Toro 20066 Personal Pace Recycler Mower

by Mark
(Indiana)


I've been using this mower throughout the summer and am quite pleased with it. The engine is powerful and very easy to start (always within two pulls, usually one).


The mower is easy to operate - just pull the cord and go! The Personal Pace feature is well designed and convenient to use because you don't have to mess with any control lever or knob. All you have to do is walk at your own pace. The only major complaint I have is the amount of plastic used in the build.

I wouldn't say the amount is too excessive, but even though it looks pretty rugged, I worry how well it will all hold up after a few years. Definitely not a deal-breaker, though.

The mower uses a 6.75HP Briggs & Stratton engine, which was one of the selling points for me. I've used other B&S powered lawn equipment and tools, and the engines have all held up well. Also, parts and manuals are usually easy to find. The mower performs well and has proven powerful enough for my needs. It doesn't get bogged down when trimming high grass and weeds and even some light brush.

This mower is actually quieter than my past mowers, which makes it much nicer to use. I like to mow using isolating headphones, and with the Toro, I find that I can listen at lower volumes.

The mower can be used with or without a bag. Unless the grass has gotten really high, I almost always use it bagless. For general use I find that the clippings are fine enough not to worry about so I just let it recycle.

When I do need the bag, it is easy enough to attach and empty. The blade is plenty sharp and does a great job - though I have managed to put a few notches in it by running over an old stump. I'll probably look into sharpening it when it comes time do some maintenance.

This is the second self-propelled mower I've used. My previous Sears mower had a self-propelled feature, but it felt clunkier to use and seemed less powerful.

With the Toro, I have no problems mowing up some fairly steep banks and hills. The only complaint I have regarding the drive system is that its top speed is just a little too slow for my liking.

All in all, the Toro has been a great mower and I highly recommend looking into it if you are in the market for a new push mower.

Comments for Toro 20066 Personal Pace Recycler Mower

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May 28, 2018
Rating
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Toro mower..not so good.
by: Anonymous

Have this mower. Hard to start if you stop mowing.
Nice way to change the oil!!!!! Squeals and squeaks when mowing, especially when turning any kind of corner

Jun 13, 2012
Rating
star
Unsatisfactory transmission & wheels
by: sam b

I have used my Toro Personnal Pace electric start Model 20041 for 6 years with only small problems. This season (2012) the self propelled feature ceased to function. I discovered the rear drive wheels which are made of plastic are both broken at the axle causing them to wabble to the extent that the gear does not align with the transmission drive gears. It requires a new transmission and both drive wheels in order to functions properly. The shop repair cost is prohibitive.

In june 2012 I borrowed my neighbors much older Toro Personal Pace mower. It operates perfedtly. My later molel Toro is inferior to the earlier model.

I'm very disappointed with the Toro I bought in October 2005. The concept of the personnal pace mechanism is good but functionally it stinks!

Jun 03, 2012
Rating
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Personal Pace transmission faulty
by: Anonymous

I would NEVER buy another Toro with the personal pace transmission. After two+ years I either need a 4th transmission or a new mower. The first repair was on the Toro dime and the second I paid for myself (bought the transmission assembly and self installed). The big problem is I love the Briggs and Stratton engine and my only complaint is the piece of CRAP personal pace transmission. The triangual gear fails and it is a pain in the butt to change the axle assembly (the stripped gear is not available). I understand MTD makes the Yardman,Murray,Troy-Bilt, Toro...

Good luck with finding a good mower.

PS Honda variable speed transmission is the same issue.

May 07, 2011
Rating
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Disappointed Owner
by: Anonymous

Add me to the list of Toro owners that are experiencing issues with the Personal Pace Transmission. I have had this mower for 4 seasones and I am statrting my 5th. The Transmaission failed immediately after the warranty. Paid $80 for the replacement and did it myself.

Two years later I am having same issue. The Personal Pace system is failing and I own a push mower. I am reluctant to replace another transmission. I think I will convert this into an expensive push mower by removing the transmission, altogether. What a let down...

Toro was recommended to me by a yard care professional. I later found out that he does not use any Personal Pace products. Go figure.. This is my first and last Toro.

Anyone who loves the washout feature has not looked under the deck. It will be caked with mulch like everybody else. Just give it time. Heck Just give it time applies to your love for the machine. You'll find your going to be making eyes at anything but Toro.


May 03, 2011
Rating
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Great mower for the homeowner!
by: Jeff

I have had this mower for four years and never had a problem with it till this year. I started having problems with the personal pace drive transmission. I looked it over and disscovered that the transmission was sliding freely on the axel. So I tooke it apart and discovered the pin that hold the gear on the axel was missing. I ordered a new pin for $2.00 from a local service shop. I started to clean up the transmission and found the old pin in the grease still intact. Put the pin back in and new grease and filled the engine oil and fuel back in. You should turn it upside down to make it easier to work on and remove all fluids before turning upside down. It now works great and I'm back mowing again. I see some people with bad reviews and think they are out of line. Like anything eventually you will have to make repairs and do your maintnence. I expect I will get meany years out of theis Toro mower. My dad has had one and is over 25 years old. In thoes 25 years he has spen less than $100.00 to maintain and fix his mower.

Mar 20, 2011
Rating
star
Disappointed
by: Anonymous

I enjoyed my personal pace 6.75 HP until I changed the oil in it. These mowers must be turned upside down in order to drain the oil out of the same tube you fill it with. I am mechanically inclined but still thought this a crazy way to do this. And of course, now I have all kinds of trouble, the mower will not even start. I also changed the plug, air filter and did the seasonal maintenance in the manual. I am very disappointed that now I have to take it to a repair shop. It ran fine until I did the maintenance. This $345 mower is going in the trash!!

Sep 01, 2010
Rating
starstar
Transmission didn't last 3 years
by: Anonymous

I loved this mower for the first 2 seasons. It starts easily and runs great. The washout port was a disappointment, since I was using many gallons of water and the underside of the deck still had clumps of grass stuck to it. But that was no big deal; I just tip it on its side and easily clean the deck with the jet spray from the hose.

A minor annoyance was that when the grass was a bit long or wet, it would build up and clog the side discharge. This meant I had to stop several times to remove the blockages. But even then it was manageable, since it easily started right up again.

This 3rd season the wheels started locking up and wouldn't go backwards when I tried to pull it out of the garage. Sometimes they wouldn't go forward, either. I had it serviced but the problem quickly worsened, with squealing noises as the self-propel feature faded out and it seemed as if the mower started pushing back against me! Now the dealer says it needs a new transmission, or they can convert it to a regular push mower. I thought Toro products were more reliable than this. So much for brand loyalty.

Jun 14, 2010
Rating
star
Toro 20066 Problems
by: Anonymous

I’ve been having lots of problems after owning two of these Toro over two seasons. I love operationally how you push and it goes but both mowers keep falling apart.

Mower number 1 while still under warranty season 1

Wheel locks up while going in reverse .

the motor started smoking then seized

I returned it to home depot and after negotiation with the manager received credit .Thinking I got the one bad one purchased another.


Mower number 2 also used 1 season

Self propel mechanism broken.

Wheel locks up while going in reverse then wont go forward.

Rear shield broke off after 2 weeks

Handle broke off from mower….jerry rigged it with a bolt out of a jar that I had

Black plastic cover front left on the mower bed popped off broken.

Mower number 2 after 1 full season has been taken to is in home depot placed in the shop for repair but my grass is getting really long After


I have done all maintenance required in the manual . The mower is garage kept and all it has to do is cut the grass on 1/3 of an acre.

I have never had a mower before that didn’t last over 10 years. Rarely have I ever had to take them to the shop. My last mower after 12 years gave out after the bed rusted thru and collapsed while in use. I took it to the dump thinking it had been worth while investment. People tell me stories of Toro’s lasting 20 years.. Something has now changed




Apr 15, 2010
Rating
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best I've had!
by: Anonymous

I have had the Toro Personal Pace Recycler mower for over two years and it is definitely the best mower I have ever had. One of the great features of this mower is it automatically goes as fast as your walk. You barely need to push the mower and it will adjust its speed accordingly. Whether you try to mow as quickly as possible (like me!) or go at a more leisurely pace, you will find the Toro Personal Pace Recycler has the perfect speed for you.

The second great feature of this mower is it always starts on the first or second pull. Most mowers I have ever had will only start after pulling the cord five or more times....this mower always easily starts in the first couple of pulls. It is great!

Even with these great features, there are a couple of drawbacks with the Toro Personal Pace mower. First, grass tends to get stuck in the bottom of the mower and is very difficult to remove without hosing down the deck.

Secondly, sometimes the mower gets bogged down in thick grass. These are definitely drawbacks, but very minor when compared to the benefits. Overall, if you are looking for a great push lawn mower, I definitely recommend the Toro Personal Pace Recycler!

Jul 15, 2009
Rating
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My personal Pace works great
by: Billy Boy Z

I've got the 6.75 hp mower with electric start and have never had a problem with it until last week when someone stole the grass bag while I had went into my home to pee and have something to eat. Also, I pray to my machine like its god, I like it that much. I also like to keep mine waxed since it makes me sad to see it get dirty.

Mar 31, 2009
Rating
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Starts first time every time
by: Kate

Packaging was very nicely done. No damage in transit. The instruction booklets are easy to read and accessible. We needed to attach the handles and add oil when it arrived. Oil was already provided in the box.

The mower starts up every time on the first try. I have a bit of a hill in my front yard so mowing that area can be a challenge. The self-propelled feature makes it extremely easy to mow that area as well as the rest of the lawn.

If I had to complain about one small thing it would be that the bars (self-propelled drive bar and the blade control bar) are not labeled as such, so if it’s been a while between mowing, I’ll sometimes forget which is which and will have to guess when I start it. (As you can imagine, it doesn’t start if I’m holding the self-propelled instead of the blade control!)

There is a hose attachment on the top that allows you to attach a hose directly to the mower to wash off the blades when you’re done mowing. That makes for extremely easy clean-up and maintenance.

Although we haven’t used the bagging feature, it looks very easy to attach and remove. If one lived in a city environment where they needed to bag and haul away their grass clippings I think it would be a very convenient feature.

I would recommend this mower to people with small to medium sized yards. It move quite fast when you use the self-propelled feature (sometimes I even have to rein it in a little bit when it gets ahead of me on thick grass!) and it would make quick work of most average sized yards.

Mar 31, 2009
Rating
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Easier for elderly people to move the mower
by: Jim

I purchased this mower approximately 7 years ago from The Home Depot. It has a Briggs & Stratton 6.5 HP motor.

The mower comes with a 22 inch blade that recycles the grass clippings. When you decide to recycle the grass clippings, you must put the solid plug in the rear of the mower, in place of the bag.

This mower is "self-propelled", meaning, the harder you push down on the handle, the faster the mower will go. This feature alone makes it easier for elderly people to move the mower.

This mower also comes with the optional key ignition start. When not in use, you keep the plug to the ignition plugged into any 110v outlet. The only problem I had with this mower was trying to find original replacement blades.

The Home Depot only carried "Universal" brand blades, but that's another review. I did find replacement blades online.

After a while, the key ignition start died on me, but as advertised, the mower started with one or two pulls on the chord.

After completeng a grass mowing one afternoon, I went to park the mower on the side of the yard I usually do and accidently hit a metal post from an old fence that was once there, before I could stop the motor.

The blade came to a halt. I never had the mower repaired, yet, but I did run out and purchase the exact same mower.

I recommended this mower to a co-worker and he ran out and purchased one too. He loves it...... Just remember to purchase a "tune-up kit" every year, and you won't have any problems or regrets.

Mar 31, 2009
Rating
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"Quick Wash" port my favorite
by: Anonymous

We had quite a large lawn (couple acres) for years, and always used a riding lawnmower. A couple years ago, however, we moved into a neighborhood with a nice average yard, trees, shrubs, flowerbeds...all the things that make a riding lawnmower difficult, so we decided to purchase a walk behind type.

After some comparative shopping, we went with the Toro Personal Pace Recycler Mower and we never looked back.

This self-propelled mower has a 22 inch deck, making it a nice size for easy storage, and yet it is capable of getting the job done with ease.

It's "Guaranteed to Start" Briggs and Stratton engine literally takes one pull, even after sitting in the garage for a week, and a tank of gas will mow our yard two or three times - great since the price of gas is through the roof!

The Toro's easy to change multi-height options let us mow different parts of the yard to our chosen height, and we can choose to bag the clippings or, the Recycler will finely chop the grass and deposit it from the optional side discharge for mulching, creating the beautiful, healthy yard we love. Plus, in two years, we haven't had to sharpen the blade.

It cuts just as well now as it did when we first brought it home.

My favorite part is the convenient "Quick Wash" port that allows me to simply screw the garden hose into the top of the mower deck and run both, washing out all the accumulated grass clippings for storage.

It's so much easier than trying to tip the mower over by myself and then hold it on it's side while I try to spray!

We haven't had any trouble with the mower at all, but just in case, it comes with a 2 year Warranty, and all at a great price. We definitely love this mower, and will certainly buy a Toro again!

Mar 31, 2009
Rating
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Starts right up with ease
by: Anonymous

Recently, I purchased the Toro Personal Pace mower from a big box store. I had never used or owned a mower that was self-propelled, and decided maybe it was time to try one out. My lawn has a few daunting grass covered hills and it was back breaking work to get it mowed evenly.

Although the price was a little higher than I wanted to spend, I now know it was money well spent. It has many options that I keep discovering. Normally, I use the rear bagging method; however, it has the ability to recycle the clippings into very fine pieces.

In addition, the 6.75TP engine starts on a dime. The salesman told me, it was a no hassle, start-up guarantee and he was right. Even when cold, the motor starts right up with ease. The engine also provides plenty of power and pull to get up those hills mentioned and cuts very even.

Another great feature is the “wash out port”. There is a place on the top of the mower where you can connect a garden hose and it washes out old grass clippings stuck in the machine. With my old lawn mower I had to awkwardly set the machine on its side and spray it out. Many times this was a task I would just forget about. Now that I have the wash out port, my mower gets cleaned after every use.

My grandma who insists on mowing her own lawn still gave it spin around her property and said she had never mowed her lawn so easily. I highly recommend this mower.

Mar 31, 2009
Rating
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The mulching feature is wonderful
by: Candace Adams

I love this lawn mower! I used to hate mowing the yard, but now it's a nice bit of exercise without being an exhausting workout. I just walk behind the lawn mower and it does all the work. It keeps pace with me so I can go slower or faster and not have to be dragged by a self propelled mower, or struggle to climb a hill with a push mower. I love the personal pace system.

Clean-up is a snap with the 'quick wash' port. Just hook your water hose up to it and let it blow the grass and debri off the blades.

The mulching feature is wonderful. No more ugly lines from blowing the grass clippings in lines as you go. Also, I don't have to rake my leaves - just mulch the last time I mow in the fall.

And best of all, it's got a full two-year warranty, so if I have a problem next summer, I don't have to buy a new mower!

Mar 31, 2009
Rating
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Besides the bag this mower is great
by: George Shelby

The Lawnmower that I currently mow my home lawn with is the Toro 20066 Personal Pace. This lawnmower can mow a lawn three different ways.

It can first mulch the grass and recycle the cut grass, but this is only done when my yard is not too long or it tends to build up and leave behind very large piles of halfway-mulched grass.

It can second mow a lawn by blowing the cut grass out of the side like many lawnmowers do, which is what I usually do because it does not leave behind any piles of grass unless the grass is longer.

Third, this lawn mower can be converted to bag up all of the cut grass, and I hardly ever do this. I hardly ever do this because the bag does not take long at all to fill up, so it needs to be emptied very often and the pathway into the bag is easily clogged if the bag gets full.

Basically, using the bag on the lawnmower is very much a larger hassle than it needs to be. If the bagging function is not being used, though, mowing the lawn is much easier.

This lawnmower has been very reliable. It is reliable because it has not ever quit or died in the middle of a lawn mowing, unless it was running out of gas.

Also, it has always started up very easily as long as it has gas in the tank.

Other than using the bagging function on the lawnmower, this lawnmower is great.

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