Toro TimeCutter SS5000 (50") 24.5HP Zero Turn Lawn Mower

I ordered a Toro 74731 from Mowers Direct on May 23rd. Mower was delivered May 26. Free shipping and no sales tax was a plus.
After ordering, I found Toro had a promotion on the mower starting two days after I ordered. I would have appreciated it if someone had notified me to wait two days and saved another $200. Would suggest customers check to see if there is an upcoming promotion that would benefit them.

Packaging: Toro needs to give better unpacking instructions. If I had known all the information it would have been simple, as it was required 4+ hours

Warranty: Mowers Direct told me when I registered my mower I would receive the extended warranty (4 years vs normal 3 years). I checked with Toro customer service and they told me there was no extended warranty based on the date I purchased the mower. In checking further I found the 4 year warranty online which does cover my mower.

Would suggest someone notify customers where they can locate that warranty.

TIP: Do not let this mower run completely out of fuel. I did and had a tough time restarting. (had to prime fuel line to restart)
Other than above, I am very pleased with the mower. Have used it twice and believe when I get more comfortable with operation it will cut my mowing time by about 40%.

I ordered a Toro 74731 from Mowers Direct on May 23rd. Mower was delivered May 26. Free shipping and no sales tax was a plus.
After ordering, I found Toro had a promotion on the mower starting two days after I ordered. I would have appreciated it if someone had notified me to wait two days and saved another $200. Would suggest customers check to see if there is an upcoming promotion that would benefit them.

Packaging: Toro needs to give better unpacking instructions. If I had known all the... more

So far I have learned that Toro Zero Turns have a couple of chronic, known issues. I wish Toro or Mowers Direct would stop selling these or fix the problem before putting them on the market.

1. As you can see by other reviews, the brake box module is known to be faulty on this year/model. There was a bad batch out of China or something. Mine failed after 2 hours of mowing.

2. I was told that Toro batteries are bad right out of the factory, and often fail quickly.

I called Mowers Direct to get some kind of assistance with these chronic, recurring issues. My mower needed repairs/parts twice in 2 months, after about 4 hours of mowing. I called Mowers Direct everyday for a week, leaving messages for product experts, managers, etc, and never once received a call back from anyone at Mowers Direct. I know it's not their fault that the mower seemed to be a lemon right out of the box, but at least do something to assist other than ignore my calls.

So far I have learned that Toro Zero Turns have a couple of chronic, known issues. I wish Toro or Mowers Direct would stop selling these or fix the problem before putting them on the market.

1. As you can see by other reviews, the brake box module is known to be faulty on this year/model. There was a bad batch out of China or something. Mine failed after 2 hours of mowing.

2. I was told that Toro batteries are bad right out of the factory, and often fail quickly.

I called Mowers... more

Typically I never write reviews but I made an exception this time. The mower arrived as promised completely ready to use with a couple of simple items to attach to the mower. Added petrol and decided to use the mower to mow approximately 1.5 acres which the mower performed well though it took time getting accustomed to using a ZTR mower, as this is the first one purchased.

Unfortunately, the mower stopped working and would not start and the battery went dead. Delivered mower to local Toro dealer who determined braking solenoid & battery required replacement after 2.5 hours use. If this is indicative of a premium Toro product, they need to re-engineer problem areas. Time will tell if this becomes my only Toro purchase!

Typically I never write reviews but I made an exception this time. The mower arrived as promised completely ready to use with a couple of simple items to attach to the mower. Added petrol and decided to use the mower to mow approximately 1.5 acres which the mower performed well though it took time getting accustomed to using a ZTR mower, as this is the first one purchased.

Unfortunately, the mower stopped working and would not start and the battery went dead. Delivered mower to local... more

I would definitely recommend this mower, and Mowers Direct. The price is good as is the mower. The only 2 improvements I would make to this mower are either it has a remote control so I could sit on my porch and watch it, or my wife mowed the lawn for me. Seriously, I debated ordering online, but the experience was w/o hassle, except watch for delivery requirements.

My back yard is a little rough and on a fairly good incline. Even today, after it rained all weekend and the grass was still somewhat wet, this mower climbed the hill w/o any problems. The handling is precise and the range of speeds is a nice feature when mowing on uneven ground or around stuff. I give it, and Mowers Direct 5 stars in all categories.

I would definitely recommend this mower, and Mowers Direct. The price is good as is the mower. The only 2 improvements I would make to this mower are either it has a remote control so I could sit on my porch and watch it, or my wife mowed the lawn for me. Seriously, I debated ordering online, but the experience was w/o hassle, except watch for delivery requirements.

My back yard is a little rough and on a fairly good incline. Even today, after it rained all weekend and the grass was... more

Mower was delivered on time, and the driver was very helpful. Took a bit to get it out of the crate, but it was worth it. Did a quick check of the deck, did have to adjust it a little. This is my second zero turn, so operating was a snap. Would buy from Mowers Direct anytime.

Worst purchase of my life! I have had this mower for 3 months, and is needing repairs for the third time. Toro has known issues with components on this mower, and will do nothing to correct it. Mowers Direct is no help either. I received zero customer service from them. Please do not offer your sorrow for the complete lemon that I now have on my hands. Please only offer a buyback and full refund. If you can't do that, please just post my negative feedback so no other customer is subjected to this ongoing headache!!!!

Worst purchase of my life! I have had this mower for 3 months, and is needing repairs for the third time. Toro has known issues with components on this mower, and will do nothing to correct it. Mowers Direct is no help either. I received zero customer service from them. Please do not offer your sorrow for the complete lemon that I now have on my hands. Please only offer a buyback and full refund. If you can't do that, please just post my negative feedback so no other customer is... more

After doing months of research on both a new lawn mower for 2 acres I recently purchased and am building a house on, and a dealer to purchase from, I decided in May to purchase this Toro mower from Mowers Direct. The experience up until the delivery was exceptional. After my house was delayed, Mowers Direct worked with me to push back the delivery until I was ready. Once delivered, it took me 2 hours to unpack the mower from the crate.

As another reviewer noted, the mower is in a large crate that is on top of a smaller pallet. I had to get a power saw to cut the mower out. Once out, the mower test drove well around my property for about 20 minutes before I put it in the garage to move on to other things.

Now here's where the problem began: The parking brake for this mower is electronically engaged, there is no parking brake handle, etc. While the mower was in my garage, the motor that engages the parking brake began to operate and kept trying to engage the brake, even with the mower cut off and no key in the ignition. It wouldn't stop until I had disconnected the battery.

After asking Mowers Direct and my local service provider some questions, I discovered that this has been a common problem lately with this mower. Apparently, a few bad brake motors made it to the assembly line and I got one of the affected mowers. To resolve, I had to have my local service provider pick up the mower and make the repair. It took 2 weeks for the repair, which wasn’t convenient as I had to mow 2 acres with a push mower.

The repair was under warranty, but the pickup/delivery fee for the service was $55. Thankfully, Toro has offered to reimburse me for this fee. Mowers Direct also offered to cover this if Toro didn’t. In the end, after a rough start, I now have a working mower that, so far, is working fine, and I have now used it a couple of times to mow my yard.

In addition, my local service provider did advise me that this mower was a “good mower” and they would recommend it for someone looking for a mower of this type in my price range and what I needed to use it for.

After doing months of research on both a new lawn mower for 2 acres I recently purchased and am building a house on, and a dealer to purchase from, I decided in May to purchase this Toro mower from Mowers Direct. The experience up until the delivery was exceptional. After my house was delayed, Mowers Direct worked with me to push back the delivery until I was ready. Once delivered, it took me 2 hours to unpack the mower from the crate.

As another reviewer noted, the mower is in a large... more

Moved one time and was instantly in love! I took the plunge on a new mower bc I was tired of working on my 2001 ex mark ztr. I wanted to be able to hop on and not worry if it was going to start this time or not. Like I said, the first mow was beautiful! Ride was smooth, cut was good. Turning was responsive. Was really glad I made the purchase. But then on the second mow, I go to crank it up...

So far, so good, but when I move the lap bars in, the electronic brake module won't release the breaks from the wheels, so my engine shuts off. So I had to go buy a utility trailer, so I could take my mower into the shop... Needles to say, I was disappointed and frustrated. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, my trust is already shaken though.

Moved one time and was instantly in love! I took the plunge on a new mower bc I was tired of working on my 2001 ex mark ztr. I wanted to be able to hop on and not worry if it was going to start this time or not. Like I said, the first mow was beautiful! Ride was smooth, cut was good. Turning was responsive. Was really glad I made the purchase. But then on the second mow, I go to crank it up...

So far, so good, but when I move the lap bars in, the electronic brake module won't release the... more

Just got it out of the shop yesterday. It works well like the ad says.

Took mower out of the crate. It would not start . It has been in the shop from day one. I wish I never got this mower

I was told by R&L Carriers that they would be there on a Wed..nope...next wed. nope. Had to drive 5 hours each time to find out they did not deliver 3rd time no problem. Like other reviewers had a hell of a time unpacking the mower, would not have made it without a friends help.

The mower I am not sure about yet, the controls are a little jerky but hope they will smooth out with some use. Everything else seems like it is okay, cuts fine and have not towed with it yet. A lot rougher than the Time Cutter I lost in the flood, but I think that is due to the jerky controls. Price was fine, but the delivery sucks.

I was told by R&L Carriers that they would be there on a Wed..nope...next wed. nope. Had to drive 5 hours each time to find out they did not deliver 3rd time no problem. Like other reviewers had a hell of a time unpacking the mower, would not have made it without a friends help.

The mower I am not sure about yet, the controls are a little jerky but hope they will smooth out with some use. Everything else seems like it is okay, cuts fine and have not towed with it yet. A lot... more