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

I'm looking at either buying the Toro 2-cycle 221QE or the 4-cycle 421QE.  One dealer I talked to said that the 4-cycle 163cc engine will be almost impossible to start, even with the electric start, if stored in an unheated garage at -20C.  He said that he has lots of people who bought this machine come back and complain about it not starting when really cold.  He had both the 2-cycle and 4-cycle models in the showroom and recommended that I buy the 2-cycle and that I would be a lot happier with it.  Another dealer said that it just comes down to personal preference on which one you want to buy and that they are both just as easy to start when the temp is really cold out.  Anyone have any comments about cold starting on the 421QE?  This is the one I would like to buy because it would be a little bit quieter and the exhaust wouldn't stink as much as the 2-cycle.

jackrabbit000 wrote:

Toro's start on 1 pull. I think your dealer wants to sell you a 221Q. Personally I don't care for 2 strokes too finicky, and high strung. They sound like a mad hornet all the time. Call up Toro and ask them if their 421 has problems starting in the cold. Thaat should get a belly laugh out of them. These machines are made for the snow. They are even nice enough to provide a toll free number with their hours. The call is free and they are the manufacturer. It's worth the call if you are worried about cold weather starting.

Mowers, Snowthrowers, Tractors & Electric Handheld Products:
Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CST)
Saturday and Sunday - Closed

USA 1-888-384-9939
Canada 1-800-544-5364

jackrabbit000,

Is your Toro dealer located in Long Island?

Steve_Cebu wrote:

Yeah, I found it really strange that he would say that the 421 has cold starting problems.  They are SNOWblowers.   Thanks for the number.

MN_Runner wrote:

No, I'm actually in Alberta, Canada.

jackrabbit000 wrote:

Good thing I included the Canadian number then.  Let us know what Toro of Canada says about their 421Q starting in the cold. I have a Toro 1028OXE 2 stage and it starts with one easy pull once choked and primed, no matter how cold it is.

jackrabbit,

Don't you guys get a lot of snow in Alberta, Canada so given that is Toro 421QE or 221QE good big enough?  Sounds like you need a Toro 1028 or 1128.

Steve_Cebu wrote:
@jackrabbit000

Not sure of the dealer's motivation to push the 221Q over the 421Q.  I've talked to many dealers and they gladly sell me either model, doesn't make any difference. 

Maybe there has been so many rave reviews of the 421Q lately that sales of 221Q has slumped and the dealer just want to move them.  :)  Not that any of us here have anything to do with it. 

aa335 wrote:

I was thinking the same thing, great minds think alike I guess.

But honestly a dealer saying a 4 stroke Toro is hard to start? That just doesn't make sense at all. That's like the Honda dealer telling me The Honda Fit is reliable (I have 2 of them) but the Civic isn't.

The dealer must have overstocked the 2 strokes. It'll be interesting to see what Toro says about it.

I'm no expert but isn't it because the engine oil in a 4 stroke engine on sub zero days can get thick enough to make it hard to get the motor up to speed by pull starting?  That's why thinner oil is recommended the colder it gets.  Two strokes have no such issues since there is no crank case oil to thicken-up. 

Steve_Cebu wrote:
I'm a bearer of good news.  If I feel that a product has exceeded my expectation, it's worth giving credit where it's due.

Doesn't make sense to me either.  That dealer is iffy and I would not buy from them.   NO dealer should use FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) within the product lines that they sell.  Just bad practice and I'm sure Toro would not tolerate that.