Toro branded V Twin Timecutter issues (2024)

A very few OEMs have a complete from end to the other end manufacturing factories. You find of the components used are manufactured by other companies. I just today researching a Toro safety switch and turned out to be made by Delta Systems. Even engines themselves uses parts from other manufactures..

Even you typical automobile is not fully made by one manufacture.

If things were made by one manufacture of a particular brand prices would be through the roof.

As I said about the safety switch Toro, Snapper, Hustler,John Deere, and Kubota. And that just the ones I found today using the same switch. It the same for a fuel tank bushing that I needed last week. It is use on at least Toro, John Deere, and Ariens mowers.

bertsmobile1 said:

Firstly one has to realize that "China" is on the nose at the moment so admitting that your flag saluting USA made mower uses an engine made in that nasty China is a no no.
Then there is the financial incentives
Loncin parts are around 1/4 the price of the"genuine Toro " part down here and easier to come by .

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I get that. The salesman doesn’t want to admit it or he doesn’t really know the product that he’s selling.

The Road Warrior said:

No doubt about it, everyone has personal preferences when it comes to a “one shot, one kill” brands.
I’m a one person shop and have mainly local customers not tied to any manufacturer service or sales contracts. What chaps my gord is deceptive business practices such as lying to a consumer.
I’ve got two customers with identical Loncin Chinese Toro engines, both with similar issues. I’m confident there are Loncin opinions, both good and bad. I’m giving the Toro branded Chinese engine an F-

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FWIW I am in the same boat.
And to be honest I have not seen any real difference in engine quality one brand to another.
Most do the job adequately
Kohlers are m prefferred brand because they are a lot easier to work on than any of the other brands.
Things like 1 8mm socket & the blower housing comes off leaving the fuel pump sitting on it's bracket , all bolt heads are easy to access because it was designed to be fitted into a mower
Compared to the equivalent B & S that needs 7 different tools to take off the blower housing because it was designed to use the cheapest smallest possible bolts fitted by workers standing either side of the assembly track.
I had a run of bad Kawakasi engines where the rocker housing bolts were not tighten properly and Kawakasi have put themselves on the pedistal vacated by Honda .
I have had a run of Kawakasi engine fail due to the poor design of the air filter coupling allowing a lot of dust into the engine.

The only Loncin that has had a problem was one on a Timecutter being used commercially where the owner was not checking the oil every day ( should be every use ) and because the engine only uses .7 l of oil there is not much leeway for low oil use , particularly if being used on slopes.
Now in fairness there are only 40 Loncin engines in my customer base where as there are over 100 Kawakasi & Kohlers and about 500 B & S so ones opinions do get biased by the numbers .

bertsmobile1 said:

FWIW I am in the same boat.
And to be honest I have not seen any real difference in engine quality one brand to another.
Most do the job adequately
Kohlers are m prefferred brand because they are a lot easier to work on than any of the other brands.
Things like 1 8mm socket & the blower housing comes off leaving the fuel pump sitting on it's bracket , all bolt heads are easy to access because it was designed to be fitted into a mower
Compared to the equivalent B & S that needs 7 different tools to take off the blower housing because it was designed to use the cheapest smallest possible bolts fitted by workers standing either side of the assembly track.
I had a run of bad Kawakasi engines where the rocker housing bolts were not tighten properly and Kawakasi have put themselves on the pedistal vacated by Honda .
I have had a run of Kawakasi engine fail due to the poor design of the air filter coupling allowing a lot of dust into the engine.

The only Loncin that has had a problem was one on a Timecutter being used commercially where the owner was not checking the oil every day ( should be every use ) and because the engine only uses .7 l of oil there is not much leeway for low oil use , particularly if being used on slopes.
Now in fairness there are only 40 Loncin engines in my customer base where as there are over 100 Kawakasi & Kohlers and about 500 B & S so ones opinions do get biased by the numbers .

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Any of the Yamaha V-Twins?

MParr said:

Any of the Yamaha V-Twins?

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Not yet .
I expect to see big decline in USA made mowers down here
Lots of store branded mowers from China replacing the trash MTD & AYP lower end models.
Smaller importers now bringing in Scag but without the volume sales of the junk I expect Husky to vanish shortly .
JD bring the mowers in piggy backed with large farm equipment .
OZ is the size of mainland USA with a population & economy about the size of Cal so shipping stuff around here is a killer .