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

Well, I've been deciding on a new single stage snowblower for the last 12 months, seems like forever.  I don't over-analyze, but even David would give up in frustration.  :)  Impulse buying is not in my blood, and buyer's remorse is just not acceptable.

Finally decided to pull the trigger on the Toro 421QE.  Yes, it's a 4-stroke and electric start.  Before you manly guys jump in and say I don't need electric start and save myself $100, I'll say it for you.  I don't need electric start, my wife does.  :)  .    The extra $100 is insurance for marital bliss.  Cry once and I don't have to hear the b*tching about should have, would have, da da da.  The 4-stroke was my personal decision.

So just after a week of this brand new shiny red toy sitting pretty in my garage, the time was right to play and get dirty.  Got 3.6" of snow accumulation overnight with a bit of icy crust on top.  I was hoping for a foot of snow but any accumulation more than a shovel full is welcomed.  Little red Toro 421Q went out on a maiden voyage at 06:30 AM taking on heavy density snow with enthusiasm and good speed.  I'm thoroughly satisfied with the performance and handling.  This Toro 421Q has got to be the most balanced single stage in all performance category.  The 4-stroke 163cc Loncin engine with compression release was easy to start,  quiet, smooth, and has good amount of torque.

In comparison, my 12 year-old Honda HS621 has the tenacity of a pit bull when it comes to the heavy snow.  The extremely rigid and high rotational mass auger was designed for extreme packed snow and slush.   It's a heavyweight fighter that likes to land close and determined punches.  However, the Toro 421Q is agile, fast, and extremely maneuverable.  The Quick Shoot is awesome, changing the chute direction while turning is easy and fun.  The snow discharge distance is impressive.  But in actual use, for practical reasons, I only discharge it 10 to 15 feet away.  No point trying to get maximum distance while 50% of that snow comes back at you in windy conditions.

Toro has got the drivetrain / rubber auger efficiency and user friendliness down to a science with this 21" single stage.  Designed to perfection while all the other brands are playing "me too" and catch up with Toro's auger efficiency, while attracting buyers with lower pricing, bigger engines, and loaded features. 

For comparison, the next closest competitor would be the new for this year Simplicity / Snapper SS922EX at $600.  The McCullough MC621ES is even lower price at $500, a 208cc engine, and has the longest pissing distance so far.  The problem is, it doesn't have Quick Shoot or anything remotely close.  And lastly, where can someone buy one of these?  What's the future of this brand / company?

So unless you are constantly digging out of piles left by the snowplow, or your house is the last house on a large cul-de-sac and need a 2 stage machine for 90% of the work, don't forget to give this little red wonder a try.  

As an owner of a Honda HS1132TAS and HS621, the new Toro 421QE is a definite keeper.

aa35 -  are there any video comparisons between the 221Q and 421Q Toros?  I'm surprised they're not out on youtube or elsewhere.

I'm more than pleased with the power of the 421 4-stroke as it sounds you are too.

Yes, I'm thoroughly satisfied with the 421Q.  My only thought is I should add Dynamat to quiet down a bit more.  :)

Actually, videos of the 421Q have only begun to surface the last two months.  I haven't seen any 221Q / 421Q direct comparison, with the latest Loncin engine.  It's probably a close race in terms of performance.  I only say this because my neighbor has a 221Q, and it is lightning quick.  You can also see this in a video comparison between the McCullough (middle) and the Toro 421Q (left).  The Toro did not throw as far and high, but it was actually in front at the finish line.  :)  I can't tell if that 421Q has the Tecumseh or the Loncin engine.  The Honda HS520 (right) started out ahead of the pack with pretty good discharge distance, but it was shamefully stalled.  :(   Although that operator could be a little more enthusiastic getting that engine restarted. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yeDXDrlY4o

Note that McCulloch has a 208cc engine which is larger than either the Tecumseh 190cc, Loncin 163cc, or Honda GC160. 

Is the 87 cc engine on the little toro powerclear 180 a mini version of that 163 cc loncin engine on the 421?  From the videos I've seen on the powerclear 180, it looks underpowered.

WOW, im very surprised in the 421, im not familiar with single stage units as everyone I know has two stage units............Suppose to pick up my Toro 826OXE (that I have no room to store) on thursday and now feel like I made the wrong decision.......:(

Sweet!!  No apologies for electric start needed.  I get it on everything if available.  It's always nice to have as a backup if engine gets flooded for some reason.

stresst wrote:

Don't worry the Toro 421 is a decent machine but the nasty EOD is still the realm of 2 stages. Once you actually use the 826 you'll be sold. It's tough buying something and having to wait to use it. But you'll blow through snow with the 826 that would stop the 421. Unless you get very little snow the 826 is a better machine. aa335 also has a 2 stage snowblower as well. So if it gets nasty the 421 will sit in the garage.

joed wrote:
I have no idea what engine that is in the Powerclear 180.  Although it seems quiet and smooth, the performance is very lackluster.  Definitely could use more power, a lot more.   The kind of snow that I encountered this morning would leave the Powerclear 180 spitting out snow only 3-5 feet from the chute, at a very slow walking speed, not the brisk walk speed of the 421Q.

The 180 chassis and the auger seems fine, as well as the overall design of the snowblower.  I actually like the overall package and style of it.  However, the engine is definitely not well matched to the snowblower.  One more thing, there's no reason the Powerclear 180 should not get the Quick Shoot feature, other than additional cost that will potentially cause lost sales.  At least it should get the chute directional of the electric Power Curve 1800.

Since the release of the Powerclear 180, there's been fuel leak issues which there is a safety recall.  I hope Toro is working on a solution for a different engine.  It's a very promising model with a very rocky beginning.

snowmachine wrote:
Actually, if the engine is flooded, you'd want to remove the spark plug and pull start manually to clear the accumulated fuel from the combustion chamber.  Using the electric starting would only compound the problem.

The electric start would come in handy if you do happen to break the recoil start cord though.   Maybe this is what you meant.

aa335 wrote:

Up in Canada, HD is selling the "CA$899" Toro Power Clear 221 QE for CA$675, and then tonight is the last night for a further 10% off with HD card application 1st use = CA$607.50. I am going to walk across and take a look before they close, would be a 2nd machine, have a $100 HD gift card from the 28 purchase. Any thoughts - good price? The videos linked to are real impressive.

True... I've been there with a Yamaha Phazer snowmobile with a sticky float. Talk about cylinders full of fuel. Total hydrolock with gas. aa335 wrote: