You need a bigger blower for your area. I had the 824 for 21 years here in N.H. with no problems at all. I gave it to a friend and is still running. I now own 1028 Power Max and runs great. Just empty the fuel and let it run till it conks out and you're done for storage, been doing it this way for 25 years with no problems.
I love this blower. Used it this past week for the first time on super heavy, wet snow on a four-car asphalt drive, basically what it’s made for. Sure, like any single-stage blower, it was working hard, but it handled it like a champ. It’s the perfect upgrade to a smaller single-stage because of its hybrid” setup. Since it’s single-stage, it cleans right to the stone, asphalt or concrete and as a bonus, has the quick stick and self-propel wheels of a two-stage, all in a compact size. I was surprised that you’re using a single-stage blower on a gravel drive…the sales materials definitely said single-stages aren’t built for that usage. You’d definitely need a two-stage that doesn’t rely on chopping at and sweeping/beating the surface to clear snow like this one. That it’s serving you well as you’ve been using it for four seasons really shows how good this little machine is.
I have a Toro Powermax 826LE and I love it. Same deal, pull start on one or two pulls but at 71 I'm starting to use the electric start with a short extension cord. Sweet. Love the joystick controller for ease of use and keeping snow from going into my face on wind blowback. There's a built-in system on mine to keep it from clogging and it works really well with wet snow. I definitely go into the deeper wet snowbanks at the end of my driveway a little slower than you do but also have a 8 hp engine which helps. I do find it faster and easier to do full paths of snow so rather than overlapping each time I turn around I leave about a 4 or 6" width of snow between what I've already cleared and make sure the blower gobbles up all 26" of width on the return pass. That way my first few passes do a full 26'' of snow and then I clean up the 4 or 6" leftovers when I finish my full passes. Hope that makes sense. If I overlap it takes me longer overall. Thanks for the good review!
Excellent tutorial. Visiting my daughter in Maine and have never used a snow blower before. She has this model and it is snowing. About 17 degrees outside. Your tutorial made it very clear on how to use the machine, especially helpful was the “exact” way to start it and at what temperatures it works best. Will give it a go later today or in the morning. It is Christmas day, so I doubt I will do it today. Lol Thank you.Mark
You bought the wrong tool for that job. You need a tractor or quad with a plow. I have the 824 and love it. My drive is way smaller but no clogs. Go slower in deep hard pack. Goes right thru the plow pile at the end. I think the engine size is significant with this blower. The 724 is slightly underpowered. The extra 50cc seems to make a huge difference in all the video reviews on it which is why I went with the larger engine. Paid out the ass for it and had to have it shipped criss country. Couldn't find one for anything. But you can never have too much power . Just slow down and give it time to break it up. Let the machine do the work. Plenty of vids on YT of the 724 handling deeper snow of all types. Just have to slow down and let it break it up first. Nice video and I'm glad you still appreciate it's qualities
Should have spent a few extra dollars and bought the 824 QXE. Doesn't bogged down. That's the one I've had for 4 years now . Works great in heavy deep snow. 16 steps for storage???? I drain the tank and carb at the end of the season and that's it.
Today we got 6+" of snow over granular ice and while my 824 QXE had no trouble throwing that top layer of snow very far and well, it could not clear down to the pavement at all. In the right conditions it will clear most of the way to the pavement but not today. The personal pace drive was also VERY jerky on this snow today as well which didn't help. The sad thing is that I WAS able to scrape down to the pavement with my cheapo Snow Joe battery powered 18" machine!
Everyone says it starts easily, every time, with the pull start. Not mine. I have to use the electric start. My friend used a carb cleaner a couple of weeks ago and it worked. I'd try that again, but I dont know where to spray it . Were expecting 14" of new snow Thursday and it won't start. I had a shop look at it, they said it's fine. Now it's too late to bring it back to them. I'm in South East Michigan, I need a Toro that starts every time.This Machine is four years old, hasalways been hard to start, and probably has only been used a dozen times.
You are correct - the Quick Stick is the best in the business. To eliminate the chute rod from ever coming out and to make the entire machine much more solid/stable feeling, I added a gusset-type bar between the handlebar and the body of the machine to reduce any flex there. Works great. I also added an extension to the oil drain to make that job much easier. Adding a shut off valve is a great idea, but does not cut those maintenance steps down to 3 if you're going to be as thorough as they are talking about. Do you ever find you need to put a little upward pressure on your handlebar to keep the front of the bucket firmly on the ground?
Weird. Mine has never clogged even in very heavy, very wet snow. What I have noticed is that it's incredibly easy to use and I've been doing my sidewalk/driveway and both neighbors on either side and been back in the house sometimes in an hour.
Same here, I have the 824 and I’m in Duluth and NEVER had it even remotely clogged. And we’ve had some insanely heavy, wet snow. Now when it was super heavy and sticky I didn’t throw it super far(like 10’-15’) but it didn’t clog.
@@tommytmt you know what I’ve figured out in my years of operation it comes down to just knowing how to use a machine and how and when to go fast seems to me he just wants to push threw it fast but what he’s not realizing is his drive way is pretty big so you would probably want to go out twice if you don’t want to take your time or just get a smalll two stage d so o when he feels the need hey it’s there! Most guys think the 212 cc is just going to fly right threw everything because it look like a two stage just my 💭!
I just bought an 824. Hopefully the extra engine power will make it easier in the tough spots. Also got a set of those Armorskids ordered because my use will be on bumpy gravel and grass. Judging by your review, I've made a good choice.
☕ I have the upgraded version of this machine, the 824 252cc. Used it to clear driveways hundreds of times. It's a great little machine, worth every penny.
Thank you so much for your review, Riley. We just moved to WI and I've been on the fence about the Snowmaster Single Stage vs the Powermax Two Stage and we get a LOT of packed slush/ice from the street plow because I swear the driver just enjoys dumping that **** right in front of us.... I don't think I could take the struggle from the motor. I think the augur would probably do better to cut through that crap. Thanks again for some honest Observations. Cheers, mate!
The powermax does have a larger engine. Can't speak for much else on it though. I have the cordless electric powermax. its quite a beast, i think it would handle the end of the driveway in the video without bogging. It took on 32 inches at the end of my driveway. I love the on-demand torque, not enough battery life for some people though.
Here’s the thing I’m trying to figure out, the 212cc Toro engine matches the new Loncin LC Series Engine, LC is for the Large Capacity muffler design. If you compare that engine to the Loncin 252cc G Series it outperforms it based on tourque. 212cc has 12.5 ft lbs which surpasses the Loncin 252cc (11.5) and matches the LCT 254cc engine (also 12.5). 250cc is about the average for a 2-stage that can handle any type of snow or ice but if you really want a powerful machine usually 300+ gets you to the Professional stuff that can handle the real heavy stuff, like if you’re trying to take out that half snow, half ice stuff that the plows leave behind… and a lot of it. Toro also has a 265cc of this engine which outperforms the 306cc (15.5 vs 15.0)… but was really peculiar is why the Toro Snowmaster would go with the 254cc engine on the 824 but the 212cc on the 724 (better engine). Sure that 254cc has more horsepower so maybe there’s some benefit in light snow but that torque is what is going to help you with the heavy stuff.
I don't know what specs you're looking at but on the Loncin website the snow engines show the following specs: 212cc= Net torque of 12.5 and the 252cc= Net torque of 15.6.
The quickstick attaches to a long rod which in turn attaches the chute. The end of the rod is flat and slides into a rectangular opening. Mine does have a tendency to pop out...that could be it...
I can't believe you haven't installed an impeller kit on that thing yet! You claim it constantly plugs up under certain conditions? Install heavy rubber conveyor belting on the paddles of the impeller and your plugging will be over, and it will blow the snow farther too!
DUDE FIND THE GOVERNOR ADJUSTMENT N GIVE IT A HALF OF A TURN IT WILL HELP A GREAT DEAL WHEN BLOWING THE HEAVY STUFF ! AND LOOK ON YT ABOUT THE IMPELLER RUBBER KITS YOU CAN MAKE IT WON'T CLOG ANYMORE EITHER ENJOY !
@@raymondj8768 I think your thinking of the two stage blowers. This is single stage blower and already has rubber pads. With that said, the rubber pads might be worn and need replacing or set closer by notching holes.
Your tip about the governor us a great one. If possible find a tach and check the rpm's. Toro should be able to provide the correct rpm setting fo no load. A lot of machines come out of the factory running too slow and you see a lot of reviews complaining about poor throwing distance. First step should always be to check the engine speed. If I may it is always a good idea to buy from a reputable power equipment dealer who sells what you're looking for. They set up the machines for you and usually do a better job than the big box or online stores. And IMHO are priced competitively. No. I am not a dealer.
You need a bigger blower for your area. I had the 824 for 21 years here in N.H. with no problems at all. I gave it to a friend and is still running. I now own 1028 Power Max and runs great. Just empty the fuel and let it run till it conks out and you're done for storage, been doing it this way for 25 years with no problems.
I love this blower. Used it this past week for the first time on super heavy, wet snow on a four-car asphalt drive, basically what it’s made for. Sure, like any single-stage blower, it was working hard, but it handled it like a champ. It’s the perfect upgrade to a smaller single-stage because of its hybrid” setup. Since it’s single-stage, it cleans right to the stone, asphalt or concrete and as a bonus, has the quick stick and self-propel wheels of a two-stage, all in a compact size.
I was surprised that you’re using a single-stage blower on a gravel drive…the sales materials definitely said single-stages aren’t built for that usage. You’d definitely need a two-stage that doesn’t rely on chopping at and sweeping/beating the surface to clear snow like this one. That it’s serving you well as you’ve been using it for four seasons really shows how good this little machine is.
I have a Toro Powermax 826LE and I love it. Same deal, pull start on one or two pulls but at 71 I'm starting to use the electric start with a short extension cord. Sweet. Love the joystick controller for ease of use and keeping snow from going into my face on wind blowback. There's a built-in system on mine to keep it from clogging and it works really well with wet snow. I definitely go into the deeper wet snowbanks at the end of my driveway a little slower than you do but also have a 8 hp engine which helps. I do find it faster and easier to do full paths of snow so rather than overlapping each time I turn around I leave about a 4 or 6" width of snow between what I've already cleared and make sure the blower gobbles up all 26" of width on the return pass. That way my first few passes do a full 26'' of snow and then I clean up the 4 or 6" leftovers when I finish my full passes. Hope that makes sense. If I overlap it takes me longer overall. Thanks for the good review!
Excellent tutorial. Visiting my daughter in Maine and have never used a snow blower before. She has this model and it is snowing. About 17 degrees outside. Your tutorial made it very clear on how to use the machine, especially helpful was the “exact” way to start it and at what temperatures it works best. Will give it a go later today or in the morning. It is Christmas day, so I doubt I will do it today. Lol Thank you.Mark
You bought the wrong tool for that job. You need a tractor or quad with a plow. I have the 824 and love it. My drive is way smaller but no clogs. Go slower in deep hard pack. Goes right thru the plow pile at the end. I think the engine size is significant with this blower. The 724 is slightly underpowered. The extra 50cc seems to make a huge difference in all the video reviews on it which is why I went with the larger engine. Paid out the ass for it and had to have it shipped criss country. Couldn't find one for anything. But you can never have too much power . Just slow down and give it time to break it up. Let the machine do the work. Plenty of vids on YT of the 724 handling deeper snow of all types. Just have to slow down and let it break it up first. Nice video and I'm glad you still appreciate it's qualities
Should have spent a few extra dollars and bought the 824 QXE. Doesn't bogged down. That's the one I've had for 4 years now . Works great in heavy deep snow. 16 steps for storage???? I drain the tank and carb at the end of the season and that's it.
Today we got 6+" of snow over granular ice and while my 824 QXE had no trouble throwing that top layer of snow very far and well, it could not clear down to the pavement at all. In the right conditions it will clear most of the way to the pavement but not today. The personal pace drive was also VERY jerky on this snow today as well which didn't help. The sad thing is that I WAS able to scrape down to the pavement with my cheapo Snow Joe battery powered 18" machine!
Everyone says it starts easily, every time, with the pull start. Not mine. I have to use the electric start. My friend used a carb cleaner a couple of weeks ago and it worked. I'd try that again, but I dont know where to spray it . Were expecting 14" of new snow Thursday and it won't start. I had a shop look at it, they said it's fine. Now it's too late to bring it back to them. I'm in South East Michigan, I need a Toro that starts every time.This Machine is four years old, hasalways been hard to start, and probably has only been used a dozen times.
You are correct - the Quick Stick is the best in the business. To eliminate the chute rod from ever coming out and to make the entire machine much more solid/stable feeling, I added a gusset-type bar between the handlebar and the body of the machine to reduce any flex there. Works great. I also added an extension to the oil drain to make that job much easier. Adding a shut off valve is a great idea, but does not cut those maintenance steps down to 3 if you're going to be as thorough as they are talking about. Do you ever find you need to put a little upward pressure on your handlebar to keep the front of the bucket firmly on the ground?
For any snow blower spraying silicone snow and ice repellant stops clogging of the chute. Dupont is one of the brands.
I too use the Dupont ice repellant , and it works great. After a big snow I spray the chute again.
Ok thank you. Do a vid on those rubber pieces
Weird. Mine has never clogged even in very heavy, very wet snow. What I have noticed is that it's incredibly easy to use and I've been doing my sidewalk/driveway and both neighbors on either side and been back in the house sometimes in an hour.
Same here, I have the 824 and I’m in Duluth and NEVER had it even remotely clogged. And we’ve had some insanely heavy, wet snow. Now when it was super heavy and sticky I didn’t throw it super far(like 10’-15’) but it didn’t clog.
@@tommytmt you know what I’ve figured out in my years of operation it comes down to just knowing how to use a machine and how and when to go fast seems to me he just wants to push threw it fast but what he’s not realizing is his drive way is pretty big so you would probably want to go out twice if you don’t want to take your time or just get a smalll two stage d so o when he feels the need hey it’s there! Most guys think the 212 cc is just going to fly right threw everything because it look like a two stage just my 💭!
I've watched at least a dozen reviews on the 724 and this is the first to mention clogging basically at all.
I just bought an 824. Hopefully the extra engine power will make it easier in the tough spots. Also got a set of those Armorskids ordered because my use will be on bumpy gravel and grass. Judging by your review, I've made a good choice.
How did it do?
@@matt7382 Only a little snow last year, but seemed OK.
Riley, where did buy the shut-off valve? Is your fuel line 1/4"?
☕ I have the upgraded version of this machine, the 824 252cc. Used it to clear driveways hundreds of times.
It's a great little machine, worth every penny.
Thank you so much for your review, Riley. We just moved to WI and I've been on the fence about the Snowmaster Single Stage vs the Powermax Two Stage and we get a LOT of packed slush/ice from the street plow because I swear the driver just enjoys dumping that **** right in front of us.... I don't think I could take the struggle from the motor. I think the augur would probably do better to cut through that crap. Thanks again for some honest Observations. Cheers, mate!
The powermax does have a larger engine. Can't speak for much else on it though. I have the cordless electric powermax. its quite a beast, i think it would handle the end of the driveway in the video without bogging. It took on 32 inches at the end of my driveway. I love the on-demand torque, not enough battery life for some people though.
I just brought mine and I like it.
Here’s the thing I’m trying to figure out, the 212cc Toro engine matches the new Loncin LC Series Engine, LC is for the Large Capacity muffler design. If you compare that engine to the Loncin 252cc G Series it outperforms it based on tourque. 212cc has 12.5 ft lbs which surpasses the Loncin 252cc (11.5) and matches the LCT 254cc engine (also 12.5). 250cc is about the average for a 2-stage that can handle any type of snow or ice but if you really want a powerful machine usually 300+ gets you to the Professional stuff that can handle the real heavy stuff, like if you’re trying to take out that half snow, half ice stuff that the plows leave behind… and a lot of it.
Toro also has a 265cc of this engine which outperforms the 306cc (15.5 vs 15.0)… but was really peculiar is why the Toro Snowmaster would go with the 254cc engine on the 824 but the 212cc on the 724 (better engine). Sure that 254cc has more horsepower so maybe there’s some benefit in light snow but that torque is what is going to help you with the heavy stuff.
I don't know what specs you're looking at but on the Loncin website the snow engines show the following specs: 212cc= Net torque of 12.5 and the 252cc= Net torque of 15.6.
Hi Riley any tips on cable adjustment for chute not turning when you depress the blue button. Appreciate any help you could give. Thanks Mike.
update to a 824 and you wont have a problem and shut off valve can be installed easily
The power stick dose not stay in position as directed ,keeps bouncing back to its first position , why is this , an how can I correct this ??
Very honest review, thank you
Just bought one of these a few days ago. What would be your 3 steps?
Toro seems to have eliminated the 824 QXE. Maybe too much overlap between the 724 QXE and 824 Powermax.
Just bought one today. They're not going anywhere in Ohio.
Good review what the gravel driveway that’s my concern and how about wear on this machine rubber paddles and skids on ground do they wear out quick?
Spray some silicone all around inside the chute..that clogging will stop.
Yup. Ceramic wax or silicone spray does the trick
I hear Pam cooking spray works
It's not made for gravel, if you have a paved surface you can adjust the skid shoes down lower, I use mine for inch deep snow all the time.
Great demo! Any regrets for not buying the 824 QXE to gain a little more power?
For a 20’x30’ driveway in the twin cities would you still buy this or would you get the smaller power clear 721 series?
Nice honest review! Thanks! Have you had the chance to try the 721qze? If so, how does it compare? Thanks
Great review, thanks.
Would you still consider this over the dual stage Toro Powermax 824 OE
Bought and used mine for the first time and find that the chute moves around like crazy when I am blowing and won’t “lock” in. Anyway to fix this?
The quickstick attaches to a long rod which in turn attaches the chute. The end of the rod is flat and slides into a rectangular opening. Mine does have a tendency to pop out...that could be it...
I can't believe you haven't installed an impeller kit on that thing yet! You claim it constantly plugs up under certain conditions? Install heavy rubber conveyor belting on the paddles of the impeller and your plugging will be over, and it will blow the snow farther too!
There isn't an impeller on this Single stage.
No mention of propulsion. Guess it's auger assisted
It has a transmission so it's wheel driven.
Nice wood pile
Really hard to beat the two stage HD for end of driveway.
Quick chute is the cat’s ass.
DUDE FIND THE GOVERNOR ADJUSTMENT N GIVE IT A HALF OF A TURN IT WILL HELP A GREAT DEAL WHEN BLOWING THE HEAVY STUFF ! AND LOOK ON YT ABOUT THE IMPELLER RUBBER KITS YOU CAN MAKE IT WON'T CLOG ANYMORE EITHER ENJOY !
What's rubber kits???
@@brodygoalie YOU cut some rubber squares from a mud flap and bolt them on the paddles so theres no gap and it will throw farther n wount clog .
@@raymondj8768 I think your thinking of the two stage blowers. This is single stage blower and already has rubber pads. With that said, the rubber pads might be worn and need replacing or set closer by notching holes.
Your tip about the governor us a great one. If possible find a tach and check the rpm's. Toro should be able to provide the correct rpm setting fo no load. A lot of machines come out of the factory running too slow and you see a lot of reviews complaining about poor throwing distance. First step should always be to check the engine speed. If I may it is always a good idea to buy from a reputable power equipment dealer who sells what you're looking for. They set up the machines for you and usually do a better job than the big box or online stores. And IMHO are priced competitively. No. I am not a dealer.
You are funny
16 storage steps? Get electric :)
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