I sold my Lawnboy (v-series) and Toro 20038 - the TimeMaster 30 was able to get everywhere I needed - so time to clear some garage space. Have mowed 3 times with the TM30 now - when loaded down with a full bag of grass, she gets pretty heavy - otherwise I am liking it alot. I have cut some pretty tall grass and it handled it well - I feel the same about bagging - I have mulched and it does a very good job in that role. The deck has alot of "head room" so you really have to try to bog it down in the deep stuff to have an issue. So far I have no concerns about power....seems to have plenty to handle cutting and propelling the mower. I have alot of experience with the B&S 190cc Intek from my 20038 - this 190cc does seem to have a bit more grunt as the torque rating indicates. My main gripe about the old Intek was hot starts - I found you MUST have the right spark plug and gap or it was a real pain in the rear to hot start (cold starts were always easy). And plugs don't come gapped to .020.....so you have to change it. That is the plug gap on the TM30. My only other complaint is the traction assist handle gets in the way of using the normal personal pace. I could remove it - but I want to see if I get used to it. I have pinched my fingers on it a few times - not bad, but annoying. 10+ years on my 20038 spoiled me into putting my hands pretty much anywhere I wanted on the drive handle. You have to be a bit more selective with the traction assist handle. There are no grease zerks for the rear drive wheels - which is a bit of a concern for longevity of the mower. Things seems pretty well built - but the "standard" is more a step up from a Recycler than a Super Recycler. The 3 year warranty sort of confirms that as well. That all said - there is no competition for this size of mower in the residential market - so Toro can charge a premium. I would assume a competitor will show up fairly soon - which may drive the price down closer to the 800-900 range where it probably belongs. Next on the list.....consideration of a blade upgrade (next year). I have read a few comments the TurfMaster blades are better than the "atomic" blades that come with the TimeMaster....I might go that route....especially once I see how it works in the fall with some clean-up bagging/mulching. I have not been able to find any other blade options.....maybe in a year or 2 "Gator" will have something.....loved the Gator on my Lawnboy. This post was edited by jimbosc on Tue, Jun 18, 13 at 16:09

2009 Model Toro TimeCutter� Z5030 right brake not working mower will roll left when levers thrown out. How do I adjust or fix.

depending on which model# i would think toro timecutter model# 74632 TimeCutter SS5060 50 Inch Zero Turn the john deere Z225 is an 18hp vs the toro's 23hp....

Well, looking at your opening post, and then both machines at their respective websites, I notice a couple of points that might warrant clarification. While both the SS5000 and the Cub do have similar Kaw engines, the SS5000 is 22 HP. To get the 24 HP Kaw on a Toro, the model # is SS5060. What you referred to as "power steering" is actually called "precision steering" by Toro. This is defined by Toro as having dampened control levers. This means that it takes just a bit more effort to get the control levers to move. Now before you start to think this will make it harder to steer (it will not) consider that it really just means that whatever position you have a steering lever in, the lever will remain in that position better, instead of moving freely at every bump in the yard. That means you will have less of the "jerky steering action" that often occurs when trying to get used to a new ztr. Dampened control levers might make it easier for a person to learn how to steer a zero turn mower (if they never drove one before) but I wonder how much benefit there really is in this for someone who has a couple hundred hours on a ztr mower. By simple hydraulic definition, ALL zero turn mowers could be said to have "power steering" as turning is accomplished by the hydraulic drive motors. Some plastic parts versus all metal deck: Plastic breaks.......metal bends, given the same or similar impact. Plastic might rebound in shape after impact, but if it broke.....it will still be broke. Metal can often be straightened after impact, but will likely show damage from impact and straightening. Metal parts might actually impart some degree of strength to the overall assembly. Plastic parts add no extra strength or stiffening to the assemble component. While the Toro video talked up the fact that it is assembled with "nuts and bolts" in contrast to the MTD/Cub standard of "self tapping screws", I can say for myself that the MTD screws Toro is undoubtedly referring to.......do not actually give problems in service. The MTD screws might wear out or strip out if they are removed and reused a few times, but the factory installed screws seem to hold up pretty well. And, if an MTD screw ever does strip out, you would just drill out the holes to the correct dia and replace it with standard hardware nuts and bolts. Right now, looking at the websites for each brand, it appears the Cub Cadet is "on sale". Thank you for your support of our nation, I wish for you a safe tour of duty, good luck.