Yes,I don't know you from Adam, but I do know good from bad mowers. Your rant about design was out of line because 90% of self propel mowers use the same design. Toro's design is among the best, but things can happen, no matter how careful you are. As a service tech now, with more than 40 years in this business I can also see your side of wanting it fixed now, but if you had taken it in when it broke the first time, you would not be in this situation. It will not surprise me if it is not done, as you say it is the busy time of the mowing season in your area and there are probably mowers in front of you who also needed it yesterday. I feel sorry for your dealer, because with customers like you he is not going to please you even if it is fixed. I hope you know that if he wanted to charge for the repair, he would be in his rights, because you voided the warranty for any repairs on the belt when you tried to repair it yourself. Before you place blame on anyone look in the mirror. Remember the world revolves around the sun, not you.
I've given my reply to you some time, because I really didn't know if I wanted to waste my time on you! Having said this, I know that my reply is warranted, because it's people like you, Rivets, that truly annoy me on these forums.
First, I did not go off on some rant, it was merely my opinion for this particular mower since it was what I experienced. This was my first time ever to own a self propelled mower and felt I made a wise choice after reading many positive reviews. To my dismay, the belt shredded after only the first year of well cared for and mild use. I only have 1/3 acre of nearly all flat terrain and, if not mistaken, this model can be considered for commercial use, as well! Yes, I do have to wait for about 3 weeks, but when the first belt broke it was a busy time (June) for cutting as well. What's the difference if I lose 3 weeks then or now, I'm still losing it. I never alluded to anything that I was going to be one of those "customers" that wouldn't be pleased! If the mower is fixed and ready to go when they call, I'll be satisfied. You, Rivets, are very accusatory in your own right towards me in the brief time I've been in this forum!
Secondly, you state that I voided my warranty by replacing the belt myself. Wake up call Rivets, that doesn't void my warranty as I've already checked on that. In fact, I asked this question when I purchased the mower. I can do my own preventative maintenance on this mower and the warranty is upheld. Maybe replacing a belt isn't PM, but maybe it is as it's a wear item and the belt just gave out. Perhaps the second one installed by me had a flaw in it...? Who knows? That's why I decided to take it into the shop! You sound as if you have a vested interest in Toro. That's fine if you do, but you make it sound as if they couldn't possibly have a flawed design of any kind. That's where you are wrong.
I felt lucky enough to find this forum hoping to relate cares/concerns about a problem I incurred. How "UNFORTUNATE" was I to have had someone so belligerent and caustic as YOU to answer my post! You say you've been a service tech for 40 years, and yet you come off as a very immature snot-nosed grease monkey that should've rode off in the sunset a long time ago! Don't bother to reply, Rivets, as I'm done with you and will live by my own technical and mechanical knowledge and avoid people like you.