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Michael Wright |
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private |
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Normal user |
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| Number of Posts |
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| Date Joined |
Dec 14, 2009 |
| Date Last Access |
Jan 10, 2010 6:36 am |
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Re: Toro Power Clear 180: Anybody use it yet?
#1 Jan 10, 2010 6:26 am |
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Yes, when I first saw the choke extension lever, I thought it was flimsy. However, after a little bit of thought, it made sense. Now, I don't remember how it was attached to the choke itself and how easy to replace it in case it breaks. Hopefully it's a fastener-free smart snap fit.
Thanks for the writeup on the 180 performance. The paddle is virtually the same as the 221/421, only scaled down. If the 180 had the "blue" quick chute gizmo, I'd be getting one myself.
Toro marketing department, are you listening? Give me a 180 with quick chute and recoil start for $399 and 5 year GTS. :) While u're at it, integrate the deflector with the quick chute too. :) Yes, the quick shoot would be nice on the 180 as it would have sped things up quite a bit for myself, especially in all of the nooks and crannies of my deck and walkways. The quick chute is something I would have paid extra for after using the one on my 221QE. Also, it is kind of a back breaker turning the chute on the little Toro if you are tall, as the chute is right down below my knee level. And that blast of cold air up my jacket when bending over isn't much fun either. And no, my plumber side was not exposed. 
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Re: Toro Power Clear 180: Anybody use it yet?
#2 Jan 9, 2010 2:44 pm |
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The flimsy lever that you see is an extension of the choke lever. It is designed to flex and give and prevent damage to the choke lever itself.
For the anti-plastic crowd, if this extension is broken, you can still actuate the choke lever. If you break the choke lever, well, highly unlikely. You're more likely to damage something more serious internally. Yes, I should have stated that fact regarding the choke, thank you for clarifying that. And I could see why Toro stuck that little wiggly piece of an extension on there, as I had a pair of winter shooters gloves/mittens on, and it was very easy to turn on and off with those gloves in mitten mode.
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Re: First use of Toro Power Clear 221QE, my impressions...
#3 Jan 9, 2010 2:34 pm |
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Yeah - they are pretty darn powerful, and coupled with the light weight of the units, you can get some of that torquing effect. I've found, as he mentioned, it to be stronger going up hills than down. However, I don't fight it, I just let the machine pull itself along - they work FAST! Your not kidding, I peeled that 10,000 sq ft off in about 1/2 an hour. It was not enjoyable, but the job is done....
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Re: First use of Toro Power Clear 221QE, my impressions...
#4 Jan 9, 2010 11:04 am |
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It has nothing do do with the engine. Its the larger paddles and the force of the snow shooting out to whichever side you are blowing it. The 180 can't move enough snow or shoot hard enough to produce the "torque steer" effect you are feeling. I have a Powerlite (16 inch, 2 stroke) and it has no "torque steer" because again, it moves a smaller volume of snow. The 421 will feel basically the same when using it - its just a bit weaker in the wetter/heavier stuff, and sounds "farty" like 4 strokes do ;-) That makes sense now that you mention it. When I was headed up the drive I had the snow chute aimed 90 degrees to the right side, 3 o'clock, and the rear of the blower wanted to go to the left or 7 o'clock. When I was heading down the drive, I had the chute at roughly 10-11 o'clock, and the unit was tracking virtually straight but still wanting to kick out in the rear, but not quite as bad. So, it sounds like my technique needs some adjusting. Thank you very much for your reply and clearing this up for me. Now I just need some more snow... Mike
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First use of Toro Power Clear 221QE, my impressions...
#5 Jan 9, 2010 10:26 am |
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Well, we finally have had some snow fall here in Grass Lake MI, at least enough to break out a snow blower. I picked up the Toro Power Clear 221QE a few weeks ago here in Jackson MI at a local Toro distributor, and caught it on sale. I bought the Toro to replace a 15 year old Toro 21" single stage as she was getting rather long in the tooth. The area I need to clear is aprox. 10,000 sq ft of asphalt, an "L" shaped drive that faces due West with a good sized pond beyond that. I also have an older Sears Craftsman 2 stage for the really big stuff, the Craftsman still runs like a champ but for the usual 6 inch snowfalls around here it is a bit of an overkill, but still gets a few runs a year when we get the big storms.
Well, I pulled the Toro out of the garage and gave her two primes and gave her a pull, she started with the first pull, with no choke, as I forgot that in my excitement to try her out. She sputtered for a split second, and away she went, very little if any smoke, pretty cool. The noise level was as expected for a two stroke, but yet quieter than the 15 year old two stroke Toro she replaced.
I played around with the quick chute before starting out and found that solid and easy to use. And I would highly recommend getting the quick chute model, that feature is worth the money, at least to myself. I started my normal routine in clearing and she was much more powerful, which I expected, than the old gal she is replacing. She threw the snow a good 20' as advertised and was of course very easy to maneuver. I found the motor to be more than adequate to get the job done of clearing the snow as was again expected.
The one issue, maybe good, maybe bad, but man does this unit have some torque. I found that on the uphill portion of my drive (say 10 degrees if that) she was very hard to control, to the point that I was was nearly walking along side of the unit to keep it straight. This was not very enjoyable as I have tendonitis in both arms. I tried tilting it back so that the paddle was not hitting the drive, tried holding it back, tried forward pressure to get full contact, etc... Going down the drive, she was a bit easier to control, but not by much. This was not like my 2 stage that just chugs along and devours the snow. This was actually quite a workout, not saying I don't need the exercise, but my older Toro was much more controllable.
Am I missing something here? When I purchased the 221QE I also purchased its little brother, the 180 to do my walks and deck, which is a 4 stroke and indeed smaller, but it tracks straight and does not want to "run away". I am wondering now if I should not have ponied up the extra cash for the 421QE? But here is the irony of my decision to purchase the 221 over the 421, I wanted the extra torque of the 2 stroke over the 4 stroke! Now I am regretting, or questioning, my decision.
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