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

So I FINALLY got to use it the other day. First thing I did was shake the 2 cycle can for a few minutes to make sure it was well mixed. Then I poured it in the tank. I took my glove off and pressed the primer bulb twice covering that little nub. Turned the key to on set the choke and pulled. It started on the third pull. First time starting. Cool!
We received about 7 inches of snow.

That Quick Shoot is just down right cool. I debated whether I wanted it and a glad I splurged. I did not try the electric start.
I have a flat double concrete drive and the Toro had it done in about ten minutes. SO much easier than shoveling plus I am not getting any younger. There is a learning curve but that is part of the fun! IT does throw the snow far, it was powdery. ON the EOD is bogged down a little but did not stall. On shut down it sounds just like a Lawnboy, given the engines heritage.
I am impressed with it and would buy another.

borat wrote:
I assume for the same reason that I own a 4 stroke mini tiller and weed whacker...eliminates the need to mix gas/oil and store both types of fuel.  Not that it's a major hassle but it is one less thing to deal with.

Paul7 wrote:
True, but mixing two cycle oil into a fuel container is considerably easier than doing an oil change then having to properly dispose of use oil etc. 

I have numerous two cycle engines which use anywhere from 20:1 to 50:1 ratios.  I run a mix between 32:1 to 40:1 in all of them.  So, one can of fuel for everything two stroke.   Easy as pie.

borat wrote:
There's the difference Borat.  You have numerous two cycle machines.  My riding mower, walk behind mowers, front tine tiller, rear tine tiller, pressure washers, generators, etc...all are 4 stroke.  At one point everything I used was 4 stroke...except my lone 2 stroke mini-tiller.  Do you know what a pain it was to have to maintain a separate gas/oil mix for just ONE piece of equipment. Making sure it stayed fresh, running out and needing to mix a little more just to finish.   If I ran multiple two strokes engines regularly then it would be worth the effort.  So when I saw an 4 stroke mini tiller made by Earthquake I got one and it works great.  No loss of performance at all.  My 4 stoke weed eater on the other hand is less appealing than my previous 2 stroke one because the motor gets uncomfortably hot.  Probably will go back to a 2 stroke trimmer. 

PS.  You're making an assumption by thinking that all used oil is properly disposed of LOL.  I don't even know the proper way to dispose of it.  I use it to start fires when I burn leaves and brush. 

Paul7 wrote:
Whenever I change the oil in my driveway on my cars (or on whatever), I drain the old oil into an empty oil container or into an empty windshield wash container and then bring it to the auto centre of the Wal-mart or Canadian Tire or Costco; from wherever I bought the new oil, or to the nearest place.  If they can sell you oil, they can take it back IMO.  There may even be regulations to that effect, but I have never had a problem with returning used oil and filters like this.

"Do you know what a pain it was to have to maintain a separate gas/oil mix for just ONE piece of equipment."

In my previous post, I said that I use one can of pre-mix for every piece of two stroke equipment other than outboard motors.   There's no need to split hairs when mixing two cycle fuel.  Stay a bit on the rich side and all will be well. 

I readily see your point however, being that you've invested in primarily four stroke OPE.   I have a mixed bag of small engines.  Lots of both types, as well a a couple four cycle ATVs, motorcycles, riding mowers etc.   I find two cycle machines far easier to live with and easier to coax a bit more power out of. 

Other than the fuel leak in the 421, how does it perform compared to the two stroke when it comes to moving snow?   According to Toro's advertisements, the 421 series is the flagship of their single stage machines.  Supposedly, they throw snow five feet further  and move 100 lbs. more snow per minute than the 221.   Is that factual or just another sales ploy?    

borat wrote:
My neighbor has a 221Q and I have the 421Q.  In medium weight snow, the throwing distance is similar.  Neither engines are taxed too much.  They are so close that I don't notice the 421Q has more throwing distance.

However, when pushed into a cement thick snow, the 421Q will not loose RPM as quickly and still has enough rotor speed to eject the snow out of the chute.  The 421Q engine is quite gutsy and does 9.5/10 as well as the older Honda HS621 in this kind of situation. 

The 221Q would slow down and does not have enough velocity to push the thick toothpaste out the chute, instead it will spill out in front of the rotor.   However, surprisingly, the 2 stroke engine still have enough grunt to keep the rotor turning, just very slowly.

aa335:

Do you know what rpms the four stroke runs at?   Who makes the engine in the 421Q? 

The 221QE is supposed to be set at 4000 +/- 100 rpm.   Before adjusting mine, it was running between 3700-3800 according to the mini tach.   When I set it to 4100, there was a noticeable difference in power.  I'm wondering if your neighbour's 221Q engine is running at the correct speed?   Either way, four strokes are supposed have more torque and being a few ccs. larger than the R-tek, the added displacement should also increase torque.  

@borat and others who may be interested

I guess I should set the stage and provide some background info in case someone would question the performance of the 221Q versus the 421Q.

Both engines are in stock form.  No modifications were made to either.  My 421Q is new, so it has factory setting.  My neighbor's 221Q is 3 years old, may or may not be in top operating tune.  He hasn't messed with it so I assume it is factory setting.  So what I was comparing to is factory stock.  His paddles are a little more worn than mine so that might skewed the observation somewhat.

I don't know what RPM the four stroke runs at, but the engine is Loncin 163cc, probably a Honda GX160 clone.   Have not dig into the specs yet.  It sounds very similar to a genuine GX160 engine.  The GX160 has a more subdued sound, the Loncin has a little sharper bark to it.