Toro 20360 Review

(Rated: 3.7 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
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Ease of Assembly
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In today’s world of increasing pollution and the looming threats posed by global warming and fossil fuel consumption, it is clear why many consumers are turning to products that are designed to be more environmentally friendly, such as hybrid cars and energy efficient appliances. One area where environmental concerns are very important is in lawn care and gardening products. The EPA estimates that ten percent of all carbon emissions produced by households in the United States comes from gas powered lawn mowers. These machines spew tons of pollution into the atmosphere and fill your yard with smelly gas fumes. Electric lawn mowers, on the other hand, produce no emissions at the point of use and rely on power that is much cleaner than burning fossil fuels.

Battery powered electric lawn mowers are becoming increasingly common, which is good news to anyone who has experienced the hassle of being tethered to a power outlet. With plug in electric mowers, you can only go as far as your extension cord reaches, and then you’re stuck. Keeping long power cords untangled can be a nightmare, and you have to be careful that you do not lose sight of them in long grass, or you’ll run the risk of running over them with the lawn mower and damaging the cutting deck or slicing right through the cord. A cordless electric mower offers all of the benefits of an environmentally friendly machine with none of the drawbacks of using power cords.

Review Summary

The Toro 20360 is a battery powered electric mower that has a 36 volt engine and a cutting deck that is 20 inches wide. It has overall dimensions of 56.7 x 21.5 x 38.9 inches and it weighs 77 pounds. It takes up to fifteen hours to fully charge the battery, which can be plugged into any standard outlet in your house. When fully charged, the battery can run the lawn mower for up to 45 minutes, and the mower can cut an area of up to a fourth of an acre.

There are a number of excellent features on the Toro 20360 that make it stand out when it is compared to other battery powered electric lawn mowers. The mower’s cutting deck is wider than those on similarly priced cordless electric mowers. That means you will be able to finish cutting you lawn in fewer passes and less time with this mower. The cutting deck is also deeply domed, which allows it to mulch grass clippings more finely, which will allow them to break down into your lawn even faster. It also comes with a rear bag attachment included in the initial purchase, so you have the option to collect grass clippings for later disposal or composting. The Toro 20360 has eight height adjustment options that range from one to four inches, so you will always be able to give your lawn the best possible cut. I will explore all of the mower’s quality features in more detail in the Pros section.

There are a few areas that have room for improvement on the Toro 20360. At 77 pounds, the mower is fairly heavy, even when you compare it to other battery powered lawn mowers of similar size. Its dimensions are rather large as well, which may present difficulties in terms of storage and maneuvering it in tighter areas of your lawn. The battery takes a long time to charge fully, especially if it is completely drained, which may be a bit frustrating to some users. And the Toro 20360 may struggle with denser patches of your lawn or tougher varieties of grass. I’ll discuss each of these drawbacks, as well as a few others, in the Cons section of the review.

I will also provide a detailed comparison table that presents the product specs of the Toro 20360 along with those of to similar lawn mowers, the Worx WG782 and the Greenworks 25292. Both are also battery powered electric lawn mowers with comparable cutting deck sizes. I will also discuss pricing in some detail at the end of the review.

Specifications

The Toro 20360 is a walk behind battery powered electric lawn mower with overall dimensions of 56.7 x 21.5 x 38.9 inches and a cutting deck that is 20 inches wide. It has a 36 volt removable, rechargeable battery that can be plugged into any standard outlet using the included power cord. The battery takes fifteen hours to fully charge if it is completely drained. It has a convenient two-color LED display that lets you know if the battery is still charging or is full. The mower comes fully equipped to either mulch your clippings back into the lawn and the cutting deck has a deep dome that helps to make sure clippings are as small as possible so they can break down more quickly into the lawn. The mower is also equipped with a rear bag attachment if you prefer to collect clippings for later disposal or composting.

When fully charged, the 36 volt battery can run the Toro 20360 for up to 45 minutes, which is enough time to cut up to a fourth of an acre. That is more than enough to take care of both the front and back lawns on an average sized suburban property. The mower is easy to start up: you simply insert the safety key and hit the starter button, and it starts right up every time. There are eight height adjustment options that range from one to four inches so you can always choose the right height to give your lawn the healthiest possible cut. Each wheel has to be adjusted separately, but this is not too difficult, and only takes a couple of minutes. The wheels are extra wide for better stability and easier maneuverability. The front wheels are seven inches tall and the rear wheels are eight inches tall. The mower weighs 77 pounds. It comes with an industry standard two year consumer warranty.

Description

The Toro 20360 is a cordless electric lawn mower with a 36 volt battery. When fully charged, the battery can power the lawn mower for up to 45 minutes and has a cutting area of 1/4 an acre. That is more than enough time and area to cut both the front and back lawns in a typical suburban property. The battery takes 15 hours to be fully charged if it has been completely drained. It has a convenient two-color LED display that shows whether it is still charging or fully charged. The battery can be plugged into any standard wall outlet.

The mower weighs 77 pounds and has overall dimensions of 56.7 x 21.5 x 38.9 inches. This makes it one of the heavier and bigger mowers in its class, which some users may find a bit off-putting. Senior citizens or people who do not have the strength level required to operate such a heavy piece of machinery may want to look for a lighter mower, although the big wheels on the Toro 20360 (7 inch front, 8 inch rear, and extra wide) do improve the mower’s overall maneuverability. The large dimensions may make the mower a bit difficult to find adequate storage space for in your garage or tool shed.

At the same time, the mower’s bulk is in part due to the fact that it has one of the widest cutting decks available on a cordless electric mower. The cutting deck is twenty inches wide, which is big even when you compare it to most gas powered lawn mowers. A wider cutting deck is important because it allows you to get the lawn mowed in fewer passes and less time. You can knock out your lawn care chores quickly and get back to enjoying the rest of your weekend with your family when you have a bigger lawn mower.

The cutting deck on the Toro 20360 also has a deep domed shape, which helps when it comes to mulching your grass clippings. The mower is designed to mulch clippings so that they are very fine, which helps them to break down into your lawn more quickly. Mulching your clippings is a great way to return vital nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to the soil, which helps keep your lawn looking healthy and lush without requiring applications of chemical fertilizers. But if you prefer to collect your clippings for disposal or composting, you can also do that with the Toro 20360; a rear bag attachment is conveniently included in the initial purchase price.

There are eight height adjustment options for the mower’s cutting deck, and they range from one to four inches. This is one of the wider height ranges available on any lawn mower, not just battery powered ones, and eight options is more than the industry average. A wide range of height options is important because you should not cut your lawn any shorter than 1/3 its initial height. Having lots of choices gives you the freedom to let your lawn grow long and shaggy for a few weeks if you want, without risking damage to it when you do cut it.

The Toro 20360 may have difficulties with dense patches of grass and may struggle with tougher varieties of grass such as St. Augustine or Bermuda grass, but this is a relatively common issue with electric lawn mowers. Unfortunately they typically do not have the power necessary to tackle these varieties of grass well. The Toro 20360 can deal with these kinds of grass, but may need to make multiple passes to get through them, which can be a time waster and drain the battery.

All things considered, however, I think that the Toro 20360 is a very good battery powered lawn mower that is very affordably priced. It has a lot of excellent features that outweigh any of the areas where it comes up a little short.

Pros

There are a number of excellent features that combine to make the Toro 20360 one of the better battery powered electric lawn mowers on the market today. The Toro 20360 is very easy to start up and operate, and just about anyone should have an easy time maneuvering it around their yard. It has plenty of height adjustment options that span a fairly wide range – from one to four inches – which means you will be able to always make sure you are giving your lawn the healthiest possible cut. Unlike some manufacturers who charge extra for grass clippings management options, the Toro 20360 comes fully equipped and ready to mulch clippings back into the lawn or collect them in a rear bag for later disposal or composting. It’s a piece of cake to charge up the battery, and there is a convenient LED display that lets you know if the battery is still charging or ready to go. And the Toro 20360 has one of the widest cutting decks you can find on a battery powered electric lawn mower, which helps you get the job done efficiently and quickly. Let’s look at each of these pros in more detail.

1. The mower is easy to start up and operate : Unlike gas powered lawn mowers, which need to have their engines primed before you pull on a heavy starter cord to get them going, the Toro 20360 is very easy to start up. In order to start the mower, all you have to do is simply insert the starter key and move the control level toward the handle. That’s it! You can get started cutting your lawn in just a few seconds. And you’ll never have to worry about clogged fuel lines or broken spark plugs preventing you from getting the Toro 20360 going. In addition, the mower is easy to use. It has sturdy, thick wheels designed to make it easier to maneuver around your yard. And aside from occasionally sharpening the cutting blades, there is very little maintenance required to keep it running smoothly. Compare that to gas powered lawn mowers, which require frequent, time consuming, and often costly maintenance for their engines.
2. Eight height adjustment options : It is not recommended that you should ever cut your grass shorter than 1/3 its initial height. If you do so, you run the risk of damaging it: cutting grass too short can leave it more susceptible to the deleterious effects of heat waves and droughts. And it can also make the lawn more vulnerable to disease such as brown spot or blight as well as invasions by crab grass or other weeds. Because of that, it is important to have a wide range of height options available so that you can let your grass get fairly long and shaggy if you like without risking having to cut it too short. The Toro 20360 has eight height positions that range from one to four inches. That is considerably more options and a much wider range than many similar lawn mowers offer, and it means you will be able to always pick the right setting to keep your lawn feeling healthy and looking its best.
3. Mulching and rear bag options are included : The Toro 20360 comes already fully equipped to either mulch your grass clippings back into the lawn or collect them in a rear bag attachment for later disposal or addition to your compost pile. The dome of the lawn mower is very deep and specially designed to improve the performance of the mulching system. This allows you to chop grass clippings into very small pieces that will break down more easily and much more quickly into the soil, where they will release important nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, returning them to the lawn. This will all but eliminate the need for chemical or other inorganic fertilizer while still keeping your lawn looking healthy and lush. That saves you money and nourishes the lawn much better and more sustainably. Many manufacturers charge extra for mulching and bagging options, but on the Toro 20360, they are included in the initial purchase price.
4. The battery is easy to charge in any household outlet : Not only will you never have to deal with smelly gas cans cluttering your garage and bulky extension cords getting all tangled up when you switch to a cordless lawn mower like the Toro 20360, you will find that on this model charging the battery is a piece of cake. The battery arrives fully charged from the factory, so you can get started mowing your lawn right away. To recharge the battery, you simply plug the included charger cord into any household outlet. To make things even easier, the battery has a two-color LED light that tells you whether the battery is still charging or is fully charged. That way you will not have to worry about overcharging the battery or wasting electricity. It is recommended that you recharge the battery after every use. That way the Toro 20360 is always ready to go at a moment’s notice.
5. At 20 inches, the cutting deck is nice and wide : It can often be difficult to find a battery powered electric lawn mower that has a cutting deck that is at least twenty inches wide. These lawn mowers sometimes do not have the kind of powerful engine that can support that size cutting deck. But the Toro 20360 has a 36 volt battery that can easily power a twenty inch wide cutting deck. That makes this one of the widest cutting decks you can fin d on an electric lawn mower. Wider cutting decks mean you will be able to finish cutting the lawn in fewer passes, which will save you a lot of time. That means you can wrap up your lawn care chores early in the morning and get back to enjoying the rest of the weekend with your family much sooner.

Any one of these great features would make the Toro 20360 one of the better battery powered lawn mowers on the market today. Taken together, they make it one of the best. The Toro 20360 is very easy to start up and use, and charging the battery is a breeze. A wide range of height adjustment options will help you to always be sure you are picking the best height to keep your lawn as healthy as possible. The mower is already equipped to mulch grass clippings back into the soil, where they will release their stored nutrients and help keep your lawn looking lush and healthy. And you can also opt to collect clippings in the rear bag for later composting or disposal. And with a cutting deck that is 20 inches wide, you can get the job finished in fewer passes, which will save you time and have you back to enjoying the rest of your weekend sooner.

Cons

In spite of all of its great features, there are a few areas where the Toro 20360 does fall slightly short of perfect. The mower weighs a lot, even when you compare it to similar battery powered lawn mowers. It also has fairly large dimensions, which could make it a bit difficult to find storage space for it or maneuver it in tighter corners of your yard. The battery takes a long time to fully charge – at least twelve and as many as fifteen hours. You may find that the rear discharge chute begins to get clogged before the bag is full, which can be frustrating. And the Toro 20360 sometimes can have difficulty getting through denser patches of grass or cutting tougher varieties of grass such as St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. While I do not consider any of these drawbacks to be serious enough to lower my overall rating of the lawn mower, I still think it is important to consider each one in some detail.

1. At 77 pounds, the mower is rather heavy : Battery powered electric lawn mowers do tend to be heavier than plug in lawn mowers and even some gas powered lawn mowers, so this is just part of the territory. But at 77 pounds, the Toro 20360 is considerably heavier than many other battery powered lawn mowers with similar deck sizes and run times. As a result of this, it may prove a bit difficult to maneuver around your yard, especially if you are a senior citizen or do not have the kind of strength level necessary to handle a mower this heavy. The fact that it has very wide front and rear wheels does help with maneuverability somewhat, but in spite of this, the mower’s weight still makes it a bit more difficult to use than lighter battery powered lawn mowers.
2. The mower has fairly large dimensions : The overall dimensions of the Toro 20360 are 56.7 x 21.5 x 38.9 inches. That is pretty big as far as walk behind mowers are concerned. While the size is in part due to the fact that the cutting deck on the Toro 20360 is fairly wide and deeply domed for better mulching performance, it is still a bit of a concern. A mower this big could present difficulties as far as finding storage space for it in your garage or tool shed is concerned, because it is going to take up a lot of room. It is also big enough that you may find it is difficult to maneuver in tighter corners of your yard, and you could encounter problems getting under bushes or around garden beds or trees with it. Because of that, you may have to use a trimmer to get the edges of the lawn cut after you have finished mowing the main body of the lawn.
3. It takes fifteen hours to fully charge the battery : The battery on the Toro 20360 takes a long time to charge up – at least twelve hours and as much as fifteen when it is completely drained. That is a long time, especially as compared to other the charge times for batteries on other cordless lawn mowers. As a result, you may have to set the battery to charge overnight if you plan on cutting the grass the next day, and this can be a bit of a hassle. Fortunately the battery has convenient two-color LED lights that let you know if the battery is still charging and when it is finished charging. Even so, you should plan on always charging the battery right after you have finished using the Toro 20360. Otherwise you may not be able to cut your lawn right when you want to without a bit of planning ahead.
4. The rear bag chute may clog up quickly : This is a chronic problem for rear bag assemblies on power rotary mowers. Some deal with it better than others, but the Toro 20360 is one that may present problems in this area. This is especially true if you ever use this mower to cut grass that is even slightly damp; it will almost certainly clog up the discharge chute fairly quickly. The mower does not full the bag with air when it is first turned on, which indicates that the cutting deck is not blowing directly into the rear bag. This is partly due to the fact that the cutting blade is flat, so it does not push air upwards like a curved, fanlike blade would. As a result, grass clippings are not easily blown into the rear bag, which could lead to it getting clogged up before it is even half full.
5. The mower may struggle with tougher or denser grass : Electric lawn mowers, especially battery powered ones, tend to have problems dealing with dense patches of the lawn or tougher varieties of grass. Dense patches may slow down the cutting blade of the Toro 20360. In these instances, the best thing to do is be patient and let the mower work through the dense patch slowly, or else go over the dense patch a few times to allow the mower to get all of the grass cut. Tougher varieties of grass, such as St. Augustine or Bermuda grass, which are more common in the Southern United States and the Southwest, may prove difficult for the Toro 20360. The engine is not quite powerful enough to deliver enough torque to the cutting deck. As a result, if you have this kind of grass in your yard, a cordless electric mower may not be the right one for the job.

While the Toro 20360 is a rather big and fairly heavy lawn mower, even when you compare it to battery powered mowers with similarly sized cutting decks, it is not so big or heavy that it will be terribly difficult to use. Most users should have no problem maneuvering it around their yard or finding enough space in their garage for it, but you should be aware that it is on the bigger side. And while the battery does take a long time to charge, if you plan ahead this should not present too much of a problem either. The fact that the rear bag can get clogged up before it is completely full can be a hassle. And the fact that the Toro 20360 can struggle with denser patches of grass or tougher varieties may present problems. But overall I do not think any of these drawbacks is so serious that it outweighs all of the good points on this mower.

Product Comparison

I always recommend that my readers do some careful comparison shopping before they buy a new lawn mower. This is for two important reasons: shopping around gives you a better idea of what the market as a whole has to offer in a particular class of mower. And it also gives you a clear picture of how a given lawn mower stacks up to the competition in terms of power, cutting width, and accessories. That way you have the best possible understanding of what it can and cannot offer in terms of design and performance, and you can be more confident that when you do make your purchase, you have chosen the best possible lawn mower for your lawn. In order to help you get a quick idea of how the Toro 20360 compares to other lawn mowers in its class, the following table looks at its product specifications as well as those of the Worx WG782 and the Greenworks 25292. Let’s take a look.

	Toro 20360	Worx WG782	Greenworks 25292
Dimensions	56.7 x 21.5 x 38.9 inches	26.8 x 16.1 x 13.2 inches	30.9 x 17.2 x 20.1 inches
Power	36V Removable Battery (Inc. 1 battery)	24V Removable Battery (Inc. 1 battery)	40V Removable Battery (Inc. 2 Li-Ion batteries)
Charge Time	15 Hours to 100%	5 Hours to 100%	3 Hours
Deck Size (cutting swath)	20-inch	14-inch	19-inch
Mulch/Bag/Discharge	Mulch and bag	Mulch, bag, and discharge	Mulch, bag, and discharge
Cutting Area	up to 1/4 acre	up to 1/3 acre	up to 1/2 acre
Runtime charge (conditions may vary)	up to 45 minutes	up to 40 minutes	up to 60 Minutes
Drive System	Manual Push	Manual Push	Push
Starter	Push Button	Key + Push button	Key + Push button
Height Adjustment	Each wheel (8 positions)	Handle (6 positions)	Single lever (6 positions)
Height Settings	1- to 4-inch	1-4/5- to 3-1/3-inch	1-1/4 to 3-1/8-inch
Wheel Size	7-inch front / 8-inch rear	7.5-inch front / 7.5-inch rear	7-inch front / 8-inch rear
Weight	77 pounds	32 pounds	49 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	4 years on mower 2 years on battery

As you can see, the Toro 20360 has the widest cutting deck of the three lawn mowers, at 20 inches. Its battery is more powerful than the one included with the Worx mower but not as powerful as the battery provided for the Greenworks mower. The battery on the Toro 20360 takes much longer to charge fully than either of the other two batteries. The Toro 20360 has a mulching and bagging options included, while the other two mowers also have the traditional side discharge option as well. The cutting area the Toro 20360 can handle on a single charge is smaller than either of the other mowers, which can cut 1/3 of an acre and 1/2 an acre, respectively. The Greenworks mower also has the longest run time of the three mowers, at a full hour. The cutting height range on the Toro 20360 is considerably wider than that of either of the other lawn mowers. But it’s also the heaviest of the three mowers, at 77 pounds.

Conclusion

All things considered, the Toro 20360 has a lot of great features to offer its owner. When you are purchasing a new battery powered electric lawn mower, there are several areas that are important to consider. You want a wide enough cutting deck that you will be able to finish cutting your lawn quickly and efficiently. And you want a big range of height adjustment options so that you can be sure you are always cutting your grass at the perfect height to keep it healthy and looking good. It is also important to have enough power that the mower can deal with a variety of lawns without getting bogged down. Before I wrap up this review, I would like to take another look at the areas in which the Toro 20360 really shines compared to other battery powered lawn mowers as well as the areas where it could use some improvement.

Conclusion Pros

1. The mower is easy to start up and operate.
2. Eight height adjustment options.
3. Mulching and rear bag options are included.
4. The battery is easy to charge in any household outlet.
5. At 20 inches, the cutting deck is nice and wide.

Compared to a gas powered lawn mower, the Toro 20360 is extremely easy to get started and use. Starting it is as simple as inserting a key and pressing a starter button, and you’re off. You do not have to worry about priming an engine or pulling on a heavy recoil cord to get the mower going. And it requires much less maintenance than a gas powered mower would. The Toro 20360 has eight height adjustment options on the cutting deck that range from one to four inches. The mower is already equipped to mulch grass clippings into fine pieces that will break down more quickly into the soil, and it also comes with a rear bag attachment so you can collect clippings for later disposal or composting. It’s a cinch to charge the battery, and it has a handy two color LED display that lets you know when it is finished charging. And it has one of the widest cutting decks on a battery powered electric mower, which means you can finish cutting your lawn more quickly.

Conclusion Cons

1. At 77 pounds, the mower is rather heavy.
2. The mower has fairly large dimensions.
3. It takes fifteen hours to fully charge the battery.
4. The rear bag may clog up quickly.
5. The mower may struggle with tougher or denser grass.

The Toro 20360 is a big, heavy lawn mower, which may present problems for some users. 77 pounds is a lot of weight to be pushing around your yard, and those of us who are older or do not have a high strength level may find this difficult to do. Its overall dimensions are very large, which may make it difficult to find storage space for it as well as hard to fit into tight corners of the yard. The battery takes a very long time to fully charge, especially if it is totally drained, which can be a hassle. Because of the design of the cutting deck and rear discharge chute, the bag may get clogged up before it is full. And the Toro 20360 may have difficulty getting through dense patches of grass on the first pass, and can have problems cutting through tougher varieties of grass.

Final Word

Switching over to a battery powered electric lawn mower has a number of advantages. Not only are you doing the environment a favor by reducing your overall carbon footprint, you will also eliminate the hassle of dealing with gas cans in your garage and fumes in your yard. A cordless electric mower also gets rid of the problems associated with bulky, tangled power cords. If you have the right kind of lawn, a battery powered lawn mower can have serious advantages.

The Toro 20360 offers all of the benefits of a battery powered lawn mower as well as a few extra advantages of its own. It has one of the widest cutting decks available on a cordless mower, which means you can get your lawn cut a lot faster. It comes readily equipped to mulch your clippings into fine pieces that will break down quickly into the soil or collect them in a rear bag for disposal or composting. It’s easy to start up and use, and it can cut up to a quarter of an acre on a single charge, While there are a few areas where the Toro 20360 could be improved somewhat, overall this is a solid cordless lawn mower.

Best Price

The Toro 20360 is a competitively priced lawn mower that falls just below the middle of the price range for similar machines. While a good cordless mower can be priced pretty high, you will not have to spend a fortune to get quality design and performance with the Toro 20360. It should be affordable for most households, and it does not skimp on accessories or ability. It has one of the widest cutting decks you can find on a cordless lawn mower and a wide cutting height range, but it’s still more inexpensive than many smaller cordless lawn mowers. Overall this is a good mower at a fair price.