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Four year old TORO FWD/Hi Rear Wheel/22" recycle and the dumb question I have is can I drain the oil from below the deck. My owners manual shows tipping her on her side to drain the oil but also states if desired oil cna be drained using the drin plug on the bottom (really)?

I know one of my Toro's drain from a plug from the bottom. I find it is a mess changing the oil. I also find the other Toro with a drain on the side of the engine isn't any better. I think the manufacture make it hard so you don't change the oil and that way they sell more mowers.

You may be right. I tried a siphon in the fill tube but that did not work well. Guess I will tip her up again and take a look, been under her numerous times to clean deck ad change belt and blades, but di nt notice what I deemed a drain plug.

On mine it is a square headed plug under the blade into the aluminum engine housing. I lift up the mower to loosen the plug put a shallow pan under the mower and then lower the mower over the pan. It just seems I still spill some oil. To clean it up I put some saw dust in the spilled oil and sweep it up. In my younger years I took out the plug on my gravel drive way and just let it go but know better now.

Good luck

Again thanks, I will take a look at that, sure is easier than tipping her on her side.

I have always hated the way hand mower's drain their oil. At my age I don't like to bend all that much so I place the mower on a metal bench and place a shallow pan under the mower but as already said you seem to always get some leakage. I have been thinking of making a high bench that I can place the mower on and is open in the center so that the drain plug can be removed. A drain pan can be placed below to catch the oil. If done right the blade can also be worked on. It would also make servicing filter and the plug easier. Hmmm, maybe this summer.

I have had good luck using a small (13 ounce by weight?) coffee can for the tip over method. the typical 20 fluid ounces of oil fills the can about 2/3s and the can just fits under a 21 inch mower laying on it's side. Still spill a few drops now and then but I've done it this way for years. Ironically, must of the metal cans are only available with "house" branded coffees, the major brands have all gone to bages or plastic. Incidently, the largest (39 ounce?) metal can neatly holds 25 pounds of lead shot for the reloaders out there. Oops, my coffee cup's empty - going for a refill. :wink:

Briggs us slowing removing the boittom drain plug from there pushmower engines, so you may not even have a bottom drain plug to drain the oil from.

ILENGINE said:

Briggs us slowing removing the boittom drain plug from there pushmower engines, so you may not even have a bottom drain plug to drain the oil from.

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This may very well be true seeing my Toro was bought in the late 70's used so I don't know how old it is. Them old Tors's just go forever, this one is just starting to leak a little oil.

+ 55 F today so I changed oil, lubed front drive gears and changed air filter. all went well and I did find that bottom drain plug, however , it is still a PITA (newspapers all over but no oil on wife's patio). She fired up instantly (mower not wife) so I am good to go when the grass starts to grow. Again, thanks to all.

vabear said:

+ 55 F today so I changed oil, lubed front drive gears and changed air filter. all went well and I did find that bottom drain plug, however , it is still a PITA (newspapers all over but no oil on wife's patio). She fired up instantly (mower not wife) so I am good to go when the grass starts to grow. Again, thanks to all.

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As I recalled I said the same thing PITA. It just goes with most mowers for some reason. +55 I am jealous because they are talking in the high teens for this comeing week end in NY and I have a gas tank removel on a Chevrolet van for this week end and my shop gets hard to heat when it gets that cold. I just hate the big work any more but I get talked into it.

reynoldston said:

This may very well be true seeing my Toro was bought in the late 70's used so I don't know how old it is. Them old Tors's just go forever, this one is just starting to leak a little oil.

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If you think tipping a mower to drain the oil is bad, had a front tine tiller come in last summer with no drain plug. Have to tip the entire tiller on its side to drain the old oil.

Marion NY, I lived in Rome NY for four years so I feel your pain weather wise this time of year.

vabear said:

Marion NY, I lived in Rome NY for four years so I feel your pain weather wise this time of year.

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If you lived in Rome isn't that in the NY snow belt?

Rome is definitely in the snow belt. In January of 1961 we got 31" in 10 hours with over two feet already on the ground. And of course the -30F at least once a year. Do I miss all of that, not really.

I think the record is Parish NY; about 4-5 years ago they got over 90 inches in one storm.

We are lucky in Marion seeing we live in a pocket that Lake Ontario protects us from the snow-belt. All the big storms go around us.