How To Start A Toro Recycler 22 Lawn Mower? (Step-By-Step Guide). Start toro lawn mower

Reasons Why Your Toro Lawn Mower Won’t Start Troubleshooting Tips

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Like any other garden tool, operational problems aren’t uncommon for a Toro lawn mower. And when it doesn’t start right away, you may think it’s time to buy a new one.

However, did you know that troubleshooting Toro mowers starting issues isn’t as complicated as you think? Read along as our experts discuss all the possible ways of handling this issue.

Toro Lawn Mower Parts to Check and Fix

Air Filter

You may not know, but airflow is crucial for keeping your Toro mower engine going. It’s also a no-brainer that these tools are exposed to different elements and weather, so finding your air filters clogged with dirt and grass isn’t a surprising sight.

A clogged air filter could ultimately lead to overheating and damaging your Toro lawn mower engine. It can cause surging in your lawn mower or backfiring issues. If you don’t want that to happen, regularly checking the air filter is a preemptive measure our team would recommend.

Remove it from the air filter housing and tap it continuously on a hard surface or wall to eliminate as much dirt as possible. If you’re having difficulty removing the air filter cover, it should unlock once you turn it clockwise. However, remember to disconnect the spark plug wire before doing these steps.

After removing debris and dirt, lift it using your lawn mower jack to check if you can see the light shining through the paper air filter. If not, we suggest replacing your air filter for better mowing operations.

Carburetor

Did you know that most mower engines that refuse to start often suffer from a dirty carburetor? Generally, the mixture of air and gas is what regulates the combustion of your Toro lawn mower. Because of this, deposits from bad gas or old fuel in the carburetor are likely the main culprit why this lawn mower won’t start.

If you have mechanical knowledge in handling Toro mowers, cleaning the bad gas away by yourself isn’t so much of a hassle. In fact, usual carburetor problems will only require you to fill it with fresh fuel. However, we recommend disconnecting the fuel line before you do any cleaning.

Should the method prove ineffective, all you need to do is remove the fuel bowl and fuel feed bolt. You can find fuel feed bolts in units equipped with Honda engines. But if the units in question are older Toro lawn mowers, you just need to locate the Briggs gas bowl behind the air filters.

Use a carburetor cleaner to eliminate the dust and dirt particles. Make sure to spray carb cleaner into the jet and brush the bolt gasket clean. On top of these methods, our Toro mower experts suggest checking if the fuel flows on the carburetor. If not, users are advised to conduct a fuel flow test on the unit.

Controls and Attachments

Another possible reason why your Toro lawn mower won’t start is its controls and attachments. Given the high incidence of injuries when using lawn mowers [1]. it’s understandable why manufacturers engineered some safety mechanisms in these machines. Believe it or not, your Toro mower wouldn’t run if its blade is engaged or some controls are not in the right position.

Fuel Level

It’s not rocket science that you need to check your mower’s fuel tank levels whether there is too much oil or nearly at drained level before the cutting operation. And if the fuel supplied in your Toro Lawn Mower has been there for thirty days, that’s bad gas. If you ask our team, it’s best to replace it before it starts damaging your mower.

You can also check if the gas or fuel tap switch is turned on. When using Toro mowers, you don’t need to press any button because this feature will be the one connecting the fuel system to the unit’s engine. Sometimes, simple things like insufficient gas tank levels are what’s stopping the mower from running.

Fuel Type

As we previously discussed, keeping the gas fresh in the fuel tank is a great way to extend the life of your mower. You can easily keep track of this as bad gas has a stronger smell than fresh gas.

If you can, we also urge you to keep the fuel line going with ethanol-free gas and opt for non-oxygenated fuel. Should you find yourself with no choice, you can go ahead and fill it up with fresh gas as long as it doesn’t exceed 10% alcohol fuel content, or you’ll put the fuel system at risk.

We understand that there will be instances where you won’t be using your Toro Lawn Moro for a long time. You can use a fuel stabilizer to prevent fuel quality from going bad while sitting in the gas tank.

It’s normal to feel unsure if you’re unfamiliar with lawn care equipment. The best you can do is as your Toro dealer or consult the lawn mower user manual to see the specific fuel type suited for the unit.

Fuel Pump

If the above lawn mower repairs didn’t work, it’s time to check the fuel pump. Pumping old fuel from your gas tank can easily damage the components and plastic elements in the fuel pump. Once it happens, it will be hard for the pump to hold pressure during the operation. And that will result in your lawnmower refusing to start.

Unless you’re a Toro Push Mower expert, you’ll be able to tell bad pumps from the leaking fuel lines. But visually speaking, testing the fuel flow is your best shot. Typically, we try to do this using a fuel shut-off valve or clamp.

You can freely start or stop the fuel flow with these fuel valve tools. Keep an eye on the fuel hose attached to the pump. Even if there’s a fuel flow, you still need to see if the pumping is constant. If not, we suggest replacing the fuel pump once and for all.

Fuel Filter

A clogged fuel filter can also be one of the reasons why an old lawn mower won’t start. With dirt buildup caused by stale fuel, it will be hard for the filter to let the fuel pass into the hose. You can try cleaning, but it’d be wise to just get a new fuel filter for smooth lawn mower cutting operations.

Besides getting a new filter, you should know that the same excessive residues can block the unit’s fuel line. It’s easy to point out the fuel filter as the main culprit, but did you know that inspecting the hose is just as important?

In our team’s years of lawn mower troubleshooting experience, the best method we can suggest is using a fuel valve or clamp for flow testing. You can use compressed air to blow the debris and residues away from the tube.

Spark Plug

As a regular lawn mower user, you’d know that a spark plug wire plays a huge part in triggering the ignition coil for engine combustion. The moment the spark plug wire stops working, expect numerous lawn mower problems to come your way.

You can spot a faulty spark plug wire by checking for dirt deposits or cracked porcelain and electrodes. If you simply found dirt deposits on the surface, cleaning spark plug wires with a soft cloth and plug spray cleaner is one of the quickest solutions you should consider.

Like getting a new filter, spark plug replacement is crucial in lawn mower troubleshooting. When you spot a wet spark plug, always remember that it can cause further damage to the engine if not replaced immediately.

Our team of lawn mower experts firmly suggests spark plug replacement every 25 hours of cutting operation. But if that’s not possible for you, it’s only logical to get a new spark plug once every year.

Battery

If your mowers run with an electric ignition switch, checking the battery levels can help you figure out my the machine isn’t working. You may not know, but any Toro dealer will tell you that the unit will not start with a defective battery.

If you see a yellow and red light flashing in its indicator, your battery is still charging. As soon as the green light appears, that’s when you know it’s fully charged. However, keep in mind that it’ll take a whole day or two to get your lawn mower full-charge battery.

It’s also a moderately inexpensive part to replace, so trust us when we say it’s a relief if this is the one problem with your mower.

Cables and Terminals

Not all lawn mower users can easily do this, but inspecting your unit for loose cables and damaged terminals should explain the mystery of why your mower wouldn’t start. Issues like malfunctioning choke lever are likely caused by cable breakage that connects it to the ignition switch.

You should also ensure that none of the battery terminals are corroded. If you see a corroded terminal, our resident lawn care experts recommend scrubbing it with a baking soda and water solution.

Ignition Switch

When a mower doesn’t start, it’s not uncommon to think that it’s an ignition switch problem. You see, an ignition coil is in-charge of delivering voltage to the spark plug. If the ignition coil gets damaged in any way, there’s no way the engine will run.

One way to fix this problem is through a multimeter. It’ll tell you if there’s a break in the ignition coil continuity. If that result comes up, you should be prepared to replace it.

Safety Switch

Safety switches are installed in mowers for safe cutting operations. This feature stops the mower from working without an operator as it detects parking brake engagement. If the switch failed to work, your mower wouldn’t start as well.

Fixing this issue includes using a multimeter to test the bad switch. And while some mower users would recommend bypassing the safety switch. our team doesn’t encourage doing that method. It may get your machine running, but the safety risks aren’t easy to ignore.

Starter Solenoid

If you heard some click or hum before your mower turned dead on you, there’s a high chance you’re dealing with a defective solenoid. If you don’t know, it’s a switch that’s responsible for the engine turnovers of your mower.

You can confirm your suspicions by testing the solenoid through a battery charger. If the starter doesn’t work, replacing it is your only option.

Recoil Spring

Most push mowers from the Toro brand require using recoil to start the engine. In short, the user needs to pull the rope to make the unit start. The problem starts when the recoil fails to work due to defective pulleys and loose springs. In some cases, the restring method could make your mower run again.

Recoil Starter

Even if you restring the mower’s recoil, the engine won’t start if its entire assembly is defective. Our team would try pulling the starter just to see if the pulley extends or if it captures the engine hub. And once you let go, the rope should rewind back. If you didn’t see any of that happening, you need a new recoil starter.

Bail Lever

The bail or throttle lever has a crucial role in starting the engine and turning the ignition switch. However, if you start the mower with the switch in an off-position, it can become stuck and stop the engine from turning on. Loose or damaged cables may cause this issue. Should the wires show any sign of breakage, replacement is highly recommended.

Flywheel Key

As a beginner, you may not know that a flywheel key prevents the mower’s crankshaft from twisting. It protects the unit from damage when cutting through hard elements like tree barks and stumps.

Problems in the flywheel key often start when the mower blade loosens up. It’ll get sheared and ultimately lead to engine issues. Unfortunately, the only way to solve this problem is to replace the flywheel key.

How To Start A Toro Recycler 22 Lawn Mower? (Step-By-Step Guide)

Last summer I purchased a Toro recycler 22” mower to make my lawn spanking. But you know I faced some difficulties when I was trying to start my mower.

I think you face the same issue and it makes you anxious. Trust me, you don’t need to be anxious anymore. I have a perfect solution for you.

Actually there are two types of Toro recycler lawn mower available in the market. One is gasoline-powered and the other is electrically powered. But it’s a matter of comfort for you that the starting process of both mowers is totally the same.

In this article, I will try to give you a proper guideline on how to start a Toro recycler 22 lawn mower. And of course, this article is totally the reflection of my experience.

So, why delay? Let’s see how to start it.

In this content you’ll learn:

The Process To Start A Toro Recycler 22 Lawn Mower

Starting a Toro recycler 22” lawnmower is not a troublesome task. You approximately need 10-15 minutes to complete the entire task. Seems great! Right?

Well, before entering the main task, let’s have a look at the required tools that you need to start your Toro recycler 22” lawnmower.

Now, follow the steps stated below to get a flawless start.

Steps to follow:

Step #1: Set Lawn Mower In Even Surface

Take your Toro recycler lawnmower into a clean and even surface.

Step #2: Fill Gas Tank

Grip the lid of the gas tank and rotate it counterclockwise. Lift the lid upward. Now fill the gas tank with unleaded gasoline. Replace the lid of the gas tank and rotate it clockwise.

Step #3: Clean Dipstick

Turn the oil tank lid counterclockwise and lift it upward. Use a paper towel to clean the dipstick attached to the oil tank lid.

After cleaning the dipstick, insert it again into the oil tank. Do not tighten it by rotating. Remove the lid from the tank and observe the dipstick to check the oil level in the oil tank. Then pour oil in the oil tank until it is full of oil. Don’t overfill the oil tank.

Step #4: Wipe Fuel Tank Outside

Take a paper towel and wipe all gasoline and spilled oil off from the lawnmower.

Step #5: Press Primer Button

Now, firmly press the primer button at least 3 times. Press it inward and hold not more than 1 second. Note that, all the Toro 22” lawnmower does not have a primer button except self-propelled mulching lawnmower.

Step #6: Adjust Blade Control Bar

Grasp the mower blade control bar that is found on the front side of the mower handle. Now, push the bar against the mower handle. Hold the handle and the bar with one hand.

Step #7: Start Lawn Mower

If you have an electric powered lawnmower, then place the starting key in the key slot. Turn the starting key to start the engine of the mower.

If you have a gasoline-powered lawnmower then pull the mower starter handle gradually until you realize resistance. Release the handle and give it time to go back to its previous position. Continue the same process until the mower engine starts.

Cautions

Final verdict

So, what’s your opinion now? I think now you know how to start a Toro recycler 22 lawn mower. And it’s no more a difficult task for you.

You know Toro recycler mower is actually designed for residential use and the operating process is really simple.

Hopefully, following the above-mentioned process and maintaining the cautions helped you to start the mower without facing any trouble.

Now, the floor is yours. Start your mower and enjoy mowing!

Toro Lawn Mower Won’t Start: Why and How to Fix

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Toro lawn mowers are known for their diverse qualities and features, along with their ability to offer excellent power and cut quality. They are also known to last for at least a decade with proper care and maintenance, making them a worthwhile investment. However, like all machines, Toro lawn mowers also have a few glitches every once in a while.

To fix a Toro lawn mower, check for a faulty carburetor, if the fuel valve is on, if the choke is turned on, the presence of bad gas, a wet or faulty plug, if the plug wire is loose, air filter blockage, faulty coil, lever or ignition fault, sticky valves, wrong flywheel timing, and low compression.

In this article, we will go through all possible reasons for a Toro lawn mower’s engine not starting. We will also discuss the various ways through which these potential problems can be remedied. Now let’s dive in!

Check if the Carburetor Is Dirty

The first thing you need to check if your lawn mower won’t start is if the carburetor is dirty. This is because too much dirt can reduce the required amount of air and fuel, which is supposed to travel through the passage of the engine.

Dirt and fuel residue can bog down a carburetor, so it is essential to maintain it from time to time. Apart from the mower refusing to start, some other common symptoms of a dirty carburetor are hard starting, stalling, hesitation, rough idle, and flooding.

How to Fix

• You will first need to remove the outer paneling of the mower, where you will find the air filter and carburetor.
• Unbolt the carburetor and disconnect it from the fuel line.
• Unbolt the bowl by removing the nut that holds it in place. After removing the nut, clean the hole and check for any debris inside the jet.
• You can use a cleaning spray or liquid, which is meant for carburetors to clean the entire carburetor.
• Once you’ve finished, assemble the device back together.

Check for a Faulty Carburetor

A carburetor helps supply fuel to the engine. Without this, it is impossible for an engine to function normally. The problems that occur when a carburetor is faulty include hesitation, stalling, rough idle, flooding, and a few similar problems.

Before diagnosing your carburetor as being faulty, here are some of the main symptoms that reflect a bad carburetor:

• Reduced engine performance
• Black smoke coming from the exhaust
• Backfiring
• Overheating
• Hard starting

If you notice any of these problems along with the mower refusing to start, you can be sure that the carburetor is the problem.

How to Fix

• Start by disconnecting the spark plug wire and then remove the air filter housing.
• Make sure to drain the fuel tank into a container before proceeding.
• Remove the blower housing, after which you’ll be able to access the carburetor.
• Once you’ve removed the carburetor, you can install a new one and then reassemble the mower.
• Be sure to check with a professional before proceeding with this process as the procedures might vary from model to model.

To help you understand the process better, here’s a video that demonstrates the process of changing a carburetor in a Toro Recycler Push Mower:

ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on 2020-08-26.

Toro Self-Propelled Lawnmower Reviews | Personal Pace Models

We took on several Toro self-propelled lawn mower reviews to check out both standard Personal Pace and AWD. These lawnmowers offer excellent power and cut quality. Whether the grass needed a short trim or a serious cutting, the Toro 22″ Recycler mowers seemed up for the challenge and left a professional-looking yard.

When I drive around the beautiful countryside of Pennsylvania in the summer, I notice a lot of local landscaping companies keeping yards trimmed up and looking great. The brand name I see most often on their machines is Toro. It’s no doubt that Toro makes a lot of great professional and consumer level mowers trusted by business owners and homeowners alike. Pro Tool Reviews decided to take on a couple of Toro Self-Propelled lawnmower reviews to test out the line.

We brought in both the Toro 22″ Personal Pace Recycler Lawnmower (20332) and the all-wheel-drive model, the 20353. Both mowers share the same features save for the self-propelled drive system.

Toro Self-Propelled Lawnmowers Under the Hood

The Toro 22” Personal Pace Recycler line brings some innovative features to Toro’s self-propelled lawnmowers. These lawn mowers feature a 163cc Briggs Stratton Engine with 7.25 ft-lbs of torque. That makes them a great choice for small to medium-sized yards. With the implementation of the all-wheel-drive self propel system, yards with moderate to medium slopes are a breeze. The 22″ deck also reduces the number of passes necessary to efficiently cover as much area as possible before moving up to a riding mower.

Guaranteed to Start?

As the name states, the “Guaranteed-to-Start” promise actually proved accurate. Toro’s ReadyStart is an auto choke feature, which means you don’t have to prime or choke the engine. The Briggs Stratton EXi 163cc starts after one or two pulls with no problem. In fact, the most I’ve ever had to pull it was twice and 95% of the time it started on the first pull.

Toro also placed the recoil start handle in a comfortable position that I found easy to use.

Personal Pace First Impressions

A few years ago when shopping for a new push mower, I had to decide between a standard mower and a self-propelled model. I cared most about weight, gas consumption, and ease-of-maintenance. In the end, I opted for the self-propelled model and never looked back.

On the AWD model, Toro’s Personal Pace feature gives you three basic options for operation. You can go fully manual, use the fully-automatic self-propelled handle that moves forward as you move forward, or use the traction assisted handle that gives you the ability to control how much assistance you want.

I’ll admit the fully-automatic handle took some getting used to because it’s not a static bar. As you put pressure on the handle, it moves forward—giving you more or less assistance according to how hard you press it. At first, it felt like mowing the lawn with a bungee cord because the gripped handle constantly moves back and forth as you walk.

Traction Assist Handle

Once I got used to it, Personal Pace became very intuitive and the mower became an extension of my body. I found myself using the traction assist handle in the center of the handle for hills. To control how much assistance you want, you have to hold the mower in the center of the bar—a tad bit awkward. I understand why they had to place the handle in the center, but I’d like to see something on the sides for a more natural pushing position.

I like mulching with my mower because I don’t want to deal with emptying the bag. Some people, however, prefer only to mow with a bag—particularly those with lots of leaves. Toro includes a quick change lever that easily goes back and forth between recycle mode (which mulches the grass using Toro’s Atomic blade lift system) or bagging mode. Even better, you can make the switch while the mower runs.

Bagging and Cleanup

You can’t do adequate Toro self-propelled lawnmower reviews without checking how it bags. In some areas of the country—that’s a huge deal. In the bag-on-demand mode, I noticed that it would sometimes not throw the clippings to the back of the bag—causing it to clog. When this happened, I had to empty the bag more often. The bag is very easy to get on and off because it sits on a sturdy two-point hinge system.

Toro could stand to open up the mouth of the bag a bit more. When dumping the clippings, several times I had to reach in to get them empty—even with dry grass. Also, there were a few times that after dumping the bag, it would leave a trail of clippings once I started mowing again.

Adjusting the Toro Mower Cutting Height

The cutting heights available range from 1 inch to 4 inches with seven stops/half stops between. Each wheel is independently adjustable which Pros seem to prefer for stiffness over single-lever systems. Another upside is that durability increases as you have less moving parts to break.

Cleaning Using the Washout Port

Like many mowers, the Toro 22” Personal Pace Recycler Lawnmower comes with a washout port for hooking up a hose to clean the blades and deck. Hold the plastic nut securely while spinning it onto your hose.

While it does make the deck easier to clean, it doesn’t get everything. We recommend (and appreciate) it for those who cannot lift the mower up and hose it off manually. If you can, turning the mower on its side and spraying it down still wins. For me, the wetness of the cut grass determined whether I used the quick wash connector or tilted it up to spray it off.

Toro 20353 Lawnmower All Wheel Drive Feature

My favorite feature on the Toro 20353 lawn mower is the All Wheel Drive traction assist. The Toro 20332 Personal Pace lawn mower uses only the rear wheels. When mowing on uneven surfaces, you start to lose traction, especially while mowing up or down steep slopes. With All Wheel Drive, the front and rear wheels have a nice aggressive tread and spin independently. This gives you the best traction possible when mowing on inclines.

The Toro 20353 AWD mower definitely outperforms standard Personal Pace in this area. The maximum speed on these mowers felt similar—around 4.8 mph. I found that more than enough for fast-paced mowing.

Briggs Stratton 7.25 ft-lbs 163cc Engine

The Briggs and Stratton 163cc engine is a beast! I travel for work a lot and often come home to an unruly yard after a week or two of being away. The top-notch cutting power makes it a breeze to get “caught up”.

Even the non-AWD Personal Pace model packs a punch. The 7.25 ft-lbs of gross torque at 2600 RPM shows itself when pushing the Personal Pace handle down as far as it will go in a thick St. Augustine lawn. The power coupled with the rear-wheel-drive on this model makes for a strong combo. The mower doesn’t bog down at all. Rather, it hums right along—even when carrying an increasingly heavy bagger.

I didn’t experience any hesitation from the engine even while mowing tall and wet grass. It took about one hour to mow a half-acre of St Augustine.

Also, the engine runs smooth and sounds surprisingly quiet. I could have a conversation with my Dad from 10 feet away while mowing the lawn. While we always recommend the use of hearing protection, the output of this mower allows for several hours of use without violating OSHA standards. Since I’m a musician and sometimes sing while mowing the lawn, I found out that the tone of the engine runs to the tone of F#/Gb (just in case you happen to write a great song while mowing!)

Toro 22″ Personal Pace All Wheel Drive Lawn Mower Specs

• Model: 20353M
• 7.25 ft-lb Gross Torque Briggs Stratton EXi 163cc w/ReadyStart
• Personal Pace All-Wheel Drive Self Propel System
• 3 Year Guaranteed-to-Start Briggs Stratton Engine
• Easy Mulch or Bagging Settings
• Weight: 78 lbs.
• 2-year Full Coverage Warranty
• Price: 399