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Thread: toro personal Pace verses lawn boy

  1. #1

    toro personal Pace verses lawn boy

    Ive had a personal pace for 5 years and its pretty rough now. Had lots break on the Toro, last the pull cord and while ordered weeks ago has not surfaced. yesterday borrowed what I thought would be a John Deere, its green but turns out its a Lawn Boy. 15 years old has its own version of personal pace, Worked great and several things better than the Toro. If thats 15 years old and the Toro was five years old ill have to look at the lawn boys before id do another Toro. It didnt stand up to me.

  2. #2
    Was yours a Recycler or a Super Recycler? The latter has some beefed up components.

  3. #3
    thanks Nathan will have to check that. Had this in the computer will check this afternoon what name is on it

    P1910155.jpg

  4. #4
    I think that's the Super Recycler with the Honda engine. Huh.
    Have all your issues been engine related?

    I'm on my second Super Recycler. First one had a Briggs and was over 15 years old. Finally did a head gasket and sold it. Now on my second and this has the Chinese Toro engine and no issues to date.

  5. #5
    honda motor no issues really. First week one clip side air filter broke off then broke other stuff over the years. No personal pace for last years and its harder to push than if it was not there, pull cord handle broke as it was plastic, put one on from a 25 year old mower rubber worked great never failed just stuff like that., doesnt hold its height setting if around bushes knocks off easy plus lots more I dont remember at the moment, Last thing the pull cord. Lawn boy just better thought out. Will wait till the pull cord arrives. Might take it apart to look into the personal pace if not need to disconnect all of it so its just a regular mower, right now using it is like doing squats.

    Bag is not easy to put on and off and doesnt empty well as designed , lawn boy better both ways there and and.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Norristown, Pa
    Posts
    269
    If the toro personal pace allows you to control the speed of mowing, check the drive belt. Here is what I found on mine.
    I have a Honda mower that I have done no maintenance to other than oil change and blade sharping. I guess it is at least 10 years old. Any how I had the same problem that the drive would not longer move the mower. Belt looked fine, no tears etc. Took the belt off and went to one shop, sales said looks like old belt was ok and probably the differecnal and not worth replacing. He suggest the just use by taking the gears out of the drive wheels. Need the jolly green giant to push that through the grass.
    Took belt to another dealer, said they did not have the belt Butt it may be stretched. hello. So I went back to first dealer and bought the belt about $6. Got home and walked the old belt around the new belt, I estimated a 1 inch difference.
    Works like new.
    Bob

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    5,427
    I can't imagine a Toro only lasting five years. Toro bought Lawn Boy back in 1989. Any Lawn Boy that is 15 years old is just a Toro with green paint basically. I didn't even know Toro is still selling Lawn Boy mowers, but apparently they are still making them. Menards is the only Lawn Boy dealer locally.

    I highly recommend a Honda mower for new. I had one until I moved to acreage and went to a riding mower.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    6,983
    Back in 1975, I hit a piece of 3/4" rebar that was pounded into the ground to keep a hose from dragging across my garden with my Lawn Boy - back when they used a two stroke engine.
    It went through that rebar like it was nothing & never even slowed down.

    About six years ago we bought a new lawn boy - with the past performance of the old one in mind.
    It didn't even last a month.

    No problem right - it's under warranty..

    Lots a luck there.....finding a warrant center that will take it is next to impossible.

    If you do decide to go lawn boy, check out the nearest warranty center that will accept it.
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
    Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    3,063
    Quote Originally Posted by Rich Engelhardt View Post

    Lots a luck there.....finding a warrant center that will take it is next to impossible.

    If you do decide to go lawn boy, check out the nearest warranty center that will accept it.
    Rich, since Toro owns Lawn Boy (based on Brian's post) Buckeye Power Sales offers Toro residential mowers. BPS has stores in Dayton, Columbus, and elsewhere. Link. Maybe they can help you. They have been very good supporting the Lawn Boy and snow blower I've bought here in Columbus.
    Brian

    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    NE Ohio
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    6,983
    Brian - thanks - but - it''s long gone now.
    It had some sort of problem that was well known. It would start and run for a few seconds, then quit.
    There was a part in it that had to be replaced. My wife had our son pick it up to work on it - that was about 6 years ago.
    After he picked it up and had ot for a couple years, it grew legs and walked off.
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
    Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...

  11. #11
    brian I use my stuff hard not abused but its used plus long ditch side of the home. The lawn boy is better no question and guy told me it was 15 years old. Not rushing out to buy one just yet but in the past would have been Toro not so sure now. I could list all the stuff that broke if I spent some time with it. Dont have time now. Going to get a new pull cord and start there. Then will keep it as a back up when I get something new.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    5,427
    Quote Originally Posted by Warren Lake View Post
    brian I use my stuff hard not abused but its used plus long ditch side of the home. The lawn boy is better no question and guy told me it was 15 years old. Not rushing out to buy one just yet but in the past would have been Toro not so sure now. I could list all the stuff that broke if I spent some time with it. Dont have time now. Going to get a new pull cord and start there. Then will keep it as a back up when I get something new.
    I don't understand how a 15 year old Lawn Boy mower would be so much better than Toro since a 15 year old Lawn Boy is just a Toro mower painted green? Today, Lawn Boy seems to be a brand sold only at Menards, at least here in Minnesota.

    It could certainly be that a 15 year old Toro would be better than a five year old Toro.

  13. #13
    it would take me some thought and looking at it but at my desk from my ancient memory Its lighter, the wheels are wider and front are round so they cover the ground better. I had one mower years ago that i put air wheels on, if you try that you will be amazed how much better it is to use over the stock plastic rinky dink wheels on a mower.

    Handle height is higher so more comfortable.

    The bag goes on and off easier its not a struggle then its made so it is wide and when you empty it it empties better.

    It doesnt have a pull handle made of plastic that broke.

    The wheels are easier to adjust and they hold the settings. ive had endless times on the toro its gone off the notch its set on, so much so that on either that one or one other I drilled and tapped 10/32 holds and put screws in to keep them set on what they were set on.

    I liked the Toro personal pace, I burned it out, this guys 15 year old mower works fine, it seemed to hesitate a bit but then would take off. If the mower was in front of me id find more. Last thing to break was the pull cord, no big deal sure that happens in time on all of them. Its not left outside and sits in a portable shed. Ive broken a wheel as well dont remember it all other plastic stuff has broken the thing that trails the mower few times I pulled the mower back it went under and hit the blade.

    Got a pull cord today and he is out of stock of all Toro stuff said they are not shipping or back log or something.

  14. #14
    I have a 4 year old all-wheel drive Toro personal pace recycler mower. I also have night crawlers which means a bumpy as hell lawn, and the AWD works great on it. I notice the newer ones don't have the blue 'accelerator' handle mine does- it's just a stationary handle you grab with your hand, it simply allows you to push the go-bar harder if you want to go faster, or just make it go when you're in a tight 180 turn and can't get behind the mower all the way, just squeeze and go. Front and rear wheel 'go' bias is totally adjustable, and the same cables adjust the push=speed factor. And it cuts good

    I love the thing...
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  15. #15
    kev what is the model number on it, dealer out of stock anyway but id look at it if here are you tubes. Im still going to repair mine and try and get it to personal pace again or at least disconnect it all so its not three times as hard as a normal mower to push. Yours is four wheel drive mine was two, Now its -2.

    If i cant get it working ill put air wheels on it, they cut resistance in half and are great on bumpy lawns as well. Wish the makers would get it, I know more grief but its way better.

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