Toro SmartStow Recycler 20340 Review

If you want the benefits of self-propulsive technology but have a large lawn or just want to stick to gas-powered engines, this is the most impressive option we've tested.

Performance Comparison

Mowing

The mower does struggle with long, wet grass, and can get frequently jammed up in these conditions, with the engine bogging down and the blade requiring consistent cleanouts. That's true of every mower we tested though. And, when we tested it in foot-tall, thick grass, we were able to feather the auto drive throttle to get us through sections where the engine was bogging down. That did not work with traditional gas options that lacked self-propulsion.

Though it struggles in those challenging circumstances, it outcompeted nearly all the rest. And you're not supposed to wait that long to cut grass anyway. In moderate conditions and with dry grass, this mower excels.

Evenness and Terrain Management

With a sturdy, flex-resistant steel deck, the SmartStow tracks terrain well, resulting in a consistently clean cut. We did have to go back over a few spots here and there under dry conditions with 5 to 6 inches of thick grass to get a perfectly manicured lawn. It's not perfect, but we find this small cost well worth the benefit of how well the mower cuts in most circumstances.

Mulching

The Toro 20340 mower is one of the best in the test when it comes to mulching grass. It cuts grass from the stalk and then slices it into small enough pieces to safely scatter it on the lawn without smothering your grass. In our head-to-head tests, we found that this mower leaves little to no grass in its wake that's large enough to rake.

As we mention above, it does struggle when the grass is damp or wet. It also leaves more grass behind when the grass is exceptionally tall or thick, but that's true of all the mowers we tested.

Side Shoot

This mower did not arrive with an attachment that would let us shoot grass cuttings to the side. We don't love this method since the grass is usually left in larger clumps, which are messier and could block light to sections of our yard. It can also fling grass or debris at passersby.

Bagging

The SmartStow Recycler has no problem bagging grass, though this isn't the best practice for your lawn. Leaving cuttings holds moisture and nutrients while cooling your soil. If you do need to bag your grass for some reason, this mower is up to the task.

The blade and motor load the bag from the back to the front, so we don't have to stop to make more room mid-cut. When it's full, simply stop mowing, remove it, empty it, and put it back in place. The large bag gives you more time before you need to empty it and leaves little to no grass behind.

Cutting Deck Width and Height

A large deck and long blade means you'll have to make fewer passes to mow your lawn. The SmartStow's 22" deck and 21.5" blade cut one of the widest swathes in the test. This is also one of the few mowers in the test that does not leave a mohawk between rows when you track each lap in the wheel print of the last. That maximizes the mowing area on each pass, saving you time in the long run.

With 9 cutting height settings, you get plenty of control over how much you want to take off the top. They give you a 3-inch range, measuring from 1 to 4 inches. We conducted our tests at a standard 2 to 2.25" which is the #5 setting for this machine. It would struggle less in long grass if we shifted to a taller cutting height.

Power Performance

Since it runs on gas, the SmartStow can run more or less indefinitely. Just add more gas. In contrast, when the battery options we tested run out of juice, you have to stop and recharge them, which can take between 1 and 3 hours. That gives gas-powered engines an edge for larger yards.

Gas-fueled engines were also thought to be more powerful than battery-powered options. But, as technology has improved, we've found that several of the battery options rival gas engines for torque and the ability to plow through tall and thick grass. Still, this mower offers a more consistently clean cut than all but the best electric-powered options.

As the world seeks renewable electric energy to reduce our carbon emissions and slow climate change, this mower isn't helping the cause. If you worry about worsening severe weather, you may want to opt for an electric model.

Handling

Toro's Personal Pace auto drive is our favorite in the test, and it makes moving this machine around an absolute dream. The curved upper handle serves as a throttle for the self-propelled motor. If you walk fast, the pressure you put on that handle will speed the mower up. The same thing happens when you head up a hill. Instead of straining to fight gravity, you'll find the mower steadily climbing the slope ahead of you. If you slow down, it does, too.

It's a wonderful system that is very intuitive, lessening the mental and physical load of mowing your lawn. When you walk in a straight line, the mower glides in front of you, and you feel very little resistance or pressure. When you slow to turn, the mower does as well, or you can grab the straight bottom bar to disengage with the auto drive altogether. Simply pivot the machine, and you're on your way.

Though it sometimes struggles with tall grass, especially when wet, in thicker patches and dry conditions, it feels really responsive and practically pulls you through the rough patches, even if you're heading up a hill. As one of our testers said, “It's just an animal.”

Starting/Stopping

With a traditional pull-start, the mower can be a bit of a challenge to get going. Hold down the bail bar and use a steady, sharp pull to get the motor going. If this is difficult for you, the battery options and their start buttons may be more appealing. Once you release the bail bar, the blade stops promptly, though not immediately, as there is no break.

Ease of Use

While the SmartStow is exceptionally easy to push around the yard, there are aspects to its design that we find clunky, so it doesn't earn the highest score in this metric.

Folding

Several design elements do work well, including how easy it is to fold down the handle to store the machine or to adjust its height while mowing. Just flip the blue plastic handles (which feel a bit flimsy) forward to release the handle and fold it down over the machine, up and into place, or shift it to a taller or shorter position. We really like alternating the handle's height while mowing a larger lawn to give different muscle groups a break,

When the handle is folded down for storage, the mower measures 43" by 23" by 16" tall and you can leave it on all four wheels or store it vertically on one end to save space. Make sure the gas cap is on tightly if you do.

Changing Blades and Modes

Unlike the highest-performing battery-powered options, the Toro SmartStow only comes with one blade, so you don't need to switch them out to optimize performance or to switch between mulching and bagging modes, we appreciate this simplicity.

It's also exceptionally easy to switch between mulching and bagging modes. Instead of including a removable plug to block the grass from escaping if you're in mulching mode, this mower includes a lever that flips a trap door up or down to block or open the shoot. We appreciate that it leaves you with fewer loose parts to keep track of.

Changing Mowing Heights

Changing the deck height to account for taller or shorter grass is a total pain, though. You need to adjust each wheel individually, looking closely to make sure you've consistently chosen the correct option among nine difficult-to-see positions.

If you don't, the mower will not work well, and your lawn will not be cut evenly. The handles on the front and rear wheels also have to move in opposite directions, making it that much harder to tell if you've set it up correctly.

Set Up and Maintenance

Setting this mower up for the first time isn't intuitive either, and the instructions aren't especially helpful. It's doable, but it's just more cumbersome than many other options in the test. On the other hand, the options that are easy to set up don't mow grass as well, so we find the troublesome one-time trouble well worth it.

To maintain this mower, you'll need to check the oil regularly. Toro claims that it should never need an oil change and that you just need to top off the oil when it gets low. Time will tell how well that works. The engine will also need to be winterized and tuned up over time.

Noise

We also measured the decibel levels of each machine at head height. This one registered at 80.5 decibels, making it the loudest in the test. Though tere are several machines within 3 decibels of these levels which is the threshold a human ear needs to determine a change in volume.

You can listen to 80 dB for 40 hours in a 7-day period before sustaining hearing loss according to the World Health Organization. So it's unlikely to damage your hearing. If the noise level bothers you, you could always try headphones or earplugs.

Should You Buy the Toro SmartStow Recycler 20340?

If you have a large yard that would take a battery mower several charges to cover, we think the SmartStow Recycler is a great option. The easy-walking, gas-powered mower would let you get the job done in one go while using as little energy as possible.

What Other Lawn Mowers Should You Consider?

If you have a smaller yard, more money, and are committed to joining the electric wave to reduce carbon emissions, we highly recommend the battery-powered version, the TORO 60V MAX 21" Super Recycler, which offers even more cutting power. If you're nervous about the self-propelled mechanism giving you maintenance issues over time (We have no evidence to suggest that it will. It's just more to break.), we'd steer you to the classic Troy Bilt TB110.