Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

So far the 221 has performed fantastic!! I am so glad I bought it now. The weather is to warm up and no snow for at least a week. Today I ran the Toro till it died, reprimed and tried to start it. Now is the carb empty now and if not how do I drain it? Does it have a little screw on it like my Honda mower does? I presume the shroud comes off first.

kellyinkc wrote:
Is winter finished in your area?  If not, why do you want to completely drain the machine?   Was there a problem with Toro 221 carbs?  

I have a new 221 and no fuel leaking issues with it. 

If winter isn't over, and you plan on using the machine within the next couple of months, leave it as is. 

borat wrote:
Winter is not over by a long shot....
the next 2 weeks looks dry and warm like maybe 60! Then old man winter returns.
No issues as far as I can tell. i am using Echo Power Blend with stabilizer. I just want to prevent any issues.

You won't have any issues as long as  the fuel isn't contaminated. 

I don't drain my equipment until the first week of May.  Winter is usually done with us by then.  I just transfer the two cycle fuel into my trimmers and mowers etc.

Now if only I could get rid of the alky in the gas.......

Do you own an automobile or any other machinery that has gasoline with ethanol in it?   If so, do you drain them when not in use?  

I've pulled numerous carburetors apart.  Some of them close to 40 years old.   Other than varnish from fuel being left in them for years at a time, I've observed very little oxidation cause by ethanol.  

E10 fuel has not caused me any issues whatsoever.  Can't say what E15 or higher will be like but the pump gas we get here has had ethanol in it for years.  In present concentrations, it doesn't appear to be as detrimental as the all the hype would lead us to believe.  At least, that's my experience. 

Thats what I hear about alky it is bad for small engines. I do not drain my car tank. Although the alky does give less gas mileage given it less BTU"s vs. pure gas.
IIRC the OPE companies are suing over the E15. Its legal moonshine.

CharlesW wrote:
Interesting that Toro doesn't supply an easy way to drain the carb because their "guaranteed to start" warranty is voided if you fail to drain the fuel system prior to any period of non-use over three months. 

Paul7 wrote:
Sounds like a perfect way of avoiding a warranty!  "what? you didn't drain the gas?...sorry dude, that GTS is null and void!"  And it saved them $3 by not having to install the shutoff and drain valve.

The owners manual for my 421QE shows a carburetor drain bolt to be used to drain the fuel in the carburetor prior to storage.
It is mentioned on page 18, Item #6.
The drain bolt is shown on page 15, Figure 36.
Doesn't sound as easy as a thumb screw, but it does appear it is provided for.

I looked at an on-line owners manual for the 221 and I did not see any reference to a way to drain the carburetor.
It does tell you about running the machine out of gas before storage on page 18.
It would seem that following the procedures in the manual should have you covered for any warranty requirements.