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My 25 year old 21” self propelled walk behind mower has finally reached the point of me being DONE with repairs, so I have retired that machine and selected this Toro as the replacement. Hopefully it will outlast me.

This Toro 21386 Personal Pace SMARTSTOW Super Recycler 21” mower is a very nice machine. One feature that helped steer my selection was the “military grade” cast aluminum deck, so that I enjoy the durability and impervious to rust of aluminum over steel.

After I got this mower, I discovered many features I liked.

The best feature is that everything is performed without tools.

The handle has two large (blue) ¼ turn flip toggles to release / engage the locks that secure the handle in the operating or stowed position.

The mower configuration is changed w/o tools. The side discharge chute slips on / off w/ a lever release. The rear bag is retained by hooks, under a large spring loaded door. The rear recycling plug is slid in / out and retained by a lever.

The machine may be stored vertically. I haven’t used that feature yet.

My after usage cleaning uses the easy flip it up feature to expose the bottom for garden hose cleaning. I have found that removal of the recycling plug and releasing the side discharge door permits full garden hose access that eliminates all grass residue. The machine has a female garden hose fitting and instructions for usage, but I have not used that garden hose connection feature.

The engine is running before completing the first pull. The machine is quiet, powerful and consumes much less fuel than my prior mower.

The mower provides a very nice cut. I have used both side discharge and recycling. I have not yet used the rear bagging feature.

The Personal Pace self propelled feature works very well. It is very intuitive. I have never operated it at maximum speed.

The blade cutting height is changed by moving a lever at each wheel. I cut at the middle setting.

The Briggs and Stratton model 104M020254F1 engine is touted as “No Oil Changes” required, just check and maintain the level. For Old School troglodytes, oil changes are possible by tipping the mower and dumping the old oil out the fill hole.

The engine pull cord handle is positioned near the safety bail / speed monitoring / operation handle.

The engine has no choke and no throttle. Just go and stop.

The machine has a rubber flap hanging below the rear axle that fell off / broken on my mower after just a few short uses. I think this is a safety feature to help prevent slipping under the rotating blade. The manufacturer requires bringing it into a shop for warranty service replacement, but I haven’t had an opportunity for that repair as I don’t deem it essential.

So far I like this machine and would not hesitate to recommend this machine to others.

As a Toro guy I agree with your assessment of the unit, but have two things to add for long life. #1. Change the oil at the beginning or end of your cutting season. I would never trust that “no change” oil statement. #2. Before you store it vertically I always recommend removing as much fuel from the engine as possible. On mine I run the tank dry, remove the air filter, tip the engine so the carb is down for about 30 seconds. Yes, I know that you should never tip an engine with the carb down, but if you are careful this will not hurt anything. You will be able to get more fuel out of the carb and with the air filter off it will not become oil soaked. Finally, allow the engine to sit outside or in an out building on a sunny day for a couple of hours, with the gas cap off. This will allow any remaining fuel to evaporate before storing. I’ve been doing this and when I start the next season with fresh fuel unit starts like new.

wingless said:

My after usage cleaning uses the easy flip it up feature to expose the bottom for garden hose cleaning. I have found that removal of the recycling plug and releasing the side discharge door permits full garden hose access that eliminates all grass residue. The machine has a female garden hose fitting and instructions for usage, but I have not used that garden hose connection feature.

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This machine has been flawless w/ dozens of uses on my three properties. I always use recycling cut, not side discharge or bagging.

After usage I clean the machine by raising to vertical and garden hose then scrub the bottom clean, also using Simple Green.

The deck accumulates compacted grass on one side of those red pyramids, the side of the belt cover and on the deck surface, that I scrub off. I also remove the recycling plug prior to cleaning, it fills w/ clippings. I also open the side door to remove clippings.

Update, this continues to be a VERY nice machine. Continues to provide 100% reliability and GREAT low gas consumption.

Still zero hesitation w/ my recommendation on this machine.

wingless said:

My 25 year old 21” self propelled walk behind mower has finally reached the point of me being DONE with repairs, so I have retired that machine and selected this Toro as the replacement. Hopefully it will outlast me.

This Toro 21386 Personal Pace SMARTSTOW Super Recycler 21” mower is a very nice machine. One feature that helped steer my selection was the “military grade” cast aluminum deck, so that I enjoy the durability and impervious to rust of aluminum over steel.

After I got this mower, I discovered many features I liked.

The best feature is that everything is performed without tools.

The handle has two large (blue) ¼ turn flip toggles to release / engage the locks that secure the handle in the operating or stowed position.

The mower configuration is changed w/o tools. The side discharge chute slips on / off w/ a lever release. The rear bag is retained by hooks, under a large spring loaded door. The rear recycling plug is slid in / out and retained by a lever.

The machine may be stored vertically. I haven’t used that feature yet.

My after usage cleaning uses the easy flip it up feature to expose the bottom for garden hose cleaning. I have found that removal of the recycling plug and releasing the side discharge door permits full garden hose access that eliminates all grass residue. The machine has a female garden hose fitting and instructions for usage, but I have not used that garden hose connection feature.

The engine is running before completing the first pull. The machine is quiet, powerful and consumes much less fuel than my prior mower.

The mower provides a very nice cut. I have used both side discharge and recycling. I have not yet used the rear bagging feature.

The Personal Pace self propelled feature works very well. It is very intuitive. I have never operated it at maximum speed.

The blade cutting height is changed by moving a lever at each wheel. I cut at the middle setting.

The Briggs and Stratton model 104M020254F1 engine is touted as “No Oil Changes” required, just check and maintain the level. For Old School troglodytes, oil changes are possible by tipping the mower and dumping the old oil out the fill hole.

The engine pull cord handle is positioned near the safety bail / speed monitoring / operation handle.

The engine has no choke and no throttle. Just go and stop.

The machine has a rubber flap hanging below the rear axle that fell off / broken on my mower after just a few short uses. I think this is a safety feature to help prevent slipping under the rotating blade. The manufacturer requires bringing it into a shop for warranty service replacement, but I haven’t had an opportunity for that repair as I don’t deem it essential.

So far I like this machine and would not hesitate to recommend this machine to others.

Click to expand...

wingless said:

Update, this continues to be a VERY nice machine. Continues to provide 100% reliability and GREAT low gas consumption.

Still zero hesitation w/ my recommendation on this machine.

Click to expand...

Glad you like your new mower. Just one comment: I think that flap is there to protect you from debris that might get flung back at you, like rocks, sticks, pine cones. I would replace it if I were you. I have two Toros, one is a 1984 20672, the other is a 1991 20320 with the Suzuki 4 cycle engine. I use both in the summer when mulching. The flaps are original and intact on both these ancient Toros. I would change the oil no matter what Briggs claims, but as you can tell, I like to keep my equipment for a long long time.