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

Apparently, my local Toro dealer says that this year's 421Q model comes with a B&S 4-stroke engine.  He said that this engine is more powerful than the 2-stroke R-tek engine that is in the 221Q. 

He started the 421Q 4 stroke engine.  It sounded fairly quiet and was relatively vibration free smooth running.  Definitely quieter and smoother than the Honda GX160 engine.  I was impressed.  Good job B&S.

He didn't start the 221Q 2 stroke engine.  Stated that it had no gas in tank.  Either that could be true or he didn't want to stink up the showroom with exhaust fumes.

Has anyone used both engines on the Toro 221Q and 421Q and can provide honest report?  Which engine is more powerful and can do the job of moving heavy snow better?

I know there are folks here are dyed in the wool 2-stroke fans, you know who you are.  Barring the 4 stroke heavier weight, complexity, and hassle of oil change, none of these draw backs are really a concern to me, I can go either way.  No big deal to change oil or mix oil in gasoline.  The 421Q felt slightly heavier in the front, but not enough to make a difference.  I won't be lifting either snowblower up and down the bed of a pickup truck so weight difference of 10 lbs isn't an issue. 

Hi aa335 - The Engine in the new Toro 421 is a Loncin engine.  This engine is not a clone of the Honda motor, though like all OHV 4-strokes it will have some similarity.  Briggs and Stratton does make some great OHV engines, too.  (They also make some lousy ones too, but then so does Honda i.e. the GC series motors)

I have not run the new Toro 421, but I have used last years model which came with a tecumseh 4 stroke.  The 221 was considerably more powerful.  

Based on the specs of the new 421 engine, and as Borat pointed out, there is no reason to expect that the new 421 is more powerful than the 221.  I'll readily admit that I'm a die hard 2 stroke fan, but I got that way for a reason.  And certainly I don't post here to push an agenda - merely to offer an opinion on something that I know about and enjoy talking about.  Many other discussions take place here that I learn alot from, so I make it a point to add knowledge and value where I have it.    The 221 engine (the R*tek) was also used on Lawn Boy mowers (known as the Duraforce - its a reed-valve version of the same engine).  Amongst lawn care people, this engine is known as the most powerful 21" walk-behind mower made.  It is SIGNIFICANTLY more powerful than anything else I've run, including even the fantastic Kawasaki full pressure lube FJ180v 4 stroke (the best 4 stroke mower motor made in my opinion)  In the 221, the Duraforce/R*Tek really shines.  In fact, in my fleet I even have a super-rare Toro 726te which is a 2-stage machine that uses the R*Tek motor.  Run back to back last weekend with a Craftsman Professional 11/32 (same snow, same driveway) the 726te bogged less and threw farther.  Point being the R*tek is a very underrated motor, and for that I love it.  They wouldn't have put it on a big 2-stage if it wasnt powerful and torquey enough to handle it.  

The bit about torque isn't completely true.  Torque is a result of compression and displacement.  The difference in displacement between the 2 engines is very insignificant, and with the 2 stroke making power every revolution, you'll find that it makes more torque as well.  Now, compared to a 305cc 4 stroke will it make more torque?  No.  But within its range (140-210 or so cc 4 strokes) I'd bet the duraforce/r*tek is the king of the hill.

The push for the 4 stroke is purely and simply marketing.  I've made a few posts on the "other board" detailing some of the mumbo-jumbo behind this.  I think you'll be happy if you buy either the 421 or the 221 - they are the best singe-stage units you can buy, but certainly I think the 221 is the superior unit as it both costs less AND is more powerful.  And although it doesn't matter much to you as stated, its lighter, simpler, and requires less maintenance. 

Here are some pictures of the aforementioned 726te Snowblower - its a really cool, rare machine.

Now that's a clean snowblower that's never seen a flake of snow or a garage that never seen a car.

Nice snowblower, even though it has quite a bit of plastic, I kinda like the Darth Vader theme.  Very nice and clean cable management.  When was this 726te in production?  This used the same engine in the 221Q?

Thanks for a good writeup Superbuick.   I'm almost convinced to get a 221Q as 2010 will be the last year for 2 stroke to be sold in USA.  Although I tempted to give that 4 stroke Loncin engine a try.  Also the 421Q also has a larger cowl housing that allows me to repower the chassis with another engine of my choice if the Tim Allen bug bites, say a Kawasaki or Subie engine.

Thanks aa335. The plastic is just a housing over the engine - seems to make it ultra quiet as it is lined with insulating foam. Its actually more like Glass Reinforced Plastic as opposed to straight plastic. The material is almost identical to that of the inner fenders on my Corvette. Plastic chutes don't bother me one bit - in fact I like them over steel chutes. They are more slippery than a painted steel chute (at least one that hasn't been waxed). Not to say there's anything wrong with an all-metal chute - I just don't see it as a "sign of quality" per se (though alot of really nice Ariens and Simplicitys have them).

As far as I can tell, they made the 2 stroke PowerMax for 3 years. 04-06. The first two years it was called the PowerMax 726te and then the name was switched to the PowerMax 6000 but nothing else on the unit changed. The engine is identical to that in my 221QR - the carbs and jetting are the same as well (I've taken them both apart to look for differences and found nothing) The chassis on the 421 and 221 are the same - but you are right about the plastic housing - the 421 is bigger to accommodate the OHV engine. I've seen the newest 421 in person and it almost seems like the housing for this year is bigger than last year's. I'd have to see it side by side with a Tecumseh powered 421 to be sure though. Like I said - either way you can't go wrong - they're great machines. I'm just a fan of the whole more power for less money thing ;-)

Next time it snows, I'll make a video for you of the machine working - I'll put it to the test as best I can so you can see why I like it. Didn't you say you have a Honda 6/21 single stage? Thats also a pretty awesome/legendary 4-stroke single stage (what with the GX motor and much sturdier construction than the current Honda single-stage junk).

Superbuick,

Thanks for all of the wonderful information on the 221 and 421.  Those photos of your 726 are awesome.  I wish they still made that machine.

So, the Chinese manufactorer is Loncin?  I've heard they make good engines.  A neighbour of mine just got the little powerlite with the 87 cc 4 stroke engine.  I'm guessing that's also a loncin engine.  He used a few times.  Started up well, had a steady growl but the unit would bog down in about 5 cm of wet snow mixed with freezing rain.  Guess that's to be expected with such a tiny engine.  My local dealer said the 2 strokes outsell the 4 strokes this year by at least 3:1. 

How do you find the 2 stroke engine to handle wet, heavy snow and the stuff the plow leaves at the EOD?

Why didn't Toro gets Briggs to make them a 4 stroke engine for their single stage units?  Doesn't husqvarana, simplicity, etc use a 148 ccc 4 stroke engine from brigss on their single stage units?

superbuick wrote:
2010 is the last year for the 2 stroke engine?  That's a great shame.  Will toro only offer the 4 stroke next year?  If so, I might just have to get one of the few ones left.

superbuick wrote:
I had a chance to take apart a Honda HS520 and  found it to be inferior in construction quality compared to the Toro.  Compared to my 10 year old Honda HS621, well, there isn't anything the last 10 years that equal it in quality and robustness.  The GX160 engine is a gem.  I didn't realize how powerful this engine is until I push the snowblower into heavy deep snow.

This weekend, I saw my neighbor tackle wet heavy snow that the snow plow puts on next to the curb.  It was clogged as nothing was coming out of the chute.  I didn't expect the clogging to occur but was impressed with the power of the 2 stroke engine that kept the auger spinning and spitting the snow out in front..  I was using my HS621 removing the same type of snow.  There was no clogging on the HS621.  It threw the wet heavy snow about 6-8 feet onto the parkway, which is all the distance I need, as I did not want the wet snow to go any further and land on the sidewalk.

Overall, in my honest opinion, the Toro 221 / 421 is a best performing snowblower today, and the best single stage snowblower in the US market.  I like how balanced and easy to maneuver it around.  The rubber auger and the inverted funnel housing is designed with maximum efficiency, and it has the most powerful engine to boot.  The throwing distance is impressive.  Pivoting scraper is a great idea and good implementation.  The Quick Shoot is icing on the cake, my favorite feature actually.  Hats off to Toro for an making excellent single stage snowblower.  This is why I am thinking about getting this particular Toro, even though I already have an excellent Honda single stage.

Bump, TTT.

Will the 221 or 421 take a plowed driveway down to bare tar or is it going to leave a lot behind? Also how good is it at handling EOD? I know it's a single stage but I'm looking at havingthedriveway plowed then using a smaller machine to clean up. But the EOD will still get filled in because the city plows keep coming long after the guy plows our driveway. Any thoughts? Oh and I'm not real keen on 2 strokes but yeah I guess I could mix up gas for my wife beforehand.

Steve_Cebu wrote:
Yes, both of the Toro will clean the pavement well, same rubber paddle design, different engines.  It's like a power squeegee.  Although if the snow is packed and driven over by tire tracks, it will not come off easily.  I use an metal ice scraper for this.  EOD is possible, the soft wet stuff does take time though.  My neighbor has the 221.  It performs great and he also know how to use it well.  He also clean around the mailbox so that the mail truck doesn't get stuck.  It's a little slow handling that wet heavy snow, but it can do it fine.  I did see it clogged with heavy wet snow once time, a little surprising, but  all the other times, it has worked fine.

Although for the EOD pile that is higher than the opening of the single stage, or when it is hard and crusty, I would use a 2 stage to tackle that.  The metal auger and the wheel drive does most of the work.  You can use a single stage, but it will take longer and require more work on the operator.

2 stroke are not really an issue, mix up a gallon or two of gasoline and that should last a while.  Just use a separate gas can and label it for the 2 stroke.

I don't recommend the electric Toro 1800 though.  Seem too lightweight to get anything done.  The molded plastic auger will not wipe the pavement as well as rubber paddle.  It may not make contact with the pavement at all.

I also don't like to deal with stiff frozen electrical cords and dragging that sludge/slush muddy salt back in the garage.  If you must go with something this small, consider the Power Clear 180.  It's a small 4 stroke snowblower for just a little more money than the 1800 + outdoor extension cord.  It is pretty low to the ground so your wife may be able to pullstart it.  Give it a go.