Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have a Toro Power Throw 522 2-stage snow blower and got a big rock stuck in the auger yesterday.  I got the rock out but now the auger won't turn.  I was hoping I could just replace a shear pin, but it's my understanding that Toro's don't have shear pins? When I turn the vertical auger by hand the horizontal auger turns.  Any suggestions?  It's brand new and I've only used it twice!

The thing that throws the snow is called the impeller while the thing that moves the snow into the impeller is called the auger.

I'm assuming by "vertical auger" you mean the impeller.

Hopefully you aren't turning either the auger or the impeller by hand since its a good way to amputate something important. Doing it manually with a stick is a much better idea.

Given that when the impeller is turned the auger turns this tells us that both the shear pins ( if there were any) and the worm gear ( in the gear case between the auger rakes) are OK. This is good news. If you didn't turn the machine off fast enough when the rock jammed it you probably threw the auger system belt. It is also possible that you broke the belt. Either way you have to take the pulley belt cover off and have a look. You user manual should state how to replace/adjust the belts. If not there are postings giving fairly detailed instructions that you can search for on this site. You will need a socket set, some light rope and a couple of short pieces of 2x4. A warm place to work is a bonus.

Thanks for the tips...I'll have a look at the belt this weekend.  It might have to be in my kitchen!

I dont know much about Toros, but I picked up a 2 stage blower this fall. had the same problem. The worm gear in the gear box was chewed up, almsot every tooth was sheared off. If the belt is fine, i would suspect this if your blower has one. It can be a pita to fix if your blowers rusty. Good luck, dave