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Toro 60V Max 21″ Super Recycler Review

Hands down the best battery lawn mower we've tested
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Toro 60V Max 21″ Super Recycler Review (The Toro 60V Max Super Recycler has plenty of power to cruise through well-maintained lawns and is a pleasure to use.)
The Toro 60V Max Super Recycler has plenty of power to cruise through well-maintained lawns and is a pleasure to use.
Credit: Clark Tate
Price:  $849 List
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Manufacturer:   Toro
By Clark Tate ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Oct 23, 2024
73
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 13
  • Mowing - 35% 8.0
  • Power Performance - 25% 6.5
  • Handling - 20% 9.5
  • Ease of Use - 15% 4.0
  • Noise - 5% 6.6

Our Verdict

The Toro 60V Max 21" Super Recycler is so enjoyable to use that it almost has us excited about this endless summertime chore. If you can't afford a riding mower, or just want to get steps in, this is the most enjoyable lawn mower experience we've found. Toro's “Personal Pace” drive adjusts to your walking speed by responding to the pressure you place on the upper, curved handle, making cutting your lawn feel nearly effortless. All you have to do is walk behind it, placing minimal pressure on the handle and pivot it around turns. It practically climbs hills on its own. The powerful engine hardly slows and leaves a respectively even cut in its wake. This mower does seize up more frequently than some of the gas options we tested. This is mostly a problem if you let your grass go too long and cut it while wet or dewy. Its battery is also slow to charge and lasted between 30 and 59 minutes during our tests. (It varies so much because it's affected by factors ranging from outside temperature to grass height.) If you have an average-sized lawn of around a quarter acre or can afford to buy a second battery, we think the 60V will help you learn to love lawn maintenance. It you'd rather go with a gas-powered version, click over to our lawn mower review.
REASONS TO BUY
Even cut
Great auto drive
Best power in the test
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited battery life
Slow to charge
Less of a track record

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Editors' Choice Award
Best Battery Option
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Lawnmower
Best Buy Award
An Affordable Fuel Version
Best Buy Award
Best Battery Model For Your Money
Top Pick Award
A Trusty & Reliable Classic
Price $849 List$579 List$369 List$300 List
$299.00 at Amazon
$150 List
$79.47 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
73
87
77
61
49
Star Rating
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Bottom Line An excellent and easy-driving mower that offers the best cut in the testThe reliability of a steel deck and Briggs and Stratton motor with the convenience of self-propulsionSturdily built with a trusted engine, this high-performing motor should lastAn affordable, electric mower that's perfect for small yardsA solid manual option for those with small yards and simple tastes
Rating Categories Toro 60V Max 21″ Su... Toro SmartStow Recy... Troy-Bilt TB110 Greenworks 25322 American Lawn Mower...
Mowing (35%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
5.5
3.0
Power Performance (25%)
6.5
9.0
9.0
5.0
3.0
Handling (20%)
9.5
9.5
8.5
7.0
6.5
Ease of Use (15%)
4.0
8.0
5.0
8.0
9.0
Noise (5%)
6.6
4.0
4.7
7.3
9.5
Specs Toro 60V Max 21″ Su... Toro SmartStow Recy... Troy-Bilt TB110 Greenworks 25322 American Lawn Mower...
Power Source 60V, 7.5Ah Lithium Battery Gas Gas 40V, 4Ah Lithium Battery Reel
Cutting Deck Width 21" 22" 21" 13 3/4" 14"
Self-Propelled Yes Yes No No No
Measured Cutting Gap 1/2" 1/2" 1/4" 1" N/A
Measured Recharge/Refuel Time 207 min 2 min 2 min 65 min n/a
Measured Decibel Reading 74 dBa 81 dBa 79 dBa 72 dBa 66 dBa
Watt Hours 450 N/A N/A 160 N/A

Our Analysis and Test Results

This is by far the most powerful battery-fueled lawn mower we've ever tested, but that power comes at a cost, with the battery running out before we could finish our large test lawn. It lasted anywhere between a half hour and an hour in our tests, depending on the heat of the day and the height and thickness of the grass. With a 20.5-inch blade, you can mow about 0.27 acres in 30 minutes, walking at a three-mile-per-hour pace. If you have an average lawn size of around a quarter acre, according to Home Advisor, this is a wonderful option. 

Performance Comparison


The Toro 60V Max Super Recycler is the best battery-powered mower we've tested.
Credit: Clark Tate

Mowing


In our tests, the Super Recycler provided the most consistent and high-quality cut among battery mowers, particularly with its high-performance blade in max mode. It adjusts to your walking speed with Toro's “Personal Pace” drive, making mowing nearly effortless. However, in auto mode, the mower can lag in thick grass, leading to a patchier cut. Despite this, the Super Recycler's mulching performance is comparable to gas-powered mowers, leaving few clumps of grass behind. The biggest downside to this, and all battery mowers, is that the quality of their cut decreases as their batteries begin to wind down to empty. 


Evenness


Earning top honors doesn't mean the Super Recycler outperforms the other mowers in every circumstance, though. While it provides the best cut of any battery option we tested, in some instances, the two gas-powered options offer more pristine lawns. That's because the Super Recycler has two blades, a high performance, and an economy option that prioritizes battery life. (The machine we tested arrived fitted with the latter.) It also has two power settings, max and auto

In max mode, the blade spins at top speed at all times. In auto mode, it senses how tall and thick the grass is and adjusts its power and speed accordingly. There is a lag when you hit a thick patch, though, and this mode leaves behind a patchier cut. It also tends to clog more frequently in difficult conditions like longer grass or a light layer of dew. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - in "max"- mode with the high-performance blade, this mower offers an...
In "max"- mode with the high-performance blade, this mower offers an incredibly clean cut, even in rough conditions.
Credit: Clark Tate

You can use either mode with either blade. While it takes time to switch out the blades, you can change modes with the flip of a switch. When you're in max mode with the high-performance blade, this lawn mower feels unstoppable, impressing us by singing through foot-tall, damp grass that challenged or flat-out shut down the gas mowers we tested. 

The quality of the Super Recycler's cut decreases a bit with every other blade/mode combination, which is, in order of descending quality — the performance blade in auto, the economy blade in max, and the economy blade in auto. Even in its battery-saving, lowest-quality setting, it's still a pleasure to use. You'll just have a few more tufts and patches left behind, and it still offers the most even cut among the battery options. That is, until the battery starts to die, then the quality decreases. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - this mower works impressively well in both mulching and bagging modes.
This mower works impressively well in both mulching and bagging modes.
Credit: Clark Tate

Terrain Management


The mower's sturdy, stable, and flex-resistant aluminum deck is heavy enough to hug terrain features more often than it bounces over them, like the mowers we tested with plastic decks. This makes for a more consistent, even cut, which, again, is best with the high-performance blade in max mode. 

Mulching


This mower arrives set up to cut and mulch your grass. That means the blade cuts grass from the stalk, then slices it into the smallest possible pieces and leaves it in place. This has all kinds of benefits, like keeping your lawn cooler, reducing its need for water, and maintaining healthy nutrient levels. It works and looks best when your mower slices that grass up nice and small.

The Super Recycler outperformed every other battery option in our tests, leaving behind fewer blades of grass large enough to rake. This was true regardless of which blade and cutting speed mode we used. When we used the high-performance blade in either mode, its mulching performance was comparable to the gas-powered options in the test. We couldn't find any grass to rake. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - in mulching mode, this lawn mower chops even longer grass into...
In mulching mode, this lawn mower chops even longer grass into pieces that are small enough to leave on your lawn even if you've let your grass get a little too high.
Credit: Clark Tate

Side Shoot


The Super Recycler does not include an attachment to shoot cut grass to the side. Since this method tends to leave large clumps of grass behind and can plaster it against a wall, a fence, or a passerby, we don't miss it. 

Bagging


In most cases, leaving grass on your lawn is better for it. Bagging your grass is also more work since you have to empty the bag regularly. If that's what you need, though, this mower is good at it. Its large capacity bag holds more grass at a time than other options. The blade also had plenty of power to pack the bag from back to front. (This works better in max mode.) And we didn't have to pause to pack the grass in as we did with several other options in the test.  

This mower has plenty of power to pack its large capacity bag effectively.
Credit: Clark Tate

Cutting Deck Width and Height


A bigger deck and longer blade means that it will take less time to cover your entire yard. The 21" deck and 20.5" inch blade on this mower cover ground quickly. This is also one of the few mowers we tested that you retrace your previous wheel tracks without leaving a mohawk of grass behind. Having less overlap in every pass makes the chore go that much faster. 

The mower offers nine cutting heights, ranging from 0.75 to four inches. This 3.35-inch range is among the largest in the test, letting you accommodate grass that's been left a bit too long or keep your yard exceptionally trim. However, the mower does tend to clog more often in those conditions. We tested this mower in its middle setting, with a deck height of two inches in the front and 2.25 inches in the rear (this tilt is fairly typical among the test fleet).

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - we were all disappointed in how frequently this mower clogs when in...
We were all disappointed in how frequently this mower clogs when in auto mode and in longer or damp grass.
Credit: Clark Tate

Power Performance

 

The Super Recycler is powered by a 60-volt, 7.5 amp hour (Ah) lithium battery. That gives you 450 watt-hours of power, among the highest in the test. It provides an impressive amount of torque that outperforms even the gas-powered options in the thickest, tallest (around 12-inch grass) we tested. 


Unlike gas options, you do have to stop mowing to recharge this battery when it runs out of juice or have several of them ready to go. Its scores take a hit to account for limited run time and the time required to recharge the battery.

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - the flex-force battery lasts long enough to cut about a quarter acre...
The Flex-Force battery lasts long enough to cut about a quarter acre in optimal conditions. That's not enough to get through our test lawn on one charge.
Credit: Clark Tate

Run Time


The battery lasted 30, 47, and 59 minutes in our three battery tests. The times vary wildly because so many factors influence how long your battery will last. On a humid day, when the temperature was 88 degrees Fahrenheit, and the grass was around six inches tall, the battery lasted a half hour. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - when we stress-tested these machines in a thick patch of foot tall...
When we stress-tested these machines in a thick patch of foot tall grass, this is the only mower that resisted stalling.
Credit: Clark Tate

On a cooler day, when the grass was six inches with a few patches of 12-inch grass, it lasted 41.5 minutes. The day lasted nearly an hour; we were cleaning up a large section of patchy, low, and sparse grass, which was a very light load. In half an hour, this mower's 20.5" blade can cover about 0.27 acres if you walk at a three-mile-per-hour pace.

Charge Time


Once your battery is dead, you have to recharge it before you get any more mowing done. This one is slow to charge, taking an average of three hours and 27 minutes in our tests. You can purchase a second battery to double your runtime, but they aren't cheap. And if you have an especially large yard, you'd still be waiting for anywhere from 2.5 to 3.25 hours for the first battery to charge again after the second one wears out. 

The Super Recycler propels itself in response to the amount of pressure you apply to its handle, which also works like a shock to reduce strain on your body.
Credit: Clark Tate

Handling


The Super Recycler is exceptionally lovely to use thanks to its responsive personal pace auto drive. When in max mode with the high-performance blade, it never hesitates or slows, even in tall, thick grass. It's seamless, earning a top score. 


The mower responds to the amount of pressure you place on the upper, curved handle, so it glides through the straight sections and instantly adjusts to your pace as you pivot to turn. When it comes to the turns, this mower feels light and easy to maneuver. 

Starting the engine is as easy as pulling back the bail bar, choosing a mode, and pressing the start button.
Credit: Clark Tate

Starting and Stopping


Like all of the battery mowers, this one is a push-button start. Unlike the rest, the button itself is removable. We like this feature as an additional safety mechanism (along with removing the battery) to make sure kids or your distracted self can't turn it on accidentally. 

To turn it on, just pull the bail bar back, make sure the button is in place, choose between auto and max mode, and press down. The mower starts right up. It also stops when you release the bail bar within a second or so, depending on the grass thickness and height.

Choosing between auto-mode to optimize battery live and max-mode to maximize power is as simple as turning a removable knob.
Credit: Clark Tate

Ease of Use


Though thoughtfully constructed, the Super Recycler has some design elements that make it harder to operate. Most of its clunkier elements, like setting up and shifting mowing height, are rarely used, which keeps us from getting too annoyed with them. Still, this is far from the most streamlined option in the test.


We'll start with the good stuff. The battery is simple to install and remove, though we did notice the plastic lid that covers it pops open easily, covering the compartment in grass clippings. On the upside, it's also easy to fold this mower's handle over to store it, and you can stand the entire machine on end for an impressively small footprint. It measures 43" long, 23 wide, and 16" tall when sitting on all four wheels. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - placing or removing the battery is a straightforward affair. simply...
Placing or removing the battery is a straightforward affair. Simply press the battery down to click in place or press the grey button above it to release.
Credit: Clark Tate

What's less simple is adjusting the handle height. To do so, you have to adjust a bumper that's bolted in place. While this is fine for one user to deal with once and leave it, or for multiple users of the same height, it's a pain for a short and tall person to share. We also found, over many, many hours of mowing, that it's nice to be able to move the handle around on the fly to shift the strain on your body or adjust to terrain changes. 

It's also hard to read the battery on the go, meaning that you're often unprepared when you run out of juice. We never found this to be a huge problem, though the mower is significantly less pleasant to push back to the garage when it's not walking itself. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - you have to move a bolt to adjust the height of the handle. it's...
You have to move a bolt to adjust the height of the handle. It's annoying enough that you end up just picking a favorite setting. We like it in the lower location.
Credit: Clark Tate

Our least favorite thing about this mower, though, is its height adjustment mechanism. Each wheel has a handle that can be moved to 9 different locations, either connecting to a small raised prong or wedged in between them.

The system is slow and laborious, and it's hard to see what you're doing, especially in low light.  It's also easy to get wrong, and if the wheels are uneven, the quality of the cut declines rapidly. Most of the other battery mowers in the test let you adjust mow height with a single, easy-to-use handle. We much prefer that option. 

Both of the Toro mowers are among the most difficult to set up in the test, with unclear user manuals and a less-than-intuitive design. It would be less noticeable without the simpler electric models to compare to though, and you only have to go through it once.

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - as challenging as it is to change the handle's height, it's not hard...
As challenging as it is to change the handle's height, it's not hard to fold over. Just turn the blue knobs to get it ready for storage or for work.
Credit: Clark Tate

Changing Blades, Modes, and Maintenance


Battery mowers require less maintenance than gas options — you don't need to worry about winterizing the engine, checking oil levels, or dealing with small engine repairs. You still need to keep your blades sharp, though. With this particular model, you also have the option to choose the high-performance blade for the best cut or the economy blade to maximize battery life.

Switching the blade is a fairly simple affair. You just need to remove the battery, secure the blade, and remove the bolt that holds it in place This is fairly standard across test models. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - the aspects of this mower you use the most are easy enough to use.
The aspects of this mower you use the most are easy enough to use.
Credit: Clark Tate

Switching between mulching and bagging modes is as simple as removing the battery for safety,  flipping up the back panel, pulling out the marked plastic mulching plug, and hooking the bag onto the back of the machine. 

Since battery mowers, and this mower in particular, haven't been around that long, we have less to go on when assessing their longevity. We have no reason to suspect this mower will turn south anytime soon, but we certainly have less experience repairing electric motors or finding someone else to than a traditional, gas-powered small engine.

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - switching from mulching to bagging mode is easy enough, just remove...
Switching from mulching to bagging mode is easy enough, just remove the mulching plug and hang the bag.
Credit: Clark Tate

Noise


Louder mowers are less pleasant to use. While battery options are certainly quieter at a distance, we measured the decibels at head height, to mimic your experience. We clocked this one at 74 decibels, the loudest of the battery mowers but quieter than all other powered options. The two reel lawn mowers are the quietest of all.

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - battery-powered mowers tend to sound much quieter than gas-powered...
Battery-powered mowers tend to sound much quieter than gas-powered options at a distance. At head height, the difference is less noticeable.
Credit: Clark Tate

Since the World Health Organization recommends keeping noise levels below 80 decibels, this mower's noise levels aren't particularly concerning.


Should You Buy the TORO 60V MAX 21" Super Recycler?


We think the Toro Super Recycler is a no-brainer for anyone who can afford it, who's excited about a battery-powered mower, and who has a yard of around a quarter or less. It's also a great option for someone who just needs a push mower for the edges that a riding mower can't reach. This would be an especially nice pick for anyone who finds it tiring to muscle a more traditional, non-self-propelled push mower around. There's a lot of momentum shifting to an electric-based power to slow fossil fuel-related carbon emissions and the associated climate crisis. If you want to jump on board, this is the top option. 

toro 60v max 21″ super recycler - this lawnmower outperformed most other options and is incredibly...
This lawnmower outperformed most other options and is incredibly easy to use. We just wish the battery lasted longer.
Credit: Clark Tate

What Other Lawn Mowers Should You Consider?


If you have a larger lawn or want the familiar feel of a traditional mower with a well-respected engine, the gas-powered Toro SmartStow Recycler 20340 is a great option. It's also significantly less expensive, with the same stellar self-propelling mechanism and a trusted Briggs & Stratton Motor. The quality of its cut rivals the Super Recycler's with its best blade in the highest motor setting. If you're worried about the self-propelling mechanism faltering, the Troy-Bilt TB110 has a Briggs & Stratton motor as well and offers very little to break. Its bare-bones setup is significantly less comfortable to use, but it will save you even more money.

Clark Tate