So I have a Toro Push Mower Smartstow push mower, less than a couple of years old for places in my yard my rider can't get to.

The rear baffle, being made of quality plastic I am sure broke and needed to be replaced. No big deal I thought, ordered the replacement part and followed the instructions from this video to replace it. In the video he suggests using a telescopic magnetic pickup tool to attach the top washer sleeves and nuts to the bolts inside the new baffle.

Thought I would try without the magnetic pickup tool and just use my hands. Holy pain in the *^$ Batman. You can't get your hand in there to hold the washer and nut on the bolt. Even my wife's hands which are much smaller than mine were of no help. Finally got one side on which has more more room but the other side no way. I had forgotten that my wife had a magnetic tool and she retrieved it for me. Success? Nooooo. After numerous tries and a few choice words I was ready to give up for a while but tired one more time--success!

My later wife remarked that I muttered that I wanted to meet the imbecile who designed this feature since he/she obviously never had to replace this rear baffle from h&*@. What were they thinking?

jh, start here for grabbers. The washer should be easy, but the nut might take some tape to hold it in position. This is a good tool for the "kit" in the future.
[www.amazon.com]
It's late here so here the Amazon discription for one.
24" Four Claw Pickup Tool. Many more on site. Good Luck!

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Engineers should be forced to service, maintain, and repair the machines they design as well as similar and possibly better-designed machines from other manufacturers.

---

Warning- People won't have as much of a sense of humor about you putting an Alka Seltzer in your mouth then staggering into a restaurant while shouting "THE VIRUS HAS MUTATED!" as you'd hope they would.

Lie to me if you must, but don't lie to me and insult my intelligence in the same sentence.

Resist the Thought Police: George Orwell's book 1984 was meant as a warning, not an instruction manual.

"Political correctness is just intellectual colonialism and psychological fascism for the creation of thought crime" - Steve Hughes

Stop and think about this: If you're able to shout the words "I CAN'T BREATHE!!!" at considerable volume, then you have just proven to anyone listening that you can indeed breathe.

"I don't see color, I just see ugly" - Joe Jitsukawa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2020 02:32AM by Thrift Store Scott.

Quote
Thrift Store Scott

I've said it myself many times.

At least their instructions told you to get a tool. The ones I come across assume you know what you need.

There is Design for Assembly, and there is Design for Repair. Guess where the effort goes ? You think mowers are bad ? Automobile designs, ESPECIALLY American companies, are crazy impossible.

Replace spark plugs:
Step 1- Remove engine.

Just like when you are working on a car or other things.
I have felt your pain many times.

---

Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

Those of us accustomed to working on boats snigger at your tribulations. Call me when you have to press a shaft off of a rusted coupling of a V-drive with four inches of room to work underneath an engine.

The YouTube guy told you how to do it and you didn't take his advice?

Quote
cbelt3
There is Design for Assembly, and there is Design for Repair. Guess where the effort goes ? You think mowers are bad ? Automobile designs, ESPECIALLY American companies, are crazy impossible.

Replace spark plugs:
Step 1- Remove engine.

Ferrari 308 - remove engine to replace belt.

Quote
tenders
Those of us accustomed to working on boats snigger at your tribulations. Call me when you have to press a shaft off of a rusted coupling of a V-drive with four inches of room to work underneath an engine.

The YouTube guy told you how to do it and you didn't take his advice?

Yes I did take his advice when we finally got my magnetic device my wife borrowed and finally found it. While waiting for her to secure it I when ahead and and was able to secure the washer and bolt by hand on the side that had a little more room to move around in. However, as I mentioned, took numerous tries to complete the task on the side with much less room. As I mentioned in my original post (in my opinion) it was a poor design by somebody who may not have thought about what it was like replacing the item--which was my point I was expressing.

Quote
macphanatic

Quote
cbelt3
There is Design for Assembly, and there is Design for Repair. Guess where the effort goes ? You think mowers are bad ? Automobile designs, ESPECIALLY American companies, are crazy impossible.

Replace spark plugs:
Step 1- Remove engine.

Ferrari 308 - remove engine to replace belt.

Doug DeMuro recently reviewed a new Porsche 911, and the engine, other than fluids, is completely sealed from the user!

[youtu.be]

---

San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Eli Weisel

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt (1918)

"I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it." - Billy Graham 1981

"Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise" - Barry Goldwater

Quote
Rolando

Quote
macphanatic

Quote
cbelt3
There is Design for Assembly, and there is Design for Repair. Guess where the effort goes ? You think mowers are bad ? Automobile designs, ESPECIALLY American companies, are crazy impossible.

Replace spark plugs:
Step 1- Remove engine.

Ferrari 308 - remove engine to replace belt.

Doug DeMuro recently reviewed a new Porsche 911, and the engine, other than fluids, is completely sealed from the user!

[youtu.be]

That's so that when, not if, it develops a leak you'll have replace an entire assembly such as an engine or transmission rather than just keep an eye on your fluid levels until you can get the leak fixed.

---

Warning- People won't have as much of a sense of humor about you putting an Alka Seltzer in your mouth then staggering into a restaurant while shouting "THE VIRUS HAS MUTATED!" as you'd hope they would.

Lie to me if you must, but don't lie to me and insult my intelligence in the same sentence.

Resist the Thought Police: George Orwell's book 1984 was meant as a warning, not an instruction manual.

"Political correctness is just intellectual colonialism and psychological fascism for the creation of thought crime" - Steve Hughes

Stop and think about this: If you're able to shout the words "I CAN'T BREATHE!!!" at considerable volume, then you have just proven to anyone listening that you can indeed breathe.

"I don't see color, I just see ugly" - Joe Jitsukawa

I've found recent mowers to be easier to work on for routine maintenance.

The "chokeless" walk-behind one I'm using now just has to have its float bowl and carb jet cleaned start of the season...and the nut securing the float bowl is also the carb's jet...carb cleaner makes short work of assuring both the bowl and jet are cleaned out and ready to go.

Older mower designs often required near complete disassembly of the carb to get it clean enough to fire up beginning of each season.