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

I've used the 1028 for 2 storms and now the unit pulls to the left just enough that sometimes I need to use the opposite cable to keep it straight. It mostly does this when it's under load. It was not doing this before. My dealer doesn't know much since this is their first year selling Toro, wish I had known that before I bought from them. They say they are trying to find out but so far they are still looking into it. I'm sure it's an adjustment and I did download the service manual. But I'm not sure if it's a cable length adjustment or something else. More snow is falling and I'd like to get this fixed. I did call Toro and they can't offer any help at all except to tell me to contact a dealer.

If the dealer I bought from picks it up it'll be $65 delivery round trip and probably 2 weeks before they can get to it.

Any ideas??

Quick check on the tires to make sure that both are at the same pressure?
Scraper bar height level from left to right? 
Do you have a crown on your driveway for water drainage?

Steve- Check the adjustment on your skid shoes. One of them might have slipped if the bolts loosened. I think this may be what aa335 meant whe he spoke of the scraper bar height. Make sure you  have some clearance under the bar so the machine rides on the skid shoes and not the scraper. Use something like  two wooden paint  stirers back to back to set that height. ( about a 1/4"). He's right about checking the tire  pressure as well.

The Toro manual may also have a check list of things to do after the initial several hours of use. Belt adjustment to account for initial stretch and engine oil change etc.. These are normal  for any brand machine.

Marc

Two paint sticks will be too high. I use just one stick and wish it were a tad lower.

I've used dimes or nickels to set scraper height before, but it was just too low.  The scraper blade catches on expansion joints on the sidewalk.    Gets old pretty quick trying to brace for impact every 4 feet.

I now use two quarters stacked together.  It provides a hard surface for the scraper bar to rest on.  Used paint stick before and there was so much weight on it that it made an indentation.  Not very reliable.

aa335 wrote:

Them some pathetic paint sticks there bud! This isn't rocket science and we don't need a micrometer to measure the clearance. I like approx. 1/8" of an inch, regardless of what method is used to achieve it.

borat wrote:
I'm only suggesting the using coins since you mentioned that just one paint stick was a too high and you want it lower.  Now you don't have to be that exact in the height, but I wanted it to scrape as low as possible without catching on the pavement.

For my application, the tracked Honda bucket puts a lot more weight on the sticks than a typical wheeled snowblower.   It is a lot more sensitive to scraper bar height that is set low.

I find that home depot paint sticks are far superior to anyone elses paint sticks LOL....

I've just spent a fair amount of time working on this. Thanks for all the replies. It turns out that the left tire had a roofing nail in it.

The cables on the triggers for the skid steer were a bit loose and not fully engaging. So I took off the tire and the dealer put a plug in it for free, nice of them! Now with the cables adjusted it steers better than before.

My scraper bar is set at 1/8" since we have a paved driveway. We do have a small section with small granite stones. I ran over that and the auger bit into the ground and flung the piece of granite out the chute. We are talking about a 2"x3" inch thick piece of granite. Didn't break any shear pins. I've adjusted the markers so I don't run over that area by accident again. Our EOD is at a pretty steep angle but the 1/8" is the best compromise.

Now when the snow finally stops I'm ready to blast it off the driveway!

aa335 wrote:

No Doubt! Not to mention the lip at the curb cut where the concrete meets the asphalt.

Marc

Steve_Cebu wrote:

steve how much snow are you getting?

still spring like weather here in jersey.
I picked up another unit yesterday ariens 8526
looks and runs brand new! I couldn't help my self just had to have it!! haha!!

So Now my inventory is back up to 4 machines!  and no snow!!! haha!!

aa335 wrote:

Great idea on the quarters! I was using a yard stick,the weight of the honda just crused it..

Going to try quaters later on today just in case it ever snows here I'll be ready..

Steve_Cebu wrote:
Sounds like you found a good dealer and taken care plugging your tire.  That and the cable adjustments are quick easy fixes.

njal wrote:

I think we have maybe had 24 inches all season so far. We get a bit more up here than they do in town. You have 4 snowblowers but no snow. Sounds like you need to move to a more wintry climate. :)

aa335 wrote:
Yes the dealer was very good about it. Imnitially they were going to use an inner tube but I guess the hole was straight so the plug worked. i remember back when they used th same plug on car tires so it sould hold for a good long while.

I'm planning to pick up another snowblower and it hasn't snowed for 2 weeks.  Hopefully the local dealers are going to discount the snowblowers.

I wonder if I put summer tires back on my car, would it snow???

I have been finding great deals on cragslist.

The ariens was tooo nice not to buy ..

I changed the oil today,took out the old gas and checked the belts..

This puppy is race ready.. where's the snow???

Hi, regarding the dealer charge for pickup. If the machine is under warranty Toro will pay for pick and delivery. I believe it is for a 15 mile trip. I had to have warranty work on my 1995 powershift and I had it serviced at a dealer near my home not where I bought it. THey picked up and delivered and sent the bill to Toro. I'd check out the warranty.