Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Ideas how make Toro 621E chute mechanism 'automatic?'

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SugarHooves

Joined: Jan 24, 2012
Points: 3

Ideas how make Toro 621E chute mechanism 'automatic?'
Original Message Jan 24, 2012 4:31 pm

Hi,

I am looking for ideas on how to assemble, make-shift an auto rotate chute movement mechanism for our new 621-E.

Background:

Toro 621-E is a great machine recently bought to replace an old two-stage Ariens that had given good service. The buyer beware caveat being that, because of an ongoing lower back injury and the nature of our property, the chute mechanism direction needs to be moved quite often. That constant motion of stopping, leaning forward to move the chute in a new direction has turned out not to be a good movement for the lower back. The Ariens had an auto chute movement control on the handle so I did not envision the problem that occurs with a manual chute movement of the new 621-E. Getting older and accumlating more aches and pains is a bee-atch. With the dollar spread being some $300+ dollars for a return of the now used 621E and attempts to sell myself (two snowfalls and $559 new) and difference in price of the Toro 621-QZE ($749 new) [wife needs electric for piece of mind], ...

Help sought:

I am looking for help, ideas, suggestions, resources, etc. to self-assemble, install, jury-rig a mechanism that would control direction movement of the chute. 'Easier' control of the deflector is secondary.

Truly appreciate your feedback.

John

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borat

Joined: Nov 10, 2007
Points: 2692

Re: Ideas how make Toro 621E chute mechanism 'automatic?'
Reply #14 Jan 26, 2012 7:38 pm

One of my landing nets has a collapsible handle with a number of holes in the top portion of the handle. The bottom portion as a small spring loaded button that locks the two pieces together at the desired length.

For use on a snow blower, the collapsible handle could be spring loaded to provide tension between the upper and lower parts and a slot cut in the top section to allow for adjustability. At the ends of the slot there would be indentations cut to one side to lock the handle at the desired length. The indents should be shaped to lock the two pieces together and held there under spring tension. If well thought out and built, it would do the job nicely and cost next to nothing if you can get an old fish net handle.

RedOctobyr

Location: Lowell area, MA
Joined: Nov 5, 2011
Points: 282

Re: Ideas how make Toro 621E chute mechanism 'automatic?'
Reply #15 Jan 26, 2012 8:31 pm

aa335 wrote:

The design doesn't have much leverage to change the deflector angle, there's effectively about 3" moment arm. Anyways, the Honda HS621 chute example is the most direct and simple way to do what you're after. Over a foot long, with a mechanical advantage of at least 6X.

Yeah, the Honda approach is nice. It looks like Frank's machine has a metal chute. I could see there conceivably being a problem if the plastic Toro chute didn't have enough torsional stiffness, and/or if the detents for the rotation are too strong. You could end up twisting the chute somewhat (like a spring) then having it rotate too far when it finally overcomes the detents (and the spring unwinds). Just speculating. But I don't know how stiff the chutes typically are to rotate. The detents on my Ariens are surprisingly stiff (so I could see this maybe being a problem with mine).

I like the extendable handle idea

longboat

Joined: Feb 11, 2009
Points: 103

Re: Ideas how make Toro 621E chute mechanism 'automatic?'
Reply #16 Jan 27, 2012 10:08 am

jrtrebor wrote:

I've made an extended arm for my old toro CCR1000. Just used a piece of Flat steel bar stock. 1/8 thick one inch to an inch and a quarter wide. Drilled two holes through it and the current handle on the chute.
Then bolted the steel unto the top of the handle. I also put an upwards bend in the steel before attaching it. There is the problem as mentioned with turning the chute 90 degrees and having the handle to long.
It will hit if your trying to go along side a car or house. So the handle can't be made as long as it would be nice to have it. But making and installing one is really pretty easy.
I have also put an extension arm on the chute deflector of my Toro CCR2000 so you don't have to reach so far. It already has a hand crank chute rotator

Why not use two pieces of bar stock? Attach one to the existing handle, and attach the other bar to it at its free end, so you are making an elbow. The bar on the handle can be relatively short, and the elbow extension can be long (all the way back to your handlebar, if you have a way to support it). Then you eliminate the problem of clearance on the sides.

longboat

Joined: Feb 11, 2009
Points: 103

Re: Ideas how make Toro 621E chute mechanism 'automatic?'
Reply #17 Jan 27, 2012 10:15 am

Here's a cool idea that would take a little fabrication...

Find a chute with gear teeth around its circumference (some of the two-stage machines have this, either with a manual crank or electric motor) and the associated drive gear. Then you need a flexible cable drive system, like a dremel extension. Then connect one end of the drive cable to the drive gear, and the other end to your 18/19v Makita/DeWalt drill up on the handle. When you need to rotate the chute, pull the trigger on the drill. If you need to reverse it, flip the drill into reverse. However, you should be able to make the chute rotate 360 degrees and not need the reverse drive.

A little complicated, but you can design a whole bunch of mods from the concept (e.g. - old obsolete drill attached directly to chute with remote wires triggering the "go" switch). I think the modern electric drives on fancy two-stage machines use this concept with servo motors, but I'm not convinced the servo motors are strong enough if the chute freezes up between outings.

aa335

Joined: Nov 29, 2008
Points: 2434

Re: Ideas how make Toro 621E chute mechanism 'automatic?'
Reply #18 Jan 27, 2012 12:03 pm

Too complicated and sacrilegious for what a SS is supposed to be. Simple, quick, lightweight. Just my opinion.

Isn't there an iPhone app for this feature already?

The idea does remind of me of the movie Back to the Future where Doc and Marty transformed the DeLorean sports car to a flying garbage eating machine. At least it wasn't a Rolls Royce.

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