Greetings,
Just leaving my experience here for any future lurkers. Product: Link (Model 38838). Purchased new in January 2021.
I live in NJ, where our storms can drop 1 ft. of snow, easily, and they tend to happen sparsely. Perhaps, the snowblower sees use 2-3 times per winter? I live on a property whose driveway and footpaths aren't laid out in a common way. At certain spots, I have to thread the needle with the snowblower, and aim the discharge with some precision. This machine can do 90° turns on footpaths of typical sidewalk width, even if there's edging.
I really like the Quick Stick. I find its name to be 100% appropriate: it's fast and easy to use.
I like the recoil start. It's reliable and I don't lose sleep at night, thinking I'll have problems during the next storm. That said, the unit is very new. (Note: To start a warm engine, don't prime it or engage the choke. First, try simply pulling the starter. If that doesn't work after 2-3 pulls, then introduce the other starter options one by one.) The electric start bailed me out when I couldn't get the recoil to work (but that was my fault; I unknowingly flooded the engine).
I dislike that it doesn't have hand warmers. I didn't think I'd want them. I thought, this model is already full of bells and whistles! I can just man up. Turns out, hand warmers are helpful. I thought I could just wear gloves, but it's not that simple. If you have a big storm, you're feathering thethrottle clutch, while engaging the auger. And that big, heavy machine needs some operator strength to run it straight, and to avoid contacting the ground with the auger. And sometimes you might not have the patience to switch gearing, instead opting to push/pull the entire machine manually. And maybe your gloves aren't very grippy. This all leads to my right hand getting kind of sore. So the gloves literally come off. I have a strong suspicion I'll get used to it over time, but I'm just saying that hand warmers are more important than I thought.
At the time of this write-up, if you want hand warmers, Toro's 2-stage product line will force you to make tricky decisions. Hand warmers are available for the top-of-the-line Compact model, and for Heavy Duty, it's the 1030 and up. If only they offered it for the lower-tier Heavy Duty models!
I like the controls. I have experience with no other snowblowers. The controls are intuitive. Your left hand controls thethrottle clutch and discharge chute. Your right hand controls the auger and transmission. The work flow is sensible. Your left hand can engage both the drive and auger, freeing your right hand to reach across the control board to adjust the discharge chute. This is not a seamless experience, but it's comfortable enough. I can put it another way: I wouldn't pay another $100 for improved controls.
I had a bad experience that involved the manual. It's unclear how to engage/disengage the fuel shut-off. My advice is to ignore the position of the valve in the illustrations and instead completely focus on the direction of the arrow.
I dislike Toro's support. Their support system is comprised of a customer service department that can address things like ordering, or account support. For mechanical or technical questions, your sources of expertise are your local dealers. (Of course, you can always call Toro dealers that aren't local, but they wouldn't appreciate the nuances of your locality, like weather and ethanol-free fuel availability.) This all means that as a Toro owner, you don't have a single source of truth, aside from the manual, for technical questions. Edit (2/17/2021): I just asked a technical question to customer service. They referenced the manual, and then escalated the question to a supervisor. I wasn't able to get a definitive answer, but at least they tried.
I've run Avgas in it without issue, but only for a short time.
I like the headlight. It proved its value very early in its life, as it helped me get the job done an hour before the Superbowl.
It feels planted, robust, and powerful. I think for the vast majority of us (at least in NJ), this snowblower will have everything you need.
Best of luck and hope this was helpful.
Just leaving my experience here for any future lurkers. Product: Link (Model 38838). Purchased new in January 2021.
I live in NJ, where our storms can drop 1 ft. of snow, easily, and they tend to happen sparsely. Perhaps, the snowblower sees use 2-3 times per winter? I live on a property whose driveway and footpaths aren't laid out in a common way. At certain spots, I have to thread the needle with the snowblower, and aim the discharge with some precision. This machine can do 90° turns on footpaths of typical sidewalk width, even if there's edging.
I really like the Quick Stick. I find its name to be 100% appropriate: it's fast and easy to use.
I like the recoil start. It's reliable and I don't lose sleep at night, thinking I'll have problems during the next storm. That said, the unit is very new. (Note: To start a warm engine, don't prime it or engage the choke. First, try simply pulling the starter. If that doesn't work after 2-3 pulls, then introduce the other starter options one by one.) The electric start bailed me out when I couldn't get the recoil to work (but that was my fault; I unknowingly flooded the engine).
I dislike that it doesn't have hand warmers. I didn't think I'd want them. I thought, this model is already full of bells and whistles! I can just man up. Turns out, hand warmers are helpful. I thought I could just wear gloves, but it's not that simple. If you have a big storm, you're feathering the
At the time of this write-up, if you want hand warmers, Toro's 2-stage product line will force you to make tricky decisions. Hand warmers are available for the top-of-the-line Compact model, and for Heavy Duty, it's the 1030 and up. If only they offered it for the lower-tier Heavy Duty models!
I like the controls. I have experience with no other snowblowers. The controls are intuitive. Your left hand controls the
I had a bad experience that involved the manual. It's unclear how to engage/disengage the fuel shut-off. My advice is to ignore the position of the valve in the illustrations and instead completely focus on the direction of the arrow.
I dislike Toro's support. Their support system is comprised of a customer service department that can address things like ordering, or account support. For mechanical or technical questions, your sources of expertise are your local dealers. (Of course, you can always call Toro dealers that aren't local, but they wouldn't appreciate the nuances of your locality, like weather and ethanol-free fuel availability.) This all means that as a Toro owner, you don't have a single source of truth, aside from the manual, for technical questions. Edit (2/17/2021): I just asked a technical question to customer service. They referenced the manual, and then escalated the question to a supervisor. I wasn't able to get a definitive answer, but at least they tried.
I've run Avgas in it without issue, but only for a short time.
I like the headlight. It proved its value very early in its life, as it helped me get the job done an hour before the Superbowl.
It feels planted, robust, and powerful. I think for the vast majority of us (at least in NJ), this snowblower will have everything you need.
Best of luck and hope this was helpful.
