Comments on: Toro SnowMaster 724 QXE, 824 QXE Picture Review

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 18:59:05 +0000

I bought a new Snowmaster 824 QXE in 2023. The Chute Rod is only 22.5 inches and seems too short to fully seat in the chute to turn it side to side. Does anyone know if there is a longer version?

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 18:19:36 +0000

In reply to John Collins. Hi John, The SnowMaster will not work on loose material of any kind. 1. The skid shoes are not adjustable. How this machine works is the scraper bar cleans down to the pavement. The skid shoes are just there to help the scraper bar to not get caught on cracks in the pavement. The skid shoes with the scraper bar are easily replaceable and wear out at about the same rate. Yes, the skid shoes only have a 1/4 inch slot for adjustment to match up with the scraper bar as it wears. If you want to stay inexpensive and have a snowblower that will handle most of your snow the Toro 826 OHAE is the best choice. Sell off the Craftsman. (though 450 feet of the driveway is a lot to clear with a 24-26 inch snowblower. You will have to make three round trips to get a path wide enough for your car. That's about 1/2 mile of walking each time you need to clear your drive)

By: John Collins

John Collins — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 15:47:26 +0000

Hi Paul – I live in Maine with a 450′ gravel driveway and my plow guy just retired. I have a 28″ Craftsman 2-stage that has worked well in clearing the walkways and the driveway when needed, except in very wet slushy snow. I’m thinking of buying this to use in addition to clear the entire driveway. I realize they say it’s not for gravel, but I wonder about putting the shoes all the way down and leaving an inch or more of snow which is fine with me. The gravel driveway is extremely well packed, not loose, so I don’t think it would be much of an issue. And I don’t need a world class plow job, I just need to get out and think this being so fast and efficient, that it would do a great job (along with my 2-stage, if/as needed). Am I too optimistic? Thanks, I have found your articles and videos VERY helpful 🙂

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 17:34:33 +0000

In reply to Jay Mastroianni. Hi Jay, Go to YouTube and search "replacing paddles on Toro Snowmaster" Nothing may come up but there will be 100's for replacing the paddles on the 721 PowerClear. The procedure will be similar.

By: Jay Mastroianni

Jay Mastroianni — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 17:19:44 +0000

Paul, I have the 724 qxe and love it. I unfortunately broke a piece of the auger off when I inadvertently hit a raised metal cover that was in a neighbor’s driveway. The machine never stopped and actually still works well, but a 4 inch piece is broken off. I ordered a new Auger from Toro and have it. What is involved in swapping the new auger out? Is that something a dealer should do? From your pics it seems like it would be pretty accessible, just need to know what steps are involved. Thanks for any help you may provide.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 14:05:10 +0000

In reply to greg fritz. Hi Greg, Yes, you can leave the key in. I strongly suggest taking it out if you have any people around who may try to start and hurt themselves.

By: greg fritz

greg fritz — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 22:17:13 +0000

Hi, is it ok to leave the key in the snowmaster when not in use. thx

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 17:19:25 +0000

In reply to George. Hi George, The Cub Cadet 2X 26 HD is a good choice. It comes with poly skid shoes so it won't scratch your pavers. The Toro 826 is also a good choice. It's one of the most popular snowthrowers on the market. Toro offers poly shoes for that snowblower.

By: George

George — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 01:17:16 +0000

Hi Paul.

I’ve decided to add a snowblower to the must have list this winter. My paved driveway is about 300 ft and I plow the driveway. At the house, I have a cobblestone walkway (about 30′) which needs clearing. Try as I might to back drag with the plow, I inevitably wind up with piles of snow getting dumped on the cobblestone walk.

I also have a 20′ path across the lawn which is alternating bluestone with narrow grass strips in between which I need to clear.

I wanted to get something easy to maneuver (not getting any younger) yet heavy/powerful enough to move what I inadvertently dump on the walk with the plow and to clear the path across the lawn.

I had been looking at the Cub Cadet 24 and 26HD and the Toro 826. I don’t want to “under” buy nor overbuy. What do you suggest as “just right”?

Thanks for any advice-George

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:52:02 +0000

In reply to Joshua DeLong. Hi Joshua, The best "small" snowblower for the heavy/wet snow you get is the (Ariens Deluxe 24 in. 2-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower with Auto-Turn Steering Home Depot Link). It has a lot more capacity than the Ariens Compact 24 and won't clog on wet snow. The AutoTurn makes it very easy to use. The Ariens Compact 20 is very hard to find.