Toro Suzuki 4cycle Recycler

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I lost a deal on a older Toro 2 stroke Suzuki, but now a similar model has come up CL, but with a 4 stroke Suzuki. I know the 2 strokes are highly regarded. Anyone know about the 4 stroke Suzuki used in the older Toro Recyclers?

Anyone know specifically about the engine build on the 4 strokes? I'm assuming they are commerical grade - sleeved, used hardened connecting rods? Anyone?
 
I have one! Toro 5.5GTS Recycler with the Suzuki engine. I don't know about the specifics of the engine as far as sleeves or rods, but I can tell you it's the best piece of lawn equipment I've ever used. My parents bought it originally about 20 years ago and it's still going strong. I'm not lying, it starts on 1 or 2 pulls each spring after waking from winter hibernation. I do use stabil though. it's never been back to the shop we bought it at for anything. All I ever did was change the spark plug once and I've changed the oil about 3 times in 20 years and it still runs like a raped ape. I'm guessing it will be a lifetime piece of equipment. That is how well built it is.
 
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I had one for about a year. Here's a thread I started with pics and more info:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...oro#Post3084856

It's not a Recycler, but it has a Suzuki 4-stroke engine. The engine was great. This was a mower from 1990 with a lot of use and it didn't burn oil and still ran very well.

I ended up selling the mower because it wasn't very good at mulching and was hard to maneuver in our yard. It was mainly designed for bagging, so even with the optional mulching plug it didn't do very well. But, the Recyclers are designed to mulch, so I'm sure they do it much better.
 
Originally Posted By: Ope_Freak
I lost a deal on a older Toro 2 stroke Suzuki, but now a similar model has come up CL, but with a 4 stroke Suzuki. I know the 2 strokes are highly regarded. Anyone know about the 4 stroke Suzuki used in the older Toro Recyclers?

Anyone know specifically about the engine build on the 4 strokes? I'm assuming they are commerical grade - sleeved, used hardened connecting rods? Anyone?









I'll let you in on a little secret. Since you happen to live in Iowa, you probably are not too far from the Toro dealer in Omaha. Every winter, he reconditions some 2 stroke Suzuki powered Toro mowers to like new condition. They are not cheap. However, if you want the real thing - a 2 stroke Suzuki powered Toro that will last you a lifetime, that is the way to go.

I happen to own one, bought several years ago from him. You would be hard pressed to tell it from a new mower, down to the nuts, bolt and paint.
 
I have one that I bought in 1987. Uses no oil and starts on the first pull. Had to
have a cable replaced at a Toro dealer several years ago. He said that was really a
sweet mower. He also said that was the best engine they ever used.
 
The Suzuki engines, BOTH the 2-cycle and the 4-cycle engines, are a couple of the best (if not THE best) engines ever used on a lawnmower. If you do minimal maintenance on them they will both easily outlast the rest of the mower. Both of them were heavy duty commercial grade engines with all of the best specifications (including forged steel crankshafts) and were the standard engines that TORO used on their well respected Proline 21" commercial mowers for many years.
 
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I just sold a 4 cycle Toro Suzuki one a few months ago. They are top quality units. They have cast iron cylinder liners and full pressure lubrication. Those are the pros. They were made in about the 1986-1988 time frame, so they are getting up there in age now.

The cons are the parts, if you can find them, are EXPENSIVE.
new coil? $200.
carburetor? $200.
carb rebuild kit? $70
new gas tank (common problem with these) $100

They also have the clutch blade system which I HATE. The parts are expensive and they don't work quite often. I prefer to have the blade mounted directly to the crankshaft. I buy about 100 lawn mowers year for fix up and resale, and from experience, people tend to hold on to these when they work and sell them when something goes wrong. Usually the blade clutch goes and people would rather buy a new mower than fix it.
 
I have the 4 stroke and I have 2 Toro 21" 3 speeds for chassis parts. One has a 2 stroke Suzuki and the other has a Tecumseh.I picked it from Craigslist free stuff back in '09. It has been used hard and put away wet. Maybe a 1/2 acre loat minus house and driveway. It had a very wobbly front wheel due to a bodged replacement of a shoulder bolt with a 1/4 regular bolt. It is my trimmer and bagger. Mostly I mow the lawn with the sit down. So it practically retired. In 5 yrs of this duty, Ive changed the oil twice and sharpened the blade every so often. Cleaned and re-oiled the air filter. If it hasn't started by the third pull, it is because I forgot to open the shut-off. Pretty much mows whatever I run it over.I don't really like lawn work, but the Toro makes me grin every time I start it on the first pull. I had a 2 stroke. It ran well but didn't survive me working on the carb. Then I found the 4 stroke. Just as good as the 2 stroke ,better even because it has required little effort to maintain and lives up to GTS at 30 yrs old. The best free mower so far.
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