How To Start A Toro Lawn Mower With A Choke [Step By Step Guide]

It can be intimidating to start a Toro lawn mower for the first time. Now, say you're in front of the machine but don't know how to start it with a choke. We researched this concern for your convenience, and here's what we found!

The steps to starting a Toro lawn mower with a choke often depend on which model is in your possession. In particular, Toro push mowers often have different starting procedures than the brand’s riding mowers.

So continue reading as we tackle these startup procedures in greater detail. We’ll also talk about other relevant yet still essential pieces of information, such as the possible reasons why your lawn mower doesn’t start. With that said, let's dive right in!

How Do I Start My Toro Lawn Mower?

Before you start your Toro lawn mower, you should practice proper preparation procedures to ensure the machine works properly. Some of the things you need to do are:

• Replace the air filter. A dirty filter can prevent the lawn mower’s engine from working optimally.
• Change the oil. An unlubricated Toro lawn mower might become prone to different problems, especially its moving parts.
• Inspect and replace the spark plug if necessary. Carbon buildup can prevent the spark plug from providing the required energy to the mower’s motor.
• Flush out the old fuel. Then, replace it with a fresh batch to prevent harm to the machine’s engine.
• Apply a fuel stabilizer. This product can help extend the lifespan of the fuel in the lawn mower, particularly if you’re not going to use the machine frequently.

Check out this fuel stabilizer on Amazon.

After completing these, here are the steps to start your push and riding Toro lawn mowers with chokes:

Starting A Toro Push Lawn Mower

1. Press the primer button thrice
2. Pull and hold the safety bar
3. Maintain a good hold on the safety bar while pulling the starter rope
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 once or twice if needed

Note: Many new Toro push lawn mowers, such as the Recycler 22, don’t have a choke lever. Instead, these models have an auto-choke feature that does the clutching for their users automatically.

Starting A Toro Push Mower

1. Place the push mower’s ignition key into the ignition slot
2. Turn off the Power Take-Off (PTO) switch or clutch
3. Engage the parking brake
4. Place the choke lever into its full position
5. Turn the ignition key and hold it in its turned position for not more than 10 seconds.
6. Allow the engine to warm up for about 30 seconds
7. Set the choke lever to its half position
8. Wait another 30 seconds before setting the choke lever to its off position

Some Toro lawn mower models may require you to complete additional steps before using them. So consult your owner’s manual to verify these additional procedures.

Why Won't My Toro Lawn Mower Start?

If the steps mentioned above didn’t work, perhaps your Toro lawn mower encountered an issue that prevented it from starting.

Some possible suspects are:

Defective Start/Ignition Switch

Physical harm to the start or ignition switch may cause it to fail. Without this switch, users may not be able to start their Toro lawn mowers without applying workarounds.

Broken Recoil Spring

The recoil spring is typically attached to the lawn mower’s pull cord. Pulling this spring should also spin the crankshaft and flywheel to start the machine.

But a broken recoil spring prevents the mower’s motor from turning over.

Faulty Spark Plug

As mentioned earlier, carbon deposits may accumulate in the spark plug. Failure to remove the substance buildup may lead to cracks in the component's porcelain insulator.

The result may be that the spark plug fails to provide the recommended energy to start the mower's engine.

Clogged Carburetor

The carburetor is an essential component in many gas-powered lawn mowers, including those from Toro. It’s responsible for controlling the flow of the air-fuel mixture in the machine’s engine.

But a blockage may occur in the carburetor. If so, the clog may make it difficult for other lawn mower parts to receive the necessary air and fuel.

Bad Fuel Pump

As its name implies, the fuel pump pushes the necessary fuel into the engine. However, this assembly may fail, resulting in the engine's under or over-filling fuel.

Stop attempting to start the Toro lawn mower immediately if you suspect the fuel pump to be at fault. Continued use may result in serious harm to the machine.

At this point, you may also find it interesting to learn about the type of gas Toro mowers use. You can read our post on that topic to help you choose the correct fuel for these machines.

How Do You Fix A Toro Lawn Mower That Won't Start?

First, troubleshoot your Toro lawn mower. Doing so should allow you to find out why it’s not starting. Once found, you can use the appropriate solution to restore the machine’s engine’s normal functions.

Here are some possible solutions that may help you in repairing your Toro lawn mower:

Replace The Air Vane Spring

Air vane springs are usually in many push mowers on the market. Many Toro lawn mowers have these components since they are part of the machines’ auto-choke systems.

Here are the steps to help you replace the air vane spring:

What You’ll Need

• Replacement air vane spring
• Philips screwdriver
• Needlenose pliers

Step-By-Step Guide

1. Loosen the screws securing the lawn mower’s top cover.
2. Remove the top cover and set it aside temporarily.
3. Grab the old spring with the needlenose pliers and remove it from the machine.
4. Install the new spring in the same location as the old unit.
5. Reinstall the top cover.
6. Turn on the Toro lawn mower to check if it works as intended.

See this replacement air vane spring on Amazon.

Note: Only install an air vane spring compatible with your Toro lawn mower model. Installing an incompatible spring may stall or prevent the engine from starting.

You can also watch the video if you need a visual guide:

Replace The Spark Plug

Replacing the spark plug in a Toro lawn mower is a reasonably straightforward task. Generally, you only need to follow these steps to complete the replacement:

What You’ll Need

• Replacement spark plug
• Spark plug wrench

Step-By-Step Guide

1. Disconnect the line connected to the old spark plug.
2. Remove the old spark plug with the spark plug wrench.
3. Install the new spark plug to the same terminal as the old unit.
4. Attach the line you removed earlier to the new spark plug.
5. Try turning on your lawn mower to check if it works properly.

See this replacement spark plug on Amazon.

Watch this short clip if you need a visual reference for the steps mentioned above:

What Are Alternatives To Toro Lawn Mowers?

You might consider replacing your old Toro lawn mower with a new unit. So here are some excellent candidates that might pique your interest:

1. EGO Power+ LM2135SP Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

This lawn mower runs on battery power instead of gas. That means it has fewer harmful emissions than models running on fuel.

It can also help you cut overgrown grass in your lawn for about an hour on a full charge. Users can also change the blade settings to fine-tune their cuts.

Check out this product on Amazon here.

2. Toro TimeMaster Push Mower

Take a look at this push lawn mower if you want to stick to the Toro brand. This self-propelled model adjusts to your walking pace for comfortable and convenient mowing.

It also has a blade stop safety feature that automatically activates if the machine detects direct contact with foreign objects like your skin.

Check out this product on Amazon here.

Final Thoughts

Starting a Toro lawn mower with a choke often requires you to follow specific steps. So follow the procedures highlighted in this post. If done correctly, you should be able to use the machine properly.

Troubleshoot and repair your Toro mower if its engine doesn’t turn over after following the correct startup process.

Made it to the end? Check out these helpful related articles below!

Toro Personal Pace Not Working – Why And What To Do?

Can’t Start Toro Recycler 22 – Why And What To Do?