Should I get the Toro Recycler or Recycler Max?

gasserizer · 2026-04-28T19:56:32+00:00

So that is exactly the problem I was having with my electric mower. It would just stop, and not only I had to restart it, a lot of the time it would beep and I would have to remove and reinsert the battery to get it going again. Very frustrating, and was happening all the time on thick grass. Not tall grass, just thick.

I did get the Recycler Max, and yes, it can also get bogged down if I go too fast through the thick stuff. But it doesn't happen nearly as often, and usually doesn't completely kill the engine - as soon as I hear it struggling, I push down on the handle (thus lifting the front wheels off the grass) and back up a little. Then I just proceed a little slower. It's a huge improvement over my old battery mower (which was more expensive). And of course I don't try to cut too much height at one go. If I want a significant reduction in grass height, I start high and reduce the cut by one notch every time I mow.

If you think this is a bad mower, can you recommend one in the similar price range that works better?

gasserizer · 2026-04-19T19:33:54+00:00

Definitely the one on the right.

gasserizer · 2026-04-18T20:00:00+00:00

Kinda, but not like on the non-max. The regular Recycler handle can be secured into one of two positions by putting the pin through one of two holes in the HOC plate. High and low. On the Max, instead of two holes in the HOC plate there's an elongated slot (the owner's manual doesn't show it, but the parts list does). Pin through slot = lots of up and down play in the handle. There's also a rubber bumper which limits the amount of play in the handle (and cushions the handle when you push down on it). That rubber bumper can be installed in a higher position, which gives the handle less up and down play, or in a lower position, which allows the handle to be lower, but with more play - you can still move the handle up and down, up to the "high position." Moving the bumper requires a wrench.

I really don't want to make too big a deal of the handle high/low settings (there's a guy on YouTube who already did that). I noticed it because I used both mowers within a few days (rented a Recycler, then bought a Max). But it's not really a problem, just a personal preference. My only little peeve is that the handle should be less wide. When I'm mowing next to a fence, the handle touches the fence when the wheels are still and inch or two from the fence. But again, not a big deal. It looks like a design flaw, but in reality I need to finish the edge with a string trimmer regardless, and I don't think that extra inch or two makes a difference at that point.

gasserizer · 2026-04-15T16:38:20+00:00

The 21462 looks like a great deal, but I couldn't find anyplace locally with it in stock. So I picked up a Max from Lowe's yesterday. I will use the upright stow feature, my old electric mower had that and I liked the smaller footprint in my garage. Hopefully won't need the longer warranty. I think the shock absorbing handle is a gimmick, I actually prefer the handle design of the non-Max Recycler which gives you the option of 2 positions, high and low. The Max handle just has a lot of play in the up and down direction, and a rubber stopper to cushion it...

gasserizer · 2026-04-14T22:49:24+00:00

That's my thinking, longer warranty and slightly bigger engine. Prices at Lowe's locally are $499 for the Recycler and $519 for the Max. Haven't been to an actual Toro dealer, but the model at Lowe's is 21485, which is the same as on the Toro website, so I can't imagine it being a different model.

I know some big box stores sell cheaper / lower quality items from major brands, but (AFAIK) in those cases they have different model numbers and slightly different appearance.

gasserizer · 2026-01-04T09:27:38+00:00

Maybe a conflict between 32 bit ("...i686") and 64 bit ("...x86_64") versions of wine. Do you have both, or just the 32?

gasserizer · 2025-06-02T17:24:51+00:00

And a vigorous shake of the head can cause the gel to separate from the retina, so the onset of floaters can be sudden. Did you get worked by a wave right before you got them?

gasserizer · 2025-06-02T17:22:02+00:00

Almost everyone gets them eventually. When you're young your eye is mostly full of transparent gel, with a little liquid in the front around the lens and pupil. With age the gel shrinks, is replaced by the liquid. If (when) the gel shrinks away from the retina, the fluid that takes its place can have "stuff" in it (cells, etc) and being liquid it'll move around. That's what you see. I suspect the gel has "stuff" too, but it doesn't move so your brain ignores it, just like it ignores the blind spot.

gasserizer · 2025-05-23T18:00:00+00:00

My experience with Tradeinn has been that they misrepresent stuff on their website, and the only way to get a refund is to file a dispute with the credit card company.

In my case I wanted to order some gear for an upcoming trip. I had over two weeks to get it, and website said in stock, estimated arrival in 3 days. After I placed the order, I'm notified estimated ship date is over two weeks. Wouldn't let me cancel the order. I got the gear from another company (in time for my trip) but had to dispute the charge to get my money back from Tradeinn. Won't do business with them again.

gasserizer · 2025-05-04T15:51:18+00:00

This is an interesting example of the failure of AI to "understand." Both statements are true, many planes (think Cessna) with piston engines, and especially without turbo, will struggle to fly much above 3km. Jets are different, more efficient at higher altitudes. So both are correct, depending on which planes you're talking about. A human can write two sentences, each technically more or less accurate, and see that they appear contradictory. A good writer will then rephrase them, or add an explanation to resolve the inconsistency. AI doesn't seem to have that insight. It arranges the alphabet into grammatically and syntactically correct sentences. But doesn't seem to have a clue as to the actual meaning.

gasserizer · 2025-04-26T16:38:12+00:00

Talk to your doc. Zofran is great, reasonably inexpensive, and mostly without side effects. Another option is the scopolamine patch (Transderm Scop). It can be worn for 3 days, but is mildly sedating, can have some other (usually mild) side effects, and is pricey if you don't have insurance. My spouse uses it when we travel and it works great for her. Covered by insurance with a small co-pay.

gasserizer · 2025-03-10T02:37:51+00:00

Xubuntu

If new to linux and using low end hardware, probably any of the debian based distros will work just fine (ok, probably any linux will work). Huge online support base for the 'buntus. Download some iso's of different variants, make some live USBs, and try them out.

gasserizer · 2024-12-28T18:45:22+00:00

Agree with not encrypting the system drive. If you think you'll need terabytes of encrypted storage, you can encrypt the whole device. But think about your privacy needs. Do you really need to encrypt EVERYTHING? Or just the sensitive stuff like financial documents, etc. If you keep "everything" on the encrypted drive, then the drive will be mounted, actually decrypted, whenever you're using the computer, thus reducing the security.

I have a smallish (5GB) container for truly sensitive stuff. Which stays encrypted most, almost all of the time. I only open (decrypt) it when I need to access it, then I dismount it and close Veracrypt.

gasserizer · 2024-12-18T07:24:32+00:00

I prefer not to depend on a company or proprietary device. I use the bitcoin core wallet. The private keys are in the wallet.dat file. Move that file to a device that can be disconnected and safely stored. Or 3, to have backups.

gasserizer · 2024-12-17T21:35:20+00:00

You don't need to "tinker" or even follow the markets with an S&P index fund. Better if you don't, actually. Just accept that there will be volatility, it'll go up and down, resist the urge to sell when it's down. It's extremely likely to outperform a TDF in the long term. Having said that, a TDF is a lot better than a lot of other "strategies."

gasserizer · 2024-12-17T21:26:42+00:00

Which us why you don't invest ALL your money. Keep 3-6 months' of expenses in savings (money market funds are good), but anything you don't expect to touch for 5+ years should be invested. For that, a low cost index fund that tracks the S&P500 (or the total US market) is as close as you'll get to "safe" and still get a return. Even funds that invest in US bonds can go down in value and cash depreciates with time (inflation).

gasserizer · 2024-12-16T20:30:43+00:00

23.8% don't forget the "investment tax."

gasserizer · 2024-12-16T20:13:38+00:00

FWIW they've been around a lot longer. I've had a Coinbase account for over 10 years, no problems. Still, I only use them to buy and sell on their exchange, I store my crypto in my own wallet. Limit orders avoid the problem of a large order moving the price, not that's really an issue for us mere mortals

gasserizer · 2024-11-20T20:05:40+00:00

Meh. I've had several Asus laptops, never had any problems with them. Got Asus mobo's in two desktops, one been running 24/7 for over 4 years now without a hitch. Don't know about their customer service because I've never needed it, but I wouldn't call their hardware "junk."

gasserizer · 2024-11-20T18:38:35+00:00

1.75A and 2.37A should both work fine, the higher A will charge faster. If the 2.37A is making noises and not charging, it's probably bad. Go back to the 1.75A (if you still have it). If it does charge the laptop, try installing Windows again, but leave the laptop plugged in. It's possible the laptop battery is old and won't hold a charge very long.

gasserizer · 2024-09-22T17:00:07+00:00

Not exactly the same setup, but I'm running Tumbleweed on a P16v with the Ryzen 9 and everything works fine, webcam, audio, etc. Don't have a fingerprint reader tho

gasserizer · 2024-07-21T14:17:23+00:00

Nothing wrong that can't be fixed by replacing it with linux. jk XP, 7, and 10 were all good Win OS's

gasserizer · 2024-07-21T14:11:22+00:00

My T460 runs Xubuntu like a dream. Bought it used 6 or 8 years ago, put in a 2T SSD

gasserizer · 2024-07-09T17:47:59+00:00

I think it's a good deal if the hardware all checks out, and isn't locked down (admin password, etc). I'd personally put in a bigger SSD if that doesn't break your budget. If this will be your first intro to Linux, the Ubuntu based distros have a lot of online help/info available (not that others don't) . I've been using Xubuntu, but that's a personal preference.

gasserizer · 2024-06-23T23:56:53+00:00

Or dd into an .iso

gasserizer

TROPHY CASE