Toro Recycler (22") 190cc Personal Pace Lawn Mower w/ Blade Override - 20333

This is my first self-propelled mower. I'm coming from a basic, no-frills machine that I bought some years ago when I just wanted something cheap that would do the job.

I bought this mower at the local Depot, cheaper than the advertised price here even after tax was added. I brought it home and unpacked it. Setup was done in just a couple of minutes -- unlike my previous mower, this one is almost entirely assembled in the box. All you need to do is put the handle on and attach the blade clutch lever to it. No tools required.

Next, add the fluids. The mower comes with the right amount of 30-weight oil. Then fill up the gas tank, and you're off.

The mower has an engine kill switch like you'd find on a motorcycle. Switch to "I" (Ignition). Pull the starter cord. Mine fired up on the first pull! The engine runs smoothly (and much quieter than my old mower). You don't need to have the safety bar pulled in at this point -- the engine will run, but...Read more

Started first pull right out of the box. There is no primer bulb and no starting ritual to learn. I do recommend running it completely out of gas when it is time to change the oil. Toro wants you to lay the mower on it's side to drain the oil out. This also floods the engine with gasoline making it hard to restart.

Drive system is user friendly and completely intuitive. The faster you walk the faster it goes, the slower you walk the slower it goes. You stop and it stops. It does need to coast a couple of inches forward to disengage the drive system or it is hard to pull backwards. Try to pull it backwards more than two feet and the rear guard gets pulled under the machine and then you have to drag it along. It you have a yard that requires a lot of backing it can get tiring. This is my only complaint of the mower. I am 6 feet tall and the handle height is perfect for me. The hand grips are very comfortable and almost vibration free. Relaxing to...Read more

I have a love-hate relationship with this mower. I have always had cheap mowers, this is the first premium mower I have ever purchased. I have had 2 mulching mowers before this one, both bare bones models, in fact this mower cost as much as all the other lawnmowers I have bought before it combined.

It starts right up, propels like a dream, bags and side discharges well, but it won't mulch. Both my old, cheap mowers mulched much better. Well thats not entirely true, if you mow every four days this mower mulches better than any I have ever used. It lifts the grass and suspends it above the rotating blade, where it eventually cuts it up so fine you see no trace of the cut grass when you are done. If the grass is very long at all, it can't process that cut grass and it builds up until it clogs and stalls, leaving clumps of grass all over my yard. The net result is I end up cutting my grass twice if I want it mulched ( which I do, thats why I bought a mulching mower)...Read more