As the drought set in, mowing slowed from once a week, to once every other week, and finally I didn't mow the grass for five weeks from the last week of July all the way through June. It stared to rain again in August and throughout the month I saw mowing times start to creep up.
Friday a week ago I spent 2.5 hours mowing (or roughly double what it should take). Saturday and Sunday last week Hurricane Isaac sat over us and dumped over three inches in under 48 hours. Thursday added another 1.5 inches of rain. I figured I was in for a full 5-hour mow again this week.
Friday a week ago I walked into our local Toro dealer, and lo and behold, they had EXACTLY what I was looking for. The Toro TimeMaster is a 30", twin blade, consumer-grade lawnmower.
I did some research over the week, and determined that my local dealer had the best price. Yesterday I bought one. The dealer said that most of these were being sold to contractors even though they were "consumer-grade". I can see why. This thing is built much stouter than any "consumer-grade" lawnmower I've ever owned.
Weighing in at 132 pounds, being self-propelled is a must on this thing. Also, my lats are aching after turning this thing. I may not be getting the mild cardio workout I got with my old 70 lb. Craftsman mower, but steering this beast is a workout by itself. The engine is also MUCH more powerful than the one on my old Craftsman, meaning it doesn't stall in tall grass.
Toro | 30" (76 cm) TimeMaster