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trpltongue

Fixing up a Toro 20047?

trpltongue
12 years ago

Hey all,

I am looking to purchase a mower and came across a Toro 20047 model that has been sitting for 18months after being used for 2 seasons. The blade drive belt was damaged and the owner tried to replace it but gave up and it's been sitting since.

I'm trying to decide if it's worth taking to the Toro dealer to have them fix it up, or if I should just bite the bullet and get a new Recycler.

Things to fix:

new blade belt (likely new pulley and blade brake)

blade engage cable (worn)

personal pace cable (worn)

shutoff button is broken (wires cut)

carb rebuild

air filter

spark plug

minor bolts / screws missing

plastic caps for wheel adjusters missing

This mower is in fair condition cosmetically (some rusting, most all of the paint is gone on the underside of the deck).

I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth spending the money to have it fixed or if I should just go with a new one for $400.

Thanks for any help!

Comments (11)

  • homechicken
    12 years ago

    That's an awful lot to be wrong with a 3-4 year old mower that was only used for two years. Sounds like the owner didn't take very good care of it. That would make me leary of what else I might find wrong with it after I bought it. If you can get it cheap, like in the $50 range, then it might be worth repairing, otherwise I'd say pass on it.

  • roadbike
    12 years ago

    I've owned a 20037 for about 7 years and used it spring througn fall every year and it shows no cable wear. I can't imagine how cables could be worn on such a lightly used mower. I suspect that plus all of the other broken stuff is indicative of other hidden damage. Such as an engine run without oil. Pass unless it is free.

  • 1saxman
    12 years ago

    Don't waste your money/time. This is a very abused mower. It's a 2006 model that may have been purchased in 2005. That means it may have 4 years of hard use or at least 3 years. I'd vote for a new Recycler if you need a 22" FWD mower (big lot), but really prefer a RWD 21" for a normal residential lot of 1/2 ac. or less.

  • trpltongue
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    The mower is basically free ($20). The blade engagement cable isn't actually worn but the plastic housing broke and needs to be replaced. The self-propel cable appears to have been disconnected during the attempted repair and may just need to be re-attached. The engine turned over but did not start (not surprisingly). I'm going to call my local dealer and see ballpark, what it might cost to repair.

  • trpltongue
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Spoke with my local repair shop and they estimated $150 to repair the blade belt, cables, switch, carb, air filter, spark plug. Said I likely wouldn't need a new pulley. A bit more than I was expecting, but all the other used mowers with personal pace were in the $150-$175 range with varying degrees of issues so I'm going to go pick it up. Worst case, if the shop finds a bunch more wrong when they're going over it, they'll charge me a $20 inspection fee and be done with it.

  • roadbike
    12 years ago

    If you get a chance post what the shop found. You may have found a jewel....

  • trpltongue
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Got the call from the Toro Master Service Dealer today.

    Mower model 20047 Personal Pace with Blade Engagement:

    Blade
    Blade clutch drive belt
    transmission belt
    Blade engagement cable
    Off switch
    Air filter
    Pre filter
    Spark plug
    Carb rebuild

    Total for Parts & Labor - $213

    So I'll have a total of $233 in the mower, which is about half price of what I'd pay for a new one. Probably not the BEST deal out there, but I'm okay with it.

  • corneliolopez25_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    my toro lawn mower is getting fire and gas but no compression gas coming out the spark plug when not in all its doing is spinning is the motor gone please help

  • roadbike
    12 years ago

    If you are getting no compression at all then you either have a stuck valve or the camshaft is way out of time with the crankshaft or one of the timing gears is stripped.

  • ewalk
    12 years ago

    trp: Thats a very fare price for your parts and installation service . I would tend to stick with that Dealer or Repair Facility . You may well have found a solid investment ! Best of luck and Happy Cutting :)

  • trpltongue
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks ewalk! The parts should have arrived this week and I'm expecting I'll get a call next week with the mower repaired. I'm looking forward to dropping my crappy sears mower and using the Toro. The sears motor is nice, but it's heavy and the cut is terrible.

    The paint on the underside of the toro deck is basically all gone and there is quite a bit of surface rust so I'm planning on cleaning it up and hitting it with POR-15 to stop the rust. After the POR-15 it should be a breeze to clean the underside of the deck (nothing seems to stick to that stuff).