Guaranteed to Start - Toro Recycler Repair

Just come to Canada. Everybody has a Robertson square drive in their tool box. Green #1 for #6 machine screws, Red #2 for #8/#10 machine screws, and #3 black for larger Machine screws. Some people even have a #0 yellow one for really tiny square drive heads. The Robertson does not cam out very easily, it will hold the screw on bit while getting the screw into the hole. Long live the Canadian Robertson Screwdriver.

I too was sceptical about that "start first time" claim, but it's both amusing and satisfying that it turned out to be true. It's also satisfying to see that all that mower needed was a little care and attention, and a few relatively cheap parts. As Bob Cratchit said to his wife after tasting the Christmas dinner: "Another triumph!" 😆

Man! Seeing that RadioShack logo on that multimeter brought back memories. I miss that store. It was my Toys-R-US.

I went out for my usual jog, and there on the side of the road was this exact mower. The homeowner was out and I asked if it was for trash. She said it won't start and I am welcome to it. I interrupted my run to wheel it home. (I probably looked hilarious walking down the road pushing a mower). The air filter was the factory filter and was never changed, No air was getting into the engine. It had been outside. The blade was trash, so i bought a new blade, a new drive belt for the front wheels was needed, a new coil (the old one was really rusty and terrible), and a new carb (again a lot of rust in the bowl). Nice mower. Very powerful, goes through thick grass with ease. And, as usual, I still learned something new watching a James Condon video. 👍 thank you!

I don't know what I find more engaging....watching the videos or reading the comment section afterwards....either way great stuff!

You can't win them all but you saved one from the scrap yard! Thanks Jim!

17:41 Good old Robertson Screws, the screw that made Canada Famous!! Best screws for cabinetry and woodworking.

You made me laugh in another of your videos James. When replacing the side discharge cover and you put up the text on the screen that said, "hammer is 3 feet away." It is nice to know that I am not the only one who has issues like this. lol

Something satisfying about mowing with a push mower, even better self-propelled. Maybe just childhood memories of mowing on a saturday and then watching scobby do and Johnny Quest. 😊😊

Robertson screws, that unit was built in Canada 🇨🇦

He repairs these machines with all the care and precision that a surgeon uses with human flesh.😂

I love watching you repair small engines. I am like minded and do all my own work and some for neighbors. I had a briggs' powered generic mower that I brought at the supermarket in the late 70's because it was cheap. At the time I was very poor and it was a major expense for me. It ran and ran for years. It started to look pretty ratty. I definitely got my money's worth out if it and I was wanting to buy a new, better mower. Problem was that old cheap mower still worked great. I left it outside all winter, multiple winters, deliberately trying to finish it off. It would still started first or second pull! I loaned it out, it came back burning oil like crazy. The neighbor had checked the oil and added a quart (I always checked it and kept it topped off)! So he over filled it by more than double. I pulled the excess off and it stopped smoking, ran like a top still! When I sold the house I left it behind. That dang mower ran for 18 years and was still cutting grass when I left it!

I’m must be getting old because I enjoy these videos

Thanks for another great video! I have the same model. It's 10 years old and LOW maintenance, including starting on the first pull every time. I refuse to use harmful ethanol gasoline in my small engines. Regular maintenance has included oil changes, blade sharpening, and only one air cleaner filter (I use a compressor to blow out air filters). Also, the mower is garage kept. Last year, I replaced the drive belt and the throttle cable. Side Discharge Cover: My only complaint about the mower is how poorly it mulches, leaving lots of clumps of grass especially when making turns (I never cut wet grass). Keeping the discharge cover open has eliminated 95% of the clumps of grass because the clippings get evenly distributed. Because I keep it open, I am careful about not running the mower if anyone is in the potential path of the discharge. I bet the previous owner had the same problem and used a coat hanger to hold it open. I use a bungee cord....you are right about the plastic distortion it causes....mine will no longer close. Worn Drive Wheels: The hard plastic drive wheels would hardly pull the mower because they became "bald" and very slippery. Rather than replacing the wheels, I chose a less costly option. I bought a mountain bike tire and cut it into two pieces long enough to wrap each wheel. I secured the "retreads" with scavenged wood screws. The traction is amazing!!! I can't take credit for the novel idea....found it on YouTube.

I've had this mower since 2017. Got it free from a neighbors garage fire. rope was burned, plastic was melted slightly but worked. ran it on the oil that was in a fire for 6 years and changed it the first time in Sept 23. Was my main mower for 3-4 years. Everyone hates it but even when stored 2 years in storage. 1 pull it starts everytime.

Great that you caught and fixed that hub problem. 👌 The thought of a blade coming off and going in search of its destiny is truly scary.

From 2006 until 2011 I maintained a sizeable rental property with an early to mid-90s Toro 6.5 Recycler push mower and could not have been happier with it. This mower was an absolute beast. It always started up, ran well and cut beautifuly. I was diligent about keeping this mower clean and maintained. As a matter of fact when I moved from this property I sold this mower for exactly what I had paid for it five years earlier.

That mud dauber remnant on the flywheel blade is killing me

The More you know with James Condon is well worth the hour of your time His content is always interesting and spot on ,well done Sir ,well done

Doing a 3-hand task with just 2 hands. "I'll try to make it look graceful." I nearly choked on my brownie. 🙂