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This is a 2013 Toro Recycler, Personal Pace mower with a Briggs 7.25 engine. I bought it from Home Depot the other day. It was a factory reconditioned mower. No tag on it to describe why it was reconditioned. The problem I am having is when it sits still it will start fine. If we have it in our trailer (mowing business) and it bounces around a little bit from the road it will not start, or takes 40 pulls to get it started. When it does start, if we have the patience to pull on it for 10 minutes it runs like it is flooded, then clears up and runs fine. After it sits still it will start on the first pull. Does this sound like a float problem? We bought one of these last year and have run it hard. Loved it so much that we bought another one.

valleyviewlawns said:

This is a 2013 Toro Recycler, Personal Pace mower with a Briggs 7.25 engine. I bought it from Home Depot the other day. It was a factory reconditioned mower. No tag on it to describe why it was reconditioned. The problem I am having is when it sits still it will start fine. If we have it in our trailer (mowing business) and it bounces around a little bit from the road it will not start, or takes 40 pulls to get it started. When it does start, if we have the patience to pull on it for 10 minutes it runs like it is flooded, then clears up and runs fine. After it sits still it will start on the first pull. Does this sound like a float problem? We bought one of these last year and have run it hard. Loved it so much that we bought another one.

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Shut off valve on fuel line may help. Make sure your oil level is correct

That's a new one to me, Toro factory reconditioned mower. I've work in Toro dealerships since 1979 and have never see or heard of Toro doing that. How do you know it was factory reconditioned? Does it have a warranty? Please post the model and serial numbers if you would. Bouncing in a trailer os probably forcing the fuel out of the carb into the crankcase or the cylinder. As posted earlier, a shut off in the fuel line may solve your problem.

Rivets said:

That's a new one to me, Toro factory reconditioned mower. I've work in Toro dealerships since 1979 and have never see or heard of Toro doing that. How do you know it was factory reconditioned? Does it have a warranty? Please post the model and serial numbers if you would. Bouncing in a trailer os probably forcing the fuel out of the carb into the crankcase or the cylinder. As posted earlier, a shut off in the fuel line may solve your problem.

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It was at the Home Depot in Bozeman, Montana. They do this a few times each season. Sometimes they sell Echo trimmers and Toro mowers like this one. I would imagine if the manufacturer doesn't recon them then a local shop may be doing repair work to returned items and HD resells them. It came with a full warranty so I returned it to the store to ask them how long they thought it might be and they had no answer so I got my money back. It was a Model Number 20332. Riding around in a trailer shouldn't cause problems we do it everyday with other mowers. We have another 20332 that is on it's second year of running 40 hours a week and it has been a workhorse. Love the Personal Pace feature on these. This morning I went out to the trailer and it started on the first pull. I shut it off rolled it around on the ground for about 10 seconds and it would not start again. Yesterday my guys used it at the first place they mowed, put it on the trailer and it wouldn't fire again the rest of the day.

That must be a local thing. Just wondering how they are giving you a full warranty from the time you purchased it. The warranty can be passed from one owner to another, but usually only lasts from the date it was originally purchased. Back to your problem. Check to see if the choke is working properly. It sounds like at initial startup it is working, but after warmup it is either not closing again, if not fully warmed up or staying closed when the engine is hot.

valleyviewlawns said:

This is a 2013 Toro Recycler, Personal Pace mower with a Briggs 7.25 engine. I bought it from Home Depot the other day. It was a factory reconditioned mower. No tag on it to describe why it was reconditioned. The problem I am having is when it sits still it will start fine. If we have it in our trailer (mowing business) and it bounces around a little bit from the road it will not start, or takes 40 pulls to get it started. When it does start, if we have the patience to pull on it for 10 minutes it runs like it is flooded, then clears up and runs fine. After it sits still it will start on the first pull. Does this sound like a float problem? We bought one of these last year and have run it hard. Loved it so much that we bought another one.

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I have had the same problem not sure why.
I went with the easy fix and put a shut off in the fuel line.
I put them on all my mowers. From what I understand when the mower bounces on the trailer the float jumps up and down and let's gas in to the engine.
I am sure there is a better fix I just don't know what it is.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

Carscw said:

I have had the same problem not sure why.
I went with the easy fix and put a shut off in the fuel line.
I put them on all my mowers. From what I understand when the mower bounces on the trailer the float jumps up and down and let's gas in to the engine.
I am sure there is a better fix I just don't know what it is.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

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Seems like in line shut offs and fuel filters are cheap and just a good idea all my mowers have both

I have known three people who have bought Home Depot remanufactured or repaired lawn mowers and all of them were more trouble than what they were worth. I think each location takes a low bid on fixing this stuff and goes with that. I would not buy anything that they sell that was repaired or remanufactured.

jimrs said:

I have known three people who have bought Home Depot remanufactured or repaired lawn mowers and all of them were more trouble than what they were worth. I think each location takes a low bid on fixing this stuff and goes with that. I would not buy anything that they sell that was repaired or remanufactured.

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No kidding I am willing to bet they only fix the obvious problem and don't go through the machine

Same engine, same problem here. I suspect the EPA spark plugs are to blame as they will not fire well when wet and foul badly. Its a good engine and starts on one pull most every time but boy when its the least little bit flooded or you short cycle it or bounce it around or tip up for a bit to long you can hear its flooded and if its flooded much it will give trouble.

possum said:

Same engine, same problem here. I suspect the EPA spark plugs are to blame as they will not fire well when wet and foul badly. Its a good engine and starts on one pull most every time but boy when its the least little bit flooded or you short cycle it or bounce it around or tip up for a bit to long you can hear its flooded and if its flooded much it will give trouble.

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I don't think plugs have anything to do with it. The carb should be preventing flooding in the first place whether or not the plugs can fire is irrevelant

I guess all the techs on here with 1000 hours of school have no clue or can't find it in there books.

Putting a shut off on the line helps but it does not fix it.

Run some sea foam in your gas or just clean the carb. The needle valve has gunk on it and not letting it shut the gas off.

Just talked to the big man at the shop.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

Exmark 30 ,new this year has done it twice this summer, also smokes a little on start up. shop that sold it to me said this is because it rides and bounces around in trailer all day. It works fine when kept in the garage.:confused2: