Had Timemasters for years now. First thing you do is toss that stupid blue sponge in the tank...don't need it
I read that it was there to prevent the fuel from sloshing around. Not sure what the benefit of that would be. Toro says it is to allow all the fuel in the tank to get used. I will probably remove it for next season.
I have the Timemaster with electric start. I bought mine used. Was in very good condition. I mow my house, and a few neighbors homes with it. Nothing huge. After 1 summer though the Briggs 10.00 died. I replaced it with a new Briggs. I am not impressed with the Briggs or it's electric start. "Cheap" It's underwhelming at best. I end up using the the pull cord more often than the starter. And the gas tank is way too small for this mower. Constantly stopping to fill it up.
Despite all this, when running, the mower cuts smoothly and the bagger collects a lot but, will leak a clump of grass out occassionaly when you hit a bump in the lawn easily. The handle bounces a lot and the blue handle which one would use to pull the bar towards it to drive the mower forward isn't designed very well. Not wide enough. My hands get pretty sore from how much the handle bounces. But the good thing about the handle is it's position adjustment. Lower for folks who are shorter in height, and upright for storage and easy bagger removal.
As I said before, the bagger holds a lot of grass. So much so as the mower itself is very heavy, between a full bagger and the mower the front wheels will easily leave the ground. If you own a standard 21", the 30" is a huge difference in time spent mowing. The quick connect on the deck to wash out with is great. Really like that feature. I've had it 3 summers now. Would I buy this again? Probably not, I think Toro could build a better product than this. I would opt for a better engine.
What would you buy instead of the Timemaster if you could do it?
@@MixingGBP Although I still have the Timemaster, I bought a MyRide Toro zero turn 42". I honestly don't see any better or worse mower than the Time Master 30". But I'm glad I don't have to use it as much anymore now having a zeroturn.