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

I was all set to order a Toro 20" model, but I see they've just introduced a new line that's an inch wider, otherwise pretty similar and doesn't weigh any more.

Anyone have the inside scoop on these? Same Toro quality?

http://www.toro.com/home/snowthrowers/index.html

Thanks for the update and glad that the machine is working OK now.  Though I went with the Honda, I'm pretty certain that they're both just as good in the performance/quality department.  Your story seems to be one of bad luck, in my opinion, rather than indictive of systemic poor quality.  I did like the Toro chute control.  Very slick.  But over here, I would have had to pay $170 to get it.  I just couldn't pay that kind of money for a cool chute control.  Honda's is a long handle that you can reach from behind the blower -- so turning the chute *and* changing the deflection angle can be done with one hand on the fly.  My neighbor has a new CCR3650.  Great performance, but watching him hand-crank his chute makes me glad that I don't have a crank.

Love those single-stange blowers!

Here is CO, there is no off-season price break.  Home Depot will slash their inventory in the off-season, but that's it.  The small dealers charge MSRP here year-round.  I had looked at snowblowers for the past 2+ years looking for a deal ... after passing on a $500 Ariens 926 and a $350 Honda HS520AS at HD in 2005.  Nothing.  If you live east of Michigan, then there are a zillion deals, auctions, etc.  In CO?  You think it never snowed here by the lack of snowblower auctions, resell, and dealer sales.  When there are listings, it's for unreal amounts -- bought new in 2002 for $1,600, barely used, $1,500 OBO.  Apparently, 5 years of use and rust doesn't depreciate a piece of outdoor equipment here in CO.  Yep, I'm bitter!  ;)  Tired of reading all of the "wait until the off-season to get a good deal" posts!  Where I live, it could be 105 in mid-August or 15 in mid-Jan with 10" of snow and the price of that snowblower is exactly the same ... and the dealers are just as unwilling to deal.

67L48 wrote:

Buy elsewhere and have it shipped in.  You'd be surprised how little shipping can be.  Often it's free.  I live in a town where vendors have the same attitude.  Top dollar for everything.  MSRP is the rule.  I have learned to e-shop and buy thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from the U.S.    I have it shipped to a business at the border that handles parcels machinery, automobiles, motorcycles, atvs....you name it,  for cross border shoppers.  They charge a nominal fee for handling.  I have saved literally thousands of dollars doing this.  I will give the local business an opportunity to make a sale and attempt to negotiate a reasonable price.  They usually sand bag so I almost always end up buying out of town.   I do my own repairs and don't worry about repairs on everything with small engines.  For instance, I shopped for a leaf blower/vac in town.  Dealer wanted $250.00 for it.  I asked for a 10% reduction.  No can do.  I told the local dealer that I'll buy it out of the U.S. for $175.00.  His reply was that I wouldn't have a warranty.  I told him that the $75.00 I'll be saving will buy a lot of parts and I'll do the work myself.  Didn't make a difference to the dealer so I ordered it out of the U.S.  Warranties on well established quality products are virtually redundant.  I cannot recall anything I've bought in the last twenty years that required warranty work other than my nightmare Ford F150 from hell that  have since Iong parted with in favour of a Toyota.   And I buy a lot of stuff!   

67L48 wrote:
Yup, I agree. In spite of the chute control, I would have bought the Honda in a heartbeat - if one was available. I'm sure I would have been much more satisfied with Honda's engine (you kidding?), and if I decided to sell there's no doubt I'd find a willing taker.

Strange that snowblower prices in CO remain fixed like that. I would have figured sales volume would encourage competition among the numerous dealers. Guess they just went the other way - you know, the "Screw the Consumer" school of business. Methinks there is a statewide OPE association at the bottom of this plot. Imagine that.

I live west of the Mississippi, but I can assure you that deals are possible here. Usually, around mid-April the first of the markdowns appear, and the patient buyer may find a 50% off deal in May of June. Of course, this assumes that the unit you want is still available - many of the Hondas, Ariens, and Simps are out of stock by February. You also must account for seasonal differences - a mild winter generally means a suplus of stock - therefore a better chance to deal.

You have a better chance of finding what you want online, but shipping costs can offset an otherwise good deal. From what I've seen, many dealers or auctions offering "free shipping" will adjust their selling price accordingly. No free lunch, folks. However, patience can pay off for the savvy Internet buyer. Sounds like the way to go in your neck of the woods.

I feel your pain, brother, since I was forced to buy a snowblower in January! I suppose once you amortize the cost over 8 or 10 years, it's a lot easier pill to swallow. Sure beats shovelling.

Well, it's been an interesting winter. More snow than usual, and bitter cold like I haven't seen in 5 years. This was not the season to rely on a shovel - I'm feeling a lot better now about buying at January prices.

My little Toro 4-stroke handled most of the snow events with ease. It rips through powder like nothing - I pushed it into 26" with no problem. Wet snow is a different story, though. We've had a couple of major wet snowfalls since my last writing, and I have to say this single-stage machine was really laboring. It did get the job done, but often required a lengthy smash-and-backup routine when the depth went above 20".

In all fairness, this type of duty is probably beyond the machine's capabilities.Fortunately, this is only an occassional event here. The engine did surprisingly well in the wet stuff, until this last snowfall - which was nearly slush it was so full of moisture. Took twice as long as normal to clear the drive and walkways, and chute clogging was a real problem. I finally was able to tax the engine to the point where it stalled, but you wouldn't believe how thick and heavy this snow/slush mixture was. I think a small 2-stage model would have bogged down in this slop as well.

I'm givng the new Toro good marks for performance. Most winters aren't as bad as this year, so I doubt if I'll be pushing it to the limit very often. That said, it's an excellent dry snow machine - with more wet snow capability than you might expect. The chute control continues to impress me, but the extra cost is a bit hard to accept. By the way, the chute did freeze up after use (as they all do), but I'm happy to report that it took very little effort to break it loose - and the control still worked smoothly. The crude feel of the engine still bugs me somewhat, but not enough to break the deal. Think I'll be hanging on to this machine for now.

If you're in an area than normally gets less than 70" a year and you don't have a 500' driveway to clear, I'd say this Toro will do fine as your primary blower. For the bigger snow, a 2-stage can't be beat - but this little unit is quite capable in a pinch.

oldcrow had no issues blowing 26" snow with his Toro SS so he must have a superior technique.  Perhaps, oldcrow can share his secret technique so we can master it.