Toro Personal Pace Recycler Review

Personal Pace Recycler review

What ‘Personal Pace’ means

Toro does not sell a separate line called the Personal Pace Recycler. The name describes a Recycler with Personal Pace self-propel, and on Toro’s site the gas steel-deck version is the 22-inch Recycler 21462, priced at $539. This review covers that mower, and explains the Personal Pace system that also appears on the Super Recycler and the 60V models.

Personal Pace is a drive that reads how fast you walk. Push the handle forward to speed up and ease off to slow down, with no lever or dial to manage.

Specs of the 21462

The mower has a Briggs & Stratton EXi 163 cc engine rated at 7.25 ft-lb gross torque, with pull start. The deck is 22-inch 14-gauge steel with a cutting height of 1.0 to 4.0 inches, and Toro describes it as four-point adjustment while the features text says nine positions. A 1.8 bushel bag with Bag on Demand quick-change is included, and side discharge is optional.

Drive and handling

Personal Pace is rear-wheel drive. Toro does not list a top speed for the 21462, though the family tops out around 4 mph. The wheels are 8 inches in front and 10 inches behind, and the mower weighs 83 lb.

Warranty and fit

The warranty is 2 years limited plus a 3-year guaranteed-to-start engine promise, shorter than the 5-year coverage on the Super Recycler. Toro recommends it for yards up to half an acre.

In practice, Personal Pace suits people who stop often to trim around beds or move toys, because the mower slows as you slow and stops when you let go of the handle. A fixed-speed self-propel mower makes you adjust a lever for that, which is the main reason many buyers pay extra for this drive.

If you want Personal Pace in a steel-deck mower at the lowest price, this is the one. If you want a deck that will not rust, choose the Super Recycler, and if you want to avoid gas, look at the 60V version.