My wife uses our 30 inch all day for our accounts. She loves it. It’s her mower. I’m buying her another one this year for back up. She handles it just fine. We do 12-14 yards a day when we work together. I do 9-10 solo the days she isn’t with me.
Never understood the weight complaints about this awesome machine. Once you keep the momentum going in your turns it’s a game changer coming from a 21 inch unit. I have run this mower for seven years now and would buy it again.
Can't understand it myself. I can literally whip my Exmark 30s with one hand if needed,, no problem at all. I even take it up steps with a little muscle. I would never touch another 21.
For me, it wasn't the muscle issue as much as it's a calorie burner. Which becomes an issue in the south in summer, especially as you get 15-20 lawns per day. That's a lot of sweating if it's your main mower.
I feel what he’s saying i had two of them and was whipping them around with one hand to and all that but when yo ass get to that 8 to 10th house you start to feel it and don’t take a hefty brake and try to get back into it that’s your ass mr post man! And it’s just me by myself but my 21 doesn’t tire me out at the 10th house as a matter of fact my production is faster with the 21 don’t get tired as quickly but don’t get me wrong that 30 saves time but you have to know when to use your muscles because if you start off the day moving all fast with these 30 you will feel it special if your just residential! But If your using it here and there your good!
If you know, than you know pushing these beasts of a machine around all day will exhaust you no matter how tough you are. Definitely a calorie burner. I carry this and my honda so I can atleast give my body a break every few houses. 30 inch still helps cut time in half though.
Grew up around this mower with my dad i acknowledge it’s pros and cons and I would still stick to it. Appreciate you telling me your experience with it though
This is me 100%!! This mower is killing me this season. I have 30 plus clients and this is my main mower (Exmark 30" with the Kohler Engine). It's so bad im thinking about buying another 21 inch Honda 217 until I can get a trailer and zero turn or stander. I made a terrible ($2500) mistake buying this. I pray your video helps alot of people.
Right?! I was dropping dead by the time summer came around and I was increasing my customer list. The loan for my upgrade to an Exmark 48 with a sulky was only 100 per month, so I did that and paid cash for the trailer. Worth it !!!! lol. The second best thing I did was ditching the 30" altogether and discontinuing mowing giant backyards that have 36" gates.
Great! I kept my 48" with a sulky as a back up to my 52 scag ride-on. I picked up a honda self-drive for the few lawns I still do that have small gates, but I won't take on any new lawns that would require it. Giving my 30" away for free :D
Yep on point it's been off my trailer now 1 year . Back on as a open area small yard choice yards. It heavy and falls apart . On my 4th one. Cables break fast to and belts. And wires and hight adjusters.
I’m an electric guy been so for 4 years. The bigger electric push mowers are finally coming out this year and I’m trying to remind myself that there’s going to be pros and cons to the bigger mowers and I think they will be a similar weight the their gas counterparts.
For the last 5 years, my now 74 year old mother-in-law cuts her half acre lawn 1.5 times a week with a 30" Toro . 😆 I've use it a few times a year and it's definitely not a trim mower. It seems well balanced and sweeping turns help, but in a small space where you are turning a lot, the extra work adds up. Definitely need to keep belts adjusted. Several times I found the blades a notch or two out timing due to the belt being too lose. She hit a brick once, but it didn't shear the pins or force the blades out of time. She's currently looking at a Cub Cadet CC600 with front caster wheels.
I have two 30in x mark they are 7 years old I have put a great deal of repairs in them this year. They have a great deal of hours on them I do not put a rider on residence lawns.I am 63 and the weight doesn't bother me at all and yes I do sweet a great deal but that keeps me in shape the yards look groomed not just mowed I will use them until I retire in two years
I got that 30 I wish I had a bigger one with a sulky for the simple reason , that when I do a ride on mower, you are saving your body for another task ,cause for the most part you are kind of able to rest a little bit
Me in central florida who just bought a 30” toro turf master hdx as my main mower and one client. I want a stand on mower but I’m 6’2 and I’m worried about tree clearances. After opening the actual business and buying equipment and bank account, I have 250$ so here’s to grinding out these lawns until we get a nicer mower! I still can’t help but feel blessed for the opportunity to mow for $ even if Florida is HOT
Sounds like you are on track !! I began the same way. Don't worry, by the time you start getting tired from mowing a lot of lawns with the 30" is the same time you can afford to upgrade with those accounts helping you to finance. Prune those low branches if you can :D
I mow about 4 to 5 lawns a day. Bare in mind that there is always something better out there. I bought this mower because it fulfills my needs. Heavy, yes. Extremely expensive, yes. I do not regret buying it, It's made me some good money, but for my work volume, it'll take me two mowing season to recover my investment and then some. Also, commercial/lawn equipment is targeted and stolen frequently, sometimes, I think, the Timamaster (not commercial grade) could have done it for as long as I owned it.
These 30” mowers are a great option even for established business owners. I have a 52” zero turn a 36” walk behind and an exmark commercial 30. Is the 30 where the 36 don’t fit and the 36 where the 52 don’t fit. Works great and beats the heck out of a 21”!
I ran the same set-up for a few years, if I had to use it, it was best for periodic use. I don't recommend the 30" for a primary or only mower, it's a real calorie burner for back to back lawns especially in 90 degree weather.
HONEST review..... thanks! So it's good for beginners, but watch hittin stuff underneath, can throw off the alignment. Ps. For some reason was assuming it would turn like a SNOW BLOWER, were you squeeze one side of the handle, and it would turn left/right for you. And could definitely see.... havin to do WHEELES for each turn, gettin exhausting.
Good review. Have a 36 belt drive and a 21 for back yards (28" gates here). Dovetail on lowered long box, no trailer as the streets are super tight for parking, very little room available. It's a good system but I would love a hydro for that instant reverse.
Sounds like you have the right set-up. The 21 should be a lot easier to get on and off the truck and to maneuver in and around tight spaces. Funny about the instant reverse, almost the main reason I wanted a hydro.
@@20lawnsby19 yeah that's the best benefit of the hydro drive. Also much more power to the wheels in general. My belt drive loses a little friction when it's really hot and dusty. Otherwise it's a machine. The 21 I have is the Ariens classic with kawasaki and casters. It's 120lbs sitting still but the casters make all the difference.
I have a 36" turf tracer w a stand on and I absolutely live it. Kinda pricey but its great quality. Those pins get hot when you got to change heights mid yard. Only real bad thing about it is the manual height adjust but you get over it. 5 gal tank I can cut all day on 1 tank.
Had one of these, it will flat wear your azz out. Sold it and bought an fw15. Like a jumping from a yugo to. Caddy. And the fw15 is hydro drive. Power reverse, no manhandling. Just steer and pres the go bar.
Very good video I was looking at the toro and Exmark 30in mowers and now you got me thinking. I probably just going to get an Ex mark 21in for trimming and hills.I heard that those 30 in mowers require a lot of maintenance belts stretching and transmission breaking.
I was just using my Honda 21 yesterday on a couple small lawns, thinking this is definitely so much easier! I also continue to get customers on board with installing larger gates when possible for my Scag 52, and turning down any new large backyards with those little 36" gates--there is just no excuse for that.
I run 3 of these 2 of the older ones and 1 new toro. Once they break I’ll never get them again too much maintenance and a pain to work on. Do they cut great absolutely. Being heavy you do get use to it BUT the maintenance on them cables and the belts don’t last.....
I have 6 exmark 30" for commercial. These machines are the best machine for clean once per week grass cut. They have a very nice finishing,,,Specially on very dense grass such zoysia grass. There are not good for shitty or wet lawns.
What kind of issues did you experience with it besides the blade timing? I've read others having to replace the belt way too often and it being a real hassle to do. I am looking at them now to replace the 21" backyard mowers we use. I just struggle to justify the price tag on them as well.
I guess you could buy one used first and see what you and your crew think after a week of use. It's very heavy for something without any turning assistance, such as a belt drive walk- behind. And no caster wheels in the front.
@@20lawnsby19 around my area you never see the commercial 30s up for sale, just the timecutter consumer grades. Could be a matter of not that many of them are being used. Scag has a new one coming out, it will be interesting to see if they have overcome some of the downfalls of the exmark and toro units.
second season with this mower totally regret it. x series too. way to heavy for the smaller lawns and not enough power for the bigger ones selling mines asap
I need to know what placement those blade spindles are in each wheel has a hole on it but I need to know where those holes are set to by blades keeps meeting up in same position any help would be useful
It sounds like the grooves in the belt may have skipped out of proper position, that happened to me a few years back when I hit a stump, I can't remember if I needed to remove the belt and re-align everything? I just went out to look but my mower is buried, I would need a couple of hours to get at it haha.
Used to run the Toro Timemaster, and while it's a great machine that can save a lot of time, it's not without its flaws. The biggest one was that after 9 months of major use, since it was the primary machine, it started to chew through pulleys, belts and blades. After the 4th or 5th breakdown I finally got rid of it, and now rely on the Honda HRX217. The price for this Exmark, and its clone, the Toro Turfmaster, are way too high, especially knowing the problems that one will probably encounter in the future with it.
The timemaster came out in 2012 and the turfmaster/exmark 30 came out in 2013. You'd think by now that most of the kinks would have been worked out. Beyond the lack of power from the motor, the deck is too short and flat. The clippings don't have enough time to be recirculated and cut down before hitting the flat deck and caking up, especially in thick and wet growth. The flat decks only work well with side discharging but you need the HP to shoot it out the side without clogging. The machine definitely needs a larger motor (even beyond the 224 cc Kohler or 223 cc Briggs), a self propelled system that allows the operator to turn on a dime, and a longer and taller deck to make it work. But that would add a lot more weight and cost to it.
seriously hahaha I had to do 21 solo last week, one was also new so I had to do a clean-up too :D I bought about $200 of financial/business investing books hoping to find other ideas
@@20lawnsby19 Mowing lawns definitely can turn a great profit, but what you mentioned is exactly where I am at in life. I'm determined to learn how to make the money that I make doing lawns work for me by investing in stocks and anything else that I can learn.
@@mr.reliable8123 I have been shoving any money I get into my Roth IRA, my Health Savings account, my SEP, which is about 20K max each year plus my individual stock account. I have been researching silver and gold miners for several years, that's where I am :D
My wife uses our 30 inch all day for our accounts. She loves it. It’s her mower. I’m buying her another one this year for back up. She handles it just fine. We do 12-14 yards a day when we work together. I do 9-10 solo the days she isn’t with me.
Never understood the weight complaints about this awesome machine. Once you keep the momentum going in your turns it’s a game changer coming from a 21 inch unit. I have run this mower for seven years now and would buy it again.
Can't understand it myself. I can literally whip my Exmark 30s with one hand if needed,, no problem at all. I even take it up steps with a little muscle. I would never touch another 21.
For me, it wasn't the muscle issue as much as it's a calorie burner. Which becomes an issue in the south in summer, especially as you get 15-20 lawns per day. That's a lot of sweating if it's your main mower.
I feel what he’s saying i had two of them and was whipping them around with one hand to and all that but when yo ass get to that 8 to 10th house you start to feel it and don’t take a hefty brake and try to get back into it that’s your ass mr post man! And it’s just me by myself but my 21 doesn’t tire me out at the 10th house as a matter of fact my production is faster with the 21 don’t get tired as quickly but don’t get me wrong that 30 saves time but you have to know when to use your muscles because if you start off the day moving all fast with these 30 you will feel it special if your just residential! But If your using it here and there your good!
If you know, than you know pushing these beasts of a machine around all day will exhaust you no matter how tough you are. Definitely a calorie burner. I carry this and my honda so I can atleast give my body a break every few houses. 30 inch still helps cut time in half though.
@@StagedWorld-eb5rothank you for this comment I’m thinking about getting one in the near future and this just made me feel better 🙏🏼😌
Grew up around this mower with my dad i acknowledge it’s pros and cons and I would still stick to it. Appreciate you telling me your experience with it though
The air plane comparison was awesome
This is me 100%!! This mower is killing me this season. I have 30 plus clients and this is my main mower (Exmark 30" with the Kohler Engine). It's so bad im thinking about buying another 21 inch Honda 217 until I can get a trailer and zero turn or stander. I made a terrible ($2500) mistake buying this. I pray your video helps alot of people.
Right?! I was dropping dead by the time summer came around and I was increasing my customer list. The loan for my upgrade to an Exmark 48 with a sulky was only 100 per month, so I did that and paid cash for the trailer. Worth it !!!! lol. The second best thing I did was ditching the 30" altogether and discontinuing mowing giant backyards that have 36" gates.
The new Scag 30 inch supposedly doesn't have this issue as they are timed
Great advice. You just confirmed that I need to go straight to a 36” walk behind with the sulky.
Great! I kept my 48" with a sulky as a back up to my 52 scag ride-on. I picked up a honda self-drive for the few lawns I still do that have small gates, but I won't take on any new lawns that would require it. Giving my 30" away for free :D
Yep on point it's been off my trailer now 1 year . Back on as a open area small yard choice yards. It heavy and falls apart . On my 4th one. Cables break fast to and belts. And wires and hight adjusters.
I’m an electric guy been so for 4 years. The bigger electric push mowers are finally coming out this year and I’m trying to remind myself that there’s going to be pros and cons to the bigger mowers and I think they will be a similar weight the their gas counterparts.
For the last 5 years, my now 74 year old mother-in-law cuts her half acre lawn 1.5 times a week with a 30" Toro . 😆
I've use it a few times a year and it's definitely not a trim mower. It seems well balanced and sweeping turns help, but in a small space where you are turning a lot, the extra work adds up.
Definitely need to keep belts adjusted. Several times I found the blades a notch or two out timing due to the belt being too lose. She hit a brick once, but it didn't shear the pins or force the blades out of time.
She's currently looking at a Cub Cadet CC600 with front caster wheels.
I have two 30in x mark they are 7 years old I have put a great deal of repairs in them this year. They have a great deal of hours on them I do not put a rider on residence lawns.I am 63 and the weight doesn't bother me at all and yes I do sweet a great deal but that keeps me in shape the yards look groomed not just mowed I will use them until I retire in two years
I got that 30 I wish I had a bigger one with a sulky for the simple reason , that when I do a ride on mower, you are saving your body for another task ,cause for the most part you are kind of able to rest a little bit
Me in central florida who just bought a 30” toro turf master hdx as my main mower and one client. I want a stand on mower but I’m 6’2 and I’m worried about tree clearances. After opening the actual business and buying equipment and bank account, I have 250$ so here’s to grinding out these lawns until we get a nicer mower! I still can’t help but feel blessed for the opportunity to mow for $ even if Florida is HOT
Sounds like you are on track !! I began the same way. Don't worry, by the time you start getting tired from mowing a lot of lawns with the 30" is the same time you can afford to upgrade with those accounts helping you to finance. Prune those low branches if you can :D
I mow about 4 to 5 lawns a day. Bare in mind that there is always something better out there. I bought this mower because it fulfills my needs. Heavy, yes. Extremely expensive, yes. I do not regret buying it, It's made me some good money, but for my work volume, it'll take me two mowing season to recover my investment and then some. Also, commercial/lawn equipment is targeted and stolen frequently, sometimes, I think, the Timamaster (not commercial grade) could have done it for as long as I owned it.
Timemaster
These 30” mowers are a great option even for established business owners. I have a 52” zero turn a 36” walk behind and an exmark commercial 30. Is the 30 where the 36 don’t fit and the 36 where the 52 don’t fit. Works great and beats the heck out of a 21”!
I ran the same set-up for a few years, if I had to use it, it was best for periodic use. I don't recommend the 30" for a primary or only mower, it's a real calorie burner for back to back lawns especially in 90 degree weather.
HONEST review..... thanks!
So it's good for beginners, but watch hittin stuff underneath, can throw off the alignment.
Ps. For some reason was assuming it would turn like a SNOW BLOWER, were you squeeze one side of the handle, and it would turn left/right for you.
And could definitely see....
havin to do WHEELES for each turn, gettin exhausting.
Good review. Have a 36 belt drive and a 21 for back yards (28" gates here). Dovetail on lowered long box, no trailer as the streets are super tight for parking, very little room available.
It's a good system but I would love a hydro for that instant reverse.
Sounds like you have the right set-up. The 21 should be a lot easier to get on and off the truck and to maneuver in and around tight spaces. Funny about the instant reverse, almost the main reason I wanted a hydro.
@@20lawnsby19 yeah that's the best benefit of the hydro drive. Also much more power to the wheels in general. My belt drive loses a little friction when it's really hot and dusty. Otherwise it's a machine.
The 21 I have is the Ariens classic with kawasaki and casters. It's 120lbs sitting still but the casters make all the difference.
I have a 36" turf tracer w a stand on and I absolutely live it. Kinda pricey but its great quality. Those pins get hot when you got to change heights mid yard. Only real bad thing about it is the manual height adjust but you get over it. 5 gal tank I can cut all day on 1 tank.
It's worth the extra $ over a 30". Most dealers don't know what it's like to mow multiple lawns a day for a living :D
Had one of these, it will flat wear your azz out. Sold it and bought an fw15. Like a jumping from a yugo to. Caddy. And the fw15 is hydro drive. Power reverse, no manhandling. Just steer and pres the go bar.
Exactly! lol
Proton don’t hit things while mower make sure you do a walk around before first cut pretty easy to avoid that problem
Very good video I was looking at the toro and Exmark 30in mowers and now you got me thinking. I probably just going to get an Ex mark 21in for trimming and hills.I heard that those 30 in mowers require a lot of maintenance belts stretching and transmission breaking.
I was just using my Honda 21 yesterday on a couple small lawns, thinking this is definitely so much easier! I also continue to get customers on board with installing larger gates when possible for my Scag 52, and turning down any new large backyards with those little 36" gates--there is just no excuse for that.
I went and purchased the 21in Exmark I really like it so far it literally pulls you up the hills. The transmission is so powerful and fast
Yes I agree , its way too heavy for a push mower! Even though it's self propelled, you still have to man handle it !
Thanks for the video helped a lot
Now that was a good review...
lol, thanks! Seven years of that thing at least got me to a good review.
At first it was heavy but got use to it! A 48 inch walk behind is known better!
I purchased a 30" Toro Timemaster from Home Depot it's a 1000.00 but usually if you apply for a HD credit card, you get 100.00 off
good advice thanx
I run 3 of these 2 of the older ones and 1 new toro. Once they break I’ll never get them again too much maintenance and a pain to work on. Do they cut great absolutely. Being heavy you do get use to it BUT the maintenance on them cables and the belts don’t last.....
He is 10000% right. Horrible mowers. Do not last.
Thanks for the information 😎
You bet!
I have 6 exmark 30" for commercial. These machines are the best machine for clean once per week grass cut. They have a very nice finishing,,,Specially on very dense grass such zoysia grass. There are not good for shitty or wet lawns.
I was seriously considering one for this coming season 😬
toro time master .its the same thing but everything is updated.
@@TheSpidersoftheworld exmark is Always one design behind toro. Toro is the most updated
Lol,, Do a little more research. These 30's are a game changer... If you know how to use it
I used to mow 8 city blocks with 2 30s and my brother it was a challenge but we did it for 2 years
i have videos on this mower, i feel ya brother
Guess I'll scratch it off my list of potential Mother's Day presents ...
hahaha get her flowers
What kind of issues did you experience with it besides the blade timing? I've read others having to replace the belt way too often and it being a real hassle to do. I am looking at them now to replace the 21" backyard mowers we use. I just struggle to justify the price tag on them as well.
I guess you could buy one used first and see what you and your crew think after a week of use. It's very heavy for something without any turning assistance, such as a belt drive walk- behind. And no caster wheels in the front.
@@20lawnsby19 around my area you never see the commercial 30s up for sale, just the timecutter consumer grades. Could be a matter of not that many of them are being used. Scag has a new one coming out, it will be interesting to see if they have overcome some of the downfalls of the exmark and toro units.
yes. i’m selling mines and i got it 3 months ago cause of that weight
Help full,ty
I will try to keep making them as the season gets underway, thx!
second season with this mower totally regret it. x series too. way to heavy for the smaller lawns and not enough power for the bigger ones selling mines asap
Did you sell it?
I need to know what placement those blade spindles are in each wheel has a hole on it but I need to know where those holes are set to by blades keeps meeting up in same position any help would be useful
It sounds like the grooves in the belt may have skipped out of proper position, that happened to me a few years back when I hit a stump, I can't remember if I needed to remove the belt and re-align everything? I just went out to look but my mower is buried, I would need a couple of hours to get at it haha.
Used to run the Toro Timemaster, and while it's a great machine that can save a lot of time, it's not without its flaws. The biggest one was that after 9 months of major use, since it was the primary machine, it started to chew through pulleys, belts and blades. After the 4th or 5th breakdown I finally got rid of it, and now rely on the Honda HRX217. The price for this Exmark, and its clone, the Toro Turfmaster, are way too high, especially knowing the problems that one will probably encounter in the future with it.
I'm trying to give my 30" exmark away for free to my helper :D
The timemaster came out in 2012 and the turfmaster/exmark 30 came out in 2013. You'd think by now that most of the kinks would have been worked out. Beyond the lack of power from the motor, the deck is too short and flat. The clippings don't have enough time to be recirculated and cut down before hitting the flat deck and caking up, especially in thick and wet growth. The flat decks only work well with side discharging but you need the HP to shoot it out the side without clogging. The machine definitely needs a larger motor (even beyond the 224 cc Kohler or 223 cc Briggs), a self propelled system that allows the operator to turn on a dime, and a longer and taller deck to make it work. But that would add a lot more weight and cost to it.
Maybe you better consider a van instead a pickup truck. Half of loading height and everything keeps dry. Behind a van you can haul a trailer too.
Vans are so underrated for contractors.
Im 53 yrs old .... i live in Texas .... It was 98 degrees yesterday ....its August ... i dont even want to push my weedeater anymore ...
seriously hahaha I had to do 21 solo last week, one was also new so I had to do a clean-up too :D I bought about $200 of financial/business investing books hoping to find other ideas
@@20lawnsby19 Mowing lawns definitely can turn a great profit, but what you mentioned is exactly where I am at in life. I'm determined to learn how to make the money that I make doing lawns work for me by investing in stocks and anything else that I can learn.
@@mr.reliable8123 I have been shoving any money I get into my Roth IRA, my Health Savings account, my SEP, which is about 20K max each year plus my individual stock account. I have been researching silver and gold miners for several years, that's where I am :D
not really a main mower - just a finish mower to me
I sware by my bobcat 32 walk behind
I hate mine
Avoid these. It's much worse than this video shows. They are lemons. A 32" Belt Metro is better. They do not last.
I agree.... this machine is pure shit!!!