Toro Snowblowers??

[JohnDeereFan8899]

Hey, looking for a new snowblower, found this toro powerclear. Anyone have a toro snowblower? Are they junk or nice and powerful? Need info. Thanks

 

[coobie]

Hey, looking for a new snowblower, found this toro powerclear. Anyone have a toro snowblower? Are they junk or nice and powerful? Need info. Thanks

I own a 2006 toro and 2008 honda single stage snow blowers,my choice is honda hands down.You pay more for the honda but its well worth it.coobie

 

[jhwentworth]

The Toro single-stage snowblowers have been very reliable. They have used Tecumseh, Suzuki, and Briggs 2-strokes over the years and all have performed well. Repairs usually consist of a new spark plug annually and a new drive belt every few years. The new Powerclear line of single-stage blowers use Briggs 2-strokes for 3 models and a 4-cycle OHV motor in the high end model. The 4-cycle motor looks to be a new design, and I'd suspect it was from China. This is not meant as a knock on Chinese motors, but parts availablity has been an issue in the past. Toro isn't the only one to go with Chinese motors, the new Husky snowblowers have gone that way.

 

[WBWI]

I can't speak to the quality of the new snowblowers but I've owned/used a toro 824 powershift since about 1989. I finally broke down and had it tuned up and had the belts replaced 2 years ago. Other than that it has not given my a bit of trouble.

 

[jhwentworth]

You got 18 years out of the auger belt? Blowing a 700' driveway?

How much snow do you get?

 

[crd]

I can't speak to the quality of the new snowblowers but I've owned/used a toro 824 powershift since about 1989. I finally broke down and had it tuned up and had the belts replaced 2 years ago. Other than that it has not given my a bit of trouble.

Funny, just replaced the belts on my 1993 Toro 824 today=16 years. If you get much snow at all you'll want a two-stage machine. I think the older "all metal" Toros are pretty bulletproof. I know mine is.

 

[WBWI]

You got 18 years out of the auger belt? Blowing a 700' driveway?

How much snow do you get?

LOL - this is the 4th house since I bought the snowblower. The 700' drive prompted me to buy the Kubota and rear mounted blower. As far as snow, we average about 70" a season. The last winter the Toro really got used hard was in 2007, when I owned 2 houses, we got over 100". Not a lot compared to snow in the NE but where this unit got a workout was cutting through the snow/ice pack that the snowplows pushed into our driveway. It never did let me down.

 

[jhwentworth]

WBWI: Whew! I figured you had a blower that belonged in the Snowblower Hall of Fame. For over 25 years I relied on a second-hand 1973 Toro 524 to clear my driveway and it did the job. As you did, I changed my snow removal tool when we moved to a house with a long driveway. After trying a garden tractor with snowblower for a year I went to an old Dodge plow truck.

The Toros with the drum-style collectors did have good auger belt life because the design limits the amount of snow presented to the second stage and prevents excessive belt slippage. Many people want to blow snow while running in the higher gears, and the 10+hp engines allow them to do that. After a couple storms the inside of the belt cover will be coated with belt dust and annual belt replacements are normal.

In my mind an old Toro, Ariens, or Simplicity snowblower is well worth holding on to.

 

[WBWI]

Just a followup to the OP. I took my 20y/o snowblower out of storage last weekend, added gas, primed it and pulled the starter cord 1 time. The snowblower fired right up!.

 

[PILOON]

Toro is considered 'Top of the line' and the older ones even better as newer blowers have too mant 'safety' features and more plastic.
Ariens also well up there as well as Honda.

Just about all other brands (big box type) are MTD products= tin and plastic.