Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ruclips.net/user/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.
I use this puppy commercially and I've mowed the hell out of that mower and I had absolutely no trouble with it. I even didn't take care of it like this guy. Sure, I changed the oil once a year but I've cut 50 times more lawns than his mower did. Also I sometimes forget/don't have time to sharpen the blades.. This mower is (beside the 22" Honda HRX) the best piece of equipment I've ever bought for my small lawn care business. I don't know if I was lucky or what but when the time comes I'll buy it again, no question about it.. First I was thinking about investing in Toro Turfmaster (commercial brother of the TimeMaster) but I couldn't justify the price difference. Now I'm glad I saved those 900$ and bought one more Husqvarna trimmer and a Makita battery chainsaw...
That blue handle is for hill assist not moving the mower around with one hand. When you are mowing and grab the personal pace handle along with the blue handle it holds the mower at a constant speed to help power up a hill.
@@joesemo hi Jose, do you have any tips regarding tools and marketing to get started? Some background, I know how to work a mower and blower, I also have 1 year experience of cutting oleander bushes with motorized pole hedge trimmers. I have the experience but marketing is my biggest worry and second is the quality of tools. We were using Stihl.
I am a solo lawn business with the Timemaster(2018 model). I've had absolutely no issue with the mowers build integrity and/or the Briggs 223 engine. I recently upgraded to the commercial pulleys when I replaced all the belts. This is just preventitive maintainance. Keep your cables adjusted and the rpm's at 2600 and it mulches, side discharge and bags great!.
I love mine, I bought it mainly because in fall I have 2 giant oaks in my back yard and helps mulch all the leaves. This things is a beast iv beat mine to hell and still runs like a champ.
I’ve had a toro 22” personal pace for about 6 years now and I’ve gotten more dedicated into lawn care in the past 3-4 years. But I’ve expanded my lawn and it’s about 8000 sq ft now so the 22” takes me about an hour to mow it all at once. I love the personal pace and it feels quite natural. I wanted the front casters with the cubCadet cc600 but it’s gotten some mixed reviews and it’s a bit loud. I think I’m getting set on picking this up since all my lawn car guys I follow love theirs. So I guess I’m sold. 🙌🏼
Nice review. The sponge is there because the older units had issue with vapor locking and this was the cure (some have remove it). I really like my TM, too, and I can cut my parents 13+k lawn in about 1/2 hours in side discharge mode and on one tank of gas (has a little left after cutting). It really is a time saver. I viewed the letters like grades in school; A is the highest grade you can get, while F (G is not part of grading system) is the lowest you can get. Also, that blue handle allows you to grab and pull the handle at the same time and go really fast (i.e. no personal pace), just flat out speed.
@@jonpenguin303 I do! Still works well! But I found out that there is a small engine shortage, so if you want to change the engine, it will have to wait.
@@JimmyLewisMows Thank You. Tough decision, I mow with a 21" Honda 160 and 11,000 sq.ft. so I"m on the fence whether to get the Timemaster or a Toro 21" 190. The jack in price is absolutely insane, so maybe not justifiable.
I've got 7 years on my 8.75ftlb engined timemaster. About 150hrs use, around 45mins per week on average in the cutting season. I'd like the 10ftlb like yours. We have around 15000sqft. You are so right on the 1/3 rule of mulching! I can do that size in 35minutes flat! If in a hurry. I kid you not. I'm fit, 6'3" but not even running! It amazes our neighbour (same size plot), who has a slowish ride on and has to get another mower (Hayter) out to do the fiddly bits!😂 I always mulch. Much quicker than bagging. Where am I going to tip it all too! I've followed the service schedules. The transmission gave up last month. I stripped it down and repaired it. Good as new now. A plastic oil paddle / halfshaft retaining bush had split in half. Shock / wear and tear. All the gears and friction parts looked like new. I understand Toro have improved the transmissions on later models. I reckon replacing these plastic bushes with metal would do it! Also had the Stop switch wires come off, soldered back in and given more slack / tiewrapped on better. I sharpen the blades often. I use a modified kitchen knife sharpener often and taken them off and grind sharpen one a year. A couple of times a year I fit a John Deere lawn raker on the front. That is great. It's 21" wide. So I get to experience the slowness of a 21" mower😂
Sorry for the slow reply. I used similar viscosity oil. 20-50. I tried to find out what would have been in it originally but could not find out. There is a .pdf for the Turf master transmission - I came across recently and that talked about semi liquid grease! Definitely not what I found when I opened my Timemaster transmission up. The original oil did not smell of EP gear oil. It's not automatic transmission fluid.
I think the oil sealing bushes the drive shafts pass though are wearing a bit bow and losing oil.. Last time I used the mower, towards the end of the run, thankfully, I noticed a bit of juddering and not feeling smooth when turning. Straight line was fine. With the transmission in place, mower on its side, so the carburettor is up, I drilled and tapped an M10 thread in the top part of the casing, about 3/4 the way up ( it's vertical with the mower on its side). Not worrying about swarf much as if this did not work the transmission would be trash anyway.. I filled with 20-50w oil through small funnel and tube. It was pretty thirsty! Then used a short M10 bolt with plumbers PTFE thread tape to seal. I drilled a 2.5mm hole in the bolt hex door I could lock wire it in place. Don't want vibration working it loose. Works like a sump filler/plug. With that done I gave her a good workout today and all was smooth and good as gold. I'll keep an eye on oil loss, and top up check regularly from now on. I'm just happy to get another year, 2 years out of the mower at this point..
I’ve had mine since February of this year, I purchased a PUC with it at the same time to log all it’s usage, so far I’ve used it 19 times for about 8 hours to mow about 15,000sq ft of St.Augustine and I am very happy with it. One thing I will mention that I have tried to do is use only non-ethanol fuel with the mower, which locally where I live runs about $2.99/gal at the moment. Before I mow every time I usually will fill up the tank, and I don’t generally mow all 15,000 at the same time, so I have never run out of gas to this point. Thanks for the review Jimmy. 👍🏼
I've been eyeing one of these for quite a while. My yard big enough where it takes 2-3 hours with my AWD Husqvarna but it's shaped weird where a non zero turn is a hassle.
I mow big triangle yards with the tm30 all the time. It's def a time saver! Cut the two long sides first (less turns) then knockout the center triangle. 👊
I have a 2013. I have changed the blades, fuel filter, air filter, spark plug and cleaned the carburetor. Oh, I also had to change the "shut off". The shut off was a tragedy of errors. I was mowing close to trees and a branch tore the wires out. that is not the mowers fault.
I am on my third season with my Timemaster. Very happy. Great cut and good power. Easy to work on. The gas tank could be bigger, though. Takes 2 tanks of gas for my 19k sq foot lawn.
The blue handle is nice for going up my side hill with a full bag of grass. Without it you’re pushing a lot on the personal pace handlebar. Blue handle is designed to squeeze with fingers with thumb around personal pace in situations like hills.
I got mine June of last year. Overall I like it. I can’t mow my Bermuda as low as I used to with my 22” craftsman without it bogging down. I’d does bag very well. My old mower would not fill a bag. The Timemaster fills up the bag well. Wet grass clumps terribly, but most mowers do that. I feel like the discharge could have been moved further back on the side so clippings don’t pile up on the chute. I just bought the 42” fab deck Timecutter for this year. It gets really hot here so I went ahead and got a zero turn to take some stress off my 39 year old self. Love the Timecutter.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. I will admit I've done sponsored content with Toro in the past, and do have more coming in the future, but please know I don't hesitate to give my honest opinion on these products.
A few pointers. Remove the sponge in the fuel tank which I believe was meant to prevent vapor lock. It really serves no purpose whatsoever and I’ve never had a problem with it gone. It will hold a little more fuel with it gone. I also removed the small blue lever to engage the blades. Makes engagement much smoother now. Lastly I loosened and rotated the starter rope spool so I wasn’t constantly bashing my knuckles on the handle bar when starting. Rotate it so you are pulling the rope to the side of the machine and not towards the handle bar. The one feature I don’t like is the mulching capabilities of the factory blades. In heavy grass it leaves a lot of unchopped residue on the lawn. I am in the process of purchasing some Oregon Gator blades as I have seen some good reviews on their mulching capabilities.
Thank you for the review. I love mine. The blue handle is helpful for climbing hills. One complaint I have is where the oil drain is. What a mess it can make!
After a few mows I learned the spark plug was gapped wrong from the factory but an easy fix I added a hours meter to my mower so I can keep up with maintenance . I removed the stupid blue grip as you have and the blade engagement safety - So far I like the mower a lot,I wish it was honda powered but other than that it kicks ass
I think that blue handle is so that you can hold the mower on full speed by holding the personal pace handle up against the blue handle. Probably good for guys that are using this mower commercially. 😉
When you were mentioning A means Highest and G Means Lowest. If you change, you will make backwards. I thought that A means Air (Highest) G means Ground (Lowest ) grass cut. That made sense to me.
Great review! I am moving from a small 6k sqft yard to a 20k sqft yard. I have a 22 inch recycler that I love and really want to avoid a lawn tractor or zero turn so considering this mower.
Awesome. I’ve been push mowing about 12,000 square feet and I’ve been looking for a mower that will allow me to get it done in less time. But I enjoy push mowing and I just can’t bring myself to justify purchasing a riding mower. This fits the bill perfectly.
I just got ones of these for free today. Replacement motor is 475$ is it worth it to replace? Other then the motor its it perfect shape (i know blown motor) but its really nice looks as clean as yours
My Timemaster is in the shop now. The gas tank is getting replaced because mine is leaking at the top too. I replaced the cap but that didn’t fix the problem. Dealer said it was the tank leaking. I love the mower for my 10,000 sq ft, but hate the small tank and that sponge.
The black wheels look nice. One other thing I don’t like about it is switching between bagging & mulching. My 22” toro has an easy lever to switch between bagging and mulching. With the timemaster, you have to finagle getting out that big plastic stopper ...which doesn’t come out very easily in my experience. Not a huge deal, but some areas of my lawn grow faster/taller and I only need to bag it for a couple strips, not the entire lawn.
Yeah the lever is nice and convenient for sure. I mulch with my timemaster 95% of the time, so dealing with the mulch plug isn't much of a big deal for me.
I had an old pos super recycler I got for free I can say those personal pace machines are amazing. And it mulched damp leaves and grass amazing! And when it Finally shit the bed, I made decent money from its scrap alum. Deck lol
I bought one about 5 years ago....for me, it is by far, underpowered....I also have a 21 inch toro....it will suck up leaves....the time master won’t even suck up dandelions (exaggeration of course) but no where near the 21 inch....I still use it but wish it had 4 more HP....
I love mine. It rocks and definitely saves me time mowing my lawn. I cut off about 40% the amount of time. Although that's really not that important to me since I love mowing with this baby. So easy to maneuver and a dream to mow with. Love the Personal Pace too. Although I kept the Blue handle. I like to use is to finesse around turns and feel as though with that handle, it almost makes it like a zero turn mower since it helps me do tight turns easily. Great review as always and spot on for all the different points. I agree with them all. Especially the gas tank size. I can't understand the mentality of the person who chose to throw such a small tank on such a large mower. Heck my new Super Recycler has a much larger tank than this one. And it has the Briggs and Stratton engine as well.
Love the review. Thank you so much. Very helpful I just bought the Timemaster yesterday and used it for the first time today (Home Depot). You can use it for 30 days and if you don't like it, return it. I told my wife this: It's not about the Timemaster cutting the grass: it's about the "grass cutting experience for me". Yup, that's what it is. I've never been so happy in my life as when I mowed with this today. Awesome machine! I think the designers of the gas tank DON'T USE THE MOWER! Obviously not even close to large enough considering this motor is between 10-15 hp. The blue sponge in the gas tank: who the heck had that brainchild?! WEIRD Toro!! It occupies capacity for the fuel and so unnecessary. I'm 60 and I've used snow blowers and lawn mowers that never had a sponge in the gas tank. How do I get rid of that dang sponge?! hahahahaha It was a great video Jimmy! Question: How do I get my wheels black like yours? Any easy tips? How do I change the oil?
Love my timemaster. Saves time as you said. Gas only last about 3500 sq ft before I have to refill. Mine did not come with the blue piece you took off. Thanks for your review.
Mine only goes about 3500 sq ft as well before i need to refuel. I do have the blue sponge inside. Maybe it depends on the work load like high thick grass.
Great Job. Just got one thru a friend at Toro (around $995 total). I think the MANUAL could be better, e.g., clarifying that mulch insert needs to be removed to BAG clippings) but so far I like it.
I just bought this the other day and like it as well. My EGO push mower overheated too easily and finally burned up (also, no more run-mowing). Anyways, based off of my single use, it seems the blue handle is there in case you don't want to use the personal pace system. It allows you maintain a constant speed by using your fingers. I prefer the personal pace and switched halfway through. Definitely enjoying the speeds (10k+ lawn) I'm able cut down my overgrown Amazonian jungle without having to run-push and worry about electric motor overheating. Nice review.
I have the original Timemaster (190cc) since 2012. I offered feedback to Toro back then that the mower should have their 223cc engine and they told me I was wrong, the mower had plenty of power. Who's got their foot in their mouth now, huh Toro??!!! Anyway, I don't have a sponge in my gas tank. I feel like the 2 positions on the handle were made for tall or short people and there should have been a setting in between. The handle height changes 6 inches depending on the setting. That's a lot. I took the blue handle and the little blue lever off of my mower on day 1. I adjusted the governor to run a couple hundred rpm faster. I have changed an idler pulley, a cable, a spring and a few belts in 8 years mowing my residential property. I could care less what color the wheels are. My tire tread has held up extremely well and still looks almost new. I have electric start so when I turn the key off it stops no problem. I use a piece of velcro around the bail and the handle to keep the blade engaged. (I have no danger of pets or little kids to worry about). I have a very thick bluegrass and tall fescue yard and regardless of whether I use the mulching blade or the high lift blade, mulching grass at 3" in spring and fall is a challenge without leaving some clippings on the lawn. I mow at least twice a week. In spring the grass packs up under the deck pretty badly when it is very lush. Almost can't mulch then. Tried setting wheels one notch higher in back and while that helps a bit it doesn't provide as nice of a cut. It bags and side discharges nicely. A full bag of grass is pretty heavy and difficult to dump out of the bag. You will be covered in grass by the time you're done! Put a Kohler 224cc engine on it over the winter and it performs much better. Less clumping, bogging down, etc.
O M G dude, I had the same exact mower, Husqvarna mower, AWD and everything. My gear box blew up so I said I'm gonna buy me a new mower so I bought the Toro 30" cut timemaster. LOL !!
How do you remove the plastic piece for rear bag mowing. … I followed instruction guide push down on plastic part. And pull out. … but it will not pull out. ??? Suggestions?
I want one but my lawn is probably like 1,200 square feet. But my dads lawn is probably 4k to 5k we live in the same neighborhood and ive been using his 21". Ive been torn between super recycler or time master only cause my next house will have a big yard. I think the blue thing in the handle is to help people with pushing the personal pace handle all the way down.
Enjoyed your review, and after some research I'm sold. You and I agree the gas tank could use an upgrade. Where did you find the black wheels, I think I'm going to do that on mine. Thanks again for your honest opinion of this machine, I hope TORO is paying attention.
@@JimmyLewisMows Yes they do, 🤣 I thought you ordered another set from the Toro Turfmaster, because those wheels are black. I honestly was thinking of getting the turfmaster. That's almost an 1100 difference.
My yard is 5,317 SF. I really enjoy mowing and really like Toro. Coming from a 2010 Toro Recycler 22”. Trying to decide between the Timemaster, which is my dream mower, or the Honda HRX217HYA. Slightly worried the Timemaster will be overkill, but know I would really love it. What do you think, too much or go for it?
I see a LCN sticker :) Great review fellow Nut! Just got my TimeMaster...I have 12,000 sq ft of Tiff Tuff Bermuda in the front... soon to have another 8,000 in back. Eventually I will go to a reel mower in front. But back I think I will keep long (where my pool is and to be cushy on the feet ..lol) Oh and GREAT looking lawn bud!
How do you clean the deck underneath? Those garden hose deck attachments just make a sloppy mushy mess @t experience up in PA . Can you prop this up and reach underneath easily to scrape it clean?
Hi Jimmy, I've got Bermuda grass. I'm not renovating. Just getting prepped for spring. A couple of other folks that have the TimeMaster have recommended setting F (1-3/4 inches) I wanted to see what you thought. Thanks again.
I was back and forth with the B or C setting throughout the summer. I've been cutting it shorter over the last few weeks or so to get it ready for scalping. I'm scalping in mid March and it has been recommended I hit it with he F setting (1-3/4 inches) for scalping. Thoughts?
I’d love one. My quandary is I have two 21” Toros and parallel cut with my son which saves a lot of time. When he goes to college this fall it’s just me. I love to cut so that’s not changing. Question is do I clear the shed of the two Toros for a Timemaster? Probably figure this out next season. By the way you didn’t talk about cut quality. Just as good, better?
For 2023. I understand the retail has gone up. Is there any difference now vs yours? I am cincidering purchasing this time master. Please advise. Thanks
I bought one a year ago and love it... The only thing mine is electric start and I always use it off course but I question if it would start in one pull cause when it sits for a week or so and I go start it using the electric start it spins for like 5 to 7 seconds before it starts, there is no primer or anything so I'm thinking it just takes that long for it to pull the fuel, never tried with the pull start but if it takes 5 to 7 se 9nds to start with the electric start, i doubt it will start with one pull
Thank you for the video Jimmy. Man, you are one of the few whom actually gave this unit a good review. Your video is the most current one that I've seen, therefore I assume you have the upgraded model. I really want this mower and I've been looking for someone who's had a positive experience with it. Like you, I'm not using it for commercial reasons. I also understand that this is not Commercial mower. Like yourself, I take excellent care of my equipment. I love the personal pace system. I have 22 inch and I've previously owned a 21 inch personal pace and those mowers were absolute beast!!!!. It's good to hear good news about this mower. Thanks again sir.
The blue handle is used when you would rather squeeze the personal pace handle by grabbing the blue handle with your finger tips and your thumbs positioned behind the personal pace handle. I personally dislike having to push the personal pace to get it to operate. Self propel should be self propel and literally pull you along as you steer. You have to lean into this system and sorta push it to get it to go. I didn't buy a self propel mower to have to push it. Your arms will feel it after a bit. I undestand the more you push it the faster the mower moves away from you but again theres that extra effort you have to do. Its more of an assist propel system just by the way its engaged.
Great review of TimeMaster. Thanks for putting it together. I bought one at the beginning of the season and it does indeed saves me 60% of overall cutting time. As you have mentioned, it is due to true 30" mowing width. Single blade 22" residential mowers only give you true 11" cut cause you have overlap. Not TimeMaster. The engine is strong enough to even do stripes. I completely agree with you on the gas tank. That's ridiculous that I have to stop and refill for same as yours 10K sqft of lawn! The tank should be bigger, or Toro should offer an upgrade on the tank capacity at their local authorized dealer. I think that would be great idea. One think I would like to mention is that this is much heavier machine for residential mowing. This is not your 22" gas mower, even the dual-blade Honda. I wish I could actually try it out somewhere at the dealership before buying from HD. With this much weight you cannot pull it back when mowing between the shrubs and tight places. Your back would give up on you eventually. BTW, I have been recommended Toro TurfMaster for 10K sqft and up. That's closer to commercial machine with all metal parts. What do you think? Great review, again. thanks.
Currently mowing my 1 acre sloped yard with 50" Toro ZTR and 22" AWD push for trim. Often during wetter seasons I find myself push mowing just so I don't tear up my softer ground but it takes forever. Do u think this would be a good go between mower for these situations?
For commercial use would you get this one or the more expensive turfmaster? Also if I come across a steep bank without the blades engaged it makes little grinding noises. Is this to do with the drive belt needing adjustment?
I’ve had a 22” toro for 2 years, I do around 5 to 7 lawns with it a season, I went in to have a wheel replaced and get a new side deflector and they didn’t charge me anything because of the warranty, they didn’t ask me what I use it for, how often or anything, great service too, I’m planning on getting this 30” Timemaster
Jimmy, Thank you for the review. I currently mow about five medium-sized yards on the side from April-October. The guy at the local hardware store says that the Timemaster would be fully capable of handling that amount of work. What is your opinion? Would you recommend the Timemaster for mowing multiple properties over the weekend, or should I look at buying a commercial-grade mower, such as the Turfmaster or Exmark 30?
so whats the horse power? is that a briggs motor which engine? does it hold up pretty good for commercial use? i am semi retired and i was thinking of starting a small one man lawncare... i think many people would like a smaller machine mor quiet on there yards etc... thanks
I think it comes out to around 5-6HP. 223cc 10ft lb of gross torque at 2600 rpm. Not sure how it would hold up for commercial use. I don't use it commercially. If you're only cutting a handful of lawns I'm sure it could work. Otherwise I'd look at the TurfMaster.
Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ruclips.net/user/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.
I use this puppy commercially and I've mowed the hell out of that mower and I had absolutely no trouble with it. I even didn't take care of it like this guy. Sure, I changed the oil once a year but I've cut 50 times more lawns than his mower did. Also I sometimes forget/don't have time to sharpen the blades.. This mower is (beside the 22" Honda HRX) the best piece of equipment I've ever bought for my small lawn care business. I don't know if I was lucky or what but when the time comes I'll buy it again, no question about it.. First I was thinking about investing in Toro Turfmaster (commercial brother of the TimeMaster) but I couldn't justify the price difference. Now I'm glad I saved those 900$ and bought one more Husqvarna trimmer and a Makita battery chainsaw...
That blue handle is for hill assist not moving the mower around with one hand. When you are mowing and grab the personal pace handle along with the blue handle it holds the mower at a constant speed to help power up a hill.
Right. Looks like he has a flat lawn and would not need that feature. We mow 10-12 lawns a day and some are hilly. So it helps a lot.
@@joesemo hi Jose, do you have any tips regarding tools and marketing to get started? Some background, I know how to work a mower and blower, I also have 1 year experience of cutting oleander bushes with motorized pole hedge trimmers. I have the experience but marketing is my biggest worry and second is the quality of tools. We were using Stihl.
@@izzyh.3581 we use stihl
I am a solo lawn business with the Timemaster(2018 model). I've had absolutely no issue with the mowers build integrity and/or the Briggs 223 engine. I recently upgraded to the commercial pulleys when I replaced all the belts. This is just preventitive maintainance. Keep your cables adjusted and the rpm's at 2600 and it mulches, side discharge and bags great!.
I love mine, I bought it mainly because in fall I have 2 giant oaks in my back yard and helps mulch all the leaves. This things is a beast iv beat mine to hell and still runs like a champ.
I’ve had a toro 22” personal pace for about 6 years now and I’ve gotten more dedicated into lawn care in the past 3-4 years. But I’ve expanded my lawn and it’s about 8000 sq ft now so the 22” takes me about an hour to mow it all at once. I love the personal pace and it feels quite natural. I wanted the front casters with the cubCadet cc600 but it’s gotten some mixed reviews and it’s a bit loud. I think I’m getting set on picking this up since all my lawn car guys I follow love theirs. So I guess I’m sold. 🙌🏼
Nice review. The sponge is there because the older units had issue with vapor locking and this was the cure (some have remove it). I really like my TM, too, and I can cut my parents 13+k lawn in about 1/2 hours in side discharge mode and on one tank of gas (has a little left after cutting). It really is a time saver. I viewed the letters like grades in school; A is the highest grade you can get, while F (G is not part of grading system) is the lowest you can get. Also, that blue handle allows you to grab and pull the handle at the same time and go really fast (i.e. no personal pace), just flat out speed.
Regard height adjustment, use A for Altitude and G for Ground 😊
Finally bought my timemaster today! Yippy Skippy!
Thank you for the review. I’m sold. Buying this week.
You still have it? Any issues with?
@@jonpenguin303 I do! Still works well! But I found out that there is a small engine shortage, so if you want to change the engine, it will have to wait.
Simple straightforward review. Can barely find any on RUclips. Thanks very much.
Thank you
The black wheels made it look amazing 👌. For me, this mower was worth every penny.
I wish the black wheels were standard!
@@JimmyLewisMows Where did you get the black wheels????
Out of a can! Haha. Four coats of plasti dip.
@@JimmyLewisMows Thank You. Tough decision, I mow with a 21" Honda 160 and 11,000 sq.ft. so I"m on the fence whether to get the Timemaster or a Toro 21" 190. The jack in price is absolutely insane, so maybe not justifiable.
Used mine for the 1st time today & it’s a beast!!!!
I've got 7 years on my 8.75ftlb engined timemaster.
About 150hrs use, around 45mins per week on average in the cutting season.
I'd like the 10ftlb like yours.
We have around 15000sqft.
You are so right on the 1/3 rule of mulching!
I can do that size in 35minutes flat! If in a hurry.
I kid you not. I'm fit, 6'3" but not even running!
It amazes our neighbour (same size plot), who has a slowish ride on and has to get another mower (Hayter) out to do the fiddly bits!😂
I always mulch. Much quicker than bagging.
Where am I going to tip it all too!
I've followed the service schedules.
The transmission gave up last month. I stripped it down and repaired it. Good as new now.
A plastic oil paddle / halfshaft retaining bush had split in half.
Shock / wear and tear.
All the gears and friction parts looked like new.
I understand Toro have improved the transmissions on later models. I reckon replacing these plastic bushes with metal would do it!
Also had the Stop switch wires come off, soldered back in and given more slack / tiewrapped on better.
I sharpen the blades often.
I use a modified kitchen knife sharpener often and taken them off and grind sharpen one a year.
A couple of times a year I fit a John Deere lawn raker on the front. That is great.
It's 21" wide. So I get to experience the slowness of a 21" mower😂
What type of oil did you use in the transmission?
Sorry for the slow reply.
I used similar viscosity oil.
20-50.
I tried to find out what would have been in it originally but could not find out.
There is a .pdf for the Turf master transmission - I came across recently and that talked about semi liquid grease! Definitely not what I found when I opened my Timemaster transmission up.
The original oil did not smell of EP gear oil. It's not automatic transmission fluid.
@Steve F Thanks You for the info.
I think the oil sealing bushes the drive shafts pass though are wearing a bit bow and losing oil..
Last time I used the mower, towards the end of the run, thankfully, I noticed a bit of juddering and not feeling smooth when turning. Straight line was fine.
With the transmission in place, mower on its side, so the carburettor is up, I drilled and tapped an M10 thread in the top part of the casing, about 3/4 the way up ( it's vertical with the mower on its side).
Not worrying about swarf much as if this did not work the transmission would be trash anyway..
I filled with 20-50w oil through small funnel and tube.
It was pretty thirsty! Then used a short M10 bolt with plumbers PTFE thread tape to seal. I drilled a 2.5mm hole in the bolt hex door I could lock wire it in place. Don't want vibration working it loose.
Works like a sump filler/plug.
With that done I gave her a good workout today and all was smooth and good as gold.
I'll keep an eye on oil loss, and top up check regularly from now on.
I'm just happy to get another year, 2 years out of the mower at this point..
I’ve had mine since February of this year, I purchased a PUC with it at the same time to log all it’s usage, so far I’ve used it 19 times for about 8 hours to mow about 15,000sq ft of St.Augustine and I am very happy with it. One thing I will mention that I have tried to do is use only non-ethanol fuel with the mower, which locally where I live runs about $2.99/gal at the moment. Before I mow every time I usually will fill up the tank, and I don’t generally mow all 15,000 at the same time, so I have never run out of gas to this point. Thanks for the review Jimmy. 👍🏼
Thanks, Nate. I should have mentioned that I'm running ethonal free fuel as well.
Jimmy Lewis did you paint the wheels black yourself or was it something you purchased from Toro?
You should try the exmark 30" push lawnmower because the tank size is 15 qarts
I've been eyeing one of these for quite a while. My yard big enough where it takes 2-3 hours with my AWD Husqvarna but it's shaped weird where a non zero turn is a hassle.
I mow big triangle yards with the tm30 all the time. It's def a time saver! Cut the two long sides first (less turns) then knockout the center triangle. 👊
got one today......Also coming off a 21" Husky as well,fyi you can make the Husky run faster with a simple needlenose pliers
I have a recycler doing 8 yards a week. Will probably go with the Turfmaster.
I have a 2013. I have changed the blades, fuel filter, air filter, spark plug and cleaned the carburetor. Oh, I also had to change the "shut off". The shut off was a tragedy of errors. I was mowing close to trees and a branch tore the wires out.
that is not the mowers fault.
The blue handle is so you can grab them and hold the pace system at its fullest and it will go at full speed (hope that sort of makes sense!)
I'm going to paint or spray paint the wheels for sure
That back drop view is priceless 👌
I am on my third season with my Timemaster. Very happy. Great cut and good power. Easy to work on. The gas tank could be bigger, though. Takes 2 tanks of gas for my 19k sq foot lawn.
Thank you Jimmy. I'm in the market for a new walk-behind mower to cut 24,000sf. Your review helped my research a lot.
The blue handle is nice for going up my side hill with a full bag of grass. Without it you’re pushing a lot on the personal pace handlebar. Blue handle is designed to squeeze with fingers with thumb around personal pace in situations like hills.
Makes sense. No hills here, thankfully.
I got mine June of last year. Overall I like it. I can’t mow my Bermuda as low as I used to with my 22” craftsman without it bogging down. I’d does bag very well. My old mower would not fill a bag. The Timemaster fills up the bag well. Wet grass clumps terribly, but most mowers do that. I feel like the discharge could have been moved further back on the side so clippings don’t pile up on the chute. I just bought the 42” fab deck Timecutter for this year. It gets really hot here so I went ahead and got a zero turn to take some stress off my 39 year old self. Love the Timecutter.
Nice review! Maybe take a sharpie and mark a small H and L on your height settings, just for quick reference?
Thank you for a NON SPONSORED review. It's getting bad with the lawn care youtubers. Especially with Toro.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. I will admit I've done sponsored content with Toro in the past, and do have more coming in the future, but please know I don't hesitate to give my honest opinion on these products.
A few pointers. Remove the sponge in the fuel tank which I believe was meant to prevent vapor lock. It really serves no purpose whatsoever and I’ve never had a problem with it gone. It will hold a little more fuel with it gone. I also removed the small blue lever to engage the blades. Makes engagement much smoother now. Lastly I loosened and rotated the starter rope spool so I wasn’t constantly bashing my knuckles on the handle bar when starting. Rotate it so you are pulling the rope to the side of the machine and not towards the handle bar. The one feature I don’t like is the mulching capabilities of the factory blades. In heavy grass it leaves a lot of unchopped residue on the lawn. I am in the process of purchasing some Oregon Gator blades as I have seen some good reviews on their mulching capabilities.
I will recommend the BALLARD Ripper blades
Same thoughts about the sponge in the tank but its supposed to be so the gas doesn't slosh around
Thank you for the review. I love mine. The blue handle is helpful for climbing hills. One complaint I have is where the oil drain is. What a mess it can make!
You mean lack of oil drain? I have to tip my 2-yr old Timemaster over to drain the oil. I know I can purchase a siphon but wth!?!
After a few mows I learned the spark plug was gapped wrong from the factory but an easy fix I added a hours meter to my mower so I can keep up with maintenance . I removed the stupid blue grip as you have and the blade engagement safety - So far I like the mower a lot,I wish it was honda powered but other than that it kicks ass
I think that blue handle is so that you can hold the mower on full speed by holding the personal pace handle up against the blue handle. Probably good for guys that are using this mower commercially. 😉
When you were mentioning A means Highest and G Means Lowest. If you change, you will make backwards. I thought that A means Air (Highest) G means Ground (Lowest ) grass cut. That made sense to me.
I like that.
Great review! I am moving from a small 6k sqft yard to a 20k sqft yard. I have a 22 inch recycler that I love and really want to avoid a lawn tractor or zero turn so considering this mower.
J D at garage gear has a video on how to put a larger gas tank on it
I wish the wheels were a little larger in diameter. I'd like to see an extra inch in cutting height as well. I like this machine lot though.
Awesome. I’ve been push mowing about 12,000 square feet and I’ve been looking for a mower that will allow me to get it done in less time. But I enjoy push mowing and I just can’t bring myself to justify purchasing a riding mower. This fits the bill perfectly.
Great review, thank you. I'm picking up a used 3 year old one tomorrow, very helpful info.
Great 1 year review! Glad you still love it! I'm gonna give it a go next Spring 2021.
I just got ones of these for free today. Replacement motor is 475$ is it worth it to replace? Other then the motor its it perfect shape (i know blown motor) but its really nice looks as clean as yours
My Timemaster is in the shop now. The gas tank is getting replaced because mine is leaking at the top too. I replaced the cap but that didn’t fix the problem. Dealer said it was the tank leaking. I love the mower for my 10,000 sq ft, but hate the small tank and that sponge.
Was that repair covered under warranty?
Yes the gas tank is getting replaced under warranty 👍 I was very happy about this and will be anxious to get my mower back next week
The black wheels look nice. One other thing I don’t like about it is switching between bagging & mulching. My 22” toro has an easy lever to switch between bagging and mulching. With the timemaster, you have to finagle getting out that big plastic stopper ...which doesn’t come out very easily in my experience. Not a huge deal, but some areas of my lawn grow faster/taller and I only need to bag it for a couple strips, not the entire lawn.
Yeah the lever is nice and convenient for sure. I mulch with my timemaster 95% of the time, so dealing with the mulch plug isn't much of a big deal for me.
I had an old pos super recycler I got for free I can say those personal pace machines are amazing. And it mulched damp leaves and grass amazing! And when it Finally shit the bed, I made decent money from its scrap alum. Deck lol
I bought one about 5 years ago....for me, it is by far, underpowered....I also have a 21 inch toro....it will suck up leaves....the time master won’t even suck up dandelions (exaggeration of course) but no where near the 21 inch....I still use it but wish it had 4 more HP....
Interesting. Mine doesn’t feel underpowered at all. Are the specs the same?
Jimmy Lewis 8.5 hp...??
I thought this has 10.5?
My Honda Lawn Mower has no problem for the gas tank. But you must watch when you fill up the gas.
Very good review. I just bought one. Waiting for it. Thank you for your hard work. By the way your lawn looks great!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy the new Timemaster.
I love mine. It rocks and definitely saves me time mowing my lawn. I cut off about 40% the amount of time. Although that's really not that important to me since I love mowing with this baby. So easy to maneuver and a dream to mow with. Love the Personal Pace too. Although I kept the Blue handle. I like to use is to finesse around turns and feel as though with that handle, it almost makes it like a zero turn mower since it helps me do tight turns easily. Great review as always and spot on for all the different points. I agree with them all. Especially the gas tank size. I can't understand the mentality of the person who chose to throw such a small tank on such a large mower. Heck my new Super Recycler has a much larger tank than this one. And it has the Briggs and Stratton engine as well.
Love mine no issues but imo it’s not good at mulching. I either side discharge or bag and for that it’s awesome.
Interesting. I mulch with mine 98% of the time and it does excellent.
Love the review. Thank you so much. Very helpful I just bought the Timemaster yesterday and used it for the first time today (Home Depot). You can use it for 30 days and if you don't like it, return it. I told my wife this: It's not about the Timemaster cutting the grass: it's about the "grass cutting experience for me". Yup, that's what it is. I've never been so happy in my life as when I mowed with this today. Awesome machine! I think the designers of the gas tank DON'T USE THE MOWER! Obviously not even close to large enough considering this motor is between 10-15 hp. The blue sponge in the gas tank: who the heck had that brainchild?! WEIRD Toro!! It occupies capacity for the fuel and so unnecessary. I'm 60 and I've used snow blowers and lawn mowers that never had a sponge in the gas tank. How do I get rid of that dang sponge?! hahahahaha It was a great video Jimmy! Question: How do I get my wheels black like yours? Any easy tips? How do I change the oil?
Love my timemaster. Saves time as you said. Gas only last about 3500 sq ft before I have to refill. Mine did not come with the blue piece you took off. Thanks for your review.
Grace Ortiz mine goes 10,000 square feet and is still running.
@@briangallant5973 do you have the blue sponge in
Mine only goes about 3500 sq ft as well before i need to refuel. I do have the blue sponge inside. Maybe it depends on the work load like high thick grass.
Great Job. Just got one thru a friend at Toro (around $995 total). I think the MANUAL could be better, e.g., clarifying that mulch insert needs to be removed to BAG clippings) but so far I like it.
I just bought this the other day and like it as well. My EGO push mower overheated too easily and finally burned up (also, no more run-mowing). Anyways, based off of my single use, it seems the blue handle is there in case you don't want to use the personal pace system. It allows you maintain a constant speed by using your fingers. I prefer the personal pace and switched halfway through. Definitely enjoying the speeds (10k+ lawn) I'm able cut down my overgrown Amazonian jungle without having to run-push and worry about electric motor overheating. Nice review.
I ordered mine coming up this week
I have the original Timemaster (190cc) since 2012. I offered feedback to Toro back then that the mower should have their 223cc engine and they told me I was wrong, the mower had plenty of power. Who's got their foot in their mouth now, huh Toro??!!! Anyway, I don't have a sponge in my gas tank. I feel like the 2 positions on the handle were made for tall or short people and there should have been a setting in between. The handle height changes 6 inches depending on the setting. That's a lot. I took the blue handle and the little blue lever off of my mower on day 1. I adjusted the governor to run a couple hundred rpm faster. I have changed an idler pulley, a cable, a spring and a few belts in 8 years mowing my residential property. I could care less what color the wheels are. My tire tread has held up extremely well and still looks almost new. I have electric start so when I turn the key off it stops no problem. I use a piece of velcro around the bail and the handle to keep the blade engaged. (I have no danger of pets or little kids to worry about). I have a very thick bluegrass and tall fescue yard and regardless of whether I use the mulching blade or the high lift blade, mulching grass at 3" in spring and fall is a challenge without leaving some clippings on the lawn. I mow at least twice a week. In spring the grass packs up under the deck pretty badly when it is very lush. Almost can't mulch then. Tried setting wheels one notch higher in back and while that helps a bit it doesn't provide as nice of a cut. It bags and side discharges nicely. A full bag of grass is pretty heavy and difficult to dump out of the bag. You will be covered in grass by the time you're done!
Put a Kohler 224cc engine on it over the winter and it performs much better. Less clumping, bogging down, etc.
O M G dude, I had the same exact mower, Husqvarna mower, AWD and everything. My gear box blew up so I said I'm gonna buy me a new mower so I bought the Toro 30" cut timemaster. LOL !!
If you have a slope the blue handle is great.
How do you remove the plastic piece for rear bag mowing. … I followed instruction guide push down on plastic part. And pull out. … but it will not pull out. ??? Suggestions?
I want one but my lawn is probably like 1,200 square feet. But my dads lawn is probably 4k to 5k we live in the same neighborhood and ive been using his 21". Ive been torn between super recycler or time master only cause my next house will have a big yard. I think the blue thing in the handle is to help people with pushing the personal pace handle all the way down.
Enjoyed your review, and after some research I'm sold. You and I agree the gas tank could use an upgrade. Where did you find the black wheels, I think I'm going to do that on mine. Thanks again for your honest opinion of this machine, I hope TORO is paying attention.
Thank you. Sprayed the wheels with several coats of Plasti-Dip. They look much better in black, don’t they?
@@JimmyLewisMows Yes they do, 🤣 I thought you ordered another set from the Toro Turfmaster, because those wheels are black. I honestly was thinking of getting the turfmaster. That's almost an 1100 difference.
My yard is 5,317 SF. I really enjoy mowing and really like Toro. Coming from a 2010 Toro Recycler 22”. Trying to decide between the Timemaster, which is my dream mower, or the Honda HRX217HYA. Slightly worried the Timemaster will be overkill, but know I would really love it.
What do you think, too much or go for it?
I was thinking about this tonight actually. For me, personally. Anything over 4-5,000 sq ft I prefer the Timemaster.
@@JimmyLewisMows haha thanks! The Timemaster is the one I really want.
Great review, very thorough. Cute kids too.
I appreciate you sharing this information. Very useful for helping me finalize my decision on whether or not to buy this.
I see a LCN sticker :) Great review fellow Nut! Just got my TimeMaster...I have 12,000 sq ft of Tiff Tuff Bermuda in the front... soon to have another 8,000 in back. Eventually I will go to a reel mower in front. But back I think I will keep long (where my pool is and to be cushy on the feet ..lol) Oh and GREAT looking lawn bud!
How do you clean the deck underneath? Those garden hose deck attachments just make a sloppy mushy mess @t experience up in PA . Can you prop this up and reach underneath easily to scrape it clean?
Excellent presentation and review. I got to hand it to you, you made a great video! Thanks for the help and insight.
Thanks very much!
Hello sir, what setting do you recommend for scalping? Thanks for your time 👍
Hey there, could you give me a little more detail? What type of grass? Are you renovating?
Hi Jimmy, I've got Bermuda grass. I'm not renovating. Just getting prepped for spring. A couple of other folks that have the TimeMaster have recommended setting F (1-3/4 inches) I wanted to see what you thought. Thanks again.
@@bfwaring What height do you normally mow?
I was back and forth with the B or C setting throughout the summer. I've been cutting it shorter over the last few weeks or so to get it ready for scalping.
I'm scalping in mid March and it has been recommended I hit it with he F setting (1-3/4 inches) for scalping. Thoughts?
@@bfwaring I'd go for it on F
I’d love one. My quandary is I have two 21” Toros and parallel cut with my son which saves a lot of time. When he goes to college this fall it’s just me. I love to cut so that’s not changing. Question is do I clear the shed of the two Toros for a Timemaster? Probably figure this out next season. By the way you didn’t talk about cut quality. Just as good, better?
Cut quality is great! Of course all depends on how sharp your blades are. But I have no complaints here about overall cut quality.
For 2023. I understand the retail has gone up. Is there any difference now vs yours? I am cincidering purchasing this time master. Please advise. Thanks
I bought one a year ago and love it... The only thing mine is electric start and I always use it off course but I question if it would start in one pull cause when it sits for a week or so and I go start it using the electric start it spins for like 5 to 7 seconds before it starts, there is no primer or anything so I'm thinking it just takes that long for it to pull the fuel, never tried with the pull start but if it takes 5 to 7 se 9nds to start with the electric start, i doubt it will start with one pull
To be honest, although I don't have a big lawn I am so into this mower that one day for sure I will get one. Nice review Jimmy!
Thank you
For me the blue handle has to stay I have one I just wanted to see what u said about it
Thank you for the video Jimmy. Man, you are one of the few whom actually gave this unit a good review. Your video is the most current one that I've seen, therefore I assume you have the upgraded model. I really want this mower and I've been looking for someone who's had a positive experience with it. Like you, I'm not using it for commercial reasons. I also understand that this is not Commercial mower. Like yourself, I take excellent care of my equipment. I love the personal pace system. I have 22 inch and I've previously owned a 21 inch personal pace and those mowers were absolute beast!!!!. It's good to hear good news about this mower. Thanks again sir.
So the blades it comes with work well? Was considering swapping them out for gator blades. Thoughts?
Yes standard blades work great.
what did you use to paint the wheels black? Just picked up this mower yesterday and this is a must!
Plasti-dip. 4 coats.
Great video! I purchased an All American blade sharpener. It works great.
This is a great review I’m going to purchase one by spring time 👍🏽
Thanks for watching. Glad I could help.
You mentioned you mowed grass 7 or 8" high. Will it leave many clumps at that height? Will it do ok on hills?
It won’t clump if the grass is dry when you cut it. Does good on hills
Great review and video. What is the 1/3 rule
Thank you. The 1/3 rule means that when you mow you don’t cut off more than 1/3 of the total length of the grass at a time.
We enjoy watching them . Thanks for your videos.
Nice review! How did you make the switch to the black wheels?
Plasti dip! 4 coats. Looks way better in my opinion.
The blue handle is used when you would rather squeeze the personal pace handle by grabbing the blue handle with your finger tips and your thumbs positioned behind the personal pace handle. I personally dislike having to push the personal pace to get it to operate. Self propel should be self propel and literally pull you along as you steer. You have to lean into this system and sorta push it to get it to go. I didn't buy a self propel mower to have to push it. Your arms will feel it after a bit. I undestand the more you push it the faster the mower moves away from you but again theres that extra effort you have to do. Its more of an assist propel system just by the way its engaged.
Great review of TimeMaster. Thanks for putting it together. I bought one at the beginning of the season and it does indeed saves me 60% of overall cutting time. As you have mentioned, it is due to true 30" mowing width. Single blade 22" residential mowers only give you true 11" cut cause you have overlap. Not TimeMaster. The engine is strong enough to even do stripes.
I completely agree with you on the gas tank. That's ridiculous that I have to stop and refill for same as yours 10K sqft of lawn! The tank should be bigger, or Toro should offer an upgrade on the tank capacity at their local authorized dealer. I think that would be great idea.
One think I would like to mention is that this is much heavier machine for residential mowing. This is not your 22" gas mower, even the dual-blade Honda. I wish I could actually try it out somewhere at the dealership before buying from HD. With this much weight you cannot pull it back when mowing between the shrubs and tight places. Your back would give up on you eventually.
BTW, I have been recommended Toro TurfMaster for 10K sqft and up. That's closer to commercial machine with all metal parts. What do you think?
Great review, again. thanks.
I could care less if the wheels on my mower match. Good review.
Yeah what is this a car lol who cares
The blue sponge is prob a pre filter for the fuel. Maybe.
Currently mowing my 1 acre sloped yard with 50" Toro ZTR and 22" AWD push for trim. Often during wetter seasons I find myself push mowing just so I don't tear up my softer ground but it takes forever. Do u think this would be a good go between mower for these situations?
It will definitely take you longer than the ZTR, but it would be a good option.
Did you buy the wheels or paint them? The black looks much better!!
4 coats of PlastiDip!
For commercial use would you get this one or the more expensive turfmaster? Also if I come across a steep bank without the blades engaged it makes little grinding noises. Is this to do with the drive belt needing adjustment?
Very possible on the belt drive. If you can afford it go for the turf master for commercial use.
Hey kids don't forget your PPE haha overkill love it.
Great review and great editing 👍I just noticed that you are almost at 5 K subscribers. Congratulations!
You can remove the sponge 🧽 inside the gas tank I think because my dad removes the sponge from his Toro Timemaster
Do the wheels have ball bearings or just the sleeve?
Thanks.
They have ball bearings
I’ve had a 22” toro for 2 years, I do around 5 to 7 lawns with it a season, I went in to have a wheel replaced and get a new side deflector and they didn’t charge me anything because of the warranty, they didn’t ask me what I use it for, how often or anything, great service too, I’m planning on getting this 30” Timemaster
Jimmy,
Thank you for the review. I currently mow about five medium-sized yards on the side from April-October. The guy at the local hardware store says that the Timemaster would be fully capable of handling that amount of work. What is your opinion? Would you recommend the Timemaster for mowing multiple properties over the weekend, or should I look at buying a commercial-grade mower, such as the Turfmaster or Exmark 30?
Thanks for the honest review I’m about to order one now from HD for this coming season
Glad I could help!
so whats the horse power? is that a briggs motor which engine? does it hold up pretty good for commercial use? i am semi retired and i was thinking of starting a small one man lawncare... i think many people would like a smaller machine mor quiet on there yards etc... thanks
I think it comes out to around 5-6HP. 223cc 10ft lb of gross torque at 2600 rpm. Not sure how it would hold up for commercial use. I don't use it commercially. If you're only cutting a handful of lawns I'm sure it could work. Otherwise I'd look at the TurfMaster.
Thanks. I just ordered one.
Did you paint those wheels? Nice review 👌
PlastiDip
@@JimmyLewisMows Thank you
Great video ! A lot of good information! Thanks