Toro Recycler Self Propel Not Working. $0 Fix

In today's video, I troubleshoot a 22" Toro Recycler self-propelled push mower that won't self propel. I will show you how to diagnose and fix this problem for $0 potenitially.
The content in this video might not be applicable to your exact piece of equipment. Any damage or loss to persons or property that may result from use of information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Brant Small Engine Repair.
Brant Small Engine Repair encourages the use of safe practices and safety equipment while working on your machines and therefore assumes no responsibility for personal injuries. The information contained in this video shall be used for informational purposes and used at viewers discretion.
On my channel. you will find repairs to many different makes and models of lawnmowers, trimmers, generators, rototillers, snow blowers, chainsaws, lawn tractors, pressure washers. If you're looking for repairs on Honda, MTD, Ariens, Husqvarna, Murray, Weedeater, Toro, Troy-bilt, Echo, Stihl, Craftsman, Mastercraft, Bolens, Brute, Firman, Generac, John Deere, Poulan Pro, Homelite, Canadiana, Noma, Remington, Powermore, Tecumseh, Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Yardworks, Yardman, Yard Machines, etc, this is the channel for you.
Music: www.bensound.com

[@ChrisIsmert]

I have a 3 year old Toro Electric Mower and it uses the same cable tension to control the self propel and this video showed me exactly how to fix it! Thank You!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@GoOffJuice]

Adjusting the tension on the cable fixed my Toro. Thanks!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad I was able to help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@ImaginalComponent]

just wanna say THANK YOU as i just fixed my mower thanks to you!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@blairk573]

Just found your channel and have enjoyed you videos. Todays is great also. I will continue to watch and learn. Thanks

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Thanks for watching! Cheers

[@WTCTribute123]

Your video was my exact model and solved my problem. I fixed it and saved a ton of money!!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Congratulations on your fix. Glad I was able to help. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@TheLolacat1]

this is a perfect video... i fixed my mower watching this.. thankyou

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad I was able to help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@Raven10117]

Thank you. When you got to flipping it over to look at belt, i noticed mine just slipped off. Easy fix. I didn't know how to look at this without help

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@jvarela965]

Thanks for posting this. I have same mower but Briggs & Statton engine, belt did not snap but fell off the wheel and I have to re-attach.

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@nomadprime]

Great video! Good step by step on how it all works and easy to replicate! Just what I needed!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad I was able to help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@waytoold1986]

Thank you. Great video, you saved me a trip to the mechanic.👍

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@mikezoellick6302]

GREAT VIDEO=JUST WHAT I NEEDED!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad I was able to help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@charlesmertes3109]

Great video,just what I needed,thank you.

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad it helped. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@markstrandoutdoors]

Excellent tutorial. I could not easily see the bolts holding the plastic housing over the top of the belt. It was easy once I knew where to look!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad it helped. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@234sportstalk]

Thanks for sharing!!!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

You're welcome. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@jserr9682]

Bro Thank you so much your amazing you just gain a new subscriber!!!!!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment

[@derrickchrist6845]

Thanks. Took about 10 minutes to fix mine.

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Congrats on your fix. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@dreamcatchinbebo4080]

Super helpful. Thanks

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@nelq415]

Thank you, this helped me !

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@lostmypicks]

Awesome I'm going to fix my mower tomorrow

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Good luck! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@navreddy]

Thank you. Will give itca try

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Hopefully it helps. Thanks for watching. Cheers

[@TheCrittercam001]

Good job on that messy transmission buddy♥

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@stefanpaneczko706]

Thanxs for showing the transmission.Could figure where to attach the drive cable.👍👍👍

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad to help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@souldefunk]

Thank you!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

My pleasure. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@lisabellotti7507]

It took me awhile but got it unblocked and the belt was not damaged! Thank you!

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Congratulations, great job!

[@heterogeneityrocks1]

Great job bud, sometimes cleaning can save trouble in the end

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

You got that right. Preventative maintenance always seems to lack and people then wonder why they're having to replace their equipment every 3-5 years. Thanks for watching. Cheers

[@scotthendrickson5430]

Thank you very much. I now look like a genius to my family. Great video.

[@Sinter7777]

I will let you know how it goes tomorrow! My self propel just stopped working, less than 2 years old (resi use)

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Good luck. Keep us posted

[@trailerparkcryptoking5213]

Now I know how to get the plastic cover off! Two bolts...

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@jaytyler3076]

So, my belt is not broken or off the pulley and I adjusted the tension and it's still not working. Do you have a suggestion? Should I try a new belt?

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Did you ensure that when you engage the self propel handle that the cable moves the pulley and puts tension on the belt? You need to take the plastic cover off on the front of the mower for this. If it does engage the pulley, then release the handle and ensure pulley is not seized. You might have a transmission issue. Hope this helps. Cheers

[@gregjennings5251]

Mine has an extra plate, and underneath that would help prevent debris from getting up in there

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

I believe most came with some sort of plate or cover to help keep the grass from collecting in that area. This mower seems to be missing this part. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@kittykat7709]

Any ideas on an old toro gts5? Self propel stopped working altogether. Paid the only place in my town $150 to "fix" it. Now the self propel works for the first like 5-10 feet and then stops again.

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

I would start with making sure it is the correct belt and that the belt is in good condition. Also, you might be able to adjust the drive cable to increase the tension on the belt. Sounds like belt slippage.

[@kittykat7709]

@brantsmallenginerepairs thank you so much!! Glad to know it might still be fixable 🤞

[@sirtooturntsirtooturnt5234]

Gonna attempt to fix my dads lawnmower

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Just take your time and take pictures of all your steps if you have to take parts off. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@mikelacool6473]

my cable snapped, how do you fix that? and where can i get one? thank you

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

I have a video where I replace the cable. Check out my other videos. To order the part, type your model number into the Toro.com website and find a parts diagram. Hope this helps. Cheers

[@anilphilip546]

I have a Toro 22-in recycler but it does not appear to be the same design model. The traction drive cable had snapped and they told me the part number for it is 115-8435 and I replaced it but the self-propel feature is still not working but there is no belt for my model. Please advise

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Pretty sure they all work on a drive belt system off the blade adapter. Are you missing the belt all together?

[@anilphilip546]

​@@brantsmallenginerepairs I found I had to adjust the cable tension and then it was fine

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

@@anilphilip546 good job

[@callmejefe_1854]

How to get it to not self propell even if I’m not holding the handle it still propells

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Does the self propel handle release when you let it go?

[@bobbyward8712]

When is the last time its been cleaned

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Good question. In my experience, commercially used machines get the least maintenance. Too busy working them I guess. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@gradyhernandez4699]

Some times it's the blade driver..

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

I guess the built-in pulley on the blade adapter could break (I've never seen this) or the pulley could get full of grass causing the belt to slip off like it did on the front pulley of this mower. This is much more unlikely due to the belt guide or keeper around the blade adapter. The pulley on the blade adapter could also get worn down over a long time of usage causing some belt slippage. I haven't really seen this either on push mowers, more on riders. Thanks for watching. Cheers

[@gradyhernandez4699]

@@brantsmallenginerepairs yes the built in pulley on the blade driver gets worn out and it won't drive the belt even though the traction cable is on good shape. I have one } that I'm working on} Toro recycler ,it cuts grass bit the belt won't even turn nor slip.! So. I'm ventured to suspect the blade driver pulley is worn out

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

@@gradyhernandez4699 could be possible but I've never seen one that worn. Is the belt stretched possibly?

[@gradyhernandez4699]

@@brantsmallenginerepairs well I haven't tried another belt. But I had a Snapper self-propelled mower..it stopped working ( the self-propelled side) bought a new belt for it..didn't work.. so then I saw a KZbinr that said he had a Toro recycler and he pushed it around for quite a while.untilba Toro dealer sold him a blade driver and that was the issue.

[@urhamlet2]

Super helpful! Got mine to work just now! Yay

[@TheLawnmowerLady]

Lazy landscaping crew. That on top of using a residential mower for commercial purposes 🙄I hope you got paid well for this, you deserve it.

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

We have a good relationship and we do a lot of business. Pretty easy to prevent this from happening though that's for sure. Thanks for watching! By the way, nice video using the dryer as a tumbler. I never had good success with the nut and bolt method as I'd always get tired too quickly. This could definately help with that. Cheers.

[@TheLawnmowerLady]

@@brantsmallenginerepairs 👍

[@gradyhernandez4699]

Not lazy landscaper..busy landscaper.if he was lazy he wouldn't be doing that type of hard work in the hot sun

[@TheLawnmowerLady]

@@gradyhernandez4699 I say lazy as he clearly doesn't bother to take the time to take care of his tools.

[@gradyhernandez4699]

@@TheLawnmowerLady Do You work as hard as they do? I doubt it

[@bobbyward8712]

If someone is going to spend 2/3 hundred of dollars for a mower clean it afterwards everytime

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

That would be ideal but we all know that will never happen. Certainly not for commercial landscapers. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@thomassciurba5323]

Customer did no maintenance and not smart enough to check the belt. Easy money.

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Very true. Keeps me busy and allows me to pass along some videos to help out others. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers

[@shlepmessing8703]

Cleaning it and better lighting, so we can really see what you're doing, would help.

[@brantsmallenginerepairs]

Not sure what you mean by cleaning it. I did show cleaning it, although I sped it up because I didn't expect someone would want to watch 5 mins of that. You have a point about lighting. I don't have a professional setup and sometimes struggle with lighting. I'll continue to try and make the quality better. Thanks for leaving your opinions. Cheers

[@shlepmessing8703]

No worries. Appreciate guys like you doing these videos for clowns like me... just hard to really follow you on this one.@@brantsmallenginerepairs