<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2008-12-09</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000737758</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TORO CO</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TTC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001167146</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HIMAN DENNIS P</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>8111 LYNDALE AVENUE SOUTH</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BLOOMINGTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MN</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>55420-1196</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Vice President, Group</officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-12-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1825</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1825</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-12-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1229</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>596</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-12-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>596</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>31.28</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>14989.699</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Matching Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>7494.84</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Performance Share Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>86147.858</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-12-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1229</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>23419</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By Trust for reporting person</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1168.871</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>The Toro Company Investment, Savings &amp; ESOP</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F4">Includes the following Performance Share Units acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of The Toro Company Deferred Plan for Officers since the date of his last report:  414.341 Performance Share Units acquired on July 11, 2008 and 398.696 Performance Share Units acquired on October 17, 2008.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Includes the following shares of common stock acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of the Toro Company Investment, Savings &amp; ESOP since the date of his last report:  5.608 shares of common stock acquired  on July 11, 2008 and 5.441 shares of common stock acquired on October 17, 2008.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents payout of Performance Share Awards for the Fiscal 2006 to Fiscal 2008 Performance Period under The Toro Company Performance Share Plan (the &quot;PSP&quot;), as approved by the registrant's Compensation &amp; Human Resources Committee of its Board of Directors subject to confirmation by the registrant's Fiscal 2008 financial results released on December 9, 2008.  Performance Share Awards are paid in shares of common stock under the PSP.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes the following Common Stock Units acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of The Toro Company Deferred Compensation Plan for Officers since the date of his last report: 72.095 Common Stock Units acquired on July 11, 2008 and 69.374 Common Stock Units acquired on October 17, 2008.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Includes the following Matching Units acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of The Toro Company Deferred Compensation Plan for Officers since the date of his last report: 36.047 Matching Units acquired on July 11, 2008 and 34.687 Matching Units acquired on October 17, 2008.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Stacy L. Bogart, Atty-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2008-12-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0303
4
2008-12-09
0000737758
TORO CO
TTC
0001167146
HIMAN DENNIS P
8111 LYNDALE AVENUE SOUTH
BLOOMINGTON
MN
55420-1196
0
1
0
0
Vice President, Group
Common Stock
2008-12-09
4
A
0
1825
0
A
1825
D
Common Stock
2008-12-09
4
G
0
1229
0
D
596
D
Common Stock
2008-12-09
4
F
0
596
31.28
D
0
D
Common Stock Units
14989.699
D
Matching Units
7494.84
D
Performance Share Units
86147.858
D
Common Stock
2008-12-09
4
G
0
1229
0
A
23419
I
By Trust for reporting person
Common Stock
1168.871
I
The Toro Company Investment, Savings & ESOP
Includes the following Performance Share Units acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of The Toro Company Deferred Plan for Officers since the date of his last report:  414.341 Performance Share Units acquired on July 11, 2008 and 398.696 Performance Share Units acquired on October 17, 2008.
Includes the following shares of common stock acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of the Toro Company Investment, Savings & ESOP since the date of his last report:  5.608 shares of common stock acquired  on July 11, 2008 and 5.441 shares of common stock acquired on October 17, 2008.
Represents payout of Performance Share Awards for the Fiscal 2006 to Fiscal 2008 Performance Period under The Toro Company Performance Share Plan (the "PSP"), as approved by the registrant's Compensation & Human Resources Committee of its Board of Directors subject to confirmation by the registrant's Fiscal 2008 financial results released on December 9, 2008.  Performance Share Awards are paid in shares of common stock under the PSP.
Includes the following Common Stock Units acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of The Toro Company Deferred Compensation Plan for Officers since the date of his last report: 72.095 Common Stock Units acquired on July 11, 2008 and 69.374 Common Stock Units acquired on October 17, 2008.
Includes the following Matching Units acquired by the reporting person under the dividend reinvestment feature of The Toro Company Deferred Compensation Plan for Officers since the date of his last report: 36.047 Matching Units acquired on July 11, 2008 and 34.687 Matching Units acquired on October 17, 2008.
Stacy L. Bogart, Atty-in-Fact
2008-12-11