Toro 6.75hp "key start" lawn mower

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Kira

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We have a well maintained example (2006 manufacture date on engine placard) which sports the moniker "GTS" (Guaranteed To Start).
After priming it'll spin away on its 1 year old battery-which is fully charged-but will never catch.
One tug on the recoil starter and it roars to life so I know spark and fuel are OK.
Just today the battery checked out GOOD using a load tester at a "Battery & Bulbs" store.
The LED display of their tester couldn't've registered any better.

Is there something I can do aside from buying a new battery?
I believe that would be wasteful.

Should I open the starter motor and lube it?
The air cleaner element is clean.

TIA
 
Lose wire perhaps that is not sending voltage to the spark plug when cranking? Test to see if you have spark while cranking with the key.

Or the starter is taking all the juice, leaving nothing for the spark plug. Coil could be getting weak.

Try a new plug, gapped at .020 instead of .030. See if that works. I usually do that to test if a coil is getting weak.

My initial guess is the ignition switch went bad, or the coil is getting weak.
 
Sounds like its not getting spark when starting with the starter?

If it starts with 1 pull otherwise that is abit odd but helpful troubleshooting.
 
Not that uncommon with electric start walk behind mowers when they get a little older. Try gapping the plug to .020 and see if that helps. Electronic ignition has to turn 300 rpm to spark, and sometimes they just won't quite get up enough rpm. Pulling the rope spins it faster. When I sold new mowers, and a younger able bodied person wanted to buy one with electric start (walk behind only) I would recommend they not get it as the first time the battery gets a little weak and they find out how expensive a battery is they are back to pulling the rope anyway.
 
I have a 30 yr old Lawnboy with a corded electric starter . A 3/8 drill with an 11/16 deep socket adapted onto it. Currently out of cordless drills.Take the battery to a Batterys + and they can match the Toro battery.If the battery has a plug in charger Bring it too. My 25 yr old GTS starts on the 2nd pull if I have opened the shut off.
grin2.gif
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by old1
Not that uncommon with electric start walk behind mowers when they get a little older. Try gapping the plug to .020 and see if that helps. Electronic ignition has to turn 300 rpm to spark, and sometimes they just won't quite get up enough rpm. Pulling the rope spins it faster. When I sold new mowers, and a younger able bodied person wanted to buy one with electric start (walk behind only) I would recommend they not get it as the first time the battery gets a little weak and they find out how expensive a battery is they are back to pulling the rope anyway.


+1

I've seen a few of these where they won't start with the starter, but start first pull of the rope. The starter was not spinning fast enough to provide spark. I'd definitely try an inline spark tester to see if you are getting spark while cranking it. The electrical connections might just need to be cleaned if the battery shows full charge,
 
Originally Posted by Kira
We have a well maintained example (2006 manufacture date on engine placard) which sports the moniker "GTS" (Guaranteed To Start).
After priming it'll spin away on its 1 year old battery-which is fully charged-but will never catch.
One tug on the recoil starter and it roars to life so I know spark and fuel are OK.
Just today the battery checked out GOOD using a load tester at a "Battery & Bulbs" store.
The LED display of their tester couldn't've registered any better.

Is there something I can do aside from buying a new battery?
I believe that would be wasteful.

Should I open the starter motor and lube it?
The air cleaner element is clean.

TIA


Are you discussing push mower?
 
Originally Posted by old1
Not that uncommon with electric start walk behind mowers when they get a little older. Try gapping the plug to .020 and see if that helps. Electronic ignition has to turn 300 rpm to spark, and sometimes they just won't quite get up enough rpm. Pulling the rope spins it faster. When I sold new mowers, and a younger able bodied person wanted to buy one with electric start (walk behind only) I would recommend they not get it as the first time the battery gets a little weak and they find out how expensive a battery is they are back to pulling the rope anyway.


Never really thought about it - thanks for the advice!

I like the corded starter on my Ariens snow blower. It means I have to run an extension cord out to the shed, but should work nicely if I can't pull-start it for some reason.
 
Does the battery on a push mower do anything other than start the engine?
Even lawn tractors only use the battery for starting and headlights and push mowers
don't have headlights.


My 2¢
 
I had a Toro loaner when mine was in the shop and it did the same. It was getting spark so I just figured it wasn't turning it fast enough to catch. These mowers pull so easy I see no reason for a starter especially when you figure in the weight they add.
 
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