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

From what I have read, some of you wrestled with a decision to purchase Toro OXE models and Ariens platinum models for different reasons over the last couple of years.  Would those that did wrestle with this decision last year or beyond, speak to your experience with your purchase and whether you were ultimately happy with the choice you made or would you have made a different choice?  I have this delemma this year and it is making me nuts.  Toro 826 oxe or Ariens Plat 24. 

I have spoken to 2 different dealers that sell both machines and both reccomend the Ariens over the Toro. 

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts!!

Briantun wrote:

I had the same decision last year and the dealers also reccomended that I buy the Ariens over the Toro. I was unimpressed with any of the Ariens models and my wife who admittedly is short and light was unable to steer any of the Ariens models in a way that made it comfortable to use. We ended up buying a Honda 928TAS and then later returning it because my wife thought it would be ok. It threw snow well enough but was too difficult for her to turn or use.

The Toro 1028 that we bought works like a dream. We both used it last year and I have some YouTube videos if you want to see my 4'10" 84 lb. wife using the Big Toro without much trouble. Also some videos of me clearing the EOD. It's a great machine. There is a guy who hijacks every thread in this forum and tries to tell people that Toro isn't good but he's never used one. The Toro dual trigger steering and the quick chute work very well and no problems except for a flat tire caused by a roofing nail.

We really did try out other models but the Toro is well built and is always sold out early on. Ariens rarely sells out up here. If I had to trade the Toro I have for another model it would just be another Toro 1028. I like it that much. No matter how much stuff you read online or how many opinions you get. The Toro is the real deal in the snow. They are easy to use and last a long time. I have a bad back and the Toro is super easy on it. Let me know if you want to see any pics or videos of mine in actual use in our long driveway. I'll be happy to post them.

DavidNJ wrote:

I think you have overlooked that there a handful of people here who have owned multiple snowblowers at one time, evaluated/compared multiple snowblowers that they actually used, and written up concise reports of their actual experiences.  SteveCebu, who you have been waffling with recently, is one of those contributors.  Also, there are handful of people who have actually repowered, modded, and serviced snowblowers and or helped people. 

Well said aa335. The difference between seeing these on a website or in a showroom versus using them for a year is a night and day difference.

I also did a review on the Toro 1028OXE on here last year. I'm sure a search would pull it up quite easily.

DavidNJ wrote:

You crossed the line with that comment. If you have a problem with Steve_Cebu, that's one thing. Dragging his wife into your little beef is another story.

I want to thank you sharing your wisdom.  It would be great if you could try them out once with actual snow, but this advice helps tremendously. 

Thanks!!!

Briantun wrote:

Keep in mind that the Toro is far from being tinny as has been suggested. It feels lighter because of how it is balanced. We have a lot of rocks that line our driveway. Big rocks and I've bumped them a few times and not had any dents or other problems. The Toro 1028 OXE is a really terrific machine. The quick chute is so easy to use. That said Ariens does make a good machine as does Simplicity and Honda. The main problem with Honda otrher than price is you will get a workout moving it around. I had a tracked Honda 928 and it was a bear to turn. For others it might be easier depends on your back. My wife being small was the main concern.

Ariens had a lot of durability but about the same size engine and the Auto lock differential wasn't all that great for us so we passed on it. They did have a model that could only turn in one direction, for the money it didn't seem worth it. The Simplicity would have been my second choice but I wasn't able to try it blowing snow. So that's a guess based on looking in the showrrom for that model.

The Toro 1028 did everything we wanted a sowblower to do and the price was good, so we got that. It throws heavy wet snow pretty darn far, at least as far as the Honda 928 we had. We rarely get powder snow here mostly it's heavy and wet.

This pic is the only one I have where you can see distance, the snow is wet and heavy and only about 6 inches deep so it's not a big bite for this machine. It's throwing it about 40 feet or so. I did pick up a piece of granite that was about 2" thick and 3.5" long and it threw that about 30-35 feet or so, it didn't snap a shear pin or bend anything. I will probably do some distance tests this winter and see how far it throws different types of snow depending on what we get.

Thanks, Steve!  The picture is great!  I also like the quote warning against PC at the bottom of your page.  I have to admit the Ariens Platinum has the feel of a tank.  It looks like you would have to beat it with a crowbar to cause any type of damage, but I want something I can maneuvar more easily, that gets the job done and will hold up over time.  I have not heard or read anything concrete in the negative about TORO durability.  I have also heard that the TORO may be more susceptible to scoop rise than the Ariens.    

At this point, I am leaning toward the TORO.  Looking forward to trying them both at a local dealer soon.    

Briantun: Where do you live and what kind of snow conditions do you typically deal with? I only ask because if you don't get a whole lot of snow, you may want to consider a single stage. There's some nice one's on the market that can handle a lot more than most folks think and they're very manuverable, easy to handle and less expensive than a 2 stage.

Hi,

I live in northern WI with a long driveway.  I have been using a neighbors 2-stage Ariens Deluxe.

Important question to ask and thanks!!

Briantun wrote:

You're welcome, glad to help. I switch quotes around every so often. I found that one a while back, and I agree with it. I'm opposed to PC in any form.

Anyway the Ariens is a well built machine, I just don't think it's built any better than the Toro, but as I said for us my small wife had to use it. I'll post a link to her using it she's 4'10" and 84 lbs. Look how high the handlebars are compared to her and yet she can easily handle it. Her main problem is when she tries to muscle it around while it's under power, you can't do that it just pulls you along. :)  She's getting better at it tho. I had concerns about the plastic chute as well as the plastic joystick and so far so good. I had a Honda 928TAS with tracks and I think all snowblowers will rise up if they are going too fast. I drove the Toro slowly into hardpacked plowed up snow that was mostly ice and it chewed it up and spat it out with a vengeance.

My main advice is try them out and see which one YOU like the best, different machines handle differently for different people. I'd buy the Toro again over the other machines. The quick chute makes a difference and the dual trigger steering is great too. I use gloves rated for pro skiers at -35F so I don't need heated grips. Try them both out and let me know what you think. I'd be interested in your opinion after you test them.

Here is the link of my wife. Keep in mind she had only used this once before. She's looking forward to using it again this year, so more videos later on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uUBRE7vsRU

SteveCebu,

Have her hop on a snowboard and just ride behind the snowblower.  With the trigger steering, that should be no effort at all.   :)

aa335 wrote:

That's a good idea except my wife would probably fall, she's very blonde in many ways. Black hair, but truely blonde inside.

It would stop her from trying to pull the machine backwards while she is walking with it tho.

I decided to go with the Toro 826 oxe over the Ariens plat. 24.  I do think they are both great machines.  The Toro is better for my use and feels better in my hands. 

I went to several dealers, considered online sellers.  In the end, I went with a local dealer:  delivery and assembly was included; the snowthrower cost was $1,299.00.  I read something about the skid shoes leaving red marks on the drive?  Steve or others have any experience/advice with this?  

Thank you all for your advice!   

Briantun wrote:

Congratulations! It's a great machine, I'm certain you'll be very happy with it.

As far as red marks, I'm sure the paint came off after the first use. I am looking into replacement skids because mine are wearing down. In all fairness my skids are set very very low on purpose. But those ones with the wheels look good. I'll price out a pair of metal shoes and see which is cheaper. But our driveway is pretty old and while it's noty cracked it's not pure black any longer. It's also not 100% flat either so there are probably some scrapes here and there that I might notice if I went out and actually looked for them which would mean doing the leaves which after the heavy rain and hail we had today won't be happening for a while.

If your driveway is pristine and brand spanking new, you might be better off with a skid shoe that is smooth and like teflon or something. For me I don't notice it. I just don't want to buy skids every 2 years if there is a better option available.

Steve_Cebu wrote:

That's about right as far as wear & tear on the skid shoes goes. I went through about 3 or 4 sets over the 10 years I used & owned my HS624 and a couple of those sets were the commercial skid shoes. Those are about 1" thick bar stock and do definitely last 5X longer than the residential skid shoes. The scrapper bar is another item that sees a lot of action but I only replaced one of those. These are however, typical wear items and will need to be inspected & replaced on a fairly regular basis. Just part of the snowblowing experience!

FrankMA wrote:

Thanks FrankMA, yeah it's a wear item, but I'm hoping that there is something out there maybe that skid with a wheel that would last a lot longer, hard to say. But the skid shoes can't cost much. I'm sure I can get 2 more years out of this pair if I flip them when they wear out on one end. Commercial skid shoes would be good too. How much they cost in my area is another matter. The Scraper bar seems ok so that should be fine for a few years.

Just curious, how much did you pay for your skid shoes?

HEY< I HAVE a Toro 8/26....MF does all my cleaning, incl EOD easily. I will have to post some pics to really see it in action>Like Steve mentions, Toro is the cats ass in snow blowing and technology/strength> Care to compare?!!! Will not cut up other good blowers but I sure like my 2 Toro's!!!Single and dual stage, both in use throughout the winter...Steve my wife is from your home town!!! Ilo Ilo??! Email me>>>Dom

D & L

woweh wrote:
I find it funny that the feline rear end can be used as a superlative.  First time I heard of it though. 

Steve_Cebu wrote:

IIRC - the Commercial Skid Shoes were about $50.00 vs. $ 30.00 or so for the Residential version. Typical Honda in that you pay big $$$ but you do get what you pay for in the grand scheme of things. BTW, the Commercial ones are worth the extra $$$ as they are very heavy duty and last much longer than the Residential version. I've recycled them a few times by welding a piece of flat bar to them when the contact shoe has worn away.

Check out the thread below for another option that looks like it has some merit.... It's the posting from rafdog at the bottom.

Replace Skid Shoes With Wheels?

woweh wrote:

Hi Dom, yeah I'm a big Toro fan and my asawa likes using it too. She's from Cebu not Iloilo, that's one island over. I lived in the Phils for about 5 years, saw a lot in that time. I have friends who live in Bacolod so just a ferry ride over to Iloilo. They have no need of snowblowers over there.

FrankMA wrote:

Wow that's pricey, I hope the Toro skid shoes are cheaper. I have been keeping up with that other thread as well. Wheels like that guy used would make it too high for me. I'm not sure about the roller thing the other guy is advertising. Looks good but how long will it last?

Steve,

Any sticking issues with the Toro's chute?  I read somewhere somebody used PAN because he had some issues.  ???

Thanks,

Brian

Briantun wrote:

Hi Brian, no I haven't had any issues with the plastic chute although the dealer tells me it's a good idea to use Pam on any machine. I can't see it sticking for very long on the augers. The dealer also sells Ariens and they suggest using it on ANY snowblower. It can't hurt, but I've never needed it. Nothing has stuck to that plastic but snow will stick on the augers and inside the bucket. But nothing bumping it a couple of times on the driveway won't clear.

I've had good luck with the Sno-Jet spray:

http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-2983500/p824.html

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-number/SNO-JET/0071/071

I've had good luck using spray furniture polish, WD40, PAM (or any cooking spray for that matter). You can get an Institutional size can of furniture spray polish at HD or Lowes for cheap $$$ which usually lasts me a season or two. I heard that RainX is supposed to work pretty good as well but have never tried it myself.

FrankMA wrote:

Just don't get RainX near anthing that's rubber or plastic it eats it away. We used rainX on my wifes car and it did a number on her winshield wipers and door trim and I didn't get any on the door trim that I saw. I suppose if you had an all steel unit that RainX might work, but I have a plastic chute so I won't try it. Car wax works wonders they say, but seems like a lot of work.

Steve_Cebu wrote:
I've used RainX off & on for several years and never had any problems. Maybe you got a bad batch or something? It would be odd that a product intended for use on a windshield would eat the rubber wiper blade and/or plastic trim. Not saying it did not happen, just seems unusal.

FrankMA wrote:

Sadly I looked into it and it's a common problem. You don't want to get it on the trim, seals or wipers. I think they have a warning on the bottle. I'm not sure if it's a new formulation because all the years that I have used RainX I've not had a problem until last year. Either way I won't use it I'd wax before using RainX again.

I looked at the back of the bottle and it said: "Do not use on plastics unless approved by the manufacturer....". It also said to not get it on any painted or clear coated surfaces. That's a little scary, especially when your using the spray bottle!

FrankMA wrote:

Yes it sure is and it literally eats away the plastic. I've not seen any problems with the paint on my wifes car. Needless to say we no longer use RainX. I really liked it too.

Not sure I'll continue to use as well. It's a great product as far as performance goes but the possible side effects may not be worth the risks. It is nice cruising on the highway in a raging rain storm and passing other people without using your wipers and not really needing them anyway!

FrankMA wrote:

There is another product that we use now it's called Aquapel. Nasty if you breathe it in but it works a LOT longer than RainX. I treated my car about 19 months ago and it's just worn off now. No way you will get it sprayed anywhere because you pinch a tube and wipe it on your windshield. It's got to be very clean tho. Also you can't use your wipers for 48 hours or so, so that it will have time to cure. They don't tell you that on the package but it's true. More expensive but works great. We have enough to do our front windshield and rear window in one tube. It will not work on a snowblower tho.