Recycler 22 in. Personal Pace Variable Speed Gas Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower with Blade Stop System

Goes as fast as you want to walk! Very easy, strong up hills and durable. One pull start! Safety feature to disengage the blades when you let go is a must! This one has it, so simple a child can operate it...

I purchased this mower at the beginning of cutting season this year, And first year in my new home with a fair amount of area to cut. Also the grass here grows very fast and usually gets cut twice a week. I wanted an affordable recycling mower with the option of self propelled and this one seemed perfect for my needs. The recycling system works fantastic and very clean as well as the rear wheel drive, has had no problem pulling its weight and is very easy to maneuver and handle. The extra options that came with it that were just bonuses to me turned out to be extremely useful and adds a lot to the product, such as the easy switch from mulching to bagging, the hose adapter to basically self clean itself and keep it clean and optimum performance while cutting. And the personal pace propulsion works very well. The slightly larger 22" deck is a huge help. So far it has started first pull every time being used twice a week. You get way more than you pay for! My new Go To mower no doubt!

Left rear wheel fell off the first time I used it. Reattached it and tightened it several times but it continues to loosen within walking 50 steps. This seems to be a problem that several customers are having with this and similar Toro models. The torque of the rear-wheel drive system combined with the direction of the thread of the single bolt holding on the wheel loosens it. The people at Toro who are responsible for designing and approving this product for sale should frankly lose their jobs and I'm also appalled that Home Depot continues to sell this series of lawnmowers.

Why oh why it took me this long to re-engage my relationship with Toro products I will never know? From my early days growing up in Minnesota, Toro always represented the top-of-the line in lawn maintenance! Just recently I was in the market for a self-propelled reliable mower and the Toro Personal Pace has not disappointed! From the moment it arrived at my door it has performed it every way - from reliable starting (1 or 2 pulls) to beautiful cuts to the amazingly intuitive self-propelled "Personal Pace" - This mower is a true dream!

I bought this Toro lawn mower with Briggs and Straton motor in 2007. It’s 2018 now and it still runs great. The mower I have does not have the variable speed option, but the rest of the mower seems to be the same machine. In the 11yrs I have owned it, I have replaced the spark plug once. Changed the oil once and I beat the dust out of the air filter once a year or so. I will be replacing the blade for the first time this weekend. I will definately buy another if this one stops working, but so far so good.

The only reason I gave this mower 4 stars is because I couldn't find a non commercial Toro mower that wasn't outfitted with moron proof safety features. Some users of lawn mowers need these saftey features to save them from their short circuited synapses but I don't. Make absolutely sure no more than 10% ethanol is in the gasoline that is used in this mower or you will have it in the repair shop to rebuild carburetor on a regular basis. If you can get gasoline with no ethanol, your repair shop bills will be much lower and if you're the ingenious type, check YouTube for how to remove the ethanol from your gasoline if you cannot find ethanol free gasoline where you live. Your small engines will last much longer using ethanol free gasoline in them. Overall, I'm happy with the ease of use and performance of this mower.

Out of the box the mower seems good. It fired up on the first or second pull as advertised. Rear wheel drive is definitely a nice feature on my sloped yard. Cutting power is average. It doesn't seem great at mulching, but when using the bag or side shoot, things work better. Largest complaint for me is that plastic pieces that hold the side shoot on have broken, so now I have no option to use the side shoot. Hoping customer service can offer a positive solution for me, but yet to be determined.

I usually have to rake most of my leaves before cutting and now I don't if I cut frequently enough, I use my lawnmower to mulch leaves as well as a lawn mower. It has great power and takes me half the time to cut the grass now. I have enough grass to use a riding mower but prefer this self propelled action for exercise! My lawn looks like it is professionally cut by me.

I specifically chose this Toro mower for the Blade Stop system as I am constantly moving toys and branches out of the path of the mower. I also like the drive mechanism where when you push on the handle it engages the wheels and when you pull back it stops. This works well in my yard as I am constantly moving the mower forwards and backwards to maneuver around trees, swing set, trampoline, pond and the shed. I looked at the more expensive Honda mowers with the same Blade Stop system but not sure how well the handle to engage the drive mechanism would work in a yard were I go forward and much as I go backwards...I think its a bit more complicated then the sliding handle on the Toro. The mower is great but I have two concerns: The Brigs and Stratton engine is louder than I expected, it almost sounds like a pressure washer engine. Last thing is that when I mow over some ruff patches in my lawn the carburetor sputters a bit. I'm sure it has to do with the more efficient carburetor. Other than that, I really enjoy this mower and should last 10-15 years. UPS delivered it to my house and it was well protected in a double box. Easy to setup...just connect the handle /pull cord, add oil and gas with the fuel treatment that comes in the box. Mower started on the second pull and the Blade Stop System works flawlessly.

Assembly was easy--right out of the box! Add oil and gas..good to go. Easy start and stop. Not as good on the hills as I want it to be, but on a small incline, the assist is a nice feature.