All outdoor power equipment requires some maintenance to keep running in top shape. By changing the oil, air filter and keeping the equipment clean, you can extend the normal life by several years. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to get my monies’ worth from something. I believe the average life you can expect from any piece of outdoor power equipment is about 10 years, ± 2 years.
Case in point, last year, my 10 year old craftsman lawn mower bit the dust. The aluminum crank case cracked and leaked oil all over the place. I used this lawn mower at our rental house, which had an acre of lawn, then when we moved here, I used it for four more years, again, mowing about an acre of lawn every week.
Last fall, my 9 year old chain saw broke the connecting rod. The chain saw was heavily used, and a higher quality unit like a Stihl or Husqvarna may have lasted longer. This year, my 10 year old string trimmer bit the dust. The cable that transfers power from the power head to the cutting head unsprung. The whole unit was beginning to fall apart anyway, again, a higher quality unit may have lasted longer. So I have concluded that 10 years of medium to heavy use is about all you can expect from most stuff.
The Toro Model 20071A Lawn mower was brand new last year, and it has been a good unit so far. Always starts on the first or second pull and does a real nice job with the lawn.
Maintenance is pretty easy. Changing the oil took about 15 minutes, including 10 minutes of warming the engine up. I like to change the oil when the engine is warm because the it thins out the oil and more of the old oil comes out of the crank case. This unit does not have an oil plug on the bottom of the engine, so it needs to be tipped on its side. This is best done when the fuel tank is nearly empty, so gas does not leak out when it is tipped over. I use a catch pan, then empty the catch pan into my “dirty lube oil” container, which is a 5 gallon gas can so purposed. When the dirty lube oil container is full, I take the oil to my favorite garage, M. Alpert and Sons, for recycling. The lawn mower takes 20 ounces of SAE 30W detergent motor oil.
The air filter should be changed every year. The replacement filter is a Tecumseh 36905, which I found at both Lowes and Home Depot.
The old filter is on the left. That is the filter that came with the lawn mower after one season of use. You can see why they need to be replaced every year.
The only other thing that is recommended is to lube the wheel gears for the front drive wheels.
An occasional blade sharpening will also make cutting the grass much easier. You can tell when your lawn mower blade needs to be sharpened by how cleanly it is cutting the grass. A blade of grass that looks torn or shredded where it was cut is a good indicator that the blade is dull and needs to be sharpened.
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Paul,
When I was a kid I use to go to a family friends house on weekend (he had a computer) and cut his yard for a few dollars and computer time. I remember him cutting his front yard with the old manual scissor action push mower and I’d cut the back with his walk behind self-propelled. Every winter on the last cut we’d put gas stabilizer in all his gas powered stuff. We’d run it for 10 or 15 minutes then empty all the gas out of them (including the boat motor and motorcycle). We’d have to clean them all up real good. Sharpen the blades, wire brush them and paint them a light coat of paint.
The next spring, other than the chain saw, everything would start right up. The chain saw was finicky. Now I am 36 and I know that was before I was driving so at least 20 years ago. I know for a fact the walk behind and boat motor are still going. I saw him cutting with it the other day and the boat is now mine.
I most assuredly run everything dry in the winter with stabilizer in it. I am a little lazy with the sharpening and cleaning. In the spring the John Deer goes to the service station for service. I keep it all in good order….FOR MY WIFE.
Seriously, I can no longer cut grass because of allergies. My wife says she has two reasons for doing it all. She honestly likes to do it (strange woman) and she’d rather not hear me whine and sneeze and sniffle for days afterwards.
Good Blog.
Fred
Hey Fred,
Where did you find a wife that like to mow the lawn? That’s a keeper! As a fellow allergy sufferer I can sympathize. My great aunt had one of those manual push scissor mowers too. We used it often and I think it was 50 or 60 years old when it finally wore out.
If you guy quality equipment and take care of it, it should last a long time. When I was younger, I looked for the best bargain I could find. Many of those good bargain turned out to be not so good after a few years.
i have a toro 6.5 mower, same model and it leaks from under the frt cover. Ever have that problem”?
I have a 3 month old Toro 27002A 6.5 Mulcher walk-behind. Surprisenly,
the blade is already in need of resharpening. I can’t remember, is removal
of blade bolt clockwise or counter- ?
Herbert Rogers
Tulsa, OK
Hi Paul,
Thank you for the blog, good stuff. I actually have a wife who does the lawn mowing, she actually will not let me do it, thinks I do a lousy job! At any rate, we have a 1 year old Toro 20074, and all of a sudden the back wheels will not rotate in reverse. Have you ever experience this? I’ve looked around and this appears to be a wheel issue and not a mower problem, like some switch. Is it something that we need to take the wheels appart?
Thanks for any feedback,
Fred
Fred,
First of all I would clone your wife.
Secondly, I have not had any troubles with the wheels on my lawn mower. I would look for something like a stick or something caught between the wheel and the deck like a stick or something. Else I would attempt to take the back wheel off and see what might be the trouble.
I couldn’t find the drain plug so came to the internet for an answer and found your post! Thank you for saving me and others time!
That pic is how NOT to change oil. On Toro’s there is a oil plug underneath the lawnmower or on the side where you can drain the oil from.
David,
For this model lawn mower, that procedure is right out of the owner’s manual, page 14, figure 22.
Besides, how do you unscrew the drain plug from the bottom of the mower deck with out turning it over? Once it is turned over, isn’t easier just to drain the oil out of the fill tube?
Thanks for your input though
I have 5 year old 22″ re cycler toro lawn mower. The model number is 20016. All of a sudden it stop moving forward when I am mowing. The front wheel rotate and run when it is on clear surface. I checked the belt and it seems loose. Can some body help.
I have 22″ self propel toro recycler lawn mower. I have to push very hard for mowing. It starts with out any problem. The lawn height is not high. Need help
Hello—I recently bought a 20018 used, in nice shape..runs well, had to order a ignition switch as the previous owner had caught the cable on something and riped it out….. i can use a screwdriver to “cross” the terminals to engage the starter…seems to work OK, however, it doesn’t want to fire easily . Other problem is, the self-propel seems “weak”…if I hold the back end up and engage the handle, it seems to trun fine, but when on the level ground, it doesn’t seem to “go” very good under a load…I’m not sure how it should be, not having it brand new…question is, any adjustment , like in the “drive belt” make any difference? I appreciate any info ..THANKS!
Everything works fine with my two year old mower except the drivetrain has become disengaged. It is now like pushing, or pulling a ton of bricks when you get exhausted going forward, around the yard. I have been reluctant to get a repairman when it is probably something simple that I could do in twenty minutes given the correct info. So I am now asking does anyone have a solution to this so I do not dread pushing a ton of lead around the yard in the heat & humidity of Charleston, SC in the summer. Many thanks for your help!
I have a self propelled 22″ recycler model number 200016. The front wheels locked up and it smelled as if something was hot, perhaps the belt. How do I get the Self Propelled cover off to look at the belt? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Paul,
I appreciate your time and effort in sharing your knowledge and experience for the rest of us. You have inspired me to start sharing my knowledge on the internet (be more of a “giver” than a “taker”). Thank you.
Carroll, if the the “20016″ is similar to my “20018″, there are three bolts holding it on– one of them being under the battery case, so you need to remove that to access that one bolt—then, with a little manipulation, you can get the cover off from under the deck–one thing I do notice that you say , though–”the front wheels lock up” —is yours self-propelled from the front whells? Mine is from the back wheels–so maybe what I discribe to you is different on your “2001″–either way, with a little inspection, you can tell how to gain access to the belt area—hope this helped a little——- “GEO”
I resolved my problem with the self propelled mechanism. The drive belt had come off the engine pulley and moved above the pulley, making it difficult to see the problem. After removing the two bolts securing the drive belt protector beneath the engine and the four bolts on the front drive axle, the belt was able to be put back on the engine pulley and tightened. Thank everyone for their valuable advise.
My 2007 Toro Recycler model 20076 rear drive started makeing noise and would not drive the mower. I check the belts -ok. I desided to talk a look at the single gear transmission by taking off the bottom plate. The transmission was hard packed with dirt. I only have about about 100 hours on the mower. After I dug out the dirt and what little grease remained I found the bearing seal in the grease the seal was bent but not broken. I’m not sure how the seal slid the gears without being broken or how that much dirt entered a sealed transmission. After taking pictures and cleaning it out, clearly the gears are shot. Check your grear box.
I have a 5 year old Toro, 20016. 2 problems:
I try perform regualr maintenance changing plugs, filters, oil, belts,sharpening blades, etc. It is running rough, seemingly loosing power and surging as if it may need an air/fuel flow adjustment to tune its performance. Is there a manual adjustment I can perform myself at my work bench?
2. The front wheels are locking. What are the possible causes and solutions to this.
Thanks! MikeB.
2008 Toro 20074 – I love the way the mower starts and the Personal Pace drive system is top notch.Comma, However – this mower stinks when it comes to mulching and bagging. It drops clumps and loose grass everywhere and the bagger clogs up at the entry chute way too quickly and easily.My previous mowers of similar features were a top of the line Monkey Wards that went 10+ years without giving me any of these issues and a Troy Built, high-wheel mower which I loved until I bent the shaft when hitting a garden trowel my wife left out in some tall grass by her garden. I thought I’d “step up” to Toro and have been hugely dissapointed thus far.In any event, I have read many professional landscapers complaining about the Toro blades (on forums) and have ordered a “Gator” blade for it per what many of them do. Hopefully this will remedy the situation or it will be craiglist for this dog and another Troy Bilt for me.
I have a Toro Recycler that I took to the local Jaycees when they had a clinic to change oil and sharpen the blades as a fundraiser. Alas when I went to use it, now it starts on the first pull only to die within two or three seconds. Once I prime it again a few times, it repeats itself and dies out. Any suggestions would be appreciated as the Jaycees is not returning my phone calls.
Sounds like the engine if fuel starved. These is likely some debris in the fuel tank, fuel line or bottom of the carburetor. It may have to go to a repair shop.
My experience is the same as Doug F (20). I also feel the mower isn’t powerful enough to cleanly cut thick New England grass. I cut the grass once a week and I need to cut only 1/2 strips and then go over at a different angle to make sure no blades are sticking up. I suspect that the mower is factory set at a lower RPM than I am used to in order to meet “emission standards” or something. I am interested on if the Gator blade increases its performance.
Hello, I was wondering if anyone could help me out. The brackets that hold the handle in place had some wear on them and the handle was sliping out so I purchsed 2 new plates… I figured it would be simple enough to swap out, but ran into a little problem. I took off the wheel and am trying to get past the gear that makes the wheel move. It looks like i might need a special tool to take that gear off. Does anyone know what tool it is or where I can find it?Thanks,Mike
When the mower quits moving and makes a loud racket, replace the rear wheels that have a large gear riveted to it and the smaller gears that drive the rear wheel.
i have a toro personal pace that is 1 yr old,mulching seems to make a tremendous amount of noise.I have the wheels jacked up high and still seems to be under a big load . Is this normal
How do you tighten the belt on the 20017A I replaced it but it slips
Hi, I bought a toro about 3 years ago and its does great however it seams to need service, i would do it myself but i honestly dont have the time so what is the ball park cost to taking it to a certified toro shop for a tune up?
I have the same problem as Larry, My 2007 Toro Recycler model 20076 the wheels are locked. It does not move forward or backwards. I tried pusing it and it started smelling like burned. what could it be?
How do you change the blade on a Toro 22″ 20016 mulcher? Which way do you turn the nut?
Like MikeB I also have a 5 year old Toro, 20016: I try perform regular maintenance changing plugs, filters, oil, belts, sharpening blades, etc. It is running rough, seemingly loosing power and surging as if it may need an air/fuel flow adjustment to tune its performance. Is there a manual adjustment I can perform myself?
I’ve also had the problem with clogging/clumping when trying to mulch. I have a 20071 Recycler, and I usually end up having to bag the grass if it’s the least bit damp or thick. Really slows down the yardwork. I have an older Toro ( K-Mart model) that cuts with no problem and hardly ever clogs. Must be a design flaw.
I have a mower like pictured above. Got it this year. Went to cut and front wheels make lould griding noise and won’t work. Do you have any idea has to what to look for? The wheels are all cleaned and I see nothing that it could be.
Thanks and hope you can help me.
I cannot get my line to pull all the way. It stops 1/4 of the way, thus hampering me from starting the mower.
Thanks. This was a help.
My Toro simply won’t start, it’s about 2 years old. Went through the basics, it has fuel and spark, and further i took off and cleaned the fuel bowl, the float seems to be operating, and the primer is working.
The cord doesnt seem to be pulling well, but it never has, really. I took off the air filter just to see if it would fire without it, and no luck.
I’m pretty lost for options at this point, other than frustration. It’s been one thing or another with this mower since i bought it, any help would be very appreciated.
I have the same mower pictured above that is only running on choke. A small engine repair site said to empty the fuel then clean the bowl and the nut and float at the bottom of the bowl. Where is the bowl located? Thanks for the help
I have the rough run issue, too. I just installed a new blade and it now runs rough. thought it was maybe from tipping it up to do the blade, but i let it sit all night and no help. the carb adj. holes have tamper plugs so I have not tried them yet. runs same with or without air filter. sounds rich to me. I will drain the bowl but i am not hopeful that is the problem.
I messed with the carb without it helping much. drained and tried to clean from the outside. then I just used the thing for an hour or so chopping way-too-heavy weeds for this mulching machine (i wired the chute open).
I think it may be better now.
I’ve had the same type clogging problems with my 2007 model year Toro 22″ mower. The bagger clogging is horrible. My dad has a very similar model that is a year or two older and bags great. I use his often too and don’t have any of the issues I do with mine. Was there some kind of change to the bagger/chute from 2005 to 2007?
Hello, my Toro Recyler 6.5hp 22″ cut self propelled mower stopped pulling. Went to cut grass and front wheels make loud grinding noise and won’t pull. Do you have any idea has to what to look for to fix this problem?
I have a Toro 6.5 22″ Recycler, (like the one being tipped above).
It has worked great until the other day; I was mowing, nearly finished with the front yard, I had to stop to move a stick, when I tried to start it again it would not stay running.
It would start, but as soon as the momentum of the pull was gone it would stop. It is getting spark and fuel. upon inspection, I discovered the hose from the crank case going to the carb was cracked.
will this cause the mower not to run?
Is this the breather line?
can I splice this?
Hi Paul;
I recently purchased @ Toro 22in recycler lawn mower.
I used it about 6 times and now It does not start.
When I pull the cord it only comes out about 1 inch, it does not move.
Any ideas?
I have a toro that I bought new in 2001. The screw from the briggs& stration carburetor fell out and lodged in the exhaust valve port. Had it fixed & it burned oil. It took 2 dealers and 2 years to get it fixed. Toro wouldn’t even deal with me. They told me to call Wisc. Magneto, who manufactures Briggs& Straton. Then after about 11/2 to 2 seasons of use the cheaply made gearbox for the Personal Pace went out. There was hardly any grease in it. $115 for a new one. The newer Toro’s are junk.
Have 22″ Re Cycler Toro High Wheel lawn mower, Model 20016.
Where can I find a do-yourself manual as I wish to have it tune up and change spark plugs et al? Simular to Chilton’s Car Repair Manuals.
I have a manual that came with it but does not show us how to get it tuned up or change spark plugs.
Your quick reply will be greatly appreciated!