[WindTunnel]

Looks like I will be getting this one soon. It's about 60 miles away from here, but well worth the drive for only $20! Has its shroud intact and everything and what's sitting on top of it is its original owner's manual. :bannana:

 

[Y Block]

Awesome! Is that a 59 or a 60? My dad grew up with his dad's 1959 Whirlwind 19". It's long gone though . Someday I'll work on adding a '59 to my collection.

 

[WindTunnel]

I think it's a 1960....I don't think the 1959 had the control panel on the handles with the Toro name and bull head.

 

[Y Block]

I think both years had control panels but only for the SP models. Check out this 1959 parts manual for model 20119:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TORO-MOWER-...520?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e67566e88

Interestingly, the mower in that manual uses the Tecumseh engine with the gas tank on the back. I know they originally used Briggs & Stratton engines with the fuel tank on the right side. I'd thought this changed for 1960 but perhaps it was a midyear change. Or maybe the SP models always used the Tecumseh? I do know the SP had a bigger engine.

From what I can tell, Toro's early model number system worked like this:

The number starts with 18 for a 19" mower, 19 for a 21" pusher, and 20 for a 21" SP. I can't figure out what the middle numbers mean. The last number indicates the year (9 = 1959 in this case). The 1960 version would be 20110. Also, the serial numbers DO NOT begin with the year of production like newer mowers. It appears they started at number 101.

I've also noticed a couple subtle changes:

- At first, there were stripes on the shroud above the bull head and later it changed to a single block, probably when they redesigned it for the Tecumseh.
- The newer ones have a 19/21 Whirlwind sticker on the deck in front of the engine, the old ones do not.

One other thing, I'm pretty sure that neither the bagger setup nor the deflector can interchange with later mowers.

EDIT: I take back the comment about the sticker, I finally noticed that the earliest models had it. Here are the two earliest ads I've seen, from May and September 1959. Perhaps someone with better computer skills can upload them to this thread. One subtle difference in these ads: the early ad has the usual zigzag tires while the second ad has "grooved" tires.

http://books.google.com/books?id=YE...AEwAA#v=onepage&q=1959 toro whirlwind&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=u0...AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=1959 toro whirlwind&f=false

 

[WindTunnel]

I just dug out the 1959 owner's manual that I have for the self-propelled that year....model 20110....and they definitely did not have the control panel that year. The throttle control was on the right side of the handle and the traction control on the left, but no panel in between. I will post a couple of scans later today.

In the assembly drawings, the engine on the self-propelled is definitely the Lauson-Tecumseh and not Briggs.

In the meantime, I did what I could with those ads:

 

[WindTunnel]

Here is an amusing thread from several years ago that has to do with the '59:

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=62404

 

[Y Block]

I looked on the Toro website (not necessarily correct) and it says the 1959 model is 20119 and the 1960 model is 20110. It doesn't have anything about parts or manuals. Does that manual you have say it's for the 1959 models? Perhaps they changed during the 59 model year? They could have removed the control panel later since the 61-63 models didn't have control panels.

 

[Y Block]

There were one or two other threads about that mower. I'll try to find them tomorrow unless you beat me to it. :fing32:

 

[WindTunnel]

I think you've solved it....the '59 had the panel and the '60 did not. The problem was that the owner's manual said copyright 1958 and 1959....but I just now dug out another one I have for the model 19119....and found that the difference is that for the 1959 model year the copyright dates were expressed as Roman numerals and they changed to regular for 1960.

I congratulate you on good detective work, Y-Block. :fing32:

 

[Y Block]

Awesome! Glad we beat them at their own confusing game. :fing32: So it looks like my model number theory is proving correct so far. Looking at the Toro website and in parts catalogs, they followed that pattern up until 1964.

So did you get a lock on the mower or are you waiting to hear back? These are exceedingly rare. This is only the third one I've seen and only the second with its shroud. The other is in the thread you linked.

 

[WindTunnel]

Waiting to hear back on a day/time to go fetch it....he is a little slow to reply to messages, but I am hopeful that nothing will fall through.

 

[WindTunnel]

Just got his cell number and address, so this is definitely a go....probably pick it up later this week. :fing32:

 

[Y Block]

:dancingpa

 

[PeoriaMurph]

Wasn't there a member on here a while ago whose avatar photo was him wearing that shroud like a hat?

 

[Y Block]

Wasn't there a member on here a while ago whose avatar photo was him wearing that shroud like a hat?

Check out the link in post #6.

 

[WindTunnel]

Picking it up Friday at noon. :thThumbsU

 

[WindTunnel]

For another $20 I think I will also pick up this old Moto Mower that the seller also has....looks to be about a 1956:

 

[Y Block]

Interesting mower, is that a Clinton engine???


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[WindTunnel]

Could be....according to this 1955 ad, they used Briggs and Clinton engines:

 

[Y Block]

Well, it's definitely not a Briggs and I don't think it looks quite like a Lauson. Probably a Clinton!


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