Toro Timecutter MX4250 Zero Turn Riding Lawn Mower Review
If you have a large lawn, especially one that is rife with trees and assorted landscaping features, you likely understand the frustration brought on by traditional riding lawnmowers. The last thing you want to do after a long mowing session is to break out the weed whip and dance a careful circle around each tree.
The new zero degree riding lawnmowers like the Toro Timecutter MX4250 attempt to address this problem with improved maneuverability and efficiency. It’s ability to nearly turn on a dime allows you to work close enough to trees and other features that you can just let your weed whip gather dust in the shed.
The Toro Timecutter MX4250 was designed to marry speed and agility with durability. Toro even claims that it can reduce your mowing time up to 45% compared to other mowers in same class and price point. While it is fast and surprisingly agile, a 45% reduction in mowing time, might be a little bit of an exaggeration.
Key Features
• 24.5HP 703cc V-Twin powerful engine
• Durable transmission to put the power down
• 42-inch deck
• Smart Speed System for improved agility as well as precision
• Easy of use
• Extra tall high-back seat and armrests
• Anti-Vibration floor mat
• Different ranges for Trimming, Mowing, and Towing
• Speed to how up to 3.6 acres in an hour
• Heavy duty frame
• Deck fabricated from 10-gauge welded steel
• Heavy duty mower blades
Performance
The Toro Timecutter MX4250 is fast as well as agile. It might even take you a little while to get used to its speed, which is rated to get up to 8.5 miles per hour, with the mower blades still engaged.
One aspect of this mower that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves, is the effort that was put into making it comfortable. It’s especially important when you consider that comfort and speed often struggle to work and play well together. It’s one thing to rocket down the lawn, or even use the mower to zip out and pick up the mail, but you feel like someone’s punching you in the kidneys the whole way!
The Toro Timecutter MX4250 has a nicely padded, extra tall, high back seat, with reclining armrests. The suspension cushion under the seat also seems to do a good job of cushioning the relationship between the turf and your own skeleton. The anti-vibration floormat is also a nice touch. The fact that the deck is fabricated from 10-gauge steel with quality welds also reduces vibration.
Ease of Use
Zero turning radius mowers are intended to be easy to use. The Toro Timecutter MX4250 follows in line with it. The only thing to caution is not to run it wide open right off the bat. You’d be surprised how much trouble you can get into at 8.5 MPH when you realize that one of your kids forgot to pick up a big stick in the tall grass!
The heavy-duty transmission also helps put the power down to the rear drive tires. This allows the mower to do things like climb an incline in the yard without the straining you often get with a traditional riding lawnmower. It also helps it handle uneven areas in the turf without losing a lot of speed.
The five-gallon fuel tank is also nice. The high capacity means you can keep mowing for longer. Still, you will suck through the gas if you zipping around at high speed.
Cut Quality & Options
The Toro Timecutter MX4250 has heavy-duty mower blades. Its Smart Speed System helps improve your precision whether you are trimming, mowing, or even using the Timecutter to tow something like an aerator or leaf catcher.
The 42” mower deck is maybe a little on the small side. If you have a large lawn with a lot of wide open spaces, you might find yourself wishing that you have a 50 or even a 60-inch mower deck. The tradeoff benefit of the 42” mower deck pays off if you have a yard with a lot of trees or landscaping features that you need to mow around. With a lawn like this, you’d be struggling around with a 60” deck. The 42” deck and the nimbleness of the Toro Timecutter MX4250, allows you to quickly mow around trees and other features with ease.
Maintenance
The Toro Timecutter MX4250 requires all the basic maintenance you expect from any riding lawnmower. You’ll need to change the oil seasonally for sure. Perhaps more often if you have a very large lawn. The filters will also need to be checked and replaced when needed.
One small thing to keep in mind is the 5-gallon fuel tank. Mowers with a large fuel tank can gradually start to build up some deposits or tank varnish over time. If you store it casually over the winter, you could also have a problem with fuel separation in any leftover fuel in the bottom of the tank. The last thing you want is for these to get sucked up into the engine when you start it up for the first time in the spring.
Make sure to add the appropriate fuel preservatives when you put it away in the fall and give it the fuel conditioners it needs, along with a tank of high-octane fuel in the spring.
The tires are two-ply instead of four, which can lead to small air leaks from time to time, especially when the weather takes a sudden dip.
Safety Features
The Toro Timecutter MX4250 has standard safety features you expect with a riding lawnmower.
Special Features
The Smart Speed System in the mower helps maximize performance when you are trimming, mowing, or towing.
Cost Effectiveness
Toro claims that the Timecutter MX4250 is fast enough and agile enough to improve your mowing time by up to 45%. This claim might be a little exorbitant. If you have a lawn with a lot of landscaping features and closely spaced trees, it will definitely save you a lot of time compared to a larger riding lawnmower that might require you to back up or take a second pass in a tight situation.
