New Snowblower


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Well, as the title says. Decided keeping our old (30+ yo) Honda snowblower going is more than I care to deal with now. Needing new paddles.............again, choke cable broken, chute clogs too easily (especially if paddles are even slightly worn). Bought it used about 10 or 11 years ago. It's now a little over 30. So went looking online. Usual suspects (Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc). Home Depot had an interesting machine called the Toro 724 QXE. Kind of a "hybrid". Bigger opening, self propelled (Toro Personal Pace), built like a 2 stage but a single and only 24" wide so I can fit it between the cars. But still gives me 3" or 4" more width than the old Honda. So my local HD showed they had 3 in stock. Off I go. See it on the floor and yes nice machine. Get a clerk to help me. "oh let me scan the SKU and get a boxed one". Nope none in stock only the floor model. And "Oh BTW price is no longer $849 raised overnight to $949" (can you say price gouging boys and girls? Sure I knew you could.). But, she was very nice and said if I want to take the floor machine she'd make sure it rang up properly since the shown price was their mistake. Bottom line I called my neighbor with a pickup truck. I rung it up and it came home with me.
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The “overnight price hike” seems pretty lousy to me! I’d have pitched a bit of a fit or at least tried to speak to someone higher in the food chain. That’s a bite in the bum!
 
Larry - Good work on wearing out the old one and getting your money's worth out of it. I just bought the baby brother version of your toro a couple of weeks ago. It really doesn't snow enough in St. Louis to warrant a big snow blower but a few people have them. My driveway is big enough that clearing 3" of snow by hand isn't very practical, and my crummy plug in electric blower was really not fun to use so I'm pretty jazzed about my new gas blower....
 
I replaced the carburetor on my 21 year old craftsman snowblower last winter. It has a 9hp tecumseh engine and hopefully lasts for 20 more years! Your new toro is a beauty though!
 
I did get it for the $849, and honestly if I never have to use it this winter no one would be happier than me.
As for the old Honda I could keep it going another year (or more for that matter). The engine is still perfect shape. But corrosion and such are taking a toll on the machine and it seems every winter something happens to it either just when I need to use it or in the midst of clearing a snow storm from the drive. So right now it has a broken choke cable. But, I have another waiting to install. So I will get that done, and put the thing on FB Marketplace and or Craigslist and given the way things are today, will likely get more than I paid for it 10 years ago LOL.
 
If I got rid of some of the mass of “Stuff” in the garage, I’ll love a garden tractor with a snow auger on the front! I do the sidewalk all the way around the block! I just think it would be fun!
 
I've got an old Toro I inherited from my father. No idea how old it is. Had to have the rubber prime button replaced a few years ago. The biggest issue is it's a two-stroke engine and it takes forever for the thing to warm up enough that it works halfway decent. I'll get it started and let it run for ten minutes, then start on the sidewalk. The snow just barely clears the chute. About the time I'm done with the sidewalk and driveway, it's finally running decent and shooting snow a good distance. Once it gets running properly it does do a pretty decent job.

I hate to buy a new one, especially since I haven't even fired up the old one in two or three years, but I'm afraid my legs may not be up to doing a lot of shoveling this year. I wonder if I should maybe look into an electric model. Those obviously wouldn't need to warm up. The drive isn't long enough that dragging a cord would be a huge deal.
 
LMichaels said:
I did get it for the $849, and honestly if I never have to use it this winter no one would be happier than me.
As for the old Honda I could keep it going another year (or more for that matter). The engine is still perfect shape. But corrosion and such are taking a toll on the machine and it seems every winter something happens to it either just when I need to use it or in the midst of clearing a snow storm from the drive. So right now it has a broken choke cable. But, I have another waiting to install. So I will get that done, and put the thing on FB Marketplace and or Craigslist and given the way things are today, will likely get more than I paid for it 10 years ago LOL.
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This past summer I sold my old Honda lawn mower I bought 25 years ago at my first house for $500, for $250. It had a plastic deck which was very innovative back then. Not a spec of rust and started on first pull. Not a bad cost of ownership, $10 a year.

Loved that Honda mower. All the grass is now plants and drip at the current home. Hope to never mow a lawn again.

Good luck with your winter snow. And I’m sure you’ll get a great price on your used Honda blower.
 
I had one from the 70's - Montgomery Ward badged and built by Gilson. Pretty good little machine when I lived in Ohio and used it a lot. Replaced blades and scraper a couple times. Got about 35-40 years out of it. Death sentence was getting a house with an aggregate drive. They destroy the blades and scraper. Was still running 5 years ago when I gave it away and moved in a community where they do it for me.
 
JayHeyl said:
he biggest issue is it's a two-stroke engine and it takes forever for the thing to warm up enough that it works halfway decent. I'll get it started and let it run for ten minutes, then start on the sidewalk. The snow just barely clears the chute
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Clean the carb (or simply buy a new one) you can buy them for those little 2 strokes for about $7.00 on FleaBay or Amazon. Replace the rubber paddles and it'll throw like new again
 
In our last neighborhood a bunch of us chipped in for a used snow blower and all had fun with it when it snowed.
 
LMichaels said:
Clean the carb (or simply buy a new one) you can buy them for those little 2 strokes for about $7.00 on FleaBay or Amazon. Replace the rubber paddles and it'll throw like new again
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It's got less than two hours run time on it since it was last in the shop to have the prime button replaced. They claimed they did a full carb clean and whatnot on it then.

Joe Anshien said:
In our last neighborhood a bunch of us chipped in for a used snow blower and all had fun with it when it snowed.
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I've been thinking somewhat along those lines. My neighbor has a driveway that's at least three times longer than mine. And he's about twenty years younger. If I bought a new snowblower and asked to keep it in his garage, with the understanding he could use it whenever he wanted as long as he did my driveway too, I'm wondering if he'd go for a deal like that. I'd gladly spring for the snowblower if it meant not having to shovel.
 
Back when I had my old Allis Chalmers "B" series tractor I had a blower mounted on it. Had a MUCH bigger garage than, a shed right next to the garage and a sidewalk all the way around the house. So the big 36" blower was just fine and it made short work. But, after moving out here wind was a real issue. My garage is too tiny, and my 2nd garage is WAY in the back with no paving. So getting a big machine up from the back was a chore. For a while I had a plow on it, but the chains on the tires tore the yard up something awful. So I bought a little 2 stroke craftsmen. not long after, my father in law passed away. He had a slightly larger and more powerful 2 stroke MTD Yar Machine. So I gave the Craftsmen to my dad, took the other. Used for years, than bought the little Honda HS621. Used, that for years. Now this Toro is actually the first piece of brand new yard equipment I have ever bought. I have never had a brand new mower, snow blower (until now) or anything in my life.
I guess getting old is having it's privileges LOL FWIW even though my property is pretty large I don't have a large driveway and no walks out here either. So believe it or not a little walk behind does a great job.
If climate change was "real" and I would not need one anymore...........................I'm all for it. I say "bring it on". I hate winter, I hate snow and especially hate ice. Honestly don't mind the cold. It's the frozen water I hate.
BTW I guess wen it rains it pours.
Woke up early today to find water on the kitchen floor in front of the dishwasher..............Well I have hated that Electroluxe ever since I installed it but the darn thing worked pretty well. But I guess a new machine is in the future as well now. Hopefully I get top $$$ for that little Honda to help pay for the new dishwasher :D
 
Larry, you can start a new dishwasher thread. I hope you can find one that actually dries the dishes. It seems the number one complaint on all new models is they don't dry well. I'm guessing that's due to some new power use standards.
 
The one I have dries them fine. I have never ever had an issue with that. I really like the European style ones where they use condensation drying. No steam released under the cabinet. Bosch is the best for that IMO. But even this junk Frigidaire/Electroluxe I have does a good job. The secret is to use the proper rinse agent or all in one packets AND soft water.
 
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