New to me old Toro tiller!

[SOHCman]

My grandfather just gave me his beastly old toro rear tine tiller since they won't be gardening anymore. They usually grew a 25 by 50 patch and canned most of it.

Anyway, it's got a 5 horse brigs L head I believe (but will do what a modern 15 horse will do, he tells me.) with a belt transfer for forward and reverse, and a "brass gear transmission/diff that takes 90wt"

Does anyone have an idea where the model number is usually located? Any reccomendations for a brass safe gear oil? I am planning on restoring the paint and taking care of it as best I can so it lasts another generation.

 

[hemitom]

I had an old briggs 5 h.p on a chipper it was 12 or 13 cubic inches the new 5 h.p power briggs are around 9 cubic inches. i don't think comparing it to a 15 h.p power is accurate but in my experience its every bit as powerful as a 8 to 10 h.p
L head from the 1980 to 2000 version.

 

[Bandito440]

I know Red Line MT-90 is good for brass parts. I found it hard to locate GL-4 gear oil that was safe for yellow metals, and ended up ordering the Red Line.

I've been looking for a used tiller myself. Good luck with yours.

 

[SOHCman]

I was thinking the MT-90 might fit the bill, but I know it's not ok for say a truck differential. I doubt this has hypoid gears anyway, so it should be excellent protection.

Good to know about the cubic inch difference, I bet that accounts for any extra torque. The only graphics still readable are a plain boxy red 5.0 HP, still trying to figure out the actual year. I'll try and post a pic.

 

[wvrailroader]

On a Briggs engine, the Model numbers, etc. are stamped on the sheetmetal near the sparkplug. They will also tell you the year the engine was made, you will just have to decode the numbers. Here is the link to Briggs' website serial number decode page: http://www.briggsandstratton.com/support/frequently-asked-questions/What%20do%20the%20Model%20Type%20and%20Code%20numbers%20mean%20on%20your%20engine/~/media/0395BAA256EB462A9899C77AE421ED64.ashx

 

[SOHCman]

Update,

It would appear the briggs, while old, is a replacement engine. It probably came with a cast iron Tecumseh with 6 or 7 HP.

It looks like what I have is a Garden Way (which would later become Toro) "Horse" model from the mid 70's. There is allot of stuff out there that points to these perhaps being key machines to a self-sufficiency movement. There is even a snow plow you could attach to these as an accessory.

Still looking for a owners manual, but it looks like they recommend sae 90 in the winter, and sae 140 in the summer. I'll probably use a 75-140 syn or the like in the trans, but still a GL-4 if Red line or someone offers it.

Thanks for the help!

 

[01rangerxl]

It's actually a Troy-Bilt, not a Toro.

Garden Way owned Troy-Bilt and Bolens. When Garden Way went bankrupt, MTD bought the Troy-Bilt and Bolens branding and started sticking the names on MTD products.

Old, original Garden Way Troy-Bilts (pre-2000 or so) are good. Once MTD got them, they were just another MTD.

I have used a 10 HP or so Troy-Bilt from 1983...it was a beast of a tiller even at nearly 30 years old and held up better than a lot of MTDs that are a couple years old. Troy-Bilt was THE name in tillers in the 70s and 80s, and maybe before.

FWIW, the Troy-Bilt name comes from the fact that these were once produced in Troy, NY.

 

[SOHCman]

Yes, Troy buit! My mistake, it started with a T anyway

Just scraped off the grime to reveal my serial number, now pending membership to the yahoo tiller group so I can get more info.

 

[SOHCman]

Finally! After several OPE forums were searched, finally a actual serial number identification list for these tillers.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attac...e-id-troysn.pdf

I thought you all could use this for reference as well. Funny how it says "confidential".

Turns out I have a 1971 Gardenway Horse, which is awesome because that means my grandparents were using this before I was even born...

 

[SOHCman]

Another bit of oil info, found a PDF for gear oil weight and GL spec.

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/sPa8UL2RpIr...wQ/troy_lub.pdf

Now to start servicing!