Toro Warranty Repair Experiences and Expectations?

14 years ago

I recently bought a Toro 22188 from a landscape contractor who was selling it (I absolutely LOVE the mower so far!!!). I don't have the original sale papers and I don't know the original in-service date, but the date of manufacture on the engine implies that the whole mower is less than a year old, and therefore should presumably still be under Toro's 12 month warranty for products that have been used commercially (the engine has a 24 month commercial use warranty).

There are some minor things wrong with the mower such as one wheel assembly that has some play in it, a cable that's not adjusted quite right, a ripped rear skirt, peeling decals, flaking paint on wheels, etc. and I'd like to get these items fixed if possible before the warranty expires.

For those who have experience with or knowledge of Toro warranty service, I'd like to know:

1) Are Toro warranties transferrable (as I'm not the original owner)?

2) Am I going to get hassled because I don't have the original paperwork even though it's clear the mower is less than a year old?

3) How accommodating is Toro/the servicing dealer likely to be on little nit-picky stuff like decals and wheel paint?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

tomplum

14 years ago

It should be said that Toro does have a good warranty reputation all in all. When they offered the total coverage warranty, they would include things such as belts/ tires as example for the full warranty period as they weren't regular maintenance items. Now their warranty reads "full warranty" and I'm unsure of the specific differences. If you went to them saying the paint was delaminating from the whole top of the deck, maybe it would be a different thing.

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Comments (8)

canguy
14 years ago
The warranty is to the original owner and not transferable. The items you mention would be considered normal wear and tear especially under commercial use and normally not covered.
tomplum
14 years ago
I always thought Toro warrantied the product, regardless of purchaser. Canguy would be correct in that the items you described would be wear 'n tear anyways. Enjoy your new mower. I'd say refinish the wheels the way you'd like them, buy the decals and give it a good clean up.
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chesapeakebeach
Original Author
14 years ago
I called Toro customer service. They said the warranty IS transferrable. The original purchase date had been registered in their computer system, and they told me that any authorized Toro dealer would have access to the information.

Thanks for the responses!
metal
14 years ago
Let us know how it all turns out. I have had a couple Toro's but never needed to use the warranty (yet).
chesapeakebeach
Original Author
14 years ago
I stopped by my local Toro dealer to get a sense of what the warranty would cover. The guy I spoke to, who really seemed to know his stuff, was pretty adamant that only defects in materials or workmanship were fair game. He added that ever time you use a mower, wear items start to accumulate, etc., leading me to think they would probably err on the side of pointing to normal wear and tear as the cause of any problems. The overall impression I got was that unless the engine is bolted on upside down, a wheel has a giant flat area on it when you take the mower out of the box, or the cylinder head starts leaking oil during the first use, it's going to be tough to pursue a warranty claim.

Given that the repair backlog is a month at the moment, and given that the issues of concern to me are minor and easily fixed (by me), I think I'll just order parts on my own dime, do the repairs, and get back to smelling freshly-cut grass.
canguy
14 years ago
Good plan.
baymee
14 years ago
Your trip to the dealer to fix normal wear and tear items under warranty might be similar to the sign at the local junkyard. To paraphrase the beginning of the quote:

Helen handles our warranties. If you have a warranty claim, go to Helen Waite.