Toro 60-Volt Electric Personal Pace High Wheel Mower Review
By Timothy Tibbetts |
I love technology, and as I get older, that means different things. In the past year, I have become an electric lawn mower geek. You can now buy an electric mower from almost anyone, including Ego, Ryobi, Toro, Dewalt, Greenworks, Snapper, Worx, and more. Let's see how the Toro 22" 60-Volt compares.
We already tested the first-generation Ego and the Ego blower. We still own and use the Ego weed eater and blower. They're fantastic.
But, when I saw Toro released the first (AFAIK) 22" electric lawn mower, I had to have it. I have owned the last 2 generation Ego mowers previous to the Toro.
Let's talk about first impressions, then move on to mowing.
First Impressions
Each lawn mower has its pros and cons, and you should know what you like or don't before making your purchase. The Toro has the advantage (?) of already being well-established while much of the competition developed their electric lawnmowers from the ground up. This is where you can tell the Toro from most of the competition. Most lawn mowers have built their mowers around technology, while Toro appears to have adapted their time-tested existing mower into an electric model. If you're an old-school type, you might like the Toro better than the newer mowers. If you've looked at or used other electric mowers, this will become apparent. The best part about the Toro is that it's priced accordingly to the competition (around $500 at Home Depot).
The Toro has a steel body, where most have a plastic body. It feels heavier but not a game-changer. To adjust the mowing height, you have to adjust all 4 wheels individually, whereas many other mowers only have one place to adjust the height. It does allow for half-inch adjustments, which I find useful. The Toro has a folding handle that can be folded quickly with two quick releases allowing you to stow it upright. Changing from mulching to bagging is simple thanks to "Bag on Demand," allowing you to switch by flipping the lever.
Toro didn't add any LED lighting. While I may have used lights once in my life, the quiet mower makes it possible to mow your lawn later or earlier without disturbing your neighbors. Also missing is the deck washing system, where you attach a hose and start the motor to clean the deck.
The electric motor has a "blocky" look to it, where a lot of the competition has a more futuristic-looking motor. In addition, the Toro comes with a "key" to start the motor, which brings us to the mowing part of our review.
Mowing Impressions
The Toro uses a "key" that you plug in, then press to start the mower. I would have preferred it to be hardwired, but you can leave it there once you plug it in.
Once the battery is charged, insert the battery, press the button on the key, and the mower starts.
This is where the mower excels. Most of the competition sells mowers in 18-21" sizes, while the 22" mower saves time and leaves wider patterns. I experienced poorer cuts and uncut strips along the edges with other mowers, but not with the Toro. I also found the Ego blades were smaller than the 20" cut promised. The Toro blade is also just a tad smaller than 22," but I was able to install and use a "Gator" blade. Unfortunately, I don't see any factory replacement blades for any electric mowers in Lowes or Home Depot at the time of this article. All of these electric mowers should have a blade that is a standard size for replacement, and that's a disappointment I found with most electric mowers.
The Toro has large rear wheels, making it easier to maneuver according to the marketing, but my wife and I found the Ego easier to maneuver. That said, it does feature the Personal Pace system allowing the mower to adjust to your speed as you walk. This eliminates any aggravation in your hands or fingers from holding down a self-propelled button, but you might feel it in your back. Because the mower uses a metal deck, I also noticed less rattling and shaking than a plastic deck. If you've never used an electric motor, it's not any different in functionality.
One of the most frequent questions and one that gives pause to many people is the battery life. The answer, for most electric mowers, is the same. Expect 45 minutes or one-third of an acre from an electric mower, depending on conditions. If you love to cut tall to wet grass, cut that time in half. Unlike a gas mower that stalls or slows down, electric mowers will speed up to compensate for tall or wet grass and that uses up your battery. In other words, if you don't cut your lawn as needed (5-7 days), an electric mower might not be for you. We have an average-sized suburban lawn, and the battery has been able to cut the lawn entirely on one charge. The couple of times that the battery didn't last due to tall or wet grass, I got ahead of it by mowing the back yard, then weed-eating while I charged the battery for the front. Some of the competition has battery strength indicators, but there's no warning when your battery dies on the Toro.
Conclusion
Would I rebuy the Toro? I would. It mixes modern technology with old-school proven design. While everyone else is creating a new lawnmower, Toro has adapted a time-tested model, and the result is one of the best-cutting electric lawn mowers available. While some of the competition might be more technologically advanced, the cut is what counts, and the Toro won't disappoint.
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We already tested the first-generation Ego and the Ego blower. We still own and use the Ego weed eater and blower. They're fantastic.
But, when I saw Toro released the first (AFAIK) 22" electric lawn mower, I had to have it. I have owned the last 2 generation Ego mowers previous to the Toro.
Let's talk about first impressions, then move on to mowing.
First Impressions
Each lawn mower has its pros and cons, and you should know what you like or don't before making your purchase. The Toro has the advantage (?) of already being well-established while much of the competition developed their electric lawnmowers from the ground up. This is where you can tell the Toro from most of the competition. Most lawn mowers have built their mowers around technology, while Toro appears to have adapted their time-tested existing mower into an electric model. If you're an old-school type, you might like the Toro better than the newer mowers. If you've looked at or used other electric mowers, this will become apparent. The best part about the Toro is that it's priced accordingly to the competition (around $500 at Home Depot).
The Toro has a steel body, where most have a plastic body. It feels heavier but not a game-changer. To adjust the mowing height, you have to adjust all 4 wheels individually, whereas many other mowers only have one place to adjust the height. It does allow for half-inch adjustments, which I find useful. The Toro has a folding handle that can be folded quickly with two quick releases allowing you to stow it upright. Changing from mulching to bagging is simple thanks to "Bag on Demand," allowing you to switch by flipping the lever.
Toro didn't add any LED lighting. While I may have used lights once in my life, the quiet mower makes it possible to mow your lawn later or earlier without disturbing your neighbors. Also missing is the deck washing system, where you attach a hose and start the motor to clean the deck.
The electric motor has a "blocky" look to it, where a lot of the competition has a more futuristic-looking motor. In addition, the Toro comes with a "key" to start the motor, which brings us to the mowing part of our review.
Mowing Impressions
The Toro uses a "key" that you plug in, then press to start the mower. I would have preferred it to be hardwired, but you can leave it there once you plug it in.
Once the battery is charged, insert the battery, press the button on the key, and the mower starts.
This is where the mower excels. Most of the competition sells mowers in 18-21" sizes, while the 22" mower saves time and leaves wider patterns. I experienced poorer cuts and uncut strips along the edges with other mowers, but not with the Toro. I also found the Ego blades were smaller than the 20" cut promised. The Toro blade is also just a tad smaller than 22," but I was able to install and use a "Gator" blade. Unfortunately, I don't see any factory replacement blades for any electric mowers in Lowes or Home Depot at the time of this article. All of these electric mowers should have a blade that is a standard size for replacement, and that's a disappointment I found with most electric mowers.
The Toro has large rear wheels, making it easier to maneuver according to the marketing, but my wife and I found the Ego easier to maneuver. That said, it does feature the Personal Pace system allowing the mower to adjust to your speed as you walk. This eliminates any aggravation in your hands or fingers from holding down a self-propelled button, but you might feel it in your back. Because the mower uses a metal deck, I also noticed less rattling and shaking than a plastic deck. If you've never used an electric motor, it's not any different in functionality.
One of the most frequent questions and one that gives pause to many people is the battery life. The answer, for most electric mowers, is the same. Expect 45 minutes or one-third of an acre from an electric mower, depending on conditions. If you love to cut tall to wet grass, cut that time in half. Unlike a gas mower that stalls or slows down, electric mowers will speed up to compensate for tall or wet grass and that uses up your battery. In other words, if you don't cut your lawn as needed (5-7 days), an electric mower might not be for you. We have an average-sized suburban lawn, and the battery has been able to cut the lawn entirely on one charge. The couple of times that the battery didn't last due to tall or wet grass, I got ahead of it by mowing the back yard, then weed-eating while I charged the battery for the front. Some of the competition has battery strength indicators, but there's no warning when your battery dies on the Toro.
Conclusion
Would I rebuy the Toro? I would. It mixes modern technology with old-school proven design. While everyone else is creating a new lawnmower, Toro has adapted a time-tested model, and the result is one of the best-cutting electric lawn mowers available. While some of the competition might be more technologically advanced, the cut is what counts, and the Toro won't disappoint.
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