This should be in the UA-cam DIY Hall of Fame! In what might be my last cut of the year, my Toro Recycler would not start. This happened when I initially bought it 11 years ago because I didn't know I needed to drain the gas at the end of the season so I knew the carburetor was clogged. I searched "cleaning carburetor on Toro Recycler" and found a lot of videos that entailed basically disassembling the lawnmower which I felt would have created more problems. In fact, the engine manufacturer in a maintenance video suggested anything to do with the carburetor requires taking it into the shop. I found this video, bought some Carburetor Cleaner and my lawnmower runs like new! Thank you! This would be extremely helpful at the beginning of the season if your lawnmower doesn't start due to a blocked carburetor jet because all the small engine shops are backed up and typically your grass is growing fast.
I cannot believe how simple this was! After spending two hours last weekend trying to get my mothers "Ready Start" Toro to start, replacing the air filter, the spark plug, and draining the fuel, I gave up. Before hauling this three year old mower to the Toro dealer, I thought I would do a quick Google search for solutions. Very glad I did. I had no idea the jets on these mowers were so easy to access, and the tip on tipping the mower back was genius. I am sure if I would have had this mower serviced, I would have been charged for "rebuilding" the carburetor. Fifteen minutes of work and the thing started right up. Thanks for posting Mark!
Just wanted to say thank you for your tutorial. I was having trouble with my 2 year old Toro mower (different model). I followed your easy instructions and was able to clean the carburetor with minimal fuel leakage and now it works great! Saved me some money on repair bill! (I'm a 50+ year old woman who is not afraid to get my hands dirty!)
My Toro lawn mower is probably 15 years old was having issues starting and I ran across this video. My carburetor jet bowl was filled with debris. After cleaning this out my mower started right up. Thank so much.
This video was spot on. I put the wrong gas in my mower and it stopped running. Using this video I was able to get my mower running like new for a fraction of the cost and hassle of going to a repair shop. It also felt really good to fix something myself. Thank you so much.
Mark, I was having a problem with fuel starvation on my Toro. Watched your video and fixed my problem. Thanks for taking the time to post this solution. My wife was giving me the eye today about the long grass. You saved me! Happy wife...happy life! Thanks again. Jim
You are a lifesaver! Literally, 5 minutes of effort and I can’t believe this worked! I borrowed a 13mm socket wrench. Removed the screw. Pulled off the carburetor bowl. Cleaned it with fresh gasoline and put it back on. I also unscrewed the spark plug and slightly bent the contacts closer together. It now runs with one pull of the cord better than ever! Thank you!
Sweet! That's a good feeling. Sounds like your plug may have been used for awhile. And may have needed to be regapped. There is a tool called a speak plug gapping tool. It's a handy thing to have. Spark plugs are designed to have a specific gap for a specific plug. Sounds like you maybe got lucky pressing it just close enough for the plug to function properly. You'd know if it was wrong because you wouldn't get consistent spark. Well done!
I must say that I had put my toro down 3 years ago and kept it housed inside the basement and had forgotten about it for a while and today I had every intentions on getting rid of it. I made some calls to get some prices for a new mower and discuss the extended protection plan options and in doing so the agent told me to try to clean carburetor first as that is the most common problem when service is needed and since it falls under general maintenance, it is not covered under the warranty. I saw this video and went outside and did exactly as instructed, the only differences were I used a gem clip to stick through the holes in the screw/jets and took my filter off (only 1 screw-flat head screw driver) cleaned it with a rag (did not need replacing) and it started immediately! Thank you! It really works!!!!!!
Thanks Man!! My son's mower was having the same problem & found out when he replace the air filter last year, that he damaged the air filter cover & dust and grass clippings was entering the mower and clogging the float.. what you showed me was the correct fix & now running like a new machine .. you saved him two weeks in the mower repair service and lots of $$ that he couldn't afford.. Thanks again.....
My Toro recycler is very old. I bought it used and it ran good for one year. It’s started cutting out after about 10 minutes to run time. I change the spark plug I change the air filter. Those didn’t help so I changed the oil. After changing the oil it still cut out and it got to the point where it won’t start at all. I thought I needed a new lawnmower. I saw this video and I took the bowl off and clean the carburetor out with some carburetor choke cleaner. Put it all back together and it ran like a champ. Thanks so much.🎉
YES!!!!!! I ran out of gas 1/2 way through cutting, filled the tank, and started the mower. It started and stopped after a few seconds. I cleaned the plug, checked the air filter and no go. After many tries and no progress, I was ready to go buy a new mover and fix this one later. I came inside and watched your video........pulled the jet as you show and blew it clean with electric contact cleaner (all I had). Put it back together.....started......and it kept on running!!! THANK YOU!!!
I took off the carburetor and cleaned everything, but didn't clean this, so it didn't run. I cleaned the jet after watching your video, and it started right up. Thank you!
I have the Toro 53, It won't start, and 3 weeks to wait to get it fixed, I follow your video it started up on the first pull, Thank you, Thank you....I look forward to your other videos..👍
Mark, I thank you for making this demonstration. The way you set the lawn mower for access to the bowl. I was able to remove sand just like you said and clean holes in the screw piece. I'm 66 yrs old on a pension you saved me $$$. God Bless you for taking the time to make this film. Joe
I just followed these directions and changed the air filter. My lawn mower works. I am so happy I don't have to lug my mower to the shop and wait 2 weeks and pay them $. Thanks
This video saved me a lot of money. Last year my mower (not a Toro, but similar enough) broke. It would start, it would not stay running unless I sprayed Starter Fluid in it; which indicated... something... wrong. Well, I took it to a shop. The shop said the Carburetor needed cleaning. I paid them $90 to do it. I got the mower home, it still did not work. I bought a mower without an engine on it, pushyboi, and used it despite my disability; made it hard. Worked last year, this year I could not keep up with growth. So I returned to trying to fix that mower. I had to cut and rip off the fuel line to access the fuel filter... you know what - it was a little dirty; couldn't have helped. I removed it and added an in-line fuel filter I can see through. Now I'll never worry about fuel ~ I can see it. I checked the Carburetor, all the pieces moved... ok... not the problem. When doing that, I noticed stickiness under the bowl... which led me to the gasket on it not seated properly; air infiltration was why it was not working. I opened the bowl and found out the Flote was not even installed, it was just chilling in there; so I also fixed that. I sprayed some Carb & Choke cleaner around, cleaned out the clean looking jets, put it all back together ~ it worked. Your video helped me do all that. THX!
I had this exact problem on my 2009 Toro "Guaranteed to Start" Recycler with a 6.75 hp Briggs & Stratton engine. I liked your idea of raising the mower to prevent fuel from draining out instead of having to clamp down the fuel line. I also thought I would have to take apart the carburetor but your solution worked for me. Thanks for producing this video!
This actually worked, wow! Thank you so much. I didn't have carb cleaner so I just grabbed a can of air and blasted the jet a little, and the mower went from repeatedly starting and immediately dying to running good as new. Nothing came out but it clearly did the trick. I actually had an issue with a pressure washer starting and dying several years ago, and thinking back to it I fixed it performing a similar task, unscrewing what I guess was a carburetor jet and blowing it out with air--a lot of debris came out of that one and it's been running great since. Thank you again, this video is pure gold.
I have been having problems starting with my toro recycler lawn mower, it's 12 years old. It literally would start and die after each pull. I tried everything. I changed spark plug, air filter, oil, got non ethanol gas, and I flogged the carb with seafoam and put seafoam in gas and oil. Engine would shake violently and then quit every time. I was so fed up, I almost gave up on this lawn mower. I just did what you showed in this video in 15 minutes yesterday, I used seafoam to spray the jet holes. it worked!! Started up on the first try! I was shocked. hope to get another 12 years out of this lawn mower. 👍
I never post comments but after an hour of trying to figure out why it only stayed on for seconds and a trip to the hardware store to replace the filter I watched this video and now it works like a champ again! thank you for posting this
Once again, due to my limited mechanical skills, I've turned to youtube for help. Twenty minutes ago I watched this video, ten minutes ago I got my tools and lawnmower out, and now it's starting once again on the first pull. Thank you for posting this and saving me an unnecessary repair bill. Greatly appreciated!
This also worked for me. I stripped down a twist tie to the metal and used that to clean the bolt. Thanks for the tip of tipping the mower back. Also, just as an added safety step, you should unplug the spark plug cable when working on the mower.
Mark - A gold star for you! Two long and frustrating calls to Toro customer service and four trips to an authorized Toro repair shop solved nothing. Fortunately, a helpful manager at Home Depot, where I bought the machine 13 months ago, field stripped it in the store's parking lot. Once I understood the grit problem and watched your step by step fix, the mower was up and running in short order. Hey Toro, post a link to Mark's video so your phone folks can provide genuine customer service!
Lmao even the toro repair shop couldn't figure out this simple problem? I admit I'm not an engine expert but you'd think that if they work in a repair shop lol
TY you just saved me $50-100. It was reviving and I tried fuel treatments and air filter replacement. I am not a mechanic by any shot. I did just as you said and it fixed it like magic. Thank you very muck
Thanks!! Hadn’t been able to start mine, hadn’t been used for some time. Was afraid I was going to have take it to a shop! Cleaned the jet passages with a small copper wire, started like a champ, ran like a top!! LOVE UA-cam videos, they’ve saved me THOUSANDS!!
I did it! I watched your video and I cleaned the jet on my carb. It was full of junk!! My mower would not start at all. I'm all excited because I am female and I did it all by myself just by watching your video! THANKS!!!!
Mark; your video fixed my problem. I saw water in the carburettor bowl therefore I emptied the gas tank and put the machine in the sun to dry. Also removed the spark plug and cleaned al carbon deposits. I bought this machine because I had al old toro, 10 - 15 years ago and that machine would go from the first start and would not quit until the job was done. However, this one, same as yours it has been a headache, but your tip fixed it, and I am now enjoying an cold one in front of the BBQ. :) Thanks!
Glad you caught the water in the carbs. Seems strange though. I'd be wondering how it got there. There's got to be a leak somewhere that it got in. have you checked to see if there's water in your gas tank? Where do you think it came from?
Super-sweet! I wasn't looking forward to pulling the whole carb, so finding the "Easy button" by just taking off the jet/bowl was outstanding! I may need to clean the whole carb to get it tip-top, but the improvement is easily 2-3 orders of magnitude by doing this 5-minute fix! I also really liked your "cheat" to tip the mower back instead of clamping the fuel line. So irritated at Toro for being so cheap as to not throw an in-line filter in there for me. The manual points to the fuel line and says "Optional" where the fuel filter should be. But adding that is a project for another day - AFTER I've mowed the hayfield! 😸
Thank you so much for your video! I have been trying to get this mower to work consistently for 3 years. Sometimes I could get it to work but mostly it would start and then stop. I pulled out the cap and cleaned everything up (which was full of sand, dirt, and rust), put it back on and sure enough it started on the first pull!! Yay! I mowed our whole yard...got about 6 different blisters on my hands, but felt so good to get it done!! Thank you so very much!!
Thank you for posting this. I have a Toro Recycler that I bought in 2009 - has worked like a charm until this summer it started sputtering, stalling, and no longer starting as easily. I took the carburetor part off and it was filthy. Cleaned it all out and it’s starting and running fine again.
I paid to get this fixed months ago as I do not know anything about motors (more of a tech) - then I ran into the problem again and said screw it, and came across your video - saved myself $65 and learned something new! Thanks!
My recycler was experiencing the same issue, would fire up on the first pull but shut off within a couple seconds. The bowl had some debris and the jet was dirty/clogged. Followed this guide and running good again, great video!
That's excellent. Glad it worked. If I counted all the people who saved money fixing this problem themselves it would be tens of thousands of dollars saved! 👍💪👊
Mine is a Toro 22" 7.25 hp. B & S guaranteed to start and didn't.. Only used it 3 times. My last Toro was invincible this one is garbage. Cleaning the jet worked great ....thanks for saving me a lot of time trying to hunt this problem down.
I was just about to give up and take my Toro to a shop after changing spark plug, draining fuel and replacing with fresh fuel, changing oil, and cleaning air filter. This was exactly the issue that was going on. Thank you so much!!
Thanks for the video! Just a tip to everyone else out there-those holes in the bolt you clean out with a wire are not just side to side, there is one in the middle as well that many videos fail to mention. The holes are in the shape of an upside down "T". Clean the one all the way thru to the other side...BUT THEN clean down the middle! My lawnmower is working 1st time in 3 years!!!!! Wooohoooooo!
Thanks for the comment Robbie. you are absolutely right. There is a port running from top down and then through the sides. Clean both. running a wire through the holes would break loose anything stuck in there. Glad your lawn mower's running. That's cool.
Hi, could someone please let me know if the hole at the top of the jet connects to the two on the sides? I used a pin to clean the two side holes, but I couldn't get the pin to go through the top hole. Thanks.
Hi Mark, I want to thank you for taking the time to post this video. I had this problem and following your video I took apart the carburetor. I thought it would be a lot harder as I had never done this before. The lawnmower now works. BTW I did not have any carburetor cleaning fluid so I used a paperclip to clean out the holes in the bolt. And then just a paper towel to wipe everything down. A note to the person who messed up the threads and everyone else. ALWAYS hand tighten everything and only use the ratchet etc at the end. You are less likely to cross thread. Most people do that once in their life and then learn to hand tighten first.
> Most people do that once in their life and then learn to hand tighten first Lol I cross-threaded the battery compartment cover on my first 35mm camera when I was 13. Never did that again!
Thank You! Thank You! Your brief but accurate video solved the problem with my 9 year old Toro which sat way too long. After cleaning the jet and bowl and using fresh fuel my Toro started on the first pull.
this video is just what I needed. at first I had to much fuel poring out of the intake, leading me to believe the needle and seat had to be replaced. after I had the carburetor completely apart and I replaced every single o ring, gaskets, sparkplug and air filter now I'm not getting any fuel. thanks for the video, it was a great help.
I had the exact same problem. Blew out the jet with carb cleaner and the mower worked like a champ again. Thanks! Saved me from taking it to the shop and only took 15 minutes to get it running again. Cheers!
Mark you rock. After screwing around with my Toro for a few hours I found this video. I've never seen a carb that had jets that are so easy to access. Popped off my bowl and found a good bit of dirt in there (why no fuel filter Toro??!!). One quick blast with carb cleaner and she was running like new. PS: the fuel cap on these is a bad design. The o-ring sits inside the neck and lets junk get into the gas. It's impossible to keep it out.
This was awesome. My carb is on the left side when mowing, not front, (model 20016) so I clamped the fuel line and tilted the mower right. I had no carb cleaner or ratchet but I used a small pair of channel locks to remove the bolt under the bowl. Turned out that bolt was the jet on my model. I blew it clean with my own breath and dumped the crud out of the bowl, and wiped the bowl very clean with an old dried out clorox wipe. Put it back and works great so far.
Thanks Mark, it worked for me as well! The Toro deal I called said a "carb rebuild", which they described as cleaning the needle valve and bowl area, would cost $80. And they our out 2 weeks to get to it! Thanks again!!!
thank you so much. I couldn't start mine, so took it to the shop, they wanted $198 to service it. I said no. found this video and it started on 3rd pull for the cost of carb cleaner. $3. Cheers mate!!
Old thread but thanks for this. My older Toro is in good shape but only used a few times each season since I have a yard service now. Despite running the tank dry in the fall and using a stabilizer I always have a no-start condition in the spring. Used this tip last year and again today. Simple and easy. Beats replacing the carb every year. Thanks again! 👍
was heading out to buy a new one, since it wouldnt start.Thought i would give it a shot online and came across your video...followed instructions -And you saved me $$$!!! Thank you!
This video helped me get my mower back up and running today. Thanks for posting it, excellent job making it easy for someone who has never done this sort of thing before.
Thank you for this video. It’s very very helpful. I just got angry with my Toro lawnmower. I put in a new spark plug and it sputtered and still wouldn’t start. I gave up on it for another day due to the fact that the temperature started rising . rising. I will watch your video while I watch your video. Thanks again.
Thank you!! I was able to get my mower working again in less than 10 mins thanks to your video. It took me longer to locate the correct tools than it did to actually fix the mower. Lol
Thanks for finding my problem... thought I had it clean when I cleaned out the bowl and upper assembly... didn't notice the holes in the nut at all. 5-minutes and problem was solved after several "stare and scratch my head" sessions this week... You're the man!
Great vid...I was mowing and my Toro started to sputter and then it stalled. Took a few minutes to clean to jet and everything works great. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
Mark, That was simple and it nailed the problem. I've been limping along hoping it would stay running for the rest of the season. This morning it wouldn't stay running. Did exactly as you said and it runs like new now. THANK YOU !!!Kevin
WOW i tried your five minute fix and i cant believe the difference! It hasn't started that well in years even after I've had it serviced :-( The funny thing is there didn't seem to be all that much crap in there, definitely some tho so i totally recommend this tip. Btw i almost lost the rubber washer so be careful people. A big thankyou 2 u from myself and the missus :-)
Thanks for sharing. My son broke a piece on my Toro a while back, I couldn't fix it. Took it to a Toro shop, they decided to do a tune up. It's ran awful ever since and I think this is the culprit. I'm going to knock this out today.
Thank you so much! I took it apart, cleaned it, and the mower started up and ran like a top. My husband was very impressed. Now to mow the jungle that is our yard.
Had no start problem. Removed bowl and jet, found crystals in bowl which I cleaned. Examined jet. saw that holes on side of jet were clear so I reassembled bowl. Still no start. Removed bowl and jet and cleaned both side holes and main hole on bottom of jet using wire as described in video. Started right up. Thanks for your informative video.
Mark I can kick myself in the tush my wife had purchased me a $25 lawn mower from a garage sale which last me for about 10 years and the beginning of this year It gave me some issues I replace the oil the filter spark plug I had to readjust the tension spring in the inside of the engine and after putting everything back together my pull cord broke which I had to replace it was a big headache but then after watching this video realized I didn't get to clean up the carburetor so now I brought me a newer lawn mower spent about $400 on a Toro self propelled model number 20332, and hopefully this video will be a life saver for me and keep it lasting for a long time. I'm still feeling the pain of tossing out the old one to the curb, but some young kid picked it up with his pick up which i'm sure he'll put it to good use to pay off that truck. Always a good feeling to give than to receive, thanks again.
Dude happy I found this video!! Did everything possible then noticed my oil was a little high and was starting but dying after two second cleaned the bowl changed the overfilled oil and fired up like a champ! Also changed the plug and air filter thanks for taking the time to show the easy steps to cleaning the carburetor
I know this is a year old post, but it's important to drain and clean the fuel tank as part of a carb clean to remove old, possibly contaminated fuel. There is always an easier way, to tilt or pinch off line with vice grips, but there is a through way and an easy way. If you missed contaminated fuel, you'll be doing the carb clean over soon.
Thanks so much for this video! I always thought the carburetor cleaning was difficult and you made it easier and helped me resurrect my old mower. I did notice that on my Toro the nut was 1/2 inch though the the 13mm worked but a bit looser. Again this was a great service you did in sharing!
Thank you so much Mark! My mower bowl was a slightly different design but the concept was the same. I fixed the same problem in about 10 minutes or less. Thank you for saving me a lot of repair cost!
Thank you - I was going to order a replacement carb from amazon, but they were all cheaply made and I didn’t want that. I watched your video and literally 4 minutes later I started my mower after 3 seasons of not being used.
The tip about the 13 mm socket was good. We just moved, I have a full socket set somewhere but I have no clue what box the packers put it in, so I picked one up when I picked up the carb cleaner. Cleaned and it works! Thanks! I really didn't want the hassle of taking it somewhere. Thanks for posting!
Thank you for this video. Because of it I was able to get my mom's lawn mower up and running again without an expensive repair bill! She was so happy!!!
Thanks for the video,worked exactly as you demonstrated. Was fretting taking mower in for service and stumbled across your quick fix,took all of 5 minutes start to finish, runs like new ...starts on first pull. Thanx very much for taking the time to do these videos. jim
Nice and easy solution, I thought I was going to have to take the whole thing apart but this 5 minute job solved my problem. Everything's working well now, thanks for sharing
I had the very same issue with my Toro lawn mower. I finally took the carburetor apart the hard way - washed the float and the needle value with a little gas and put it all back together. Now it runs better than ever and gets better gas mileage..
Thanks, Mark...this simple yet effective procedure had my TORO chopping like a champ in less than 10 minutes. Had I not found your video I might have dropped the LM off at the shop and spent $175 insted of spending $4 for carb cleaner. My LM is slightly different via configuration but the video made it easy to ID the carburator cup. The bottom of the cup had a but of sand and dirt that had stared to gel. The process for cleaning was just about the same, and very simple. Thanks the effort! John Cappy
Thanks for posting this. I was having problems with my mower surging and this solved the problem. It saved me some $ by following your the steps in your video.
Thank you Mark, you save me a trip to a mechanic or to the store to buy a new one. Just for Grind am a female and your instructions were so easy to follow, I use gasoline in a bowl and a little needle to clean that bolt since do not have carburetor cleaner handy.
Thanks! Good idea on tipping it back so I didn't need to drain the gas. Was sputtering, doing that and a few squirts of carb cleaner in the carburetor with the filter off + new spark plug made it sound like a champ.
This should be in the UA-cam DIY Hall of Fame! In what might be my last cut of the year, my Toro Recycler would not start. This happened when I initially bought it 11 years ago because I didn't know I needed to drain the gas at the end of the season so I knew the carburetor was clogged. I searched "cleaning carburetor on Toro Recycler" and found a lot of videos that entailed basically disassembling the lawnmower which I felt would have created more problems. In fact, the engine manufacturer in a maintenance video suggested anything to do with the carburetor requires taking it into the shop. I found this video, bought some Carburetor Cleaner and my lawnmower runs like new! Thank you! This would be extremely helpful at the beginning of the season if your lawnmower doesn't start due to a blocked carburetor jet because all the small engine shops are backed up and typically your grass is growing fast.
Video is 9yrs old and it’s still helping ppl! Thank you sir!!
I cannot believe how simple this was! After spending two hours last weekend trying to get my mothers "Ready Start" Toro to start, replacing the air filter, the spark plug, and draining the fuel, I gave up. Before hauling this three year old mower to the Toro dealer, I thought I would do a quick Google search for solutions. Very glad I did. I had no idea the jets on these mowers were so easy to access, and the tip on tipping the mower back was genius. I am sure if I would have had this mower serviced, I would have been charged for "rebuilding" the carburetor. Fifteen minutes of work and the thing started right up. Thanks for posting Mark!
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Just wanted to say thank you for your tutorial. I was having trouble with my 2 year old Toro mower (different model). I followed your easy instructions and was able to clean the carburetor with minimal fuel leakage and now it works great! Saved me some money on repair bill! (I'm a 50+ year old woman who is not afraid to get my hands dirty!)
My Toro lawn mower is probably 15 years old was having issues starting and I ran across this video. My carburetor jet bowl was filled with debris. After cleaning this out my mower started right up. Thank so much.
That's great! Well done.
Thank you. Almost bought a new mower today but I left my credit card home. Watched your video on a whim and it runs great again.
Yes! Way to go! Glad you found the video.
This video was spot on. I put the wrong gas in my mower and it stopped running. Using this video I was able to get my mower running like new for a fraction of the cost and hassle of going to a repair shop. It also felt really good to fix something myself. Thank you so much.
How does one put the wrong gas in a mower?
@@bigblue3568 Pre mixed gas with oil sometimes is mistaken for regular gas, my buddy did this when I let him borrow mine a few weeks ago.
Your video was absolutely 5 Stars! I'm an accountant, not a mechanic! I did exactly as you instructed in the video and it worked! THANK YOU!!!!
Mark, I was having a problem with fuel starvation on my Toro. Watched your video and fixed my problem. Thanks for taking the time to post this solution. My wife was giving me the eye today about the long grass. You saved me! Happy wife...happy life! Thanks again. Jim
Jim Huisel so true! glad to help.
You are a lifesaver! Literally, 5 minutes of effort and I can’t believe this worked!
I borrowed a 13mm socket wrench. Removed the screw. Pulled off the carburetor bowl. Cleaned it with fresh gasoline and put it back on.
I also unscrewed the spark plug and slightly bent the contacts closer together. It now runs with one pull of the cord better than ever! Thank you!
Sweet! That's a good feeling. Sounds like your plug may have been used for awhile. And may have needed to be regapped. There is a tool called a speak plug gapping tool. It's a handy thing to have. Spark plugs are designed to have a specific gap for a specific plug. Sounds like you maybe got lucky pressing it just close enough for the plug to function properly. You'd know if it was wrong because you wouldn't get consistent spark. Well done!
I must say that I had put my toro down 3 years ago and kept it housed inside the basement and had forgotten about it for a while and today I had every intentions on getting rid of it. I made some calls to get some prices for a new mower and discuss the extended protection plan options and in doing so the agent told me to try to clean carburetor first as that is the most common problem when service is needed and since it falls under general maintenance, it is not covered under the warranty. I saw this video and went outside and did exactly as instructed, the only differences were I used a gem clip to stick through the holes in the screw/jets and took my filter off (only 1 screw-flat head screw driver) cleaned it with a rag (did not need replacing) and it started immediately! Thank you! It really works!!!!!!
Lee Grier that's awesome. glad it worked smoothly for you.
Thanks Man!! My son's mower was having the same problem & found out when he replace the air filter last year, that he damaged the air filter cover & dust and grass clippings was entering the mower and clogging the float.. what you showed me was the correct fix & now running like a new machine .. you saved him two weeks in the mower repair service and lots of $$ that he couldn't afford.. Thanks again.....
My Toro recycler is very old. I bought it used and it ran good for one year. It’s started cutting out after about 10 minutes to run time. I change the spark plug I change the air filter. Those didn’t help so I changed the oil. After changing the oil it still cut out and it got to the point where it won’t start at all. I thought I needed a new lawnmower. I saw this video and I took the bowl off and clean the carburetor out with some carburetor choke cleaner. Put it all back together and it ran like a champ. Thanks so much.🎉
Worked like a charm, already had the carb cleaner from a previous snowblower cleaning. Took 3 minutes, cost $0.00 Thanks Mark
YES!!!!!! I ran out of gas 1/2 way through cutting, filled the tank, and started the mower. It started and stopped after a few seconds. I cleaned the plug, checked the air filter and no go. After many tries and no progress, I was ready to go buy a new mover and fix this one later. I came inside and watched your video........pulled the jet as you show and blew it clean with electric contact cleaner (all I had). Put it back together.....started......and it kept on running!!! THANK YOU!!!
I took off the carburetor and cleaned everything, but didn't clean this, so it didn't run. I cleaned the jet after watching your video, and it started right up. Thank you!
Awesome!
I have the Toro 53, It won't start, and 3 weeks to wait to get it fixed, I follow your video it started up on the first pull, Thank you, Thank you....I look forward to your other videos..👍
Mark, I thank you for making this demonstration. The way you set the lawn mower for access to the bowl. I was able to remove sand just like you said and clean holes in the screw piece. I'm 66 yrs old on a pension you saved me $$$. God Bless you for taking the time to make this film. Joe
my pleasure. glad it helped.
I just followed these directions and changed the air filter. My lawn mower works. I am so happy I don't have to lug my mower to the shop and wait 2 weeks and pay them $. Thanks
This video saved me a lot of money.
Last year my mower (not a Toro, but similar enough) broke. It would start, it would not stay running unless I sprayed Starter Fluid in it; which indicated... something... wrong. Well, I took it to a shop. The shop said the Carburetor needed cleaning. I paid them $90 to do it. I got the mower home, it still did not work. I bought a mower without an engine on it, pushyboi, and used it despite my disability; made it hard. Worked last year, this year I could not keep up with growth.
So I returned to trying to fix that mower.
I had to cut and rip off the fuel line to access the fuel filter... you know what - it was a little dirty; couldn't have helped. I removed it and added an in-line fuel filter I can see through. Now I'll never worry about fuel ~ I can see it. I checked the Carburetor, all the pieces moved... ok... not the problem. When doing that, I noticed stickiness under the bowl... which led me to the gasket on it not seated properly; air infiltration was why it was not working. I opened the bowl and found out the Flote was not even installed, it was just chilling in there; so I also fixed that. I sprayed some Carb & Choke cleaner around, cleaned out the clean looking jets, put it all back together ~ it worked.
Your video helped me do all that. THX!
I had this exact problem on my 2009 Toro "Guaranteed to Start" Recycler with a 6.75 hp Briggs & Stratton engine. I liked your idea of raising the mower to prevent fuel from draining out instead of having to clamp down the fuel line. I also thought I would have to take apart the carburetor but your solution worked for me. Thanks for producing this video!
This actually worked, wow! Thank you so much. I didn't have carb cleaner so I just grabbed a can of air and blasted the jet a little, and the mower went from repeatedly starting and immediately dying to running good as new. Nothing came out but it clearly did the trick. I actually had an issue with a pressure washer starting and dying several years ago, and thinking back to it I fixed it performing a similar task, unscrewing what I guess was a carburetor jet and blowing it out with air--a lot of debris came out of that one and it's been running great since. Thank you again, this video is pure gold.
The ports on those jets get clogged with just a little debris and you've got issues. Really glad you're back in business.
I have been having problems starting with my toro recycler lawn mower, it's 12 years old. It literally would start and die after each pull. I tried everything. I changed spark plug, air filter, oil, got non ethanol gas, and I flogged the carb with seafoam and put seafoam in gas and oil. Engine would shake violently and then quit every time. I was so fed up, I almost gave up on this lawn mower. I just did what you showed in this video in 15 minutes yesterday, I used seafoam to spray the jet holes. it worked!! Started up on the first try! I was shocked. hope to get another 12 years out of this lawn mower. 👍
That's what I like to hear!
I never post comments but after an hour of trying to figure out why it only stayed on for seconds and a trip to the hardware store to replace the filter I watched this video and now it works like a champ again! thank you for posting this
Once again, due to my limited mechanical skills, I've turned to youtube for help. Twenty minutes ago I watched this video, ten minutes ago I got my tools and lawnmower out, and now it's starting once again on the first pull. Thank you for posting this and saving me an unnecessary repair bill. Greatly appreciated!
you're so totally welcome!
This also worked for me. I stripped down a twist tie to the metal and used that to clean the bolt. Thanks for the tip of tipping the mower back. Also, just as an added safety step, you should unplug the spark plug cable when working on the mower.
Mark - A gold star for you! Two long and frustrating calls to Toro customer service and four trips to an authorized Toro repair shop solved nothing. Fortunately, a helpful manager at Home Depot, where I bought the machine 13 months ago, field stripped it in the store's parking lot. Once I understood the grit problem and watched your step by step fix, the mower was up and running in short order. Hey Toro, post a link to Mark's video so your phone folks can provide genuine customer service!
Lmao even the toro repair shop couldn't figure out this simple problem? I admit I'm not an engine expert but you'd think that if they work in a repair shop lol
TY you just saved me $50-100. It was reviving and I tried fuel treatments and air filter replacement. I am not a mechanic by any shot. I did just as you said and it fixed it like magic. Thank you very muck
Thanks!! Hadn’t been able to start mine, hadn’t been used for some time. Was afraid I was going to have take it to a shop! Cleaned the jet passages with a small copper wire, started like a champ, ran like a top!! LOVE UA-cam videos, they’ve saved me THOUSANDS!!
I did it! I watched your video and I cleaned the jet on my carb. It was full of junk!! My mower would not start at all. I'm all excited because I am female and I did it all by myself just by watching your video! THANKS!!!!
Sharon, you are totally awesome! That's so cool. Way to go.
Mark; your video fixed my problem. I saw water in the carburettor bowl therefore I emptied the gas tank and put the machine in the sun to dry. Also removed the spark plug and cleaned al carbon deposits.
I bought this machine because I had al old toro, 10 - 15 years ago and that machine would go from the first start and would not quit until the job was done. However, this one, same as yours it has been a headache, but your tip fixed it, and I am now enjoying an cold one in front of the BBQ. :) Thanks!
Glad you caught the water in the carbs. Seems strange though. I'd be wondering how it got there. There's got to be a leak somewhere that it got in. have you checked to see if there's water in your gas tank? Where do you think it came from?
Mark Mason There was liquid in my cap as well, but it was fuel for sure, not water. Are you sure it was water?
That's what I thought you wrote in your post. My mistake.
Super-sweet! I wasn't looking forward to pulling the whole carb, so finding the "Easy button" by just taking off the jet/bowl was outstanding! I may need to clean the whole carb to get it tip-top, but the improvement is easily 2-3 orders of magnitude by doing this 5-minute fix! I also really liked your "cheat" to tip the mower back instead of clamping the fuel line. So irritated at Toro for being so cheap as to not throw an in-line filter in there for me. The manual points to the fuel line and says "Optional" where the fuel filter should be. But adding that is a project for another day - AFTER I've mowed the hayfield! 😸
Thank you so much for your video! I have been trying to get this mower to work consistently for 3 years. Sometimes I could get it to work but mostly it would start and then stop. I pulled out the cap and cleaned everything up (which was full of sand, dirt, and rust), put it back on and sure enough it started on the first pull!! Yay! I mowed our whole yard...got about 6 different blisters on my hands, but felt so good to get it done!! Thank you so very much!!
Thank you for posting this. I have a Toro Recycler that I bought in 2009 - has worked like a charm until this summer it started sputtering, stalling, and no longer starting as easily.
I took the carburetor part off and it was filthy.
Cleaned it all out and it’s starting and running fine again.
How important is the washer? I took the bolt off and the washer is broken. Wondering if its important for it to work
@@josuemontalvo221 it may leak without it. Get a new one. Probably not expensive.
@@runsheeprun thanks
I paid to get this fixed months ago as I do not know anything about motors (more of a tech) - then I ran into the problem again and said screw it, and came across your video - saved myself $65 and learned something new! Thanks!
My recycler was experiencing the same issue, would fire up on the first pull but shut off within a couple seconds. The bowl had some debris and the jet was dirty/clogged. Followed this guide and running good again, great video!
That's excellent. Glad it worked. If I counted all the people who saved money fixing this problem themselves it would be tens of thousands of dollars saved! 👍💪👊
I just did this job on my Toro. Took about 10 minutes. Worked absolutely perfect. Thanks a million for the instructional video. Well done!
Mine is a Toro 22" 7.25 hp. B & S guaranteed to start and didn't.. Only used it 3 times. My last Toro was invincible this one is garbage. Cleaning the jet worked great ....thanks for saving me a lot of time trying to hunt this problem down.
I was just about to give up and take my Toro to a shop after changing spark plug, draining fuel and replacing with fresh fuel, changing oil, and cleaning air filter. This was exactly the issue that was going on. Thank you so much!!
I was a few minutes away to go buy a new lawn mower and you sir just saved me a ton of money. Thank you!!
Easy peezy, right!?
Thanks for the video! Just a tip to everyone else out there-those holes in the bolt you clean out with a wire are not just side to side, there is one in the middle as well that many videos fail to mention. The holes are in the shape of an upside down "T". Clean the one all the way thru to the other side...BUT THEN clean down the middle! My lawnmower is working 1st time in 3 years!!!!! Wooohoooooo!
Thanks for the comment Robbie. you are absolutely right. There is a port running from top down and then through the sides. Clean both. running a wire through the holes would break loose anything stuck in there. Glad your lawn mower's running. That's cool.
***** without seeing a picture the only thing I can say is a jet with no holes is not a jet :-).
Excellent!! I did this clean out today on a mower that hadn't run in 3 years. It worked perfectly. thank you!
I WAS ABOUT TO THROW AWAY MY LAWN MOWER, BUT I FOLLOWED YOUR VIDEO AS YOU EXPLAINED AND IT WORKS THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Sweet!
Hi, could someone please let me know if the hole at the top of the jet connects to the two on the sides? I used a pin to clean the two side holes, but I couldn't get the pin to go through the top hole. Thanks.
Thanks!!! Fixed in 5 mins. Love my Toro. 7 years of abuse and neglect and this was the first problem.
Greg Waite no doubt. I've only had to do this one time. I've had mine for 8 years. runs great.
Hi Mark, I want to thank you for taking the time to post this video. I had this problem and following your video I took apart the carburetor. I thought it would be a lot harder as I had never done this before.
The lawnmower now works. BTW I did not have any carburetor cleaning fluid so I used a paperclip to clean out the holes in the bolt. And then just a paper towel to wipe everything down.
A note to the person who messed up the threads and everyone else. ALWAYS hand tighten everything and only use the ratchet etc at the end. You are less likely to cross thread. Most people do that once in their life and then learn to hand tighten first.
> Most people do that once in their life and then learn to hand tighten first
Lol I cross-threaded the battery compartment cover on my first 35mm camera when I was 13. Never did that again!
Thank You! Thank You! Your brief but accurate video solved the problem with my 9 year old Toro which sat way too long. After cleaning the jet and bowl and using fresh fuel my Toro started on the first pull.
this video is just what I needed. at first I had to much fuel poring out of the intake, leading me to believe the needle and seat had to be replaced. after I had the carburetor completely apart and I replaced every single o ring, gaskets, sparkplug and air filter now I'm not getting any fuel. thanks for the video, it was a great help.
what a pain. glad you figured it out.
I had the exact same problem. Blew out the jet with carb cleaner and the mower worked like a champ again. Thanks! Saved me from taking it to the shop and only took 15 minutes to get it running again. Cheers!
Mark you rock. After screwing around with my Toro for a few hours I found this video. I've never seen a carb that had jets that are so easy to access. Popped off my bowl and found a good bit of dirt in there (why no fuel filter Toro??!!). One quick blast with carb cleaner and she was running like new. PS: the fuel cap on these is a bad design. The o-ring sits inside the neck and lets junk get into the gas. It's impossible to keep it out.
This was awesome. My carb is on the left side when mowing, not front, (model 20016) so I clamped the fuel line and tilted the mower right. I had no carb cleaner or ratchet but I used a small pair of channel locks to remove the bolt under the bowl. Turned out that bolt was the jet on my model. I blew it clean with my own breath and dumped the crud out of the bowl, and wiped the bowl very clean with an old dried out clorox wipe. Put it back and works great so far.
Thanks Mark, it worked for me as well! The Toro deal I called said a "carb rebuild", which they described as cleaning the needle valve and bowl area, would cost $80. And they our out 2 weeks to get to it! Thanks again!!!
Lmao a brand new carb is about $15
thank you so much. I couldn't start mine, so took it to the shop, they wanted $198 to service it. I said no. found this video and it started on 3rd pull for the cost of carb cleaner. $3. Cheers mate!!
That's a great story. Glad it help.
My 84 yr old mom and I just fixed our Toro, thanks to you!!!
You guys are awesome. Way to go!
Thank you for the video! Saved me the cost of taking it into the shop for "repair". Really simple, and I'm up and running at full speed again.
Old thread but thanks for this. My older Toro is in good shape but only used a few times each season since I have a yard service now. Despite running the tank dry in the fall and using a stabilizer I always have a no-start condition in the spring. Used this tip last year and again today. Simple and easy. Beats replacing the carb every year. Thanks again! 👍
was heading out to buy a new one, since it wouldnt start.Thought i would give it a shot online and came across your video...followed instructions -And you saved me $$$!!! Thank you!
I know nothing about engines and have this same lawnmower. Watched your video and it started running again. Thank you so much!
This video helped me get my mower back up and running today. Thanks for posting it, excellent job making it easy for someone who has never done this sort of thing before.
Thank you for this video. It’s very very helpful. I just got angry with my Toro lawnmower. I put in a new spark plug and it sputtered and still wouldn’t start. I gave up on it for another day due to the fact that the temperature started rising . rising. I will watch your video while I watch your video. Thanks again.
Worked for me and my carburetor didn't have the same setup as you. Thanks, who knows how much you saved me!!! Now I can just service it myself.
it's a great feeling, isn't it?!
Thank you!! I was able to get my mower working again in less than 10 mins thanks to your video. It took me longer to locate the correct tools than it did to actually fix the mower. Lol
Nicely done!
Thanks for finding my problem... thought I had it clean when I cleaned out the bowl and upper assembly... didn't notice the holes in the nut at all. 5-minutes and problem was solved after several "stare and scratch my head" sessions this week... You're the man!
glad it worked!
Mark, thank you so much for this video. It worked perfectly. You saved me a visit to the small engine mechanic.
Great vid...I was mowing and my Toro started to sputter and then it stalled. Took a few minutes to clean to jet and everything works great. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
Steve D no worries. Glad it helped.
Perfect! fixed a used Toro I picked up for $35 and it now runs without stalling. Thank you!
That's awesome! I love a bargain.
Spot on! Mower is 2 years old and should not have had any build up inside. Thanks for your advice, worked great. I also added a fuel filter. GO PACK!
awesome!
Just followed the same exact steps and now my speed setting works correctly. Thank you for giving us the right information.
Dude.....You are AWESOME. I did as you instructed, mower works perfectly.
Saved me $75. THANK YOU
Mark, That was simple and it nailed the problem. I've been limping along hoping it would stay running for the rest of the season. This morning it wouldn't stay running. Did exactly as you said and it runs like new now. THANK YOU !!!Kevin
WOW i tried your five minute fix and i cant believe the difference!
It hasn't started that well in years even after I've had it serviced :-(
The funny thing is there didn't seem to be all that much crap in there, definitely some tho so
i totally recommend this tip. Btw i almost lost the rubber washer so be careful people.
A big thankyou 2 u from myself and the missus :-)
Bj Clark glad to help.
Thank you! This is what was exactly wrong with mine. I was about to just do a full carburetor rebuild. It's running like new now. 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing. My son broke a piece on my Toro a while back, I couldn't fix it. Took it to a Toro shop, they decided to do a tune up. It's ran awful ever since and I think this is the culprit. I'm going to knock this out today.
Thank you so much! I took it apart, cleaned it, and the mower started up and ran like a top. My husband was very impressed. Now to mow the jungle that is our yard.
haha! that sounds so familiar. gotta mow the jungle tomorrow myself. Way to impress your man!
Had no start problem. Removed bowl and jet, found crystals in bowl which I cleaned. Examined jet. saw that holes on side of jet were clear so I reassembled bowl. Still no start. Removed bowl and jet and cleaned both side holes and main hole on bottom of jet using wire as described in video. Started right up. Thanks for your informative video.
Thank you, Just got mine started. After watching I figured out what to do and saved $80 at homedepot.
Thanks Mark still giving value to the community
Yah! 🤜
Mark I can kick myself in the tush my wife had purchased me a $25 lawn mower from a garage sale which last me for about 10 years and the beginning of this year It gave me some issues I replace the oil the filter spark plug I had to readjust the tension spring in the inside of the engine and after putting everything back together my pull cord broke which I had to replace it was a big headache but then after watching this video realized I didn't get to clean up the carburetor so now I brought me a newer lawn mower spent about $400 on a Toro self propelled model number 20332, and hopefully this video will be a life saver for me and keep it lasting for a long time. I'm still feeling the pain of tossing out the old one to the curb, but some young kid picked it up with his pick up which i'm sure he'll put it to good use to pay off that truck. Always a good feeling to give than to receive, thanks again.
You made this video in 2013 and it's still good today! You just saved me a trip to the outdoor power repair shop!
Oldie but a goodie
Dude happy I found this video!! Did everything possible then noticed my oil was a little high and was starting but dying after two second cleaned the bowl changed the overfilled oil and fired up like a champ! Also changed the plug and air filter thanks for taking the time to show the easy steps to cleaning the carburetor
Tilting the mower back was a great tip - saves a lot of time. Another video emphasized draining the tank.
I know this is a year old post, but it's important to drain and clean the fuel tank as part of a carb clean to remove old, possibly contaminated fuel. There is always an easier way, to tilt or pinch off line with vice grips, but there is a through way and an easy way. If you missed contaminated fuel, you'll be doing the carb clean over soon.
Thanks so much for this video! I always thought the carburetor cleaning was difficult and you made it easier and helped me resurrect my old mower. I did notice that on my Toro the nut was 1/2 inch though the the 13mm worked but a bit looser. Again this was a great service you did in sharing!
Thank you so much Mark! My mower bowl was a slightly different design but the concept was the same. I fixed the same problem in about 10 minutes or less. Thank you for saving me a lot of repair cost!
Exact same problem....followed your steps exactly and it worked perfectly. THANK YOU
Excellent!
I followed your operation verbatim no problems and saved me some $$$ not having to go to the shop! thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks Mark. That's great to hear. I'm glad it helped, cause I had the same experience with this procedure. Always nice to help a brother out.
Thank you - I was going to order a replacement carb from amazon, but they were all cheaply made and I didn’t want that. I watched your video and literally 4 minutes later I started my mower after 3 seasons of not being used.
The tip about the 13 mm socket was good. We just moved, I have a full socket set somewhere but I have no clue what box the packers put it in, so I picked one up when I picked up the carb cleaner. Cleaned and it works! Thanks! I really didn't want the hassle of taking it somewhere. Thanks for posting!
Thank you. I'm an old lady and I did it myself by following your good instructions! yay!
Way to go!
Took 10 minutes and it was running again. Can't believe I had the right socket size for the wrench. Great point on tipping the mower!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for this video. Because of it I was able to get my mom's lawn mower up and running again without an expensive repair bill! She was so happy!!!
3 weeks for lawn mower repair! Watched 4 minute video and took ten minutes to follow it exactly - worked like a charm! Thank you!
sweet!
Thanks for the video,worked exactly as you demonstrated. Was fretting taking mower in for service and stumbled across your quick fix,took all of 5 minutes start to finish, runs like new ...starts on first pull. Thanx very much for taking the time to do these videos. jim
that's great news! glad to help.
Nice and easy solution, I thought I was going to have to take the whole thing apart but this 5 minute job solved my problem. Everything's working well now, thanks for sharing
Guillermo Rodriguez nice!
I had the very same issue with my Toro lawn mower. I finally took the carburetor apart the hard way - washed the float and the needle value with a little gas and put it all back together. Now it runs better than ever and gets better gas mileage..
Thank you for your well made instruction video!! You saved my money 💰 and a time to drive to repair shop. It was quick and easy. Thanks again!
Hey thanks alot man. We ran into this problem after only 6months of owning our toro
Glad to help
Thanks, Mark...this simple yet effective procedure had my TORO chopping like a champ in less than 10 minutes. Had I not found your video I might have dropped the LM off at the shop and spent $175 insted of spending $4 for carb cleaner.
My LM is slightly different via configuration but the video made it easy to ID the carburator cup. The bottom of the cup had a but of sand and dirt that had stared to gel. The process for cleaning was just about the same, and very simple.
Thanks the effort!
John Cappy
Saw this and it took me all of 5 minutes to fix and save an easy $100. Thank you!
I should have added up all the times someone has told me they saved money. Makes me happy. Glad to help. 😁
Thanks for subscribing. I really appreciate it.
Thanks for posting this. I was having problems with my mower surging and this solved the problem. It saved me some $ by following your the steps in your video.
Thank you Mark, you save me a trip to a mechanic or to the store to buy a new one. Just for Grind am a female and your instructions were so easy to follow, I use gasoline in a bowl and a little needle to clean that bolt since do not have carburetor cleaner handy.
Thanks! Good idea on tipping it back so I didn't need to drain the gas. Was sputtering, doing that and a few squirts of carb cleaner in the carburetor with the filter off + new spark plug made it sound like a champ.