# 2019 Timemaster dissapointment



## Thick n Dense

So recently new owner of a toro timemeaster and have about 5 cuts in overall not too impressed. 
The time savings is definitly there but spent after the mow scraping the deck and its not just a little bit. Enough so that I bought a seperate trash can just for clippings.

The other item is the overall lack of power.
For example, i havent been able to mow recently and the grass grew probably about 5-6". I threw on the hightest setting and mulched mowed. The mower definitly bogged down but seemed to handle everything decently. 
The next day I went from A to C early in the morning and it could barelyhandle it. Was leaving ,many clumps and could definitlyhear the motor bogging down.

The only difference was the morning moisture still on the blades. I would think thst it should be able to go from A to C no problem.

Are my expectations too high?
Is the moisture zapping the power ?
Is there a mower out there that could cleanly mulch that much grass?

ALSO, left this in cool season due to the cool moist weather we have most of the year. Id expect the TM performs better in warmer weather.


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## Tsmith

Your expectations are too high and would be for any residential mower when trying to mulch an overgrown lawn down to 4". The idea of mulching is that clippings fly around under the deck getting hit multiple times but if there isn't any room for them to fly around the mower isn't going to mulch well and can bog down if the blades are not moving freely.

The Timemaster is a little underpowered and clippings can stick to the bottom of the deck when the lawn is wet but it's a good mower once you understand what it does well and adjust in certain situations as the mower is designed to be used on a well maintained lawn.

The better option with an overgrown lawn would be to side shoot the clippings once and then go over the lawn again mulching at the same height but trying to mulch an overgrown lawn all at once is always going to be problematic.


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## TN Hawkeye

Tsmith said:


> The better option with an overgrown lawn would be to side shoot the clippings once and then go over the lawn again mulching at the same height


+1 This is what I have to do if my lawn gets over grown.


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## Guest

https://youtu.be/U3bmr2S9VxY


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## Apapknarf

I feel your pain. Even my wife loves how quick I cut the grass now but even at cutting twice a week the timemaster feels a bit underpowered compared to my old John Deere ja65. I wish I had a solution for you but unfortunately I don't.


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## ryeguy

Has anyone tried checking or adjusting the rpm?


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## Killsocket

I think maybe expectations are a little high, but that's not really a good statement when you're shelling out $1000 for the machine. I do love mine but do notice sticky clippings this spring that I really don't recall having last summer/fall when I got the machine. 
I have been mowing every 3 days religiously since April 29 this spring and the build up has been crazy. I try to use the washout port every other mow. Seems to help. No matter what height I cut, I always store it at 4.25" to get as much air as possible under the deck. Maybe doesn't do a dang thing, but makes me feel better.
I side discharge if it is too overgrown.

I had thought one complaint of the Timemaster was it was always slightly underpowered. But I thought these new 2019 models were more powerful?


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## Alex1389

I find that the TimeMaster doesn't do well for me when I'm trying to cut at 2.5" or below. There just doesn't seem to be enough room under there for the clippings to mulch. So I have to do a knockdown mow using side discharge, then come back and mulch mow. Even then, the clippings still build up.

It's not an underpowered machine until the clippings build up.

Overall not too satisfied with the machine. Not much of a timesaver when I have to mow twice on every mow (I mow every 4/5 days). Just not sure what my next move will be.


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## Thick n Dense

Thanks for the inputs.

I havent got to mow in the hot dry weather yet.

The most upsetting part to me was doing a first pass at max height then lowering by skipping a height so I went to C from A on the 2nd pass...the mower struggled with this. I would expect it to handle a jump like this if at the very least this is the max jump it could handle.

As someone posted above maybe I should have got a honda.


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## mribbens

Thick n Dense said:


> Thanks for the inputs.
> 
> I havent got to mow in the hot dry weather yet.
> 
> The most upsetting part to me was doing a first pass at max height then lowering by skipping a height so I went to C from A on the 2nd pass...the mower struggled with this. I would expect it to handle a jump like this if at the very least this is the max jump it could handle.
> 
> As someone posted above maybe I should have got a honda.


I would tell you it is a great mower, I have a 2017 model, but I would tell you mulching is not the TM's best side. I always side discharge or bag, seldom bag, but there are times during the mowing season, like now, where mulching grass that has any moisture in it will result in a messy, messy underside of the deck and is not the best. I completely renovated the underside of mine this winter, b/c of the scraping I had to do after every mow last year. The paint was coming off and I wanted to have a fresh slate. I applied 4 coats of primer and 3 coats of Toro Red rattle can spray, it came out pretty good.

I try and clean every other mow now with Goo Gone, then once it is clean and dry I apply Mo-Deck spray. I would tell you that with the side discharge or bag it has stayed pretty clean, but I never mow unless it is pretty dry. Now, I say that knowing that life gets crazy and the weather is certainly challenging, but I have mowed when it is a little wet or it has rained recently and it's a hot gross mess, everywhere. Follow the 1/3 rule and you may have to double/triple cut at times, but if you do that and keep the blades super sharp the result is a nearly commercial quality cut every time. I am cutting at 2.5, E in the front and D in back, and sometimes I have to start at 3.00, D in the front and C in the back, to knock the grass down. Then work my way down to 2.5. It gets easier once the weather dries out, I promise. Just my 2 cents, but you have a monster machine, stick with it.


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## Jconnelly6b

Not a Toro owner, but I cannot with either of my machines (push and riding mower) mulch until July/August without serious buildup. I side discharge all spring, and it stinks because you have to be so mindful of where you're blowing the clippings.

Do you use PGR? Once I get PGR down the clippings and vigor of the blades decreases dramatically, but no loss appearance and actually an improvement in color. Might be just the medicine you are looking for.


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## Tsmith

Thick n Dense said:


> Thanks for the inputs.
> 
> I havent got to mow in the hot dry weather yet.
> 
> The most upsetting part to me was doing a first pass at max height then lowering by skipping a height so I went to C from A on the 2nd pass...the mower struggled with this. I would expect it to handle a jump like this if at the very least this is the max jump it could handle.
> 
> As someone posted above maybe I should have got a honda.


I also have a Honda HRX which is considered the best mulching mower but as I mentioned in my earlier response trying to mulch an overgrown lawn down to 4" will be problematic with any residential mower and probably even most commercial mowers which is why most landscapers side shoot when cutting lawns.

Keep in mind the lower the mowing height the less room there will be under the deck to mulch. I mulched my front with my HRX on Saturday afternoon and had to go over a second due to a trail of clippings being left behind and I had just cut on Wednesday evening. I realized shortly after I started and wished I would hv raised a notch for that first trip.


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## Thick n Dense

Good inputs.

Ive been scrapping the bottom by hand with a latex glove. Doesnt get every bit but enough to keep it from stinking up the garage and dowsnt scratch the paint.

I guess ill make a judgement call on side discharge or mulch every mow.

No, I have not played around with PGR yet, in my head, I rationilized the new mower over apwnding $ on PGR lol


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## j4c11

I've looked at the Timemaster often, wondering whether to get it. The 30" cut would be awesome , but in my non-professional opinion it suffers from a serious flaw. I'll explain.

Your run of the mill 21" push mower has a single 21" blade. The Timemaster , at 30" has 2 blades, 15" each in diameter. At 3400rpm, the 21" blade tip speed is 18660fpm, while the tip speed of the 15" is only 13320 fpm. Big difference, and with a tip speed that low the quality of cut with the twin 15" blades would suffer greatly. So how do you resolve that problem? Only one option, increase the rpm. You can do that by increasing the actual engine rpm to about 4400 rpm, but small engine manufacturers have a certain range they expect their engines to run within - say 2800-3600 rpm. Also, engine torque output drops off significantly the higher you push the rpm. The other option - and the one that's probably used - is to use a pulley to increase the rpm. This way, the engine can operate within its optimal rpm range, and you also get the higher blade rpm you need. But a pulley that increases speed also results in a loss of torque.

So we know you're going to lose torque to make up for the shorter blades. You could compensate for that by using a larger engine, but that would defeat the purpose - this is supposed to be a residential mower. It should be light, easy to maneuver, and building it to be able to carry a larger engine would cost a lot of money and increase the price and weight. And they already have the 32" walk behinds that are exactly that, there would be no room for this mower in their lineup. So when you're bogging down in wet grass, you're feeling the compromises that had to be made to bring this product to market.


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## social port

Great post, j4c11.

This thread makes me wonder if there is a mower out there that would ever leave me fully satisfied. Shouldn't we expect to have equipment that does exactly what we want - and to do so flawlessly? Am I chasing a chimera here?

It just makes sense to me: We invest so much time, money, and energy into our turf. We need better equipment to maintain it.


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## mribbens

Great points, and the engine breakdown by @j4c11 is terrific, I never thought of that. The 2017 and newer TM's have a bigger engine with more torque than the earlier models, but it could always be more powerful. The question now becomes the products that we are using on our lawns are pro-sumer, better versions of what is available at your big box stores. I have put professional golf course type fert/fungicides/PGR/insecticides on my lawn for the past 2 years, and the results have been great following the advice and tips on this very forum. With these products is it now time for a commercial mower to maintain the lawn? Unless there is a flush of money coming my way my answer is no, but I would love to dream.


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## Vtx531

j4c11 said:


> I've looked at the Timemaster often, wondering whether to get it. The 30" cut would be awesome , but in my non-professional opinion it suffers from a serious flaw. I'll explain.
> 
> Your run of the mill 21" push mower has a single 21" blade. The Timemaster , at 30" has 2 blades, 15" each in diameter. At 3400rpm, the 21" blade tip speed is 18660fpm, while the tip speed of the 15" is only 13320 fpm. Big difference, and with a tip speed that low the quality of cut with the twin 15" blades would suffer greatly. So how do you resolve that problem? Only one option, increase the rpm. You can do that by increasing the actual engine rpm to about 4400 rpm, but small engine manufacturers have a certain range they expect their engines to run within - say 2800-3600 rpm. Also, engine torque output drops off significantly the higher you push the rpm. The other option - and the one that's probably used - is to use a pulley to increase the rpm. This way, the engine can operate within its optimal rpm range, and you also get the higher blade rpm you need. But a pulley that increases speed also results in a loss of torque.
> 
> So we know you're going to lose torque to make up for the shorter blades. You could compensate for that by using a larger engine, but that would defeat the purpose - this is supposed to be a residential mower. It should be light, easy to maneuver, and building it to be able to carry a larger engine would cost a lot of money and increase the price and weight. And they already have the 32" walk behinds that are exactly that, there would be no room for this mower in their lineup. So when you're bogging down in wet grass, you're feeling the compromises that had to be made to bring this product to market.


I realize this is over a year old. I've come across this thread while researching to possibly purchase a time master.

I'm no physics professor but thought I would try to have some "fun" with this...Yes, the pulley increases speed and reduces torque but that would only be if comparing same size blades. Would the shorter blade not regain the lost torque at the tip (where actual grass cutting occurs).

Wheel Force = Torque Force / Wheel Diameter

21" Mower with 7.75ftlb engine, no pulley:
7.25ftlbs / (21"/2)/12" = 8.285 ft lbs at the blade tip

30" Mower 15.4" blades with 10.00 Torque
10.00ftlbs / (15.4"/2)/12 = 15.58 ft lbs at the blade tip...but it is split between two blades so 7.792 ft lbs at the blade tip.

But... the blade is cutting less grass. 
7.792/15" = .519 ft lbs/cutting inch
vs.
8.285/21" = .394 ft lbs/cutting inch

So I'm thinking the Toro engineers can sacrifice excess torque to get the blade tip speed up and it should pretty much equal out.

Toro SR should have a blade tip speed of approx 18143rpm @3300rpm)
TM would have blade tip speed of 13305rpm with 1:1 @ 3,300rpm

They would need to decrease torque 73.2% to get the speeds matching.

73.2% of .519ftlbs /cutting inch comes out to .380ftlbs / cutting inch.

This means the SR would have about 3.6% more torque/cutting width.

Incidentally...

If you just take the total engine torque and divide by the width of the unit. It is much simpler but comes out about the same.

SR 7.25 / 21" = .345 ft lbs per inch of width
TM 10.00 / 30" = .333 ft lbs per inch of width

.345 / .333 = 1.036...SR has 3.6% more torque per cutting width. Same number.

Haha- Well that was a waste of time and probably not correct. Ah, oh well.


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## Thick n Dense

I forgot that I had even started this post. I guess I should supply an update.

I found that the mower bogged down when overloaded, simply cutting too much grass.
I found by tightening the pulley on the blade belt made a huge improvement.
I'm not sure if mine was an anomaly or they are all setup with the same amount of tension.

It's still not the beast I expected but doesn't bog down when cutting tall grass. it simply will keep going but leave clumps now.

I'll also add that it's pretty good machine, always starts and has made mowing take much less time.

It is heavy though !!! I'm a stronger fellow in his 30's, actively weight lift and do other activities. If moving around a heavier mower doesn't sound appealing, or you have lot of tight turns, I would avoid. 
There's a situation I could see where you have a larger yard 8-12k but not many turns or tight crevices to get around where getting this is the right move as, IF the turns are in open space it's not too bad.

I bought it knowing that I would have it for a while but learning about how some of the electric vehicles are simpler, quieter, have less maintenance, and are lighter, it's only a matter of time until someone makes an electric 30" wide mower that will blow this guy out of the water. probably 4-8 years from now, whatever that build is can ramp up the torque as well...


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## Vtx531

Thanks for the update. How is your DIY roller working out? Any cut grass photos with the TM?

Have you ever used a Super Recycler to compare it to? What were you using to mow before the TM?


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## ricwilli

Everytime I go to HD I look at this mower. I want to buy it, but reading stuff like this just makes me think twice. I would like to keep my lawn between 3-4 inches tall and would hate to have to do more work than I have to just so that it can do its job correctly. I need to look at what else is out there. I've just had my mind set on this Timemaster.


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## Thick n Dense

ricwilli said:


> Everytime I go to HD I look at this mower. I want to buy it, but reading stuff like this just makes me think twice. I would like to keep my lawn between 3-4 inches tall and would hate to have to do more work than I have to just so that it can do its job correctly. I need to look at what else is out there. I've just had my mind set on this Timemaster.


Don't let my review discourage you, it's still a really good mower... If you do things right you shouldn't have issues with it.

For example, if you let your lawn grow to 6 inches and cut down to 3.5" your have some issues mulching and probably require to passes but you should never do this lol...

I was purely disappointed in the fact that cause it was bigger and would that it had more power and it's simply not the case it's power is the same as 21" mower just spread out to accommodate the width.

I'll also mention that you're wasting your looking in that range... any mower in the 30" range with a great amount of power will be an "Pro" version with 3-4 times the cost. at that point just by a ZT or a rider even if it's overkill.


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## AndyS

I'm over the honeymoon period as I'm a year into using a Timemaster and I will say that it is a great machine but it is without a doubt underpowered.

Why do I say this? Almost everyone moving up to a Timemaster is coming from the experience of using a single blade 21 inch rotary mower. They're used to cutting the grass at whatever pace they like - even with overgrown grass - and not having the machine audibly change blade speed or bog down. Just my opinion, but the personal pace system is excellent and the machine can run at a really fast pace if you want it to, so the cutting ability should be able to keep pace with the rest of the mower.

Mine actually ate itself during my reno when I most needed it... still haven't taken it to a shop to get it looked at.


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## Vtx531

AndyS said:


> I'm over the honeymoon period as I'm a year into using a Timemaster and I will say that it is a great machine but it is without a doubt underpowered.
> 
> Why do I say this? Almost everyone moving up to a Timemaster is coming from the experience of using a single blade 21 inch rotary mower. They're used to cutting the grass at whatever pace they like - even with overgrown grass - and not having the machine audibly change blade speed or bog down. Just my opinion, but the personal pace system is excellent and the machine can run at a really fast pace if you want it to, so the cutting ability should be able to keep pace with the rest of the mower.
> 
> Mine actually ate itself during my reno when I most needed it... still haven't taken it to a shop to get it looked at.


Is this one of the newer versions or is this one of the older ones that have been having reliability problems and under powered (190cc)?

I am surprised to see the Toro commercial version of this mower only has a 180cc engine. I thought those guys need more power because they are only cutting weekly whereas most of us do it 2+ times a week.

I just asked my neighbor how he likes his and he said "I like everything about it. I'm glad I got it." but he has only had it about a month so maybe still on the honeymoon.

I really want to get one but having a hard time getting past the price and simplicity of a 21". Is this thing light enough to tip over for oil changes and deck cleaning/scraping?

Wish it had an aluminum deck too. Im afraid it won't mulch as well as my Super Recycler.

Seems like really the ONLY thing it has going for it is the extra width but everything else is a drawback in some way.


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## Mtsdream

I picked up a used one pretty cheap, but it did need a few things. That being said it does have the smaller engine and i find no problems with it unless im trying to cut 3 inches off. It was tuned up before I bought it and Im not sure what rpm is set at but Im sure it is above factory. Overall Im very pleased


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## Vtx531

Cheapest one I can find around here is $300. It is an old one with the muffler missing and muffler mounting screws busted off in the head/ stripped out. Found another one that is only one year old that the guy might do $400 on and it has the electric start that I probably would never use and adds weight to the machine,

What deals is everyone getting on these things for used?

Still really on the fence. I guess I am waiting for a smoking good deal to push me over the edge.

How is the cut quality when mulching compared to a Super Recycler?


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## AndyS

Vtx531 said:


> AndyS said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm over the honeymoon period as I'm a year into using a Timemaster and I will say that it is a great machine but it is without a doubt underpowered.
> 
> Why do I say this? Almost everyone moving up to a Timemaster is coming from the experience of using a single blade 21 inch rotary mower. They're used to cutting the grass at whatever pace they like - even with overgrown grass - and not having the machine audibly change blade speed or bog down. Just my opinion, but the personal pace system is excellent and the machine can run at a really fast pace if you want it to, so the cutting ability should be able to keep pace with the rest of the mower.
> 
> Mine actually ate itself during my reno when I most needed it... still haven't taken it to a shop to get it looked at.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is this one of the newer versions or is this one of the older ones that have been having reliability problems and under powered (190cc)?
> 
> I am surprised to see the Toro commercial version of this mower only has a 180cc engine. I thought those guys need more power because they are only cutting weekly whereas most of us do it 2+ times a week.
> 
> I just asked my neighbor how he likes his and he said "I like everything about it. I'm glad I got it." but he has only had it about a month so maybe still on the honeymoon.
> 
> I really want to get one but having a hard time getting past the price and simplicity of a 21". Is this thing light enough to tip over for oil changes and deck cleaning/scraping?
> 
> Wish it had an aluminum deck too. Im afraid it won't mulch as well as my Super Recycler.
> 
> Seems like really the ONLY thing it has going for it is the extra width but everything else is a drawback in some way.
Click to expand...

Mine is the newer unit. 223cc. It is heavy, but fine to tip over for oil changes and blade swaps. The 90 degree handle position really helps. I'd say it is a great machine in two specific areas, otherwise the advantages over a good 21 inch are small:

1) the combination of width and speed make mowing my 15K sq. Ft. Yard a less than 60 minute effort, compared with 90 mins plus with a 21 inch. The time master name is valid
2) it is a very good mulching machine. You genuinely don't have to bag unless you have a fungus issue or something of the sort

If it had more power and (in my case) less issues with the belt-driven system it would be an absolute no-brainer. As it stands it's very good, but not the ultimate machine that YouTube might have you believe.


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## ricwilli

What about the gas tank? I've read that it is small.


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## AndyS

ricwilli said:


> What about the gas tank? I've read that it is small.


I find the gas tank to be decent, but the sponge that they insert is ridiculous. You have to fill it really slowly. Even when you do that it will start to overflow quickly. You naturally assume the tank is full, but the trick is to just wait... the gas level will recede as the foam absorbs the gas and then you fill it again until you truly fill the tank. Why? I don't know. It seems bizarre and unnecessary.


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## Mtsdream

Vtx531 said:


> Cheapest one I can find around here is $300. It is an old one with the muffler missing and muffler mounting screws busted off in the head/ stripped out. Found another one that is only one year old that the guy might do $400 on and it has the electric start that I probably would never use and adds weight to the machine,
> 
> What deals is everyone getting on these things for used?
> 
> Still really on the fence. I guess I am waiting for a smoking good deal to push me over the edge.
> 
> How is the cut quality when mulching compared to a Super Recycler?


400$ for electric start version is a smoking good deal, I have the electric start version and I love it. I would pick that up asap imo


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## Vtx531

Mtsdream said:


> Vtx531 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Cheapest one I can find around here is $300. It is an old one with the muffler missing and muffler mounting screws busted off in the head/ stripped out. Found another one that is only one year old that the guy might do $400 on and it has the electric start that I probably would never use and adds weight to the machine,
> 
> What deals is everyone getting on these things for used?
> 
> Still really on the fence. I guess I am waiting for a smoking good deal to push me over the edge.
> 
> How is the cut quality when mulching compared to a Super Recycler?
> 
> 
> 
> 400$ for electric start version is a smoking good deal, I have the electric start version and I love it. I would pick that up asap imo
Click to expand...

Ok I just messaged him..now wait and see


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## Thick n Dense

I love the E-Start, I bought new and I laugh when I see my neighbors pulling the cords. 
I would never buy a mower without it after owning one.

I don't have any mower to compare with in regards to the gas tank. I have about 8K and I fill before I do about 5K (front and sides). then I fill in the garage before going to the back (3k) and I never run out of gas.

I think @AndyS would be able to comment better with his 15K yard what his strategy.

I do agree the sponge thing is annoying, I've thought about taking out but never got around to researching. I think it can be done though.

In terms of oil changes, I opted for an oil pump, I think it was like 40$, well worth it. I also use for auto oil changes as will after it's drained for car.

I also do agree with @AndyS 2 main points. It's strengths are reducing mowing time and great at mulching. 
I forgot the exact numbers but I that I've really cut my mowing time in half from 1 hour to 30 minutes. 
But then I reno'd with Provista KBG which is supposed to grow way slower, so I may miss mowing lol.
Remeber the impact on turns and tight corners, there are definitly spots around the fence and in and around bushes where I'd be faster with the lightweight 21" Honda.


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## cldrunner

I bought a new TimeMaster back in June.

I am very happy with my purchase. I am a warm season grass guy. It has plenty of power for me and I run up and down a few slopes.

Mulching: Does a good job for me but I only mow when the grass is dry. I never mow when wet. Never take off more than an inch. I do get a small trail of grass on the right side but find that if I pop out the plastic mulching cover in the back and clean it out mid mow that helps.

Gas: I get about 43-45 min of mow time. I have actually finished my whole 20K yard on one tank but I was moving at a very fast pace. Now I just do half and then fill up again and do the other half.

Time: It is a pleasure to mow with and has cut my mowing time by about 30% which is exactly why I bought it.

If I was looking for a push type mower again I would buy the TimeMaster again without hesitation. Way nicer than my Husqvarna 22in 4 wheel self propelled.


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## Vtx531

Im not getting the $400 one. He ended up trading it for a quad. Just as well - I will be keeping my eye out for one over the next few weeks. No rush.


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## ricwilli

Looks like this guy does quite a bit of hacks on his Timemaster.

https://youtu.be/t6a37qNx7m4


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## massgrass

Interesting, the gas tank size is my biggest complaint. Might be worth considering when my warranty runs out next year.


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## Vtx531

I saw this at HD today but it didn't get me excited enough to make the purchase.


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## Thick n Dense

@Vtx531 Nice Find !

Good fine on the aftermarket gas can too, I don't like that design though, I would prefer something that sits on top of the old tank and feeds directly in.

One other thought... 
While it's average powered to slightly under powered for the width of the cut you can always put on the side discharge. With the side discharge on you can cut 6"-7" grass no problem, of course you'll have to do a second pass to mulch it eventually.

Also, I cant remember the price but the top of the line Honda mower was like 700-750$ I think, so for the extra money on top of that the I figured the Timemaster was the choice.


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## ricwilli

Vtx531 said:


> I saw this at HD today but it didn't get me excited enough to make the purchase.


Oh boy. I'm on the search now.


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## Mtsdream

ricwilli said:


> Vtx531 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I saw this at HD today but it didn't get me excited enough to make the purchase.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh boy. I'm on the search now.
Click to expand...

I would almost sell mine to buy that one, hmm


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## AndyS

Vtx531 said:


> I saw this at HD today but it didn't get me excited enough to make the purchase.


That's a screaming deal.


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## AndyS

cldrunner said:


> Way nicer than my Husqvarna 22in 4 wheel self propelled.


Funny - I had that machine! Great Honda engine, but if the Timemaster is the fastest push mower on the planet that Husqvarna was the slowest. I tried to find larger diameter wheels for it just to make it giddy up


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## Taylorscottmiles

Just got mine, not the commercial which may have been a better choice. It sucks but I don't know what else to buy for 19K feet of mostly fescue. It clumps like crazy and I mow every 3 days (rain permitting) I'm sure it'll be ok once summer hits and this turf thins out. It does a surprisingly good job down low on the small bits of tiff tuff that I have around the pool tho.


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## cusomano

Love my Timemaster but do have the problem with excessive grass build up on the bottom of the deck in the spring months. It was recommended to paint a product called Van Sickle EZ-Slide Graphite based coating on the deck. My local Tractor Supply sells it. So far, it works as advertised. Build up is less and what is there comes off easily with a spray hose, no scraping required.


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## Nikegolf1224

Definitely have a problem with grass build up under the deck when mulching. If you don't have a problem using the side discharge piece, people should try that. It really reduces the amount of clippings under the deck. Be aware though that the mower can shoot it far so if the neighbors have issues with grass flying over to their side be cautious.


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## Cook

Taylorscottmiles said:


> Just got mine, not the commercial which may have been a better choice. It sucks but I don't know what else to buy for 19K feet of mostly fescue. It clumps like crazy and I mow every 3 days (rain permitting) I'm sure it'll be ok once summer hits and this turf thins out. It does a surprisingly good job down low on the small bits of tiff tuff that I have around the pool tho.


I have the same size lawn. I have a ride-on but just picked up a Ferris FW15 for a walk behind. It is a 32" hydro unit with a larger fuel tank. It's awesome.


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## Vtx531

Cook said:


> Taylorscottmiles said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just got mine, not the commercial which may have been a better choice. It sucks but I don't know what else to buy for 19K feet of mostly fescue. It clumps like crazy and I mow every 3 days (rain permitting) I'm sure it'll be ok once summer hits and this turf thins out. It does a surprisingly good job down low on the small bits of tiff tuff that I have around the pool tho.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have the same size lawn. I have a ride-on but just picked up a Ferris FW15 for a walk behind. It is a 32" hydro unit with a larger fuel tank. It's awesome.
Click to expand...

Interested... any more info on what you like and dislike? 
I've been pondering one of these but it seems a big commercial walk-behind would be very heavy, large (same size/weight as a residential zero turn pretty much?), and cumbersome. Why not just get a 42" zero turn rider at that point? What advantage would that have over a 42" zero turn? (besides steep slopes, I dont have any)


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## Cook

I really enjoy mowing with it. The hydros and casters make it effortless to swivel around. I found the timemaster to be a pain to do. It obviously weighed less, but I just didn't like it.

I think it is important to first explain why I bought the Ferris. I own a Walker S18 ride on mower. I bought the Ferris FW15 to have a walk behind as I enjoy mowing and quite honestly could use the steps . That's my reason, but the main reason people buy them is to fit between narrow gates to supplement their wider mowers they use on the rest of a property.

Comparing the FW15 to a 42" zero turn only makes sense from a cost standpoint. As you mention, a commercial walk behind could weigh as much as a 42" Toro Timecutter (530lbs). The difference would be that you're walking behind it and not adding your weight on top of that. I was looking at the Hustler Trimstar but really wanted something to weight less. That's when I came across the FW15, which is only 280lbs, albeit a smaller deck.

Hope this helps.


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## WiscoLawn

Cook said:


> I really enjoy mowing with it. The hydros and casters make it effortless to swivel around. I found the timemaster to be a pain to do. It obviously weighed less, but I just didn't like it.
> 
> I think it is important to first explain why I bought the Ferris. I own a Walker S18 ride on mower. I bought the Ferris FW15 to have a walk behind as I enjoy mowing and quite honestly could use the steps . That's my reason, but the main reason people buy them is to fit between narrow gates to supplement their wider mowers they use on the rest of a property.
> 
> Comparing the FW15 to a 42" zero turn only makes sense from a cost standpoint. As you mention, a commercial walk behind could weigh as much as a 42" Toro Timecutter (530lbs). The difference would be that you're walking behind it and not adding your weight on top of that. I was looking at the Hustler Trimstar but really wanted something to weight less. That's when I came across the FW15, which is only 280lbs, albeit a smaller deck.
> 
> Hope this helps.


Beautiful yard! I also picked up an FW15 this year. Love it so far. Do you have a striper for it?


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## Cook

WiscoLawn said:


> Cook said:
> 
> 
> 
> I really enjoy mowing with it. The hydros and casters make it effortless to swivel around. I found the timemaster to be a pain to do. It obviously weighed less, but I just didn't like it.
> 
> I think it is important to first explain why I bought the Ferris. I own a Walker S18 ride on mower. I bought the Ferris FW15 to have a walk behind as I enjoy mowing and quite honestly could use the steps . That's my reason, but the main reason people buy them is to fit between narrow gates to supplement their wider mowers they use on the rest of a property.
> 
> Comparing the FW15 to a 42" zero turn only makes sense from a cost standpoint. As you mention, a commercial walk behind could weigh as much as a 42" Toro Timecutter (530lbs). The difference would be that you're walking behind it and not adding your weight on top of that. I was looking at the Hustler Trimstar but really wanted something to weight less. That's when I came across the FW15, which is only 280lbs, albeit a smaller deck.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Beautiful yard! I also picked up an FW15 this year. Love it so far. Do you have a striper for it?
Click to expand...

thanks! I picked up a checkmate for it


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## jskierko

I posted this on my journal but I will post here as well, as I know many people have the issue of the timemaster bogging down. Today I adjusted the drive belt tensioning pulley (there are many youtube videos on how to do this) and I didn't have a single pass where I thought the mower might not make it (and I make some passes of ~150 ft). It even rained just over 0.5" here yesterday and, normally this would spell disaster for me, but the timemaster didn't skip a beat. Ran like it was new out of the box. Hope this is able to help someone to the same extent that it helped me. I also adjusted the transmission tension cable and the self propel is functioning much better.


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## Thick n Dense

jskierko said:


> I posted this on my journal but I will post here as well, as I know many people have the issue of the timemaster bogging down. Today I adjusted the drive belt tensioning pulley (there are many youtube videos on how to do this) and I didn't have a single pass where I thought the mower might not make it (and I make some passes of ~150 ft). It even rained just over 0.5" here yesterday and, normally this would spell disaster for me, but the timemaster didn't skip a beat. Ran like it was new out of the box. Hope this is able to help someone to the same extent that it helped me. I also adjusted the transmission tension cable and the self propel is functioning much better.


Yea this is a true point, did mine as well. I bought a replacement belt in anticipation due to the increased pressure on it. not sure if this is by design or not.

Another thing that I find that helps, is make a couple extra rows where you're turning for the long passes, this lets the clippings mulch and fall while you're turning without introducing new grass.


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## Taylorscottmiles

I bought the commercial version for my business just to try it out, better but not ideal for my personal yard. I wouldn't recommend purchasing it to use just at your house. That FW15 is awesome, hope you enjoy it!


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## Thick n Dense

I looked at the Pro Version of the time master and actually has less Horses than the homeowner version, doesn't make any sense...


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## massgrass

Pleased overall, but another annoyance with my TimeMaster.

The stop switch wasn't stopping anything and I found that one of the wires soldered to a male spade terminal on the switch had broken off. I put female spade terminals on both of the wires with the hope that whatever strain caused the break would just cause the terminals to become disconnected instead of breaking if it happens again.


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## bigjohns97

Great thread, recently passed the 1 year mark for my 223cc version and have already delt with a pully replacement and now I am dealing with dreaded blade disengagement.

I am starting to wonder if dual blades was really worth the trouble and now understand why nobody else does it.

Going to try and side shoot maybe today but will probably just end up weed eating everything down and then mowing over.

Not even mulching I am actually bagging and the grass isn't even that high.


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## bigjohns97

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjqEORwh4kQ

Tried again today and noticed the motor wasn't actually loosing power it was just the blades stopping.

A simple cable adjustment later and everything was back to normal, I had forgotten how fast the blades spin and how much wind is created when everything is working as it should.


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