# Please Help!!! Toro S-120



## viletha

Hi I got this at a garage sale thinking it would be perfect for my small driveway. I went to use it on my 4 inches of snow and can't get it to turn on. It says "insert Key.." I don't seem to have a key and even at that don't see where to "insert" on at. I've had my dad and the neighbor I bought it from (not his; his brother in laws) look at it and they can't figure out either. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Thanks 

Missy


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## Wayne195

I searched your model and found this site:

Parts and Diagrams for Toro Consumer 38000, S-120 Snowthrower, 1979 (SN 9000001-9999999)

They sell the replacement key for your snowblower and they also have a 'blowup' of your snowblower on which you may be able to find the intended spot where the key is to be inserted. Let us know if you have any sucess.

Also, welcome to the forum!


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## bwdbrn1

I found reference to the S-120 being a Model 38000 and tried to look it up on Toro's web site. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a downloadable manual. They do show parts lists and diagrams and there appears to be two different types of handles, depending on it's year of manufacture. One looks like a pistol grip sort of handle, like on the end of a small electric string trimmer, and the other a broad one more like the typical snowblower handle. Looking at the parts diagrams for them, the key looks like it goes into the front of the pistol type grip, and on the broader handle, it looks like it goes into the underside of the upper most cross part of the handle. On both it seems the key engages some kind of lock out mechanism that, as you have discovered, prevents it from operating without the key.

The key is item #16 in that parts diagram Wayne found.


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## abumpa

On the diagram the so-called “key” looks round. It also appears to go into an area where the diagram says there is a “switch”. If you can find the round hole where the “key” is supposed to go look in there and see what moves if anything. Perhaps you can use something else to trip the switch.


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## Wayne195

Funny thing is that when I searched for this model snowblower I found more incidents where people 
were wondering where the key is to be inserted! It seems odd that the keyhole would have been 
placed at such a hard-to-find place.


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## palebluedot

Here's where the key goes.


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## dakota60

I can't help but think - that's a dunb place for a keyswitch.


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## Blue

I still have one these old reliable S-120's with the wide handle bar. The key is just a fat plastic rod with head and nothing more. In a pinch, you can make one from a 1/4" thick twig with sharpened point. But you can also just open the handle slowly and carefully, noting where the switch and wiring go, then pull out and throw away the annoying plastic lockout tab..


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