Toro mower on CL

[Donald]

Looking at this to possibly replace my 22" Ariens, or if not at least to mulch all the leaves that fall on to the lawn. I am thinking $400.

Lawn is about 3/4 acre out of 26 acres.

Have a Husqvarna rider but I need the exercise.

https://nwct.craigslist.org/grd/6715731793.html

Ariens seem to have one of the front drive wheels get loose, so it's down until I can see what's wrong, order parts and fix.

 

[joegreen]

I too am from upstate ny and i find that Connecticut generally has nicer kept items than here in ny if that means anything.

 

[dareo]

That's an awesome deal on a 2nd gen Timemaster. I've used them ever since they came out and i couldn't go back to a normal width mower.

 

[skyactiv]

I'm surprised those aren't more popular then they are. That seems like a very good choice for someone with a large lawn but doesn't quite need a riding lawn mower.

 

[eljefino]

I never knew these existed but they do look awesome.

 

[BigD1]

If you offer $400, and load it up for $450 you did dang good I would think.

 

[dareo]

Originally Posted by BigD1
If you offer $400, and load it up for $450 you did dang good I would think.

The retail for $999 and sometimes come on sale for $949, best case scenario you buy for 10% off at Home Depot at 949 - 10% plus tax and end up about $900 for brand new. If that hasn't seen all day lawn crew use its an absolute bargain at full asking price. If mine broke i'd buy another one ASAP. The cut quality and production value is worth it. I only have a quarter acre and i still consider it a must buy.

 

[tc1446]

Doesn't show bag in pics. Make sure that is included. Obvious things...check undercarriage for wear, rust, condition of blade, etc.

 

[JTK]

IMO, that looks too good to be true. Like said, those are basically a grand brand-new. I don't know anything about the mechanicals on them, but haven't heard any complaints. I have that engine on my commercial series 21" Snapper that's going on 8yrs old. Great engine. I've seen these from time to time locally on CL, but more in the $600-700 range IIRC.

 

[dwendt44]

Initial rating of the first year of two of these machines was that they were
underpowered.
That may have improved in current models, but you never know.

My 2¢

 

[DriveHard]

I have the Troy-Bilt WC28 which is the TB competitor to this Toro with the exact same engine. If you are mulching, it can feel underpowered, especially in wet grass. With my TB, if I go too fast I will also get a strip of taller grass right in the middle. The two mowers do differ in that the TB have blades that are staggered for and aft, and no timing between the blades, as they overlap but don't interfere due to the stagger. The Toro has blades that are side by side with no stagger and some overlap. They use a timing mechanism so the blades will interfere if the timing gets off. I upgraded my blades to Meg-Mo blades and got a MUCH nicer cut, and no tall strip anymore. With the Toro timing system you would not be able to make a change like that in the future. I picked mine up for $400 on consignment at a local small engine shop...it had one hour on it (and looked brand spanking new).

https://www.troybilt.com/equipment/troybilt/troy-bilt-tbwc28-walk-behind-mower-12abw34k711

https://www.meg-mo.com/

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by dwendt44
Initial rating of the first year of two of these machines was that they were
underpowered.
That may have improved in current models, but you never know.

My 2¢


I read about the early machines were underpowered. But the one on CL has the same displacement as the new ones. So I assume this is not an early model.

 

[dareo]

Originally Posted by dwendt44
Initial rating of the first year of two of these machines was that they were
underpowered.
That may have improved in current models, but you never know.

My 2¢


I had the original with the smaller engine, and it was adequate power. Some people seem to think that they should be able to mulch anything at full speed or a mower sucks. In reality, all mowers need a place to put clippings, it ran great side discharge or 1/3 grass length mulching. I ran that first model for 4 hard years on multiple lawns and it never let me down. When i learned of the more powerful model i did sell my 1st gen and upgrade. I got a quick $600 out of it even with 4 years use under its belt. Does the newer model make a difference in power? Yes. It also empties the tiny gas tank faster than the old model. This is the only annoying thing about these mowers, the gas tank is pathetic. The self propel is also not up to the task of a steep yard. So if your not mowing up a lot of hills and you can mow your lawn on a reasonable schedule, either model will be powerful enough. The larger engine model is louder and wont bog down as fast. Give it thick and wet enough grass and you can eventually bog it down as well like anything else. Its not a mower for everyone, this is a mower for enthusiasts who can take good care of stuff. It has belts and things that might need more service than a one blade setup.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I sold my 36" Exmark for less than that. I got it from local surplus sale, just needed a carb rebuild. It was a fun stand up mower. Way too big for my yard. Sold it for $300. Look around for one. Most people won't even consider it because they can't use the tank style controls and you get a huge discount.

 

[jeepman3071]

They are good mowers. Make sure the transmission works well, that seems to be the only issue they have. Most of the ones I see with "failing transmissions" just need the self propel tension adjusted though. They do an awesome job of mulching leaves.