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

Found this at an auction, bought it for $70.00.  Don't really need another blower but couldn't resist the 7hp 24" cut.  It's a 2008 model and a rare bird in design.  The ad said it didn't run but had good compression.  Looked in good shape.  Turns out it was low on fuel.  After the ride home (fuel sloshing around in the tank) and a shot of starter fluid it fired right up.  Smoked like crazy, so either it had the wrong mix in it.  Or the fuel had evaporated and left a high concentration of oil in the remaining fuel.  Will post some pics tomorrow.    I'm ready for snow already.  Hope this year turns out better than last year.
For those wanting to know.  It has a BRIGGS AND STRATTON, 084333-0199-E1 engine.

borat wrote:

When I adjusted the rpms to 4100, the machine was pulling me down the grade hard enough to give me concerns about footing.  I decided to reduce engine speed by 100 rpm increments.  After the first reduction, the machine was more manageable.  Just enough to still provide plenty of power without me falling on my a$$.  So, I guess in reality, the noticeable difference in that instance was in reducing engine speed.  I suspect it's not so much the power reduction as impeding the paddle speed that improved my ability to control the machine.  The Toro paddles are so much more effective than the Craftsman/Murray/MTD paddles.  I can run those machines at 6000 rpm without feeling like the machine will pull me off balance.  

jrtrebor wrote:

jrt, nice job on the chute conversion, as usual. Maybe you could try a 6 volt battery  instead of 12 to slow down the chute rotation. It worked for me in the testing I did. They seem to be used commonly on kids electric ride-on toys.
Cheers

GtWtNorth wrote:
Thanks GtWtnorth.  That's a good idea about trying a 6v.  Now that I've taken out the stops the speed doesn't concern me as much. 
As fast as you can whip those light single stages around maybe having the fast rotation will turn out to be an asset.

Sorry to dig up an old thread but I have been searching the web for two days and I cannot find the answer I am looking for. I have a snow commander and I recently installed a new metal carburetor. After I installed it the motor was surging. I ordered a new governor spring and rod because I thought I might have damaged them when I removed the plastic carburetor. I installed the new spring and rod last night and it is now running perfectly. After doing all the research online I now want to make sure the rpms are set properly. I am going to order a rpm reader but I am not sure how to set the rpms properly. Do I set it while the motor is at idle? Do I engage the rotors and put it under a load? From what I understand I just need to bend the rod the governor spring is attached to. I just want to be sure I set the rpms properly. I love this machine and I don't want to damage it by over revving it.

Most engines have 2 RPM speeds. The max is for at full throttle and the min is for idle. The min doesn't matter too much as it is more or less as low as you can get it without the engine stalling. Faster will give you better throttle response. Some engines don't even have a throttle so it doesn't matter. The max is what will damage your engine. 3600 is what most 4 cycle small engines do, but some of those Toro 2 stroke engines are set around 4400. If you go to the Toro web site and try and look up the manuals you can find a spec sheet that says what the engine RPM should be. You will need the model and serial numbers. I have always set mine at full throttle with no load.

Thanks for the response! From what I've read @4000 rpms is ideal for the snow commander. The motor can handle more but the machine can get difficult to control if you go much higher. I guess I will engage the rotors but not put a load on them and set the rpm there.

Anyone have pics of this model? I'm wondering what it looks like exactly i think i saw one online but not sure.