Homeowners and professionals alike are drawn to innovation. Selecting the best battery-powered lawnmower might work for smallerย yards. For larger properties or significant time savings, however, a largerย gas-powered mower provides a betterย experience.ย From my first riding mower to my first reel mower, one question was always the same, does the innovation make good on its claim? Having already reviewed the Toro 22โณ Personal Pace Recycler Lawnmower, we wanted to see what could be done with the new 30-inch model. Toro certainly seems to haveย improved in several areasย with its newest Toro 30ย in Lawnย Mower. Branded as theย Toro TimeMaster (21199), the new modelย makes the claim that it willย save you time. I made it my goalย to deliver on that claim.
The Toro TimeMaster rear-wheel-drive self-propelled 30โ push mower offers a wider mowing alternative. Aย powerfulย engine that supports the wide deck and ergonomic controls make it easy to use. Toroย seems to have designed all aspects ofย the TimeMasterย mower,ย so it canย live up to its name.
Toro 30โณ TimeMaster Features
The Toro TimeMaster mower is powered by a massive 223cc Briggs and Stratton overhead valve engine. Delivering 10 ft-lb of torque, this engine gives the boost needed to cut almost 50% more grass per pass than traditional push mowers.
For mowing grass over any terrain, theย Toro TimeMaster deliversย power to a pair of 10-inch diameter rear wheels. Theseย largerย wheels provideย wider-than-average traction, giving them greater grip and a smoother driving area.
This combination of power and secure drivetrain yields up to a 40% faster mow time.
Of course, that forward movement would be useless without the wide Dual-Force twin-blade cutting system. Toro employsย two mulching blades to span the 30-inches ofย the mowing deck.
Mulching
With the included rear discharge plug, the Toro TimeMasterย lawn mower makes a very fine mulch. With the plug out and the grass bag on, the TimeMaster is a beast. Itย vacuums any and all clippings and leaves that it passes over.
When vacuuming more, you end upย dumping the bag more. This is where the Blade Stop system comes in especially useful. Use it, andย you donโt need to turn off and restart the engine. To engage the blade after starting, you simplyย press down the simple blade control bar lock and then pull down the blade control bar. Upon engaging the blade, the power of the engine roars to meet the need. Whenย you have aย full bag, orย you needย to stop the blade for anyย reason whatsoever, just release the bar to disengage it.
Toro Personal Pace Self-Propel System
The Personal Pace Self-Propel system and Traction-Assist handle on the Toro TimeMaster work together to give the operator constant control over the drive of the mower. Push down a little on the handle, and the mower moves a little. Push down all the way, and you up toย 4.5 mph of propelled speed. The Traction-Assist handle worksย well for tight corners where only one hand is available. It gives you something to squeeze the โgoโ handle towards when you canโt be behind it pushing.
I found theย Quick Stow lever of the Toro TimeMasterย lawn mower to be a definite winner. This feature allows for two different operating handle heights. More importantly, the lever enables the handle to be at a fixed 90-degree angle to the mower. This cuts the square footage needed to store it in half.
Testing theย Toro 30 in Lawn Mower
For my first pass with the Toro 30 in lawn mower, I used the mulch setting at the E height which is 2.25โ. The 2-point height-of-cut allows for quick adjusting of deck height from a low of 1.25โ at the G setting up to a high of 4.25โ at the A setting (with all letters between as options).
This first pass with the Toro 30 in lawn mower wasย a breeze. My small and compartmented patches of Zoysia grass that normally takes 40 minutes to mow only took 25 minutes. The mower delivered a uniform cut across the lawn with fine clippings. I found the Personal Pace Self-Propel system easy, even natural, to use. The Traction-Assist handle was an ergonomicย andย naturally useful feature, but the name didnโt help me know what it did! I guess โperfectly placed fixed handle to use with the Personal Pace systemโ didnโt fit! Combined, they increased the ability to make tight turns without substantially slowing down.
Testing for Power
Then the Toro 30 in lawn mower showed its true colors when I dropped the deck to the F setting for a 1.75โ mow height. Every season I scalp my Zoysia. After a good amount of rain and, even with bagging, a fair amount of clippings, the lawn is too thick. I took the rear discharge plug out and put the grass bag in its place.ย The TimeMaster took the challenge like a champ, only bogging down in the slightest when the bag was completely full. And fill the bag it did! Where other mowers would struggle to fill the bag with all of that material, the TimeMaster did not fail to collect.
I was genuinely impressed at the vacuum-like action of the mower with the grass bag attached. Even the clippings normally just kicked around on the driveway or sidewalk were sucked up with ease. Even with the โscalpingโ, I did all of my Zoysia lawnย with a clean and evenย cut. Despite the uneven terrain, the Toro 30-inch lawn TimeMaster lawn mower gave me a smooth and level finish.
The Good
The 30โ wide deck coupled with a power train that can propel it as fast as you can walk is awesome! The Quick Stow lever really does make storage quick and much more efficient use of space in the garage.
The Bad
The weight. Here again, it earns the โBeastโ moniker. With the engine off, youโve got no help moving those 132 pounds around. Also, this power comes at a cost: thirst. That 223cc engine is thirsty. Toroโs own spec is a tank lasts about an hour, and my experience was a little less.
Summary
How much is your time worth? The Toro 30 in lawn mower, the TimeMaster, really does save time (and space). It alsoย does so in an easy-to-use package. The Personal Pace Self-Propel system, 2 point height-of-cut adjustment, Quick Stow lever, and washout port add up to time-saving goodness. The features that win the day, though? The 30โ wide deck, an engine that can support it, and the safety of the blade stop system make theย Toro 30 in lawn mowerย worth it. Get more information, and locate a dealerย here.
Toro TimeMaster Lawn Mower Specifications
- Engine: Briggs & Stratton 1000 Series,ย 223cc
- Engine type: Carbureted
- Starter: Recoil (Electric model available)
- Fuel: Gas (0.3 gallon capacity)
- Run-time: Up to 1 hour
- Drive: Personal Pace rear-wheel
- Speed: Up to 4.5 mph
- Weight: 132 lbs
- Cutting deck: 30 in.
- Wheel height: 8 in (front), 10 in. (rear)
- Deck construction: Steelย w/cast-aluminum frame
- Cutting height: 1.25 โ 4.25ย in.ย (0.5ย in.ย increments)
- Blades: 2 xย 15.4 in.
- Price: $1199.00
