Toro Recycler Making Grinding Noises Won't Self Propel Easy Fix

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We check the wheels and alignment on this Toro Recycler 22" rear wheel drive push mower with grinding noise that the self propel feature is not working right.
We show how to fix this easily and keep the same issue from happening again.
This is a poor design but is addressed at regular intervals you can keep the wheels from getting chewed up
If your wheels get worn out quickly on your Toro mower this is the likeliest cause
Get a new set of wheels at amzn.to/47NIPZ6
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#toro #smallenginerepair #pushmower #individualizedrepair #smallbusiness #diymaintenance
About Us:
My name is Martin. I have been repairing tools and small engines for almost 20 years. We operate a small engine repair shop in Illinois. We service / repair Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki, John Deere, Cub Cadet, Toro Tecumseh, Loncin, Honda, Craftsman, Husqvarna, MTD, Troy Bilt, Simplicity, John Deere, Exmark, LCT, Generac and many more brands. We work on riding mowers, walk behind mowers, snow blowers, zero turns, generators, pressure washers and much more. We normally repair about 3,000 pieces of equipment every year and look at many more that are beyond an affordable repair. Hopefully our videos will save you some money and give you the information you need to work on your own equipment or figure out the issue at hand.
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Please be careful when repairing any piece of equipment and follow all possible safety measures. This video is for entertainment purposes only.

[@sergiopabon1387]

Like 3 hours looking for a video to see what was the sound on my mower. This is the exact sound. Final verdict motor is shot!

[@IndRepair]

Oh boy, no good

[@Fartsonpiano]

Was looking into a new mower until I saw this vid. Saved me about 400 bucks. Cheers Leo!

[@IndRepair]

Glad to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@jameswordenjr.7628]

Toro now offers a metal gear wheel conversion kit for this rear wheel drive model. The wheels last longer, as long as you occassionally put some grease on the pinion gear and wheel gear. It also eliminates this problem from repeating itself.

[@IndRepair]

Should come like this standard but unfortunately that would drive the price up. Thanks for sharing!

[@JohnM-pp2is]

I replaced the wheels, pinon gears and transmission and still had grinding gears and crooked wheels. I watched this video and fixed the problem. The items I replaced were worn out, so it was necessary to replace them. Thanks for your help, the mower is like new again.

[@IndRepair]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching!

[@leokammerod5432]

Thanks I changed the pinions and wheels 2x in the last 3yrs. Finally solved the issue with this alignment.

[@IndRepair]

Awesome news! Thanks for watching!

[@buzz6541159]

THANKS 😊this fixed it after replacing wheels and pinion gear two times and not working I was ready to trash my mower but not now 😊

[@IndRepair]

Awesome!! Thanks for watching!

[@joec4434]

This is a short term fix. It is fixing the symptom, but not the problem. The reason, the wheel fails is a design flaw in the Toro and Lawnboy wheel mounting system. Toro mounts a wheel bracket to the metal frame and that allows it to be raise and lower the wheels, but that system creates another problem which is metal fatigue on the mower's metal casing. The Permanent fix is extremely simple and will cost only a few cents. Add a torsion bushing for the wheel to rid on. I printed a nylon spacer bushing that was about 5/8 in diameter, with a center hole of 3/8 inch. The bushing is about 5/16 thick. Simply remove the wheel, insert the bushing between the height adjusting plate and the wheel bracket (This will require the bending done in this video), Make sure that the bushing hole lines up with the wheel bolt so that it will slide with the wheel. On this model the bolt extends just enough to engage into the bushing. Add a little silicon slide spray on the wheel adjusting plate, so the bushing slides easily when adjusting the wheel height. Note that this fixes the metal fatigue because the busing keeps the wheel at the same distance from the mount as where the bracket is. located. It simply cannot bend out of shape again. This fix should last more than 5 years. update: 4-3-2024 See My thingiverse post on how to print the part needed. www.thingiverse.com/thing:6548311

[@IndRepair]

You are right this will not last forever. On tune ups we do we just adjust them back every year when they get out of line. The bushing idea sounds like it may work. Thanks for the info!

[@scottpolenske9224]

Make a youtube video of your fix.

[@bce5849]

Maybe this nylon part could be purchased and cut to length from some big box stores' inventory of in stock nylon bushings or tubing? Making your own part has its own challenges and buying inexpensive stock material to be cut to work seems easier for us semi DIY person. Great solution to engineering flaw; Toro should adopt it ;-)

[@wrenfan]

@@bce5849 I used a 3/8" nut with same thread pattern as the wheel mounting bolt to accomplish the same thing. Never failed again. Mower about 15 years old. studio.kzbin.infoRVK_po7BRZs/edit

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

Great tip!

[@IndRepair]

Thanks for watching!

[@b286guy]

Nice work! This shouldn’t have even been necessary, but modern Toro mowers are being made from cheap junk materials.

[@IndRepair]

They sure are! Quality has gone down with price going up every time! Thanks for watching!

[@johnrose3169]

The modern Super Recyclers are still a great mower - always have brought a premium price too. The newer Recyclers are made to a totally different price point and market. Big difference between the traditional aluminum decks that Toro earned their reputation from and the newer steel deck models...

[@IndRepair]

@@johnrose3169 The deck is still a great feature on all the super recycler. Many of the new ones are being sold with the Toro Lauson engine on them for base price and the Briggs is an upgrade price point... Everything else seems to be the same but drive train may have been cheapened also... This is a huge downgrade from the Briggs in my opinion. Every company is saving where they can...

[@johnrose3169]

@@IndRepair I hear you there. Pressure is on all companies to save money where they can. Speaking about the Briggs upgrade price point, Briggs filed a lawsuit on Chinese engine manufacturers dumping engines on the OPE market and they won. It is ironic because even Briggs makes many of their snowblower engines in China. I believe Kohler's smaller push mower engines are made in China as well. If you look at the latest Toro catalog offerings, the Toro badged Loncin engine is all but gone from the homeowner walk behind mower models. Much of the Craftsman and MTD badged walk behinds are offering Briggs again as well.

[@mikekretzer8546]

YE OL' 1 HANDED MECHANIC GOOD STUFF

[@IndRepair]

Sometimes

[@markheidema3699]

I used a bar to align the bolt and sprocket...worked great! Thanks for sharing and saving me $$

[@IndRepair]

Awesome! Great Job! Thanks for watching!

[@kevinmalott9625]

👍👍

[@IndRepair]

Thank you

[@kielq123]

Could you do a video replacing the bracket on the rear that the wheel attaches to. Great videos

[@IndRepair]

Don't have one here currently but possibly in the future! Thanks for watching!

[@kielq123]

@@IndRepair one will come through your doors at some point I just don't understand how to get that bracket off it's like it's threaded on there because I don't see any kind of mechanical fastener Maybe I'm Wrong I just hate to throw a perfectly good more away because of a $5 bracket

[@IndRepair]

It will!

[@harryharry3193]

nice job. now you can tip us on the wobbly front wheel fix. I got to look at my beater and see whats up there...havent had an issue with the back like this one...

[@IndRepair]

Haha that's usually what they come in for when there is a hole in the block! Front wheel fix is usually just replace as the plastic is broken. Thanks for watching!

[@harryharry3193]

@@IndRepair or those bushings get worn out from no lube......when I buy these 25 buck beaters.

[@IndRepair]

Yeah buddy!

[@HeidiPyke]

Thanks!

[@IndRepair]

Thanks for watching!

[@markheidema3699]

great video, will I be able to use this drive wheel and metal gear assembly on a toro recycler that had a original plastic wheel gear wheel?

[@IndRepair]

I believe you can switch them but we do not replace with anything except direct replacement so I can not confirm 100% on this. Thanks for watching!

[@scottpolenske9224]

My mower just started to do this. Ill replace the wheels and align the axle. I suspect the design and age of my mower and the deck becoming weaker from the age this may happen more often. I suppose tipping the mower to the back wheels to make frequent 180° turns dosent help it either. Thnks for this.

[@IndRepair]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching!

[@mikehrdlicka8635]

I pull wheels on middle setting put bar in there and bend. If over done hammer in a little

[@IndRepair]

Yes sir!

[@remowb]

Very informative video. How can you tell if the transmission is defective? If you turn one wheel by hand and the other wheel does not turn, does that mean it's a bad transmission? I'm getting that grinding noise and the rear wheels are not pulling. Replace the rear wheels a year ago so they are not the issue and appear to be square to frame. Thanks!

[@IndRepair]

A year is all that you get many times on these if not perfectly square. They should both turn freely, you can test the transmission by turning the pulley on top clockwise (if looking down at the pulley) It is kind of hard to get in there and turn, of course. if you have the wheels off when you do this, within a couple remolutions you should start to see the axles turn and they should continue turning while you rotate the pulley. If any hesitation or spots where the axles stop turning you know the transmission has bad spots. If the transmission is grinding audibly it is almost definitely a wheel issue. Thanks for watching!

[@remowb]

@@IndRepair The cogs on the rear wheels are in good shape with no wear. I will do the pulley test today. Thanks again!

[@IndRepair]

@@remowb Yeah if you already inspected the rear wheels and they are good most likely transmission is the issue but usually don't get too much noise out of a bad one. Guess anything is possible!

[@remowb]

@@IndRepair Did the pulley check and axle does have some hesitation so now I know the issue. Thanks for the help in diagnosing my problem!!

[@IndRepair]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching!

[@mikehrdlicka8635]

I thought you were going to look in with out guard to see how gears mesh

[@IndRepair]

You can install and look but long as tire is aligned with other wheels and deck it is not necessary

[@danielpadgett2831]

I would have cheapened all that dirt and grass out of the gears and put a little white lithium grease before putting the new wheels on

[@IndRepair]

Grease just gathers more debris, not a great idea with this plastic on metal combo. This video was to show process only, was not our final time with it open. Thanks for watching!

[@shawness93]

Not a smart idea

[@danielpadgett2831]

@@shawness93 that's just me I understand it gathers dirt but so does alot of other things we grease so why not in my opinion

[@TecumsehRulesbcserk]

Honestly the engine on this mower has to be one of the worst vertical shaft engines ever. It’s a cheap Honda clone with reliability issues and it uses an entire tank of gas to get the lawn done once. My Honda could do three or four lawns before having to fill up.

[@IndRepair]

Yes sir.

[@Rick-vd9os]

Toros are JUNK

[@IndRepair]

Some models I would agree with you on that!

[@shantor100]

Mines 16 yrs old and still running