I have a 22" Toro Personal Pace Recycler mower. The mower stopped self-propelling after about three hours of use (engine runs fine, blade cuts fine). When the operator pushes on the handle, this is supposed to start the mower moving forward, but nothing happens. Any suggestions on how to proceed?
I will certainly do that (and it is indeed under warranty), but putting it out of service during the lawn's active season is something I hoped to avoid. Is there perhaps some kind of adjustment to the drive mechanism that I can try?
Where's the V-belt?
Where did you buy it at?
take it back for a replacement or re-fund?
Three hours of use? It must be under warranty unless you bought it used. Hot to proceed? Take it back to the dealer.
Replace the V-belt.
Way too many variables. Some:
1) the cable/linkage between the handle and the transmission 2) The drive belt between the engine and the transmission 3) Shot tranny 4) etc.I'm guessing Toro has an 800 CS number you could call to see if there's any user adjustments? Or RTFM?
-Tim
my self propelled mower would sometimes have the cable that turns on the self propel slip. Seems like I had to adjust the tension and (I think) jury rig some spring that was gone that pulled a lever or something also attached to the cable.
paul
Check for some sort of tensioning spring that may have come off or is binding.
But I wouldn't play with it at all if it's under warranty.
It may not propel itself but you should still be able to push it manually, and cut your grass.
Bring it in for service and even if it takes a few weeks your lawn is hardly going to turn into a jungle.
AMUN
I had exactly the same experience (three hour, more or less, stall) with my Sear's Craftsman. I expect the mechanisms are much the same. I found a simple, no tools, adjustment in the manual. Instructions were also decaled on the handlebar controller.
Squeezing the control cable increases the effective diameter of a split v-pulley, first taking up the slack on the v-belt and then increasing the drive speed. There is apparently some initial wearing in of the parts requiring an early adjustment. In two years, I have not had to make another adjustment after that initial one.
SJF
On 9/18/2005 4:37 PM US(ET), snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com took fingers to keyboard, and typed the following:
I don't know anything about the Toro, but my 20+ year old Craftsman has a chain drive between the motor base and front wheel drive unit. The chain has slipped off the gears when the chain stretched and/or the screws on the adjustment bracket came loose due to vibration.
Correction --
Just checked my mower manual. For those who care about details, squeezing the control cable creates tension on the v-belt engaging the drive and then changing the drive ratio by spreading the halves of a split v-pulley. This is the way I read it.
SJF
On 18 Sep 2005 13:37:40 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in alt.home.repair:
Do you have an owner's manual? My (much older) Toro has detailed instructions for maintenance and adjustments. One that I've had to make often was the cable that controls the wheel drive. Apparently it tends to slip fairly easily. It's a really trivial adjustment, and you shouldn't need to pack the thing up and truck it back to the store.
We just got a Toro Super Recycler 2055 model (self-propel) mower on June 9. I don't know when it stopped working because my husband has been using it but I noticed today he looked like he was working too hard, and having to push it. I stopped him and tried it. He WAS pushing it because the self propel does NOT work. He wasn't familiar with these type of mowers so no telling when it stopped self propelling. I know it worked on day one when we first tried it. But some time between day one and now, less than 30 days, the self propel feature has stopped working.
I'm really surprised because my Toro in the past I had years ago never had this problem. It was self propelled as opposed to this type which I think they call walk behind. This is supposed to keep pace with you. I think its desgined differently. If I remember correctly, the old self propelled mowers would go if you pulled on the propel lever, whether you were walking behind it or not, whereas these need a user to nudge them and stop working if you let go. Whatever, it apparently has some design flaw to mess up this quickly.
I'm very disappointed. Spent over $500 on this thing. Now I just want my money back. Dealer is coming out this week to see what's wrong. That is nice but I hope we're not stuck with a lemon. To need repair this quickly does not seem right.
Rae
I have a Sears, which is, I think, a Toro clone. If both wheels stopped propelling, it's probably the main linkage, proly somthing simple like a slipped cotter pin.
In my case, vines got bound up in one front wheel, and bent it, causing a nylon sprocket to "miss" the planetary-type gear on the rim on one wheel. Took a while to figger out, but bending the wheel bracket back solved it.
Yeah, not that spectacularly well made, but I'm getting used to it. Pretty classy, tho, that the dealer is coming out to you--impressive.
Pushing a self-propelled is some workout, eh?
Oh, to the OP, you just gotta start taking things apart from the cable end. Cable might have popped loose, might be a lovejoy coupling that sheared/fell off, or a cotter pin, maybe a stripped gear (which you might be able to hear), etc. Otherwise, give toro a call.
My toro has had a problem twice something jumped out of its hole on the handle, causing the handle assembly to bind, and the drive not to engage. It only took a moment to pop it back into place.
Bob
Not if it is only 3 hours old. Give the dealer a call.
You probably just need to adjust the self-propel cable. Read the owner's manual for how to do it -- it's very easy. Maybe whoever assembled the mower didn't tighten the nut on the handle that holds the cable in place.
It's also possible that the self propel cable snapped off but unlikely on a new mower -- mine did but my mower is 7 years old. A new cable is easy to install.
I guess it's also possible that the drive belt either broke or slipped off but, again, unlikely on a new machine.
The Toro Super Recycler is a great machine.
You're speaking to the O.P. I assume?
Bob
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