[tdipaul]

I'm sure there is a trick that the owner will learn and by-pass the dealer for future belt changes. The owners manual for GMC Acadia's, Saturn Outlook's and Buick Enclave's all say to HAVE the dealer replace a burned out head light bulb. I found out that it is a 10 minute job once you learn the SECRET. :smiley-confused009:

Visited my local dealer today and he showed me the HD's do split to aid in belt removal but the non-HD's do not. I'm interested in an HD so did not ask further how to replace on the one piece chassis.

Here is a pic from a (really nice!) 928OHXE showing the two black bolts where it splits:



The 724 OE next to it does not have the bolts
(sorry forgot to take a closer pic):

 

[tdipaul]

Found something else unique (?) about this system in that the blades are supported with bracing and the impeller itself is pinned to the main shaft with two grade 5 bolts.

I'm assuming this serves as a protection feature and to make maintenance easier?

 

[Hanky]

Tdipaul, have you bought a new blower yet or still shopping?? Let us know what you end up with.
Hanky

 

[UNDERTAKER]

Found something else unique (?) about this system in that the blades are supported with bracing and the impeller itself is pinned to the main shaft with two grade 5 bolts.

I'm assuming this serves as a protection feature and to make maintenance easier?

TORO has never used those BLOODY SHEER PINS. now they are down to two bolts on each side to split it. GO FIGURE:facepalm_zpsdj194qh THE POWERSHIFTS run a total of 6. 3 each side. 5/16 by 3/4 long . cadium plated grade 5 bolts. I run stainless steel. which is the same as grade 5. up here in the frozen tundra.k:k:k:k:k: every well built impeller has cross bracing on it. who knows about the cheap stuff. TORO got away from the set screw and square key set up. when THE POWERSHIFTS were born onto us in 1988.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

For those of us that know we'll be in there sooner or later I'd drill and add a grease zerk to that impeller. I tend to try and make everything easier on myself.

PS93, thanks for the reminder on the SS auger bolts.

 

[tdipaul]

Tdipaul, have you bought a new blower yet or still shopping?? Let us know what you end up with.
Hanky

Still shopping/researching and loving every minute of it!

 

[Gondo]

I have the 1028 HD and it shoots the snow well. It also shoots slush so overall it's good.

There is however spillage to the side with very deep snow so it takes 2 passes to clean properly. And in very deep or heavy snow the blower will bog down a big so you need to stop and let it clear.

I think the overflow works, but the engine bogs down a bit. It's certainly no Honda/Yamaha that's for sure. But it'll beat any MTD or other Briggs based machines.

 

[Larry68]

I have a 724 Toro Power max. It has a 205cc engine and the lever for the shute only controls the shute. The flipper on the top I have to move that by it handle. As far as the anti-clog. It does plug up for me and it is hard to clean. I has a Honda HS-50 for 33 years. Never had the problems as I have had with this Toro. Today it got plugged up 2 times. I finally went and got a bucket of warm water and my WORX power washer wand with hose to clear it out before putting the Toro away. It gets snow packed behind the impeller. I do not know, but that anti-clog not needed. Another thing I have noticed. when engine stalls not from heavy snow, but carb-gas problems. When engine dies the shift for going forward and backwards get jammed. Got to force it back and forth to get the wheels to turn free so I can move it. I do not understand why the lever get jammed

 

[guzzijohn]

A bit like measuring the advantage of variable valve timing.

 

[numb3rs]

I have a power max 724 and is satisfied so far.
Most clogging is because of too much snow got sent to the chute and jammed the chute shut. The point of anti clog is to meter the amount of snow and send the excess snow that is too much for the chute to handle back to the 1st stage. Their explanation makes sense to me.
Toro have tried something else to achieve that goal, namely the drum auger. But they stopped because manufacturing that drum is expensive.

 

[2KXJ]

From my experience it doesnt actually "recycle" any snow anywhere, all they changed was eliminating the spot near the bottom of the chute that generally begins the clog. Theyre just adding a bunch of marketing mumbo-jumbo to make it sounds fancier and more important than it is

"Minimizes clogging and routes heavy snow away from chute and back into the auger with Toro’s patented Anti-Clogging System. "

translates to

"we took the trailing edge off the chute intake, now it doesnt clog there"

 

[numb3rs]

From my experience it doesnt actually "recycle" any snow anywhere, all they changed was eliminating the spot near the bottom of the chute that generally begins the clog. Theyre just adding a bunch of marketing mumbo-jumbo to make it sounds fancier and more important than it is

"Minimizes clogging and routes heavy snow away from chute and back into the auger with Toro’s patented Anti-Clogging System. "

translates to

"we took the trailing edge off the chute intake, now it doesnt clog there"

I think our main concern is "does it work?". Marketing will say anything to sell the product.
In my experience, it works in dry snow as the bump does redirect the show back to auger. I do see it spitting snow to the front during operation. In wet snow, I just got a bunch of slush stuck to it. I don't think it does anything but occupied by stuck ice.

 

[kozal01]

This is what immediately steered me away from Toro when I was shopping for snowblowers in 2009, all that extra plastic. Seemed gimmicky to me and it removed a significant amount of the steel housing to accomplish it. No thanks.

 

[RIT333]

I have never heard of anyone complaining about the Toro plastic breaking, and on top of that, they guarantee it for life.

 

[kozal01]

I have never heard of anyone complaining about the Toro plastic breaking, and on top of that, they guarantee it for life.

Thats great, still dont want it. Especially after reading here that it helps very little.

 

[tdipaul]

When I heard they were changing to metal I bought the last plastic version the dealer had (a 2018). The plastics still look like brand new today. No cracks, pitting or rust. No regrets.

 

[KJSeller]

I had aToro 826le. Wasn't impressed and went with an Ariens 926le from around 2005.

It couldn't handle the heavy EOD piles nicely. The Ariens makes it look like a weakling IMO. That's my experience.

 

[Bearguy69]

🤔 interesting my 824 does just fine. The “ plastic” is the same polymer that is used to make the pistol frames of a sig, or a Glock. That’s really tough stuff. My neighbor has a 826 they had it for about 9 years. It still looks brand new. The only person on our block that has something other than a toro their machine is 6 years old and the orange matches the rust very nicely. I went with Toro been happy never had a clog nor had to replace a shear pin. It may have only snowed three times were you needed to blow the snow. Our neighbor was changing a shear pin and unclogging his blower. While everyone else was done with their driveways. I am happy with what I have.

 

[numb3rs]

Ya the Toro plastic is good, but no way as tough as steel. Toro only make their anti-clog 100% steel in their heavy duty model. On average I use it every 3 weeks-1 month in winter and it holds up very well.
In terms of how effective their Anti-clog is, unless someone able to modify the unit and delete the ACS hump and try a head to head comparison, it's only speculation. But overall I'm satisfied with my 724 for my 4 car driveway.

 

[tdipaul]

Over the last 20 years are there any reports of these pieces breaking? If so I would think it would have been reported on this site for sure. If someone finds a post please share.