Customer Reviews for Toro TimeCutter SW4200 42 in. 22 HP V-Twin Zero-Turn Riding Mower with Smart Park - CARB

I've been using a John Deere zero turn with levers. It became unusable when I developed arthritis in one arm. This seemed to fit the bill - and it does! It was delivered to my home 'turn key ready' with a Toro employee to show me how things work. There is a learning curve for those that haven't used a Toro. Most of the videos give an overall look but no details or they show how well it works in action. These are mostly items you don't think to ask the Toro employee at the time of delivery. Even though one comment on the Toro website says it isn't for tall grass or uneven ground, it has done a great job on my rural acreage which isn't level and frequently high enough to be termed 'tall grass.' With the padded seat I ordered to go with it, it gives a softer ride and has a lever to reset the distance rather than needing a wrench to adjust it.

I have never owned, or even driven, a ride-on mower before, so I can't compare the SW4200 to other ride-ons. I have used this mower four times, so I can't tell you how they hold up long term. I can however give you some first impressions. Ride-on mowers cost a lot more than I expected, so I did a ton of research and got recommendations before buying. In the end, mainly because of mowing speed and agility, I decided on a zero-turn-radius mower (even though they cost more than comparable lawn tractor types). I decided on one with a steering wheel instead of lap-bars because it is easier to learn (especially important if others might use it occasionally) and because they are better on slopes. We live on a 3/4 acre lot; there is a very slight slope overall, there is a drainage ditch (one side with an (estimated) 20 degree slope and the other side with an (estimated) 40 degree slope), and there are 12 things to mow around (trees, planters, utility boxes, etc.). I still use a walk-behind mower for the steep side of the drainage ditch but I use the ride-on for everything else (including mowing across the 20 degree slope). Not counting hand mowing or trimming it takes about 45 minutes to mow the lawn. I have not felt the need for the mulching kit (the lawn is centipede). My experience when it comes to some of the complaints I have read online: I have mowed the entire lawn with the deck as high as 3 inches and as low as 1.5 inches and have not experienced the deck unhooking and dropping down. The mower does ride a little rough but the only suspension is the air in the tires, my tires are set at about 12 psi in the back and about 15 psi in the front (I have some rough patches, I just slow down some on those). I have not had to charge the battery, maybe I use it long enough each time that the mower has time to recharge itself? The steering is a little stiff but I don't think it is bad (like manual steering in a car). Mine cuts very evenly (good setup?). I think the mower has plenty of power. The buying process went pretty smoothly, except that when I finally decided to buy they were out of stock! The mower will be set up and delivered by a local Toro dealer. The dealer who delivered mine, Beaver Equipment in Aberdeen, NC, did a great job setting it up and they spent as much time as I needed answering questions and making sure I knew how to operate it. Yes it's expensive but I'm very happy with the purchase. Way faster than using a walk behind mower and quite a bit faster than a lawn tractor (timed against my neighbor's John Deere). It almost makes mowing the grass fun.

Ordered my mower online to be delivered by a local dealer. Arrived earlier than expected and love it so far. I've only mowed twice with it, but my lawn looks great and it really does well on my hilly backyard. I very much recommend this steering wheel model for anyone with a sloped yard.

Great mower. Meets all my expectations. I would make this purchase again in a heartbeat.

I purchased a Toro SW5000 this January and even though it was winter I gave the mower a test run and noticed that the cut was uneven from left to right. I didn't worry as the instructions in the manual for the adjustment looked pretty simple. After my first use this spring I knew I was in trouble as I couldn't get the deck adjusted to an even height. Every time I adjusted the deck to level it would change after I started mowing. After a couple of attempts I ran out of adjustment room on the deck. Then the next time I mowed (only the 2nd time I used the mower) the mower deck jumped off the Rear Arm Lift Bar (p/n 119-3347) and was just being supported by the anti-scalping wheels. So I gave up and brought the mower into the local Toro Authorized Dealer (Hill Mower in Huntsville, AL) and asked for a warranty repair. I was told that it was a common problem with the Toro mowers and they could probably fix it under warranty. I get a call back in two days saying that my mower is ready but the repair is not under warranty and it will cost me $125 (even though I had the dealer write down in shop notes that they weren't to do any work outside of the warranty unless they contacted me first). At that point I start asking questions and find out nothing was broken but that the Rear Arm Lift Bar which is attached to the lever used to control the deck height had just popped out of the one of Pivot blocks that holds it under the frame rail. It also turns out that this issue is so common that Toro has even engineered a new part (p/n 132-0913) to keep the Rear Lift Arm from jumping out of the Pivot blocks. The only problem is that Toro won't cover fixing their design deficiency under warranty but that I have to pay they dealer to do this work. Then the dealer tells me that if I want to have new part installed they will have to redo the work they just performed at an additional charge. So in summary Toro has a known design problem with these mower which they have fixed with a new kit part. They just want you to pay to fix their design mistake. Also the dealer who knew about the new part to fix the problem doesn’t ask you about installing it until after you have paid him to re-inset the Rear Lift Arm back into the pivot block which was work you specifically directed the dealer to not perform without prior approval. I talked to the Toro reps who blame the dealer and I talked to Hill’s Mower and they blame Toro. Final result is that I paid the dealer for a repair I didn’t authorize which was caused by a manufacturer design flaw. And the fix is only temporary until the Lift Arm jumps out of the pivot block again. One of the main reasons I purchased the Toro was because I thought I was getting a quality product with a quality warranty. Zero out of two. Way to go Toro.

I always wanted a zero turn, but hated using the levers. Having a steering wheel solved that. It is easy to turn and gives the feel of my old lawn tracker. The smart brake is very convenient, especially when having to get off the mower to pick up any large sticks in the way. The engine starts easy and runs great. I actually was surprised at how fast this mower moves. I have a little over an acre and can cut it in less than half the time. I also bought the bag kit, matt, cart, and hour meter. Bagging is a breeze and they hold a lot more compared to my old lawn tractor. I have a combination of regular, and zoysia grass and the cut was perfectly even. I also love the fact that I can pull my cart around the yard. Mine is a 2017 model so the seat does not auto adjust like the picture, but since I am the only driver I just adjusted it for my comfort.

Totally awesome. Easy to steer as a lawn tractor and nimble as a zero turn.

Love my new riding lawn mower. Makes mowing fun again.

I have used it for three mowings and one fertilizer spreading with the Brinly tow-behind, calibrated spreader for accurate product application. I have some semi-steep slopes and it climbs them "straight-on" with no strain apparent from the 24.5 HP engine. I like the ability to circular-cut around mulched trees in one pass. The water hose clean-out process seems adequate. Best of all....the time spent doing a lawn is lessened significantly. It's 45-50% less over-the-turf time! My time on this Toro machine is really FUN. The steering wheel and foot pedal controls is easy for a licensed car driver. The double lever control system requires hours of learning to master the necessary manueverability to handle a lawn with obstacles.

the timecutter saves time in my mowing zero turn reduces the time cutting and trimming my lawn toro is a dependable product

Great machine. It was supposed to come with an adjustable seat, but it didn't.

Pleased with my purchase.

like the mower, but hard to start with choke and delivered without smart brake spring and lock. This caused the mower to lock in park without notice. also, not as powerful uphill as i expected and back wheels traction is mediocre

Other than it only took a small jolt to dislodge the deck I'm very impressed. Cut my mowing time in half! Easy to use the zero turn too.

Great machine. Cuts perfect. Not a single problem. But still very new. Only 7 months.

The mower works just fine and was delivered on time

This machine exceeds my expiation's by a lot. It provides a professional looking cut on my lawn, and is fast. The grass catcher works very well. Steering is easy, and light. The ride is better than my old mower.

Great product ....exceeded expectations! I highly recommend this zero turn mower !

This is the best lawn mower I have ever bought. It handles great and is so easy to control. I would definitely buy it again.

The mower does not need the mulching attachments, it does well as is with its side chute. Easily controlled on hills and straight away. Use a trickle charger one week a month and the battery is always ready to perform. Reverse interlock works excellently. Only problem I have had is the deck falls off. It has come off 4 times, dislocated from the rear hinge and sits on the ground. I have tightened the front locking bolt tighter and it has stayed on longer, but now it does not cut as close to the ground in the front. Otherwise I am pleased.

excellent

This thing cuts great and does it very fast. The steering wheel makes it very easy to operate and it will turn on a dime.

This machine is an awesome mower i am a big man and it holds my weight just fine unlike my rider tractor that is less stable..

Excellent performance, easy to maintain, this is our second machine. Very smooth operation.

Great machine. Cuts nice. Purchased the bagger addition. Only advice is purchase a battery charger. Problems starting at times. Battery wears down. A charge the night before cutting is called for.

I bought this mower at the beginning of the summer used it once. The first time I used it almost all the crankcase oil drained out. The easy crankcase drain was installed improperly. I didn't use it for a couple of months and it would not start. The battery was dead. The neat automatic brake is a parasite and will drain the battery if the mower is not used regularly or the mower is stored for the winter. The only solution is to disconnect the battery. With the battery is dead or disconnected it is impossible to get the brake to release to push the mower

I would recommend this mower except one Hugh problem the deck keeps falling off. It doesn't really fall off the deck rear lift arm keeps coming out of the pivot block letting the left side of the deck fall to the ground creating a very unlevel cut. i have cut the grass seven times and it has falling out of the block three times. The only way I can see to get it back in is drop the deck take off the belt so you can get to the lift arm. It's not easy to fix. very bad design flaw.

I bought 2 of these machines, a 42 inch cut for me and a 50 inch cut for my son. We love both of them, oh did I forget to tell you I bought his about 2 months after I bought mine because he begged me each week to bring him my mower to cut his grass because he loved it. I did add a bagger on mine and also bought a mulching kit for it that I switch out with the bagger in the spring (after all leaves are bagged). He uses his straight side discharge and loves it. Pros -Very Fast- decreased time to cut at least in half - You have complete control of front end of mower - No doubt its a sturdy mower - around 600 lbs. - Cuts , Bags and mulches great - Very economical on gas - little over one-half of gallon cuts one acre - Can remove deck completely from mower in approximately 60 seconds - Tilting and stow-a-way steering wheel is great - Mow in Reverse Key Very Handy - Fastest oil drain system on the market - Cuts around trees very nicely Cons- Decals not the best and come off easily - Clean out port on deck not very good, bought a mower jack and it works well once jacked up As you can see I think a lot of these mowers and would buy another one in a heartbeat. I do have one question The 42 inch cut feels as though it doesn't turn as sharp going one direction as it does turning the other way. Can this be adjusted, the 50 inch cut does not have this problem.

easy to steer with steering wheel. Powerful engine. tight turning.

Easy to use. Nice even cut. 24.5 hp engine is super powerful and never bogs down, even in deep grass on hills. Being a zero turn mower it really cuts down on trimming. Very happy with purchase. My only complaint is that the hour meter was not included so I had to purchase separately.