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

Hi all,
Back in October I purchased the first snowblower I've ever owned. I live in eastern Massachusetts. I used to plow my driveway with a small doser blade on the front of my Sears garden tractor (the one I posted about the B&S engine that threw its conn rod), did that for 7 years, before that I just shoveled but Im too old and have developed a bad back. Anyway I got the top-of-the-line Toro 1128 OXE model 38650 with the Techumseh 'Snow King' 11HP engine. I had comparison shopped the equivalent Ariens unit but based on everything I read -including on this forum- the Toro was the better unit (they both had the same engine).

Well right after I got it I put a 'Tiny Tach' hour meter on it. I was using last Monday, we got around 5-6 inches of wet heavy snow. The snowblower had less than 2 hours of running time on it (the TinyTach reads only in full hours). I was just about done (it takes about 20 minutes do do my driveway) when all of a sudden I recognized that the unit had lost it drive mechanism. The auger was still working but no forward or reverse. Being a brand new unit still under warrenty (when I purchased it Toro was having a special offer that included a 3yr warrenty - normally they give 2 yrs) I really did not want to start taking it apart and I called my local dealer where I bought it and they said they would come and get it. I asked if it could be something as relatively simple as a broken belt - they thought not but could not be sure. After I spoke with them I decided to look at the belt so I removed the plastic cover (3 small screws) that they are under. When I removed the cover I instantly saw the problem. The belts were fine but each belt - one for drive and one for auger) has a small idler pulley pressed against by a spring it to keep the belt tight. The drive belt's pulley is mounted on a pivoting bracket and is held against the belt with a 'torsion' spring. I could see the idler pulley - it wasnt even sitting agaist the belt. Then I could seen the spring. At first I thought the spring had somehow slipped off the bracket but then I could see that the end 'tang' of the spring had snapped off.

So the dealer has repaired the unit (they called and found just what I did) and I should have it back tommorow, the repair done under warrenty. But it calls into question -in my mind- the reliability of the unit. That a $1.00 spring could take down a $1600 machine is very disconserting. I also called Toro to vent on them my disappointment with this. Maybe it was just a 1 in a million defect in that spring. I could see a unit several seasons old perhaps, but a unit with 3 uses and less than 2 total hours?

What do you think?

Thanks,
Paul
ps My good neighbor across the street has an Ariens snowblower. He loves his, alway touting its ability, and told me to get one. The fact that my Toro quit and was picked up by the dealer (and will be delivered) during the day while he is not home has saved me some embarrisment.

"The fact that my Toro quit and was picked up by the dealer (and will be delivered) during the day while he is not home has saved me some embarrisment"

Well, unless he reads this forum that is...

Yeah, the domestic auto makers choose poorly throughout the 70s and 80s, were eclipsed by Asian quality and have still not recovered -- either in quality or perception thereof. I agree about Hyundai/Kia also. In only 2 decades they have achieved an enviable reputation which still eludes GM after 100 years. I simply don't understand what could possibly be so hard to fix at GM, but I will never own another.

But I don't think one bad spring in a Toro is evidence of the Decline of the West. So they had a bad supplier; they issued a service bulletin, and are fixing it. It's one mark against Toro (and no fun when it happens during a storm) but my Toro 826OE has run perfectly for two winters now and cuts harder/throws farther than the neighbors various MTD brands and John Deeres.

I bought my Toro from a local independant OPE shop one day in advance of a major snowstorm, after a week of internet research. He wasn't the lowest price, but he delivered it free. That specific model was unavailable at any of the big stores, but had they been competitive, I would have purchased there too.

Competition still rules. Mindless and uncritical "buy American" devotion contributed to GM, Chrysler and Ford's asleep-at-the-switch decline.