Toro Power Max Heavy Duty 826 OXE Picture Review
The Toro Power Max HD 826 OXE Model 38805 is a great choice if you have a smaller area to clear but want or need the best, heavy-duty snow blower available.
In reality there are very few small heavy-duty small snow blowers on the market. The players are the Ariens Platinum 24 ($1699), The Husqvarna ST 324 ($1399) and this one – the Toro Power Max Heavy Duty 826 OXE ($1399). There are two others that claim to be in this class, the Cub Cadet 3X 24 HD ($1299) and the Honda HSS724ATD/HSS724AWD ($2519/$2379) but I have not had the chance to use/review them to verify if they are as heavy-duty as they claim.
This snow blower is only available at your local Toro Dealer or Online through Link: Acme Tools and Link: Toro.com.
Who is this snow blower for?
- Anyone who wants a heavy duty snow blower but only has a 1 or 2 car driveway up to 150 feet long.
- You need to throw your snow as far as possible
- You live in an area that gets over 100 inches a year.
- You get a lot of heavy, wet snow.
- You have hard surfaces, gravel and turf to clear.
- You want to clear a path through the woods.
- You have a driveway that slopes to one side or your drive is steeply sloped up or down.
- You want a machine that will last. I will go into detail in the pictures why this snow blower will last.
This review is going to be a picture review. I started this type of review this fall and it has been an overwhelming success. The review will be all pictures with an explanation under each one. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and some popcorn. This review is long with over 50 pictures and explanations.
Toro manufactures a snow blower for just about everyone including an electric shovel, single stage snow throwers, the SnowMaster, two-stage homeowner Power Max models, two-stage heavy-duty Power Max HD models and a conversion kit for the Groundsmaster 7200
Even though I did not purchase one of these to test this year I am quite familiar with its features and capabilities. So to write this review I asked my local Toro dealer Eau Claire Lawn Equipment to “borrow” one to take pictures with. Thanks Jason and Tanya for letting me make a mess of your showroom!
The Toro HD 826 OXE looks different from other brands. The tall wheels and large discharge make it feel massive but in reality it’s dimensions are basically the same as the other heavy-duty snow blowers. It appears to have more “plastic” than other snow blowers. I’ll tell you later on why this “sub-zero” material is important in making this one of the best heavy-duty snow blowers on the market.
Toro uses a heavy-duty powder coating on the high tensile strength steel. Red is one of the hardest colors to make so that it does not fade when left out in the sun. Toro uses a high quality polymer that doesn’t fade or flake off. Toro has perfected this process so that all of their equipment looks as good after 10 years as it did the day you brought it home.
Right Front View. The 26 inch wide housing is 21 1/2 inches tall. This allows you to handle deep drifts but is not so tall as to obstruct your view of the snow in front of you. Toro has a unique optional drift cutter that not only cuts along the side but also cuts the top of drifts so that the snow falls in front of the auger housing instead of over the top.
The HD 826 OXE is the middle snow blower. I will show you the differences between the 826 OXE on the left and the HD 928 OXE to its right.
Toro’s labeling can be confusing so when you go to a dealer so try to use the model numbers instead. The Toro 826 OXE Model 38871 on the left is a medium duty snow blower. The HD 826 38805 is a heavy-duty snow blower. It compares to the Ariens Platinum 24 and the Husqvarna ST324. Looking at the two from the front you can see the larger auger and impeller on the HD 38805. The intake is a little higher. The gearbox is larger and the Power Max® Anti-Clogging System (ACS) above the front auger is also larger. I’ll show you other differences as we go along.
When you walk around to the back of the HD 826 OXE Model 38805 and compare it to the 826 OXE Model 38871 the differences are very easy to see. The HD uses much larger 16 inch tires, a heavier transmission case (frame) and does not have the poly transmission cover.
When you look at the handles the HD 826 OXE has triggers under the handles for the power steering. To turn the snow blower you just pull the trigger and the wheel on that side free-wheels so you can make as tight of turn as you want. The 826 OXE in comparison does not have triggers. The steering on the 826 OXE is automatic meaning when you move the handles the locking differential inside the transmission automatically unlocks letting you make the turn.
If you go to a dealer that does not sell Toro that dealer may try to tell you his snow blowers are better because, “Toro uses too much plastic.” In reality the “plastic” is a heavy-duty polymer that is rated for -104 degrees and guaranteed for life. This “Sub Zero Material” is one of the secrets that makes this Toro one of the most efficient snow blowers on the market. It allows them to make aerodynamic curves inside the auger housing that greatly increases the efficiency and capacity without needing huge amounts of horse power. I’ll discuss why it’s not a gimmick in a later picture.
Cockpit View. From the front or side this snow blower looks massive but once you stand behind it you notice that you have a clear view of what’s going on up front. The controls are larger so they are easy to use with gloved hands but are designed so even the smallest hands don’t have problems using them. Notice the light is off to the right side and has a wide pattern so you can easily see you work in the dark.
When you grab the handles and go to move it around once the best features of this snow blower quickly becomes apparent. It’s balanced so well that even the smallest person can lift it over a curb or turn it on the driveway. In fact, it’s balanced so well that if you install a snow blower cab you have to add a front weight to rebalance the snow blower.
Don’t let competing dealers tell you their snow blower is better because their snow blower has metal handles. Toro uses a material for the handles that is extremely strong, yet will give a little if you happen to catch it on a fence or other obstruction. One thing I like about these handles is they have finger grips molded in. My hands stay on the controls better. Note: The 88805 does not have hand warmers.
Toro’s Quick Stick Chute Control is simply the easiest mechanical system on the market. It is also one of the most durable and with 10’s of thousands of these controls in use it has proven to be very reliable. Even using this chute control commercially the system lasts.
The HD 826 OXE Model 38805 uses the same 252 cc engine as the 826 OXE Model 38871. I forgot to take pictures of it on the HD model so…. This is Toro’s Premium Engine and designed to give you years of trouble-free use. Unlike engines of the past this engine will last as long as the snow blower itself.
Throttle on the right. Fuel shutoff on the left. When you are done clearing your snow just turn the fuel shutoff closed and then let the snow blower run out of fuel. If you use fuel stabilizer like Sea Foam or Stabil 360 this will empty the carb and coat the interior of the fuel system with a protective layer to keep it from gumming up or oxidizing.
Starting the cold engine. 1. Push the throttle all the way to the right. 2. Turn the fuel shutoff knob to full open. 3. If you ran the carb dry the last time you used it, wait 10-15 seconds for gas to run into the carb. 4. Then follow the starting procedure in the picture. Make sure the safety key is inserted all the way. Push the primer bulb 3 times. Move the choke lever all the way to the left and then pull the starter rope (or use the electric starter) If it does not start after the third pull pump the primer bulb three more times. Once the engine starts to fire move the choke to the right until it smoothes out. Yes, it will blow gray or black smoke until you open the choke. Note: The choke has notches for a reason. You may not be able to move the choke lever all the way to the right even with the engine warmed up. Some cold weather or high moisture conditions will cause this. In fact, the engine may not stay running with the choke in the full open position. This is normal on a cold weather engine from all the manufactures.
Still on the engine. The engine oil drain is long enough so oil doesn’t drip all over the transmission case but it’s not quite as easy to use as a drain out the back of the engine. You still need to hold a shallow pan over the wheel or use a funnel.
Like all of the Toro Premium engines changing the spark plug is easy. There is also a screw plug on the carburetor bowl in case you have to drain old gas out of the snow blower.
Next let’s take a peak inside the transmission. The Toro Power Max HD is one of the toughest transmissions on the market. How tough is it? The story goes that Toro needed a transmission to power their commercial 36 inch Power Broom. Power brooms are so tough on drive trains that everyone else had to use a hydrostatic transmission. After much debate they decided to test this transmission on the broom to see if it would hold up. They connected the power brush to it and proceeded to dethatch the 29 acre lawn at their main headquarters. It worked just fine so they tested it again and again. 240 hours later they opened up the transmission and did a detailed review. The transmission had no appreciable wear! Even the friction drive tire only had about 40% wear. This is one tough tranny!
The transmission is called a chain drive and all the parts are over-engineered for strength and long life. The component in this picture is the left power steering clutch. It uses a set of tapered dogs that never stick and are built tough enough that they don’t wear out. The only maintenance for this transmission is to oil one component (the hex shaft) once a year. I’ve talked to the engineer who originally designed this transmission and he is very proud of how well it has held up.
Here is a picture of the left power steering disengaged. Every part is built for heavy-duty commercial use.
Every part of the Toro HD 826 OXE is built to last. Even the bolts holding on the transmission cover are Grade 5. Toro doesn’t have a “commercial” snow blower line. Instead the Power Max HD is strong enough that homeowners, municipalities, schools and commercial operators all use the HD line. In other words when you go to the Professional Contractor, Government and Municipalities sections of Toro’s sites you see the same snow blowers as you can buy here.
Grade 5 cover bolt.
The only reason you would ever need to remove a tire and rim is if you needed to fix a flat so Toro bolts them on the HD models. The bolt has that little black spacer on it so the threads don’t interfere with the strength of the bolt. Toro uses nylon lock nuts throughout the snow blower so you can repair the unit without ruining bolts.
Large 16 inch tires. Tall narrow tires give you the best traction. In addition the Toro Power Max HD has all the weight of the snow blower over the wheels. This makes it easy to use and gives you the best traction!
Toro is the only manufacture to brace the auger and impeller housing. This brace insures that the front end never twists or warps. This is a great feature if your teenagers or employees are little rough on equipment.
Metal skid shoes are standard on the HD models. They have long wearing poly shoes available if you have pavers or stained concrete that you don’t want scratched.
I am not going to spend a lot of your time on the Quick Chute. It is the easiest 4-way chute to use and every part of the chute is designed not to break. Metal is used where it’s needed and the parts that the snow moves through are made of Toro’s Sub Zero Material. Chute, deflector and Anti-Clogging System are made of this special cold-weather material durable to -104˚ F and guaranteed for life. It is also rust-free, so there’s no binding or lubrication needed. Snow and ice won’t stick.
Some of you think plastic equals “cheap.” But that is not the case on the Toro Power Max HD snow blowers. The poly covers on the Toro are designed so snow slides off the snow blower. The other poly parts are designed to give this snow blower uniques features that greatly increase it’s snow handling capabilities. I’ll go into detail in later pictures.
Before we move around to the front end two more pictures. The headlight uses sealed automotive type connections. This is the same dependable part Toro uses on their commercial mowers costing well over $100,000!
Sealed, pre-lubricated cables and commercial grade mounting.
Before I go into the details of the front auger and impeller watch the short video below. It explains Toro’s exclusive Anti-Clogging system.
I could write an entire article on why the Toro snow blowers work so well but I’ll try to keep it short for you here. One of the main requirements for most of us is that our snow blower throw the maximum distance. The Toro Anti-Clogging System is a no-gimmick way to do that. With a normal 2-stage or 3-stage system all the snow that the front auger throws into the impeller has to go out the chute. If the snow is sticky too much snow can plug the chute. If the snow is too heavy it lugs the engine down to the point where it no longer will throw the snow as far as you want. With the Toro system the black poly piece in the top of the impeller housing allows extra snow to move away from the impeller and gets recycled back into the auger. This allows the snow blower impeller to run at the maximum rpm all the time. This allows the engine to keep the impeller running at maximum speed which lets the Toro consistently throw snow as far as possible. This is also the main reason why Toro snow blowers don’t need the high horsepower engines (read gas hogs) the other brands use.
Another picture of the inside of the Anti-Clogging System. You can see it is aerodynamically designed to move the snow well.
The top of the impeller housing is Toro’s Sub-Zero material. It is extra slippery so snow does not stick. I rarely hear of anyone stating their Toro snow blower plugs when moving wet snow or slush.
Toro’s gearbox uses an aluminum housing for cooling. It is not a “cheap” gearbox. What makes the Toro’s gearbox unique is they use hardened steel gears for both the worm and pinion. These gears are so strong that Toro does not need shear pins in the front auger to protect it. Because it uses hardened gears the Toro gearbox uses 90 wt gear oil instead of grease. To check the oil remove the black pipe plug once a year. Finally, Toro’s gearbox does not need bracing because the front auger shaft runs the entire width of the snow blower housing. Anyone who tells you their gear box is stronger because it has braces does not understand how these snow blowers are designed.
This is not a shear bolt. In fact it is a hardened bolt so it won’t break. It is only used to hold the auger to the auger shaft. Why is it so long? Toro uses a longer bolt and that spacer so the threads on the bolt don’t take away from the shear strength of the bolt.
There are two shear bolts on the impeller. In case you get a rock, frozen newspaper or other surprise into the machine these bolts will break before the impeller gets bent out of shape and/or broken.
Other manufactures use heavy cast iron or thick plates to give their impeller more mass. For them that extra mass (and large engines) helps to keep the snow blower from lugging down when blowing heavy snow. Toro on the other hand wants the impeller to run at maximum rpm all the time so they use a lighter impeller with the Anti-Clogging system. This impeller is braced and balanced yet lightweight. This design allows Toro to use less horsepower but still move the same amount of snow as other brands.
Of course Toro has a drain hole in the back of the impeller housing. This keeps the impeller from freezing into the housing if you don’t get it clean enough when you put the snow blower away after a snowstorm.
One final feature that the sales associate at the big box stores won’t tell you. Toro uses a scraper bar like everyone else but they also use a rub bar behind the scraper. This rub bar helps the snow blower ride over rough areas better and I think it helps so the scraper bar does not wear down as quickly on rough cement.
Feel free at ask any questions in the comments below. In the picture, left to right: Toro PowerMax 826 OXE, Power Max HD 826 OXE, Power Max HD 928 OXE, Power Max HD 1028 OXE, Power Max HD 1128 OXE,
This snow blower is only available at your local Toro Dealer or Online through Link: Acme Tools and Link: Toro.com.
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Robert McCarthy
Hi Paul. I have a Toro Powermax 826 OXE, I believe 2018 model,, and the bolt that the headlight was grounded to seems to have sheared from the inside. My dealer told me to just ground to another location and not be concerned about the sheared bolt, but I want to be sure it won’t lead to future problems. Should I be concerned?
Paul
Hi Robert, No need to be concerned. The bolt does not hold anything else together.
Robert McCarthy
Thanks for your fast response Paul! And also thank you because I have based both my Toro snowblower and lawnmower (Craftsman Yard Tractor) purchases over the recent years on your excellent research and recommendations, and have been extremely pleased with the results.
Bob
william smith
Paul,
I found a used 8/26 power max HD. Asking price is $800. Machine is 4 years old but you really could mistake it for brand new. One adult owner, moved to an HOA no longer needs the machine. Says it has about 3hrs use and I believe it. I will be replacing a 23 year old noma 9/27. My concern with the toro is that it is a little smaller and I am wondering if it will be the work horse that the noma has been. The noma (in her day) would easily make the 1st pass full bucket through snow 24+ . Will this toro be able to handle the occasional two foot nor easter??
Thanks
Bill
Paul
Hi William, yes, you’ll like the 826 Power Max HD a lot! It easily has the capacity of the NOMA and should throw snow a lot farther.
Gilles
You have the most informative in dept reviews that iv read on snowblowers to date, iv been doing research on the toro 826 oxe and the arien deluxe 28, both those seem like good options to me in the price range that im willing to pay. The engines are of similar cc and both brands have their little special features that seem to at time sway me one way or the next. I know its hard to ask but which of the two should i get to fight off an other brutal canadian winter as last year my old 90s mtd finally is getting retired and i would love to try one of the premium brands in hope that they will last for years to come and be reliable. Im an industrial mechanic and don’t mind doing maintenance, but i prefer to do the maintenance on the off season lol need a change from the mtd ways. Thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon!
Paul
Hi Gilles, The toro 826 oxe has easier to use chute controls. The ariens deluxe 28 handles heavy/wet snow a little better. Both will last you many years.
Rob
Paul – Your website is fantastic and helped me decide on the 826 OXE HD. According to Toro’s model comparison for the 38805 power steering, 16″ tires, 14″ auger, and commercial grade gearbox are “enhanced features.” Can you shed any light on these enhanced features? I don’t see any sort of upgrades mentioned anywhere on any site and it seems they are standard features. Thanks!
Paul
Hi Rob, The PowerMax 826 OXE (37797) has a 12-inch impeller and 12-inch auger. The PowerMax HD 826 OXE (38805) has a 14-inch impeller and 14-inch auger. It has more capacity and throwing distance. The PowerMax 826 OXE has 15-inch tires and PowerMax HD 826 OXE has 16-inch tires for better traction in deeper snow. The 38805 is also larger and heavier duty all around. In this picture, the 826 OXE is on the left and the 826 HD OXE is in the middle.
Rob
Well I went with the 826oxe HD replacing my 30 year old Toro 521, its a beast and I’m certainly not disappointed. Throws snow all the way into my neighbor’s driveway. Thanks for all your advice!
Carolyn Pollock
I have been pouring over your reviews and columns over the last 5 days or so with great interest, and finally around midnight last night I decided to purchase the Toro Power Max 826 OXE 26″ 252 cc, Model 38805. Off I went earlier this afternoon to the local Toro dealer in Portland, Maine, after calling them this morning and found their price to be the same as the lowest one I found online. While speaking with the owner, he informed me that it was a slightly older model and that there was a new version coming next month, the Toro Power Max HD 928 OAE (28″) 265 cc, Model 38840, and the price for both would be the exact same — the Model 38840 comes with a steel chute instead of the polymer, it’s two inches wider, and with a slightly stronger engine. I am very interested in your opinion on this new Model #38840, since you had so much to do with my decision making in the first place! I live in Freeport, Maine, on the coast, and heavy wet snow is my biggest problem. I have a smaller Toro single stage snowblower that has the rubber blades that I use to clear the driveway down to the asphalt, but I need a larger machine to deal with the mess from the town plow, and to clear the path across the front yard, around the fence, and back to the house for the oil fill pipes so the oil delivery man get get to them. Thank you so much.
Paul
Hi Carolyn, Yes, I would wait. The 38805 is being replaced. It was a unique “medium frame” for Toro and they have simplified the line by eliminating it. They are replacing it with the large frame model 38840 and it does have a 265cc engine instead of the 252cc on the 38805. It will be a 28 inch and have a new steel chute and anti-clog system.
The auger housing on the new model is also slightly taller so it will handle deeper drifts a little better. I like it because it does have large 16-inch tires and is balanced well so it will be easy to use for a large snow blower. Everything else is built “like a Toro” You will like the new model.
Carolyn
I’ve purchased the 38840, so hopefully clearing snow this coming season will be a bit easier — thank you so much for your help!
Daren vienneau
Hi paul im looking into buying a toro 38840 this model has auto steer is it ike the ariens auto turn? Thanks daren saint john nb canada
Paul
Hi Darren, Yes it also uses the General Transmission intuitive differential. When turning the machine the diff will automatically disengage one or both wheels, allowing on the spot turning.
Troy Fraser
What would you pick between the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO, Toro Power Max HD 826 OXE, and the Cub Cadet 2x 30 HD? They’re all the same price at my local dealers here in NB Canada. Also, is Ariens the only company that uses 14″ impellers?
At work, I use the larger Toro Power Max HD 928 OHXE so I’m used to how they operate. With the Toro Power Max HD 826 OXE (38805) I like the fact that I won’t have to replace shear pins and I like the 1 piece frame design. I’m just not sure if the Cub Cadet will clog up easier than the others and if it’s overall quality would compare. It has the largest motor of the 3 but size isn’t everything if the other designs work better with less motor. Also, I was wondering how often I might have to change shear pins comparing the Cub Cadet 2X 30 HD and Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO.
Regards
Thank you for your input!
Paul
Hi Troy, It took me a while to figure out the Cub Cadet. The 2X 30 is no longer sold in the U.S. and we never had the 420cc engine down here. Is it this one? Cub Cadet 420cc 30-in Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower. I have the Troy-Bilt version of it here with a 327 cc engine. (It also is sold as a Craftsman) It is a very nice machine to use but it suffers from not enough capacity and wants to ride up all the time in 12 inches and deeper deep snow. On the Troy-Bilt, I’ve also had to replace the transmission drive belt after only 20 hours of use. The six front auger flights meter the snow going into the impeller well enough but they will plug solid on wet snow. The large engine won’t fix any of these issues. Compared to the Ariens and Toro it is an older design. Oh, I believe the controls (auger/drive levers) are reversed compared to Toro.
Cub Cadet/Troy-Bilt/Columbia does have a 14-inch impeller on the 2016 and newer 34-inch snow blower. The Ariens SHO models will throw farther though. The Toro Power Max HD models have a 14-inch auger and with their anti-clog system/ high-speed impeller will give you about the same throwing distance as an Ariens SHO.
It’s an almost impossible decision for me between the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO and Toro Power Max HD 826 OXE. I love the chute controls on the Toro and the slightly larger capacity of the Ariens. I like that the Toro will easily go through the side door of my garage but I like the fuel shut-off and throttle on the Ariens……
Shear pins. You will only break shear pins on the 2-stage Cub Cadets if you hit something solid like a boot, brick, etc. But, they are designed to break quickly when you do hit something. They are very easy to replace. I always keep my areas clear of debris so I’ve never popped one on the MTD machines.
You may never break a shear pin on the Ariens. Their pins are a little tougher because they have the cast iron gearbox. I actually had the coil spring off the front of a car rattling around in a Deluxe 28 SHO two years ago and it didn’t break the shear pins.
Troy Fraser
Thank you for you input Paul 🙂 The Cub Cadet model I was speaking of is this: http://cubdealer.cubcadet.ca/NDI5NA%3D%3D/ProductDetails?productName=2X30HD
It was a tough call but I purchased the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO tonight for $1,700 plus tax canadian. It will be delivered tomorrow 🙂 A friend of mine has the Ariens Platinum 30 and never had to get it serviced for 7 years. The only reason he had to get it serviced then was because there was a grease fitting he didn’t notice kind of hidden near the tire that he neglected to grease so the part seized. Thank you for your very informative comments and review! Much more helpfull than snowblowers clearing wet sawdust reviews 😉
Regards
Troy Fraser
gw
Hey Paul, what do you make of the fact that Toro does not have grease zirks on their augur shafts?
I believe most other brands do. I would think not having the zirks would mean a big problem after a few years; ie: augurs rusting to the shafts. Dissasembly of the whole augur/shaft is quite an undertaking in order to grease the shaft.
Paul
Hi GW, Those bolts on the auger shaft are not shear pins. They are simply bolts to attach the auger flights to the powered shaft. So the auger shaft does not have to be greased. The Toro gearbox/auger assembly is so tough that will be the last thing you break on a Toro. Your next question: What happens when you get something stuck in the auger? Answer: The drive belt slips. The gearbox is tough enough to take the abuse.
The trend with the other brands is to use a poly shoulder washer to hold the auger off the drive shaft. That is why MTD has a shear pin at every auger flight. You don’t grease them because there is enough clearance that they won’t rust to the shaft.
When talking about grease this may also come up so I’ll list it here: 20 years ago we couldn’t use sealed bearings on snow blowers because the moisture would creep past the rubber seal into the bearing and ruin them. So, we primarily used greased bronze bushings. The problem was though people would not grease them enough and they wore out quickly. Over the last 15 years though bearing technology has improved to the point where the neoprene seals won’t wear out on the sealed bearings and they can handle the radial loads a lot better. So, everyone including Toro has changed to sealed bearings on the front end. There are one or two manufacturers who still use a greased bearing in the transmission but even there most have switched. I expect the bearings on a Toro to easily last 15-20 years.
Ed Caceres
I live in Warwick N.Y. have a steep grave driveway about 100 ft. long and 20 ft. wide and was considering a Track machine but the mechanic at the Toro dealer is telling me that these Toro units will go up a steep driveway. He mentioned the large tire machines. I don’t want to purchase a machine with tires and be sorry for it. He told me that track machines ride up on top of the snow. So I’m still researching and any info you could give me would be most helpful. I would guess and say we have about 4-5 snowfalls a year averaging 6″
Paul
Hi Ed, The mechanics experience is a little outdated. All snow blowers will typically ride up when you try to push more snow through them than that snow blower can handle. A front auger shear pins can also cause a snow blower to ride up. If a snow blower is riding up slow down a gear. If it continues stop and check the front shear pins. If his experience is with an older MTD/Cub Cadet tracked snow thrower it was very typical for them to ride up because they did not have the capacity of today’s Ariens, Husqvarna and Honda track drives.
The mechanic is correct that the Toro 1028 EXLT is one of the best balanced snow blowers. With it’s large tires and heavy weight it’s also one of the best wheeled units for traction. If it doesn’t have enough traction you can buy tire chains. (Tire chains will scratch your cement driveway.)
In fact todays track drives have a lift so you can raise the front. You can clear gravel or turf and have the front of the snow blower off the ground an inch or so. Even better that lift will also lock the front of the snow blower down so you can scrape hard packed snow off your drive.
If you unsure if a track drive is the right choice an Ariens like the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO is a good choice. It has the large tires like the big Toro’s, is balanced well like the Toro and has the high capacity of the big Toro 1028 EXLT. If you buy it and you do find you need more traction Ariens makes an optional track drive kit for it. It just bolts on in place of the wheels. Best, the snow blower with the track kit is about the same price as the Toro 1028 EXLT.
Kevin
Hi Paul, Thanks for the all the detailed info on this Power Max HD 826. I have a question on the gear oil weight to use, when adding oil to the gear box. I see above you mentioned Toro recommends straight SAE 90 weight gear oil. I’m having a hard time finding straight 90 weight, calling auto stores, Tractor Supply, etc. I called a Toro service dealer and he told me 80W-90 is compatible with straight 90 weight gear oil. He only carries straight 90 weight in bulk for servicing their Toro blowers, but not for resale, so he recommended using 80W-90 gear oil.
Do you agree with this?
My 826 HD owner’s manual says GL-5 or GL-6 SAE 85-95 EP gear oil, also says do not use synthetic. I did contact Toro customer support and they said to use SAE 90 GL-5 or higher. Thanks again, Kevin
Paul
Hi Kevin, It’s funny he didn’t offer to sell you some out of his barrel…
I’m comfortable with using the 80W-90 multi-weight but if you really want the straight weight many outboard boat motor repair shops will have it on the shelf.
You can also order it through Amazon: SAE 90 gear oil
Carlos
I live in Brookfield, where we average about 60″ of snow per year. Last years snow fall was much more so my current craftsman 8hp struggled to keep up. My driveway is steeply sloped down from the street and is 3 cars wide and 2.5 car lengths long. My wife needs to be able to use it when I travel and I need to throw all the snow to one side of the driveway (so the throwing dIstance is critical). I like your reviews on the Toro HD 826 but would like to know if you would recommend any others. Love your website and thanks in advance.
Paul
Hi Carlos, With a steep drive the selection gets pretty slim. The Toro HD is a good choice or a track drive. This time of the year there are not too many tracks drives available though.
Mark
Hi Paul,
I currently have the Ariens compact 24 and the last 3 snow storms here in CO it is just too small to handle the job. I have a large side load driveway and the Ariens can’t blow the snow from the garage side of the driveway to the far side of the driveway. It only throws the snow about half way which caused other problems because the Ariens compact 24 just can’t move snow of that depth. Each of the last 3 storms I have gotten 12-14″ with drifts over 24″ and I am looking for an upgrade. Currently i have to lift the front of the blower up and cut a path then backup and lower the blower to finish. It is exhausting!
I am looking at the 826 HD. Is this a good fit?
Paul
Hi Mark, Yes the 826 HD is a good fit. It’s balanced well so it will feel a lot like the Ariens Compact but with the power steering and Quick Chute it’s a lot easier to use. The front is taller so it will handle deeper drifts and you can add the optional drift cutter so the really deep stuff falls in front of the snow blower when you clear the drift.
Rob
Hello Paul,
I live in Wayne, PA, we have a plow service that handles the bulk of our drives. Our need would be several hundred feet of sidewalks, several turf areas, bluestone patio and on occasion could called into more. Was considering 24″ or 26″ and want to purchase from a local dealer – not big box. Dealers in close proximity handle Columbia, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna and Toro. Would also like to know if you have any insight with regard to the Columbia brand. I am not familiar with it and these seems to be a limited amount of information available online.
Best regards, Rob
Paul
Hi Rob, MTD used to have three primary brands here in the U.S, Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt and Yard Machines.
Over the last few years the Troy-Bilt brand has lost favor with the dealers and Lowes has picked it up as a primary brand. MTD likes to have two or more brands available so they can sell products in dealers next to each other so two years ago they brought down their Canadian brand name Columbia. The Columbia name is a well know in Canada as Cub Cadet is here.
So, Columbia is a Troy-Bilt or Cub Cadet painted orange. Quite a few dealers on the east coast have been picking the brand up to sell in place of Troy-Bilt.
A few choices. The ones I’ll suggest all have power steering so they are easy to use.
Cub Cadet: 524 SWE, 526 SWE. You don’t need a 3-stage.
Columbia: 24 or 26 inch. You don’t need a 3-stage.
Husqvarna: ST224P
Toro: PowerMax 826 OXE
Leon
Can you or did you compare : craftsman and toro stage 2 and any other that was close or similar
Paul
Hi Leon, Craftsman 2-stage snow blowers are good residential snow blowers. If you average up to 60 inches of snow a year I do recommend them a lot. Where I live they last 15-20 years.
Toro makes three different levels of 2-stage snow blowers. The small frame 724 OE and mid-frame 826 OE and OXE are very comparable to the Craftsman in size, performance and price. For example the Toro PowerMax 826 OXE and Craftsman 88394 are the same price. They both have the same size engine, power steering and a 4-way chute. Each one has it’s own special features that you may like over the other. For example the Craftsman has a quiet engine that’s 40% quieter than their regular engine. The Toro has their 4-way quick chute that is the easiest manual chute to use. Craftsman offers in-home service, Toro has one of the best dealer networks.
Tom
Thanks for the great review. I was wondering why this model was 60+ pounds heavier then the OXE. Liked what I seen and bought one from my local Toro dealer on Monday. Didn’t hurt that Toro is offering 18 months free financing through January 31,2016. Not in a hurry to test it out, it will snow here again eventually (Wisconsin) and it will get plenty of use in its lifetime.
Paul
Hi Tom, the HD model is what we call a “large Frame” snow blower. The reason it weighs more is just about every part in the transmission, etc. is built stronger.
Think of it as the Toro 724 OE as a Ford F150, a Power Max 826 OXE as an F250 and the Power Max HD 826 OHXE as an F450.
Chris Short
I just received the 928 model, there seems to be a lot of play right/left when trying to go straight almost like there is something not quite right with the transmission or power transfer between the wheels. I there some type of adjustment that might need to be adjusted?
Paul
Hi Chris, I would get it back to the dealer. There is no play that I’m aware of in the steering.
No
You should review Honda and simplicity snowblowers
Paul
Hey NO, You can read the only info I have on the Honda snow blowers here: Honda two-stage review They have had some issues with the new assembly line so there have not been any available to buy. Dealers I’ve talked to are not even planning to get the larger models.
Simplicity and Briggs & Stratton snow blowers are the same machine. The only difference is where they are sold and the color of the paint. Here is my review: New 2015 Briggs & Stratton Snow Blowers – My Review