Toro SR4 Super Recycler Mower

Toro fails to honor warranty
May 11, 2008 1:22 pm

chieslar
Joined: May 11, 2008

I purchased a Toro 20056 (s/n270000894) with an aluminum body and immediately had problems. The blade clutch wasn't securely tightened and became loose during the first mowing, eventually failing to spin up when engaged and causing a violent vibration. I tightened it and it worked fine. After my fifth mowing I noticed that the body had fractured at the fore end of the right-side ejection port, a weak point. It appeared to have been impacted with a smooth object. My best guess is that the blade impacted it when the clutch was loose. Toro's warranty states "If anything goes wrong in 5 years, under normal use and maintenance, Toro will fix it free.". Toro declared that the damage was not covered even when my local dealer communicated to them that the mower was not abused. As a stress analyst, I would say that the design is weak at this point. Furthermore, having an aluminum cast body the location is a candidate for a cold joint, a manufacturing problem. The loose blade is a workmanship problem. Worst of all Toro elected to cheat me when faced with an expensive warranty obligation. Note also that Toro makes aluminum bodies for Lawn Boy.

Date Purchased: July 2007
Price Paid: $635
Recommend: No

Pros:

I starts easily but is a little underpowered in longer grass, even when it is dry.

Cons:

I am left dissappointed after deciding to buy american, only to find that the american company does not honor its warranty obligations.

2005 Toro SR4 Super Recycler 21" Self-Propelled
Jul 31, 2005 12:47 pm

OldToroOwner
Joined: Jan 1, 2004

I recently bought this mower to replace my 9 year old Murray 22" self propelled that had served me well, but was having issues with the drive system, and.. as I wanted a mower with a blade clutch, I took the plunge. It was a toss up between this mower and the Honda 217 series, but after comparing the warrantees and features "dollar-for dollar", I went with the Toro.
This mower has a 6.5 horsepower, Briggs & Stratton, L-head Quantum series 120000 engine. Nothing fancy, but a proven performer in the world of lawnmowers. I had had a 5.5 HP, B&S Quantum engine on my Murray, which never failed to start on the 1st or 2nd pull in the 9 years I've owned it. All the engine parts are painted black in "traditional Toro fashion" with a black plastic engine shroud, and, with a neat muffler guard to keep hands away.
The engine takes single weight, SAE 30 oil. Because of the blade clutch assembly on the bottom of the deck, it requires that the engine be tipped on it's side to drain the oil through the filler tube. Because of the advantage to "gaining" the blade clutch system, I consider it a minor inconvenience. My only complaint so far with the engine is the lack of a handle mounted throttle control, but then again that's more of an issue wth Toro design engineers, than with B&S. Maybe I'm being nostalgic...but I wished it had one like the one on my Murray. The more I look at new OPE, it seems that's the way the newer engines are being manufactured. I hope, in time, it will grow on me. C'est la vie.

Other nice features include:

-Cast aluminum deck( read: no more rust!)
and it's in "Toro red"..how can you beat that!

-Ball-bearing wheels (w/ grease fittings on rear..another great idea!)

-(BOS) Toro's "Blade Override System".
A neat feature that lets you walk away from the mower and keeps the engine running...without the blade turning. I don't know about you, but I got tired of constantly shutting my engine down and re-starting it after I'd released the "engine cut-off bar" especially when I was emptying the grass bag or picking up a stray stone or stick that I had missed on my pre-mowing walk through. Sometimes my wife would have to let the dog out to do his "business" while I was mowing, and I'd be afraid something could fly out and injure him..or my wife(call me paranoid, but I've seen it happen!..)
I had often tied the bar up with a small piece of rope because it drove me nuts to do this....and that's a dangerous thing to do! This eliminates that entirely! It worked perfectly and the nice part about it was that it was surprising how quiet the newer engines are today, when you aren't listening to the added noise of the "spinning" mower blade!!
The engine seems to just "hum", then when you pull the clutch bar towards you...the governer takes over and the full power kicks in.
By the way... this mower started on it's first pull, and ran smoothly & quietly...just like Toro said it would.
Pretty neat!

-Personal Pace system
This allows the speed to be adjusted by the person mowing, as you walk, up to 4 miles an hour. The faster you walk..the faster it moves. After owning a 3 speed model for years, it took some getting used to. But after about an hour, it was very intuitive.

-Side discharge cover w/ latch.
This allows the plastic deflector(included) to be attached to the side so that you can mow and have the clipping discharged to the side. After you're done, remove the deflector and flip the spring-loaded cover down, then slide the latch to lock.

-Rear bag (with mulching plug)
I had no problems with clogging, but, the grass was especially dry. I'll reserve judgement if I should happen to mow my grass when it's a little more damp...;).. The bag though, is a breeze to put on and take off. Just open the spring-loaded cover, install the two "hooks" on the bar, and you're done.

-Handlebar mounted shut-down switch.
It's nice to have a "kill switch" mounted on the handle bar, remember...no throttle control.

-5 Year Full Warranty.
This, along with the famous Toro name...is something to be considered also.
With the "Guaranteed to start on the 1st or 2nd pull for 5 years or we fix it free" promise, it's hard to find a better backed mower on the market.
All in all, I'm very pleased with this mower and, with proper care, expect it to last a long time. I plan on breaking the engine in with the standard SAE 30 oil and then switch to full synthetic after about 5 hours of use.

So, if you're shopping in this price range...and want a smooth, reliable engine along with some nice safety features and that famous Toro quality...look no further.
This is the one.

Thanks for listening!

Date Purchased: 7/05
Price Paid: $569
Recommend: Yes

Pros:

-Smooth running, dependable B & S engine
-Blade clutch system
-Personal Pace System
-Aluminum deck, ball bearing wheels with grease zerks
-5 year, full coverage warranty with GTS warranty!
-That Toro red color!!...(I know.. I've said it enough!!...)

Cons:

-No throttle control, but it really doesn't need one. Just my pet peeve!

This message was modified Jul 31, 2005 by OldToroOwner

Product Reviews for SR4 Super Recycler Mower