Check the oil level , sounds like the previous owner ran this mower with very little regard to preventative mtce . If it is black and low then move on this mower is a freebie for a reason . No air filter is a liability indicating white smoke most likely worn rings from injesting dirt and debris !

It started last night and I posted this. One pull and it starts, but then I looked at the mower blades and the bolt was loose. I tightened that to eliminate the noise, but I will check the shaft.

It smokes when shutting down and when its working hard in high grass.

I added oil and the level is still good, but I may change it. How do I find out how much oil it would take? And does is have a drain plug or do you tip the mower to drain?

Yeah sounds like worn rings , may last a few more yrs if you ensure new air filter . Since your unit is 7 yrs old either a Briggs or Kolher engine probably . Also apparently the mower deck to engine bolts are loose , since you indicate the motor moves when pulling the recoil . They had a drain plug but often it was under the clutch guard or belt guard , also you could spill oil onto the belt or pulley . I would just tip the mower and drain via oil full tube into a tray . Warm the oil prior to draining . 3/4 to one quart required to fill , check dip stick at 3/4 to verify .

If it's a mulching mower it needs to have a sharp blade to minimize the load in thick grass. Make sure your blade is sharp.

Use 10W-30 synthetic, most mowers take 20 oz. Most oil bottles have a transparent strip so you can put oil in until there are 12 oz remaining. Put a new air filter on it. My favorite mower oil for older ones is now Castrol Edge synthetic, 10W-30, 'High-Mileage'. Heed the other tips listed above.

'Works hard in high grass'; raise cutting height to 4" and bag or discharge.

You will mess up 'checking the crankshaft' if you turn the crank while the mower is tilted up. This will pump oil into the carb. Always tilt up with the carb side high, as if you were going to dump the oil. If the mower does not vibrate when running, the crank is probably not bent.

I would put a new blade on it anyway. The one on it is probably worn out/out of balance.

toxcrusadr.. The Recycler is a 3N1 mower. Mulch, discharge and bag.

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With no mention of smoke color at shut down.

1. Black = Running a little rich. Once the engine starts to slow down by the engine brake the governor opens adding more fuel to the mix (same as they do when mowing and bogs down) , Auto choke closing with loss of vacuum causing a rich mixture.
2. Blue = Burning oil. Sudden loss of vacuum through the block vent (PCV) builds pressure in the crankcase which in turn shoves oil into the combustion chamber (worn rings, bad valve seals)..

No Air filter? That would concern me.. Quick way to hasten ring and valve guide wear,

Blade loose enough to thrash around? Two lucky's there. 1. the bolt did not come out allowing the blade to thrash around and damage the deck. 2. The blade did not fly out from under the machine possibly causing a foot injury or strike someone or something.

Oil Change.. Different Briggs engines have different methods. Tip the mower up to where you can see the bottom of the engine. If you see a pipe plug with a square hole in it. That is the oil drain plug. Use a 3/8" drive ratchet and extension to remove it. You may have to turn the blade a little to see it.

Some call for 18 oz, Some 20 oz.. Adding 20 to either is perfectly fine. Just do not over fill it to much.

We owned a Toro recycler for 5 - 6 years. It was a great mower for the first 4 years. We completed regular maintenance on it, but by age 5, it was not reliable. We would have difficulty starting it, but once it started, it was great. If you had to stop mowing to grab a drink, you wouldn't be able to start it again. It was beyond aggravating! We took it in and they did some adjustments, changed the spark plugs, etc. It worked fine for a couple of weeks and then resorted back to it's unreliable ways. We ended up selling it for $5 at our Spring garage sale. I don't miss it a bit. If you look at the reviews online, you'll see that it has a history of problems.

Annie, $35 and a replacement carburetor would have likely turned it into a new mower. Had a similar experience with mine, and the car change cured it. Normally due to bad gas, and leaving it in the carb over winter. Use non-oxy gas and add a shutoff valve between the tank and carb and shut off the fuel during long periods of no use. Save yourself a ton of trouble.

Annie , Steve could be correct within carb causation to e fuel contamination ? However with your description of 5 yr timeframe i would point to the autostart Choke Module as being faulty . In Toro they are a Bi-metallic disc on Kohlers and beeswax module on Hondas or Bimetalic strip on Briggs which when heated buy the muffler expands and provides axile movement to open the choke . They should fail open but often failed either open or closed , flooding a warm engine or failing open and not choking a cold engine on start up . A quick 20 minute fix and $18.00 part . Yes frustrating and a poor design ! P.S. Sax and Steve's advice on mtce and fuel conditioners are very prudent within preventative maintenance for any mower !

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, my husband and I aren't too mechanical. After we brought it in for service and it continued to have problems, we decided to stop putting more money into it. (I envy people that can fix things!)

Annied75

It wasn't the mower. It was the Briggs and Stratton engine that were better suited for the scrap yard rather than be put on a mower. The carburetor on them is a joke. and tach welding the lock nuts on the valve stem is the only way I have found to keep to the valves adjusted for any length of time .. I can not say how many good Recyclers I have saw that had been set on the curb due to engine problems..

I picked one up a few years ago that looked like a brand new one. The rivets in starter rope housing were all ripped out from the guy pulling on it so much. I replaced the B&S engine with a spare new old stock Tecumseh 6.5 I had and the mower still runs and cuts great today.

I miss Tecumseh. Bought a Sears mower in 1991 with a Tecumseh Eager One 5 hp engine. That thing ran until about 4 years ago (so over 20 years) with oil and air filter changes, and the occasional spark plug. I had to find some used replacement wheels to put on it because the engine outlived the plastic wheels. It died but only because the wife hit the bottom flange on a fire hydrant and bent the shaft. If not for that we'd probably still be using it.

Annie as Mule has advised between the EPA compliant carbs and offshore production of many Briggs / Kohler / Honda Engines combined with sour efuel today's small engines are being severely compromised . Unfortunately today's consumers are not familiar with these issues until after the fact and must rely on Reputable Dealers which are few and far between . Sorry for your experience , in the future stick with a mechanical choke or primer / purge button carb design if possible . All auto choke assembly designs are poorly made and prone to premature failure .

tox , Tecumseh were stout engines in their day , quirky by today's standards with mtce intensive carbs within today's e fuel contamination (numerous orifices) however with proper preventative mtce would provide yrs of service . P.S. The Snow King Model was exclusive of many Snowblower,s as the Premium Engine of choice due to it,s strong torque curve . Yep I miss the Stoccato beat of a Tec off idle , then smoothing out under load , The 427 Rat Engine of Small Engine,s lol :) .

toxcrusadr

I grab every Tecumseh engine I can get my hands on running or not.

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A lot of people wrongfully think it was the EPA that put Tecumseh engines out of business.. When I hear it or read that on some forum I will not even respond. For it is not true..

Here are some of the facts.

In 2009 CPC bought Tecumseh from Platinum along with Rudolf Strobl, president of Tecumseh at the time refused to turn over all of the assets.. A law suit was filed and it has played out in court for nearly 8 years.. CPC won the case in OCT 2017 and made the announcement..

“While we were pleased with the judgement results, we were just as eager
to put the intellectual property to use in bringing back engines into
production that were long staples in the snow thrower, generator and
lawn and garden markets. We are excited to return some of these engines
to their former glory under their trademarked names of “TecumsehPower,
Lauson and Snow King.” The Lauson trademark represents one of the
first-ever engine companies established in the U.S.

So raise a glass to CPC and the Judge that resided over the case.. Then cross your finger that CPC is able to fire up the Tecumseh production line soon.

Yep Tecumeseh ruled the Blower , Generator and Tiller equipment for yrs . Hope your right Mule otherwise it will be another Adios Amigo eg: Clinton , Lawn boy 2 strokes and Suzuki small engines .

I never had trouble with my Tecumseh carb nearly as much as I did with the auto-choke Sears I bought to replace it. It will fail to start when hot sometimes, but not often. Biggest problem was it would start and run a couple minutes and then stall. Wait a few minutes and it would start. On my second visit, the warranty service guy at Sears showed me that it had NO fuel filter, not even a stone on a flex hose inside the tank. So a piece of debris would get into the bowl and be sucked up into the vertical metal feed line going up to the carb and starve it for fuel. Shut it off, the debris drains back into the bowl and it restarts, and then it happens all over again. I cut the fuel line from the tank and installed a $1.99 fuel filter. Hasn't done it since. Shoulda known that a $229 mower bought in 2015 to replace a $229 mower from 1991 would not be nearly as good. But skipping the fuel filter in order to reach a price point guarantees trouble for your customers and is just unconscionable in my opinion. If there was a sign in the store saying "THIS model has no fuel filter and will stall constantly. but THIS one, for $10 more, will run more reliably," which one would people buy? But no, they'll by the cheapest looking only at HP and cut width since they have virtually no information.

very few, if any push mowers come with fuel filters anymore.

tox , if you never had problems with Tecumseh carbs , then you were religious with your fuel purchase and storage and usage . Tec carbs by design were prone to dirt intrusion and fouling . The introduction of e fuel only exasperated this issue . As I said previously tec,s were a little antiquated but stout performer,s when maintained properly . Secondly Steve , most quality mowers still have fuel filters . Only a few offshore units do not . Most Honda , Kohler , Briggs and Kawasaki do indeed have fuel filters . However the quality and location of same is questionable . Honda has a few models with integral to fuel tank non serviceable filters . Kohler , most Hondas and Briggs have small internal fuel filters that are serviceable . All commercial Grade Mowers have serviceable fuel filters normally inline externally prior to the carb inlet . However your points are valid , why are larger quality fuel filters not installed externally on all mowers to assist in visualizing the fuel condition and ease of replacement when required . Most internal fuel filters are undersized ( micron,s) and are therefore prone to fuel starvation out of the gate within hrs of use !

I have never tried to avoid ethanol gas and in fact there was a law in MO some years back that ALL gas had to have 10% ethanol. I have not noticed that it causes problems as long as I ALWAYS empty the tank in the fall and run it till it quits to clear out the carb and float bowl too. When I didn't do this it caused problems. This goes for mowers, chipper shredder, chainsaws and all. The gas works fine as long as you don't let it sit in there for months. Just my experience, YMMV.

tox , actually it takes just 30 days for e fuel to begin to foul carb circuits . The debris you mentioned via the emulsion tube from the float bowl is extremely rare , guess it's a reason Sears is shutting down since they cut corners lol. However the waxing of fuel filters and internal carb circuits is quite prevalent . Therefore running units dry does not always work , since residual gas remains within the filter and carb circuits . I have customers bring units in every season who sweat they ran it dry. Then I show them the primary and secondary circuit crud that my ultrasonic cleaner removes from within the carb . The best method is to treat your fuel just prior to seasons end and then run the engine until it dies . Personally I then remove the float bowl and wipe any residue out . As far as avoiding e fuel , these days is almost impossible and usually impractical . I use it in small batchs within 30 days or treat larger quantities for snowblower or snowmobile , with Startron which protects against phase separation for up to 2 yrs . Never had a customer back for any e fuel issues since . Anyhow sounds like you treat your equipment well Cudo,s !

I too use startron in all of my small engines with great results. Along with non-oxy and small gas cans to force me to get fresh stuff more often.

I dont believe my toro super recycler w/ a Kohler has a filter, unless its in the tank? Not saying its the best mower out there, but it wasnt cheap either.

Hey Steve , Yep Startron is the Best Product on the Market in my opinion . RDaystrom a forum member turned me on to it back 8 yrs ago when I was sourcing a conditioner for my diesel equipment . As for Kohlers they usually have two fuel filter designs within the tank as I previously advised . Not knowing the vintage of your mower i cannot tell you which unit it may be . However I always prefer the larger micron filter placed in line just before the carb and after a positive fuel shutoff valve Bud !

Typically on a Tecumseh all you have to do is clean the orifice/bolt that holds the float bowl on, including the tiny air bleed (you have to rod this out with a wire tie stripped of it's paper and straightened out). Once you do this, you must always use a fuel stabilizer/cleaner. Just put it in the gas can before filling with fuel and you don't have to do anything special from then on, even to store the mower for a few months. I had to clean mine on a 2004 LB 10684 after about two years but haven't had to do it again - that's when I started using Sta-Bil in my OPE gas - now I use Startron. Once I thought the bolt was clogged again after 10 years so I took it out only to find it was perfectly clean. My problem was simply a governor adjustment. The Tecumseh 195cc engine is a workhorse, or maybe a workmule - :).

Same here Sax had a few Tec,s one on a secondhand mower that outlasted the mower deck and then was recycled into a log splitter and ran for another 10 yrs until it finally threw a Rod from total overuse lol. The other was a snow king version that ran for ever . I always used Seafoam or Lucas top end lube back then and never had issues personally . However had numerous friends bring in their units with fouled carbs , that I cleaned . Since I started the startron usage i have never witnessed any carb issues from any customers or friends . There are several good cleaners Marvel Mystery Oil is another . Some are Snake Oil but Startron has solved multiple issues within fuel fouling issues for me . Great engine in it,s time !

I use Stabil if I remember but have not heard of the Startron. I will make a note of that for next time I buy stabilizer.

Wal-Mart or any quality auto Supply Store , 8 oz bottle around $ 5;00 . One ounce actually treats 16 gallons . P.S. Most fuel cleaner / conditioners are solvents or lubricity products the better are a combination of both . Startron is a little different in that it absorbs water and reduces the phase separation during storage and stabilizes for up to 2 yrs , while cleaning . They have added to their product line over the yrs , I just use the original blend for all my gas & diesel requirements . All the Best !

Hi Guys!

(I'm in Fargo ND if that's allowed here...LOL!! Blowing snow when it's -10F?!?!?! Yes, it's "Fun")

I'm a HUGE fan of Seafoam!!! Been using it for 30+ years. I've got a 22yo 28" Huskee S/B, with a 8hp Tecumseh Snow-King engine. Finally had to put a new Carb on last year. It was surging some for a couple years. Took Carb apart, to investigate. Hmmmmm....inside was clean-as-a-whistle, no teeny debris or film in any jet or passage, and bowl was spotless. Again, this was a TWENTY y/o carb! Why was it so clean after that long???? Obviously the Seafoam! So.....re-installed carb. Same surging...WTH?!?!?

Had a small-engine expert look at it. Turns out....after all those years of vibration, the Throttle-plate shaft was wearing into the body of the carb! Air was sneaking past that area. No fix for that. HAD to buy new carb. Runs like a BEAST now!!

Why am I babbling about a Snowblower?! To underscore the wisdom of some here of avoiding Ethanol at all costs for small-engines!!!!!!!! AND....the CRITICAL importance of a good fuel-stabilizer. Stihl & Toro allow E10, but that's it. NO E15 OR E85!!! Preferably NEVER on ANY Ethanol.

My 9y/o Toro Regular-Recycler still runs beautifully. A couple times, I PURPOSELY left a half-tank of fuel over winter......BUT....it was NON-Ethanol, Top-Tier class Premium, AND had a higher dose of Seafoam. FIRST pull, 6 months later, STARTED RIGHT UP...ran like a sewing-machine! During the mowing-season, I add about a 1/4-cup SF to my gallon gas-can.

I use SF in our cars gas-tank once a month too. A week or two before an oil change, I'll add about a cup to the engine-oil as well. Our cars??? Even tho' my 2015 Impala V6 & Wife's 2014 AWD Regal Turbo CAN use E85.......they will NEVER see a drop of Ethanol. I only use Certified Top-Tier class Premium from Shell or Holiday.

Faron

Faron , very good points . I use Seafoam religiously also for my auto and heavy equipment ( tractors and backhoe) . For my small engine equipment or stored gas i find Startron a little more effective to prevent phase separation or water entrainment . Have replaced a few throttle shafts on Tec Snow Kings , the older units you could actually replace the throttle shaft bushings . Thanks for the note of endorsement . P.S. A few ounces of Seafoam as you have advised to your oil prior to oil change really does a good job of cleaning any sludge from older car engine internals & oil pans .