toro super recycler with b&s engine HomeDepot

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I was in homedepot and as I past by the lawnmowers I saw a Toro Super Recycler. I did not know HD sold the super toros. The other thing caught
my eye was the $499.99 price tag. It came with a 163 B&S engine. I need a new lawn mower come this early spring. Maybe the mower for me.
 
I have a 1999 Toro recycler. 6hp b&s engine. Still runs great and the body looks like brand new.
 
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I had one a few years ago. It had a rear drive system. It cut great but, the transmission was horrible. I replaced it once and it went out again two years later. I didn't bother with replacing it again. I got rid of it and bought a Snapper Ninja Commercial mower.
 
This is the personal pace one. The only thing I am not a fan of sometimes I would like to throw the grass out instead
of mulching. I know nothing about the newer B&S engines. I know the Toro brand engine is chinese but from what I see is built heavy duty.
You can get a honda engine too for more money.
 
Are you sure that's a SR4 Super? The current model years have a Honda or Chonda (Toro branded) motor. The B&S supplied motors are regular Recyclers.
 
do NOT buy personal pace. its terrible. by far the best mower at HD is the honda or the lawn boy. old school I speed rear drive trans. bulletproof.
 
Originally Posted by super20dan
do NOT buy personal pace. its terrible. by far the best mower at HD is the honda or the lawn boy. old school I speed rear drive trans. bulletproof.


I've had great luck with the personal pace system, at least for the 4 years I've had it in my snowblower.
 
Originally Posted by ZebRuaj
Are you sure that's a SR4 Super? The current model years have a Honda or Chonda (Toro branded) motor. The B&S supplied motors are regular Recyclers.


I looked on the Toro site https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/walk-behind-mowers/21-personal-pace-21386

When you look in specs it said B&S engine. That caught my eye when I pass by it being a super recycler. New for this year.
 
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Originally Posted by passgas55
I was in homedepot and as I past by the lawnmowers I saw a Toro Super Recycler. I did not know HD sold the super toros. The other thing caught
my eye was the $499.99 price tag. It came with a 163 B&S engine. I need a new lawn mower come this early spring. Maybe the mower for me.


This is definitely new to me, and I can't wait to visit my professional OPE dealer here in Canada to ask him a few questions. Firstly, I have had five or six Super Recyclers with Personal Pace over the last 12 or so years. I use them for a couple of years, then sell them in mint condition to friends and family. I don't sell them because they are worn out or don't last. I do this process because my dealer gives me a new one every two years in what amounts to a labor exchange program. All of the above mowers are still accounted for and still running great.

When I first started getting these Super Recycler mowers back in about 2005, they actually came with Briggs engines, with the option of a Honda. My latest Super Recycler is two years old. This one is the "spin-stop" model, which allows the blade to stop spinning while the engine still runs. It does use a "Toro TXP" engine, which is made in China. In visiting the Toro site just now, I notice that my exact model is still available, complete with the exact red-painted deck.

Now, though, I also see that they also offer a Super Recycler with spin-stop, but this mower has a black-painted deck. From what I can see, they are now offering two identical mowers but the "NEW" black-deck comes with a Briggs engine. I am not sure why Toro would do this. My best guess is that Toro may be looking to drop the Chinese TXP engine and go back to Briggs. Maybe they have a bunch of old red-deck Chinese TXP engined mowers they need to liquidate?

I will be finding out the answer very soon...
 
Upon further review, it looks like only the 21386 "Smartstow" model comes with the Briggs engine. Now I really have to talk to my dealer to get to the bottom of this.
 
Had to replace the transmission on mine every two to four years as well. Then the carburetor mounting bracket cracked. Afterwards, replaced the carburetor also.
 
I looked at Toros when shopping mowers for my younger sister last year.
Think about for a second: When you mow with a self propelled mower, your often dragging the mower backwards and it is not self propelled in that situation.
Toro makes a mower which is self propelled going forward and backwards. It has a transmission on the front of the mower to propel it going backwards and
one at the rear to go forward. Very simple system. Spotted it at a independent dealer. The guy at the dealer told me they have to readjust the cable for the reverse
new out of the box for it to work good as Toro sets it up at the factory to keep their attorneys happy.
This one has a B&S engine on it. The one in the video does not however.
https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/w...e-personal-pace-smartstow-recycler-mower
 
That seems like a lot of money, a Honda might be better. That power reverse thing is unusual. I have a self propelled it isn't hard to pull backwards. Having a power drive going my direction doesn't seem like something I would want.
 
Originally Posted by caprice_2nv
I'll never by a self propelled mower. They're so heavy especially once they break and you have to push anyway.



smile.gif
Of course, my old 2 stroke Lawn Boy silver series 6.5HP self propelled is lighter than any mower sold today.
smile.gif


Love the smell too! It has a catalyst muffler so there is just a hint of 2 stroke exhaust after startup.
 
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I have a super recycler I bought new in 2008. Had a recycler before that. Here's my observations & opinion:

- Generally, the personal pace is nice. Allows you to slow down or speed up easily. It still requires a small amount of "push" and I can feel it in my arms shoulders a bit. When needing to reverse sometimes the wheels seem to drag (not freewheel) and Ihave to push it forward manually before I can pull it backwards easily. I've tried messing with the drive adjustment but it's never perfect. From my experience it does't manuver like a "heavy" mower.

- Grass mulching is very good, however if the grass is aliitle too long or wet it will accumulate on the left rear wheel then fall off in strips. Leaf mulching is satisfactory, but not outstanding.

- Mine has a weird problem where if it runs out of gas (and engine is hot) it can be all but impossible to get it restarted (after adding fuel). I make sure the tank has enough fuel to finish before I start.

- I believe the only part that I had to replace (aside from the air filter) was the plastic deflector at the back of the deck.

- I did get a gator blade for it to see if it cut any better. I'd say the OEM blade is still better for grass. Results were similar with leaves.

The treads on the tires are almost worn away and it starts reliably so I've been overall happy with it. My biggest gripe is with trying to mow right up against a chain link fence. The starter cord "guide" protrudes on the right side and the cables on the left.
 
Originally Posted by Cujet
caprice_2nv said:
smile.gif
Of course, my old 2 stroke Lawn Boy silver series 6.5HP self propelled is lighter than any mower sold today.
smile.gif


Love the smell too! It has a catalyst muffler so there is just a hint of 2 stroke exhaust after startup.


That's why I love mowing with my vintage Lawn Boys. My 5024 Bricktop weighs in at approximately 46lbs with a full tank of gas!

L8R,
Matt
 
Originally Posted by Cujet
Originally Posted by caprice_2nv
I'll never by a self propelled mower. They're so heavy especially once they break and you have to push anyway.



smile.gif
Of course, my old 2 stroke Lawn Boy silver series 6.5HP self propelled is lighter than any mower sold today.
smile.gif


Love the smell too! It has a catalyst muffler so there is just a hint of 2 stroke exhaust after startup.


I've always hated 2 strokes for their smell but my newer Stihl consumer grade trimmer barely has any more smell than my good running 4 stroke lawnmower. And it starts reliably too. I got a $32 weed eater blower that ran fine and has for like 3 years now. It is finicky sometimes but I haven't even pulled the plug out or adjusted anything. It's like 30 years old. I'm not as down on 2 strokes anymore.
 
Originally Posted by passgas55
I was in homedepot and as I past by the lawnmowers I saw a Toro Super Recycler. I did not know HD sold the super toros. The other thing caught
my eye was the $499.99 price tag. It came with a 163 B&S engine. I need a new lawn mower come this early spring. Maybe the mower for me.


I think that's the standard Toro MSRP for a Super. They've never been cheap.

If you want the best of the best in terms of mulching, a super recycler is the way to go.

Nothing wrong with the next tier down Toro recycler line either, it's just their mulching ability isn't quite as good.
 
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