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I purchased the Turf-Master as a kind of replacement mower for my Cub Cadet G1336 Walk Behind mower. For the money I was spending I was a bit skeptical at first and more so buying it sight unseen. The Turf-Master is basically a cross between my 1336 and a rear-bagging self propelled mower, it's a lot easier to handle even at 167 lbs than a 400 lb WB mower. It's a perfect mower for residential yards and has the best cut of any self-propelled push mower I've seen or used, it gives the operator the best of both worlds. Unlike the the larger WB it gives the operator the option of being more of a detail mower along with a 30" cut with considerable time savings over the the standard 21" mower and the wheel height adjusts are fantastic.

To those who are thinking about the Exmark 30" that is basically the Toro I would say check the mowers out carefully because there are some differences between it and the Turf-Master, Like the Turf-Masters Bull Nose Bumper, Deck skid Plates and Wheel Adjustments gives the Toro a leg up on the Exmark in ease of use only because it to is an excellent mower.

In closing if you are hesitating on the purchase of The Time-Master, Turf-Master, or Exmark 30" don't hesitate any longer, You wont be disappointed. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

still waiting to try out my exmark 30. the wheel adjust does concern me only because I change wheel height often as many customers like it different heights. the mulch plug is also a concern until I have a chance to try it out.

mowerman05 said:

still waiting to try out my exmark 30. the wheel adjust does concern me only because I change wheel height often as many customers like it different heights. the mulch plug is also a concern until I have a chance to try it out.

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I'm like you, I have to many customers and they all want a different height. Up until I purchased the Toro I was using the CC mowers with the caster wheels and as far as mowing they are great but the height adjustments were a Pita. Like you the Exmark concerned me because there not that much different than the CC I was using being independent adjustments.

im considering buying this mower but its kinda hard buying something sight unseen. would this make a good main mower for a 10 lawn schedule with no trailer? can you use self propel without the blades?
does it clog up more than a 21" mower?

ross93 said:

im considering buying this mower but its kinda hard buying something sight unseen. would this make a good main mower for a 10 lawn schedule with no trailer? can you use self propel without the blades?
does it clog up more than a 21" mower?

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Whether or not it would make a good main mower for a 10 lawn schedule or not would depend on the individual using the mower. When buying this mower Consider the weight at 167lbs, is it something you want to handle or not. I can tell you I wouldn't be afraid to make it my main mower for a 10 lawn schedule but anymore than that you have to really start looking at the time you will be spending, even with the time savings you will gain over a 21" because as I've said before, in Lawn care time is money. That being said I use the Turf Master every day and mower as many 6 to 8 lawns and the rest with the Grandstand or ZTR. The Turf Master will give you an excellent cut and yes with the blade brake can still self propelled without the blades no problem. I mulch most all the time and never have had the mower choke out or leave clumps of grass. I start mowing at 7:30am and as of yet even in the wet I don't have those problems. As I said in the earlier post I purchased mine sight unseen and haven't been disappointed in any way what so ever, it's just my opinion but at the present the Turf Master and the Exmark 30" mowers are the best self propelled push mowers on the market and in the class of self propelled mowers nothing in the market that can compete with either.

how does the self propel do on hills? can you hold the mower back and spin the tires on pavement? I ask because I used my friends sr4 and I had to push it up hills

ross93 said:

how does the self propel do on hills? can you hold the mower back and spin the tires on pavement? I ask because I used my friends sr4 and I had to push it up hills

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Ok to start with your hills and mine are going to be different, remember I'm in Florida and I have slopes :smile:. Any hills that are here have not been a problem. As far as holding the mower back and spinning the wheels on pavement that I've never tried but I know the mower has enough power you'll play H-E two sticks try to hold it in on spot when the drive is engaged and keep in mind that the drive on the Turfmaster is adjustable for your personal comfort level.
I seen one review where an individual claimed that the Turf master clumps there grass or it's under powered and it's simply not true. 90% of the people who make those claims have no clue how to run the mower or cut grass correctly. That 90% will go out in there yard with six or seven inch high grass and try cutting it down to two and a half inches and wonder why the grass clumps and the mower powers down. There's no self propelled push mower that will handle that.

The thing is your asking about hills and how the mower is going to handle them and the power of the mower. I'm assuming your hills are DIRT, hard dirt which would be great for a mower of this type, try mowing a lawn that you leave wheel ruts in with a 167lb mower. I mow St Augustine grass that is grown in muck on muck farms and place on top of a clay base so water doesn't drain and people love to water daily, if the mower will handle that I dare say it will handle most any hill you have and have more than ample power.

Ric said:

Ok to start with your hills and mine are going to be different, remember I'm in Florida and I have slopes :smile:. Any hills that are here have not been a problem. As far as holding the mower back and spinning the wheels on pavement that I've never tried but I know the mower has enough power you'll play H-E two sticks try to hold it in on spot when the drive is engaged and keep in mind that the drive on the Turfmaster is adjustable for your personal comfort level.
I seen one review where an individual claimed that the Turf master clumps there grass or it's under powered and it's simply not true. 90% of the people who make those claims have no clue how to run the mower or cut grass correctly. That 90% will go out in there yard with six or seven inch high grass and try cutting it down to two and a half inches and wonder why the grass clumps and the mower powers down.

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How about grass that is 4-5 inches tall?

lawn mower fanatic said:

How about grass that is 4-5 inches tall?

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Fact is to a certain extent it's not the height of the grass being cut that the problem, it's the setting on the mower you are cutting with that's the problem. Lets look at the picture you post this morning, by the looks of your Honda and its mowing path your cutting about twice as much grass as you should be which tells me your height adjustment is incorrect. Lets say as you asked your grass is 5 inches tall, what height should the mower be set to remove one third the height of that grass or how many inches of grass do you remove?

Ric said:

Lets say as you asked your grass is 5 inches tall, what height should the mower be set to remove one third the height of that grass or how many inches of grass do you remove?

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I should set the mower at 3.5". But I usually cut at 3.0".

lawn mower fanatic said:

I should set the mower at 3.5". But I usually cut at 3.0".

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If you have grass that is 5 inches tall you should remove no more than 1.6 inches to keep the grass and its root system healthy and the mower cutting correctly. That's the problem, to many people would cut the grass down to 2 or 2 1/2 Inches and then when the mower clumps grass and powers down they blame the mower because of what it's doing when in reality there trying to make the mower do something it's not capable of doing.

Ric said:

If you have grass that is 5 inches tall you should remove no more than 1.6 inches to keep the grass and its root system healthy and the mower cutting correctly. That's the problem, to many people would cut the grass down to 2 or 2 1/2 Inches and then when the mower clumps grass and powers down they blame the mower because of what it's doing when in reality there trying to make the mower do something it's not capable of doing.

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The thing is I try to stick with cutting at 3.0" because if I cut it higher than I would need to come back sooner to cut it again and I don't have time to come back like 3 days later!

Ric said:

If you have grass that is 5 inches tall you should remove no more than 1.6 inches to keep the grass and its root system healthy and the mower cutting correctly. That's the problem, to many people would cut the grass down to 2 or 2 1/2 Inches and then when the mower clumps grass and powers down they blame the mower because of what it's doing when in reality there trying to make the mower do something it's not capable of doing.

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I agree 100%

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

lawn mower fanatic said:

The thing is I try to stick with cutting at 3.0" because if I cut it higher than I would need to come back sooner to cut it again and I don't have time to come back like 3 days later!

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I agree here. 3 in is all I cut down to doesn't matter if its 10 in long if I cut 10 grass to 6 in then it grows 7 more in the next week I come back it'll be 13 in long then I cut it at 8 in tall come back in a week and it'll be 16 in long not a good pattern when I can only get to a lawn every 7 days

exotion said:

I agree here. 3 in is all I cut down to doesn't matter if its 10 in long if I cut 10 grass to 6 in then it grows 7 more in the next week I come back it'll be 13 in long then I cut it at 8 in tall come back in a week and it'll be 16 in long not a good pattern when I can only get to a lawn every 7 days

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Yes! I agree 100%!

You have to remember that grass is like 80% water and when you remove more than a third it could or can send grass into what's called physiological shock, which leaves the lawn prone to invasion by weeds and less able to cope with drought and other environmental stresses. If the grass gets so long that you can't get it down to proper length in one mowing, wait a day or two and mow again. The more often you mow and the less grass you remove with each mowing the thicker and healthier your lawn is likely to become.

Ric said:

You have to remember that grass is like 80% water and when you remove more than a third it could or can send grass into what's called physiological shock, which leaves the lawn prone to invasion by weeds and less able to cope with drought and other environmental stresses. If the grass gets so long that you can't get it down to proper length in one mowing, wait a day or two and mow again. The more often you mow and the less grass you remove with each mowing the thicker and healthier your lawn is likely to become.

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How excatly am I supposed to do that. Go back in two and three days? I am in a different part of town every day they are on either 7 or 14 day cycle the grass does just finebeing cut low. Temps get 100 degrees and dry and the grass grows just fine.

exotion said:

How excatly am I supposed to do that. Go back in two and three days? I am in a different part of town every day they are on either 7 or 14 day cycle the grass does just finebeing cut low. Temps get 100 degrees and dry and the grass grows just fine.

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I think he my have been talking about if its your own yard.

But he is right you really never want to take more than 1/3 off the height of the grass. Even trees or shrubs never take more than 1/3

If you have yards that are on a 14 day cut and they are getting over 6 inches I don't see how they can look good. Years ago I had homeowners want there grass cut every two weeks cause they said it don't grow I hit them hard with fert and had to cut them every week.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

Carscw said:

I think he my have been talking about if its your own yard.

But he is right you really never want to take more than 1/3 off the height of the grass. Even trees or shrubs never take more than 1/3

If you have yards that are on a 14 day cut and they are getting over 6 inches I don't see how they can look good. Years ago I had homeowners want there grass cut every two weeks cause they said it don't grow I hit them hard with fert and had to cut them every week.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

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My every two week yard probably classify more under weed mowing... the people who really don't care.

exotion said:

My every two week yard probably classify more under weed mowing... the people who really don't care.

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I understand.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

Carscw said:

I understand.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

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Still brings me to the point of which I am still unable to get back to a yard in a couple days should I cut down on fert? Have the customer cut down on water? I am not sure

exotion said:

How exactly am I supposed to do that. Go back in two and three days? I am in a different part of town every day they are on either 7 or 14 day cycle the grass does just fine being cut low. Temps get 100 degrees and dry and the grass grows just fine.

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Carscw said:

I think he my have been talking about if its your own yard.

But he is right you really never want to take more than 1/3 off the height of the grass. Even trees or shrubs never take more than 1/3

If you have yards that are on a 14 day cut and they are getting over 6 inches I don't see how they can look good. Years ago I had homeowners want there grass cut every two weeks cause they said it don't grow I hit them hard with fert and had to cut them every week.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

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Actually I wasn't talking about your personal yard. I agree that no yard should be on a 14 day cycle, the only time that should take place is late fall going into winter. If your in a different part of town I would make sure to set time aside or re-schedule a time to go back to the yard in 2 or 3 days and cut it for a second time then continue cutting the yard on your regular schedule dates and it should cut with taking no more than a third at a time. You just have to work the yard to bring it back to a 7 day schedule.

Ric said:

You have to remember that grass is like 80% water and when you remove more than a third it could or can send grass into what's called physiological shock, which leaves the lawn prone to invasion by weeds and less able to cope with drought and other environmental stresses. If the grass gets so long that you can't get it down to proper length in one mowing, wait a day or two and mow again. The more often you mow and the less grass you remove with each mowing the thicker and healthier your lawn is likely to become.

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Perfectly Said, you nailed it right on the head.

I am looking at buying the Turf-Master. After reading everyone posts I'm up in the air about getting it now due to people saying it dosen't have enough power to go up hills.

Here is my situation. I have one customer that does not want me using my walker mower on his lawn, as it keeps leaving divots. His lawn seems to be very thin and wet all the time and i assume its part grass and partly the way im using it. I am considering buying the Turf-master to use on his lawn so that i can get it done quicker. I will most likely be using it on other lawns. I don't bag, I always mulch.

My questions are

Is it worth paying out $2000 for this machine to keep a customer that gets me to do his lawn/fall cleanups/hedge trimming?
How many people are having problems with this machine on hills. Most of my places i will be cutting are flat. There may be a few small hills.
Would it be better to buy a 2nd 21 inch machine and just run them both at the one property?
How much time do you save per lawn by using the 30 inch turf-master?

Thanks for any help.

scottief said:

I am looking at buying the Turf-Master. After reading everyone posts I'm up in the air about getting it now due to people saying it dosen't have enough power to go up hills.

Here is my situation. I have one customer that does not want me using my walker mower on his lawn, as it keeps leaving divots. His lawn seems to be very thin and wet all the time and i assume its part grass and partly the way im using it. I am considering buying the Turf-master to use on his lawn so that i can get it done quicker. I will most likely be using it on other lawns. I don't bag, I always mulch.

My questions are

Is it worth paying out $2000 for this machine to keep a customer that gets me to do his lawn/fall cleanups/hedge trimming?
How many people are having problems with this machine on hills. Most of my places i will be cutting are flat. There may be a few small hills.
Would it be better to buy a 2nd 21 inch machine and just run them both at the one property?
How much time do you save per lawn by using the 30 inch turf-master?

Thanks for any help.

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I love my turf-Master, have no problems doing ditches or small hills, I don't mulch only side discharge but shouldn't be any difference.

scottief said:

I am looking at buying the Turf-Master. After reading everyone posts I'm up in the air about getting it now due to people saying it dosen't have enough power to go up hills.

Here is my situation. I have one customer that does not want me using my walker mower on his lawn, as it keeps leaving divots. His lawn seems to be very thin and wet all the time and i assume its part grass and partly the way im using it. I am considering buying the Turf-master to use on his lawn so that i can get it done quicker. I will most likely be using it on other lawns. I don't bag, I always mulch.

My questions are

Is it worth paying out $2000 for this machine to keep a customer that gets me to do his lawn/fall cleanups/hedge trimming?
How many people are having problems with this machine on hills. Most of my places i will be cutting are flat. There may be a few small hills.
Would it be better to buy a 2nd 21 inch machine and just run them both at the one property?
How much time do you save per lawn by using the 30 inch turf-master?

Thanks for any help.

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It's definitely a different mower. I've been real happy with mine for the most part. They Toro did have a recall a while back with or over an issue with breaking blades but Toro took care of the problem. As far as having enough power it really doesn't lack in that department the Kawasaki KAI engine has got all the power anyone would want or expect out of a 6hp engine. Keep in mind the drive on the Turf-Master is adjustable so if it does lack on drive for what hills you have you can adjust for that.
I like you always mulch and 90% of the time it's St Augustine grass and it does extremely well, it leaves the nicest cut of any push mower I've ever used. The thing I really appreciate is the two point Height adjustment, it only take just seconds, that coupled with the Blade brake saves you a lot of time and work. Depending on the size of the lawn you're mowing you can save anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes mowing time per lawn over a 21" mower. Now that said, is it worth $2000, that's a decision only you can make, for me it was worth every penny. The only two cons on the mower that I have are, it's Heavy and it's noisy.

I bought the Turf Master this year. Here are my though on it.

1. Needs a bigger engine on it. Bogs down to much in wet grass or tall grass. I was warned about this at the dealer.
2. Don't have any problems on hills. It is heavy and does take a bit to get it going sometimes, but other than thatn its great on hills.
3. Its a heavy beast but once you get used to it, its not to bad. Its very balanced.
4. I use this mower and a 21 inch. This mower compared to a 21 inch, much better. We have one place we cut and its done so much faster now. Saving me time.
5. I only use the mulch so I'm not sure how the bagger/side discharge are.

Id buy another one. My only complaint is that it needs a bigger hp on it. It should bog down as easy as it does.

I thought it curious as to why the commercial 30 uses the same engine as a commercial 21 the tech is there to put a better engine on there with a little more power and would benefit everything about the mower. I get why they didn't with the homeowner 30 that's money management. But the commercial people are already spending the money they probably wouldn't mind spending a couple hundred extra for a proper engine

Have had my TurfMaster for 2 1/2 months now and have only 1 frustration with it. Regardless of how I set the height setting I am having to double back over my rows due to 'Stragglers' of grass not being cut. Does not matter how high the grass is or the type of grass being mowed.

I cut St. Augustine grass 90% of the time. Have already changed out my blades and still no real positive change. Have also been setting the back wheels 1 notch higher than the front.

Suggestions? I am wasting a lot of time re-mowing and need to find a solution to this somehow.

Thanks,
Bill

OldSalt said:

Have had my TurfMaster for 2 1/2 months now and have only 1 frustration with it. Regardless of how I set the height setting I am having to double back over my rows due to 'Stragglers' of grass not being cut. Does not matter how high the grass is or the type of grass being mowed.

I cut St. Augustine grass 90% of the time. Have already changed out my blades and still no real positive change. Have also been setting the back wheels 1 notch higher than the front.

Suggestions? I am wasting a lot of time re-mowing and need to find a solution to this somehow.

Thanks,
Bill

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Have you changed out the belts yet? It sounds like the belt is loose or about gone and your not getting the proper BTS.

Ric said:

Have you changed out the belts yet? It sounds like the belt is loose or about gone and your not getting the proper BTS.

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Oh! Hadn't considered the belts since the mower is so new. Will look into getting some this week and swapping them out. I should have looked into that since the right side cut area is where most of the issues are at.
Will let you all know how things work out once everything is swapped out. Thanks!

Everything I've read about the turfmaster is that it goes through blade belts fast

Took your suggestion and adjusted the blade tension spring and the cutting has improved on the right side.
I also tightened up the Self-propel Drive Cable a little
Belts themselves looked fine.

However, now I have a grinding sound whenever I engage the self-propel system.
Mower cuts fine however.
Thinking I may have to readjust what I adjusted back a little to see if the grinding stops.
Otherwise, not sure what might be going on.

I suspect I will have to end up bringing this thing to the dealer and getting them to do a complete once-over on it for me to make sure I haven't somehow scre#ed something up inadvertently.

Thanks.

Been using this mower all summer now. Only complaint I have is the engine. Needs more power and its not good in wet long grass. When grass is dry it leaves nice strips.

One quick question for you guys that own one. Is there enough adjustment on the handlebar to make it trailer easy. We have been running a Time Master and the handle on it stands up straight and it makes it fit nicely in the trailer. We pull a 16' Cargo trailer with two zero turns in it and everything else so we are crowded.

The handle is attached at 3 points on each side. It is not designed to move.

BlazNT said:

The handle is attached at 3 points on each side. It is not designed to move.

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Thanks, I will order another Time Master instead of a Turf Master. I really wanted a Turf Master but I can't haul it in my cargo trailer with 2 zero turns if the handles won't fold up.