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This is the first time I used the new SnowMaster. I had a chance to use it on 4-10 inches of snow on cement, gravel and turf. The snow ranged from 4 inches of powder to slush to 10 inches of nice heavy snow. Enjoy!
Blowing snow is not an exact science. Because of that I tried to use the SnowMaster on as many different surfaces and types of snow as I could find.
UPDATE: After the latest east coast storm, there are a few videos showing up on youtube using the 824 and 724. I listed them at the end of this article.
Update Jan 2018:
Hi Paul, Just wanted to post a note of thanks for all the great info on this site. Based on everything I read here and my needs (small driveway, Boston suburbs, etc.), I bought the SnowMaster 824 QXE to replace a really awful two-stage snow thrower, and I could not be happier!
This thing throws snow farther than either two-stage I previously owned, and the speed is just incredible. The amount of time I save because of the chute joystick and not needing to shift gears is remarkable.
Boston’s bomb cyclone snow event today was the second chance for me to use the new SnowMaster, and it dominated everything this storm could throw at it. With some patience and practice, I was easily slicing through 12 to 18-inch drifts. Note: I wasn’t sure about getting the larger engine, but today made it worth it. The extra power was helpful.
As stated in the reviews, the one weakness I found is the weight. There are times when it rides up the deep snow or won’t quite cut through the harder stuff on the ground. However, for me, the weight is more often a positive, as I can very easily pull it up our sloped driveway and sidewalk. Also, this snow thrower is so light I can pull it up a few steps to clear off the walk to my back patio and most of the patio in a matter of minutes, versus an hour of back-breaking shoveling in the past.
Regarding the personal pace system, I had never used it before. At first, I thought it was way too fast and difficult to control. However, after about 30 minutes of use, I was very comfortable with it.
For anyone on the fence after reading these reviews and watching video of the SnowMaster, go for it.
Jason
Here is what I like about the SnowMaster:
- The 824 QXE has a lot of power. Even with wet snow from the snow plow it blasted the snow 15-20 feet. Most of the time it was throwing snow 20-30 feet.
- It has plenty of traction under all conditions. Even when I took it out on the lawn on 3 inch tall grass and cleared 10 inches of snow the tires had plenty of traction and didn’t spin. The SnowMaster is a lot lighter than a traditional 2-stage so the tires are just right. It spun a little on gravel but that’s expected.
- Toro does not recommend using it on turf or gravel. I tried it out anyway on a frozen gravel driveway and 3 inch tall grass. It’s not meant to clear gravel and turf but in a pinch and with a little practice it will work. There are two reasons it’s not the best choice. First the skid shoes can’t adjust for more clearance under the scraper so it will throw rocks. Second, the Personal Pace will cause the front of the snow blower to buck up when it gets stuck in the turf.
- If you live in an area that gets more 2-6 inch snows than 10-20 incher’s it’s a better choice than a single stage. If you live in an area where you don’t get 2-6 foot drifts it will handle the occasional 18 inch drift just fine.
- It will take as much snow as you can push through it. With most residential 2-stage snow blowers when the snow gets too deep for it the snow will build up in front of the snow blower and you have to slow down or stop and wait for the 2-stage front auger to catch up. If you don’t the snow will fall out the side (windrow) and you will end up having to go back over again or you have to take 1/2 passes. Even in 10 inch snow the SnowMaster did not leave a windrow out the side.
- My neighbor has a 15 year old 2-stage, 26 inch, 8HP snow blower. It’s well maintained. I could clear the same snow twice as fast because he had to slow down and wait for the snow blower to swallow all the snow.
- The chute control is super-quick and so easy. It’s tall enough that you don’t get slow blowing back in your face.
- I have a 16X70 concrete driveway, an old street paver patio and I clear about a 20X20 area of turf for my dogs. I live in an area with lots of trees so I don’t get drifts. I seldom get more than 15 inches of snow. This SnowMaster is just right for me.
Here is what you may complain about.
- It will take you a little while to get used to the Personal Pace. It’s different than anything you have used before. To use it, grab the handle with both hands and just start walking, but I caught myself pushing on the handle before I started walking and that caused the snow thrower to jump. Once I figured out what I was doing and then concentrated for a few minutes I got the hang of it. After 30 minutes or so I can say I like it!
- I’ve had a few readers say, “It doesn’t have a reverse!” It does not need one. There is a full length steel handle under the Personal Pace handle. When you want to go backwards just grab that bar and pull it back. It’s very light and easier to pull back than a single stage snow thrower (with the smaller wheels) I never felt like I was going to slip and fall pulling it backwards.
- It does not work that well on gravel driveways. Don’t buy it if your driveway is gravel or turf.
Here’s a video for you.
I boiled about an hour’s worth of use down to 12 minutes. Enjoy!
Be nice! I know snow blowers a lot better than video editing….
Disclaimer: I purchased this snow blower myself. Toro did not compensate me in any way for positive comments and likewise other companies did not pay me for negative comments.
If you would like to buy one please head over to this article for the buy links:
2015 Toro SnowMaster 724 QXE, 824 QXE Picture Review
Feel free to ask any questions in the comment section below:
[schema type=”review” url=”http://wp.me/p6vdNF-3o6″ name=”2015 Toro SnowMaster 824 QXE Test on Pavement, Gravel and Turf” description=”This is a video review of the new Toro SnowMaster 824 QXE. Check out why I only gave it a 9 out of 10!” rev_name=”Toro SnowMaster 824 QXE” rev_body=”The Best New Snow Blower For 2015! Is it the best for you?” author=”Paul Sikkema” pubdate=”2016-01-03″ user_review=”9″ min_review=”1″ max_review=”10″ ]
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John
Hi Paul,
What is the steepest grade a SnowMaster 824 QXE can be used on a cement driveway ? Mine is about a 7% grade . I appologise for asking this question earlier on a different article .
Thanks,
John
Paul
Hi John, I don’t recommend it for any slope. It’s too lightweight to have the traction to go up a slope. (regular 2-stage machines are 250-400 lbs – this one is 131 lbs)
It’s also too lightweight to go downhill. Because of the plastic scraper bar, it wants to coast/slide down the hill, and with the Personal Pace, it will just run away from most people.
John
Hi Paul,
I am looking to upgrade my snowblower for next season. This is my first season using a snowblower. I have a Ariens Path-Pro 938032 (21″) 208cc single stage. It has been adequate this year with the mild winter we have had.
I live in Southwest Michigan (Allegan County) lake effect is common. My Cement Driveway is 18FT X 56FT with a 7% grade incline. The Driveway is in excellent shape and I can blow the snow to either side.
From what I have read here. I like the Toro Snow Master 824 QXE. However, I am not sure this will handle my incline?
Any Recommendation’s would be appreciated. Looking for the most dependable, quickest, with decent throwing distance, and one that cleans closest to the pavement. Which will also handle the 7% grade Incline.
Overall price is not as important. I am willing to spend more to get something that will work for years to come.
Please recommend a couple options. When I pull the trigger on the purchase. I will be certain to use your links so you get a commission.
Please disregard my other question
Thanks,
John
Paul
Hi John, I don’t recommend the SnowMaster for any slope. It’s too lightweight to have the traction to go up a slope. (regular 2-stage machines are 250-400 lbs – this one is 131 lbs)
It’s also too lightweight to go downhill. Because of the plastic scraper bar, it wants to coast/slide down the hill, and with the Personal Pace, it will just run away from most people.
Since you live in the snowbelt I really recommend a 2-stage. You don’t need a big snowblower but you will want one that can handle heavy/wet snow.
My top three choices are Ariens Compact with AutoTurn, Toro 826 OAE, or the Ariens Deluxe 24
archermq32
Thanks Paul for your input .
I decided to go with the ARIENS PLATINUM GREAT LAKES EDITION-24 SHO EFI
https://www.ariens.com/en-us/power-equipment/snow-products/snow-blowers/platinum/platinum-great-lakes-edition-24-sho-efi
Probably a little overkill for my situation but it will be very dependable with less worries .
Ben
I’m hoping the 824 can throw wet snow farther than my Troybilt 2860. They’re all but unavailable now. How and when would I know if this model is up for replacement/upgrade this coming fall before turning the country upside down to find a current model ? I understand it could use a muffler and one can always dream of it getting an EFI engine. If this went out in 2016, not sure what the typical model refresh cycle would be.
Paul
Hi Ben, All Toro snow blowers smaller than the 928 are basically out of stock until late July. The 824 SnowMaster won’t clog on wet/heavy snow but it will not throw it any farther than the 2860. I have both here so I’ve used them side-by-side.
If you want a 24 inch snowblower that will throw wet snow the farthest and not clog seriously look at the Ariens Deluxe 24. Home Depot link
DP
Was able to find a Snowmaster 824 in stock at a local dealer, and I just picked it up! Bring on the snow!!!
DP
That’s great to hear – thank you for posting your thoughts and review as well! My mind is completely made up at this point, so I’m going to start calling around to my local dealers to see if I can hunt one of these things down.
DP
Thank you. I will call around and see if I can find one. How will the Snowmaster handle the piles at the end of my driveway? I’m sure there are other machines that would be able to handle it better, but I shouldn’t buy a machine just based on that, right?
Paul
Hi DP, It will handle fresh snowplow piles well enough.
It has plenty of power and won’t clog on wet snow. But, the SnowMaster weighs half of what a 2-stage snow blower weighs. So, it runs out of traction trying to push through a snowplow drift that has been sitting a while.
Once you get that first pass through the drift you can take 1/2 or 1/4 width passes to get the plow pile cleared.
If you can put up with that – it’s really fast cleaning the rest of your driveway!
jdg0928
I’ll back up Paul’s comment about the end of the driveway. Our city seems to love to plow me in, so I have experience with this. I have the 824, and it does a great job.
As Paul said, you have to work at it a bit and the weight will sometimes allow it to ride up over the packed snow. However, it will get the job done with some patience.
Personally, a little extra work at the end of the driveway is a small price to pay for the speed and ease of clearing the rest of the driveway. My sense is that you’d be very happy with the SnowMaster on your driveway. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.
Also, I just started mine on the first pull after it sat all summer. Follow Paul’s advice and use TruFuel.
DP
Not sure if you’re still answering questions here or not but I’ll give it a shot. I am looking to purchase my first snow blower here in Monmouth County, NJ (average snowfall is about 25″/yr) and I’m struggling a bit with figuring out which one to get. My driveway is blacktop and basically flat, and it looks like a backwards lowercase h if you’re looking at it from the street. It’s single-car wide around the circular portion, and I would say about 1/2-3/4 of the straight portion is single-car wide as well (it gets much wider as it gets closer to the house and our 2 car garage though). I would say the straight portion is 70-75′ long from the street to the top of our driveway. We do have a sidewalk in front by the street as well and I’m assuming we are responsible for clearing that as well, although I will have to check with my neighbors to be sure (we only recently moved into the neighborhood, so we don’t know all of the rules yet). Which snow blower would you recommend for me? I would prefer something with a light, but I could do without it if it means a huge step up in price. Plus I’m sure I could figure out a way to add some type of light if I felt like I really needed it.
Paul
Hi DP, Yes, I’m answering questions here but I’m busy enough that it may take a day or two to answer.
Since your driveway is flat, paved, and you only average about 25 inches a year a single-stage snowthrower is a good choice. Unfortuanately, none of them come with lights but you can add a bicycle light to the handlebar or wear a headlamp on your cap. By a good bright one like this one and it will have as much light as one that would come on a snowblower: NEBO ARC500 Rechargeable Bike Light 500 lumens. I have this light that clips to my pocket and it also works great: NEBO SLIM 6694
The best value snowthrower for you is the Toro PowerClear 721 E. If you would like a remote chute control the Toro 721 QXE is the best choice
DP
Thank you! So sorry for the redundant post, but it looked like my original post was deleted so I posted again. Anyway, thank you again for the recommendation. Are the Snowmaster machines not appropriate for me? I’ve read such good things about them, so I figured one of those would be perfect and not too expensive. The ones you mentioned aren’t expensive either though.
Paul
Hi DP, Actually the SnowMaster is a great option! I just wasn’t thinking of it this morning. It’s a little wider and a little faster than the 721 series. It will also handle 10-24 inch snows a lot better than the 721. I have the 824 and like the extra power but the 724 is still plenty for your appication.
DP
Fantastic – thank you! Now I just have to find a place that has one. Looks like they’re either sold out everywhere and/or discontinued.
Paul
Hi DP, They are sold out. Talk to your local dealers to see if they have any on order and when they will get it in. Right now the earliest is Dec 31st.
Gary
I bought this blower so that my wife could use it also . This Toro has electric start, which she loves! The push handle is so much easier to engage . I think that my old blower gave me arthritis in my hands from constantly having to squeeze the handles while moving. Man does it throw snow a long distance! I live at 7500 ft elevation in Colorado and so bought the more powerful 824. This morning I cleared a 200 ft driveway (not flat) after a spring blizzard totaling 14 inches. It even cleared the 22 inch pile left but the county snowplow! At bottom of driveway. Another plus is that I never seem to run out of gas. Don,t be concerned about no reverse gear. I’m 73 and I am fine pulling it back or engaging forward while spinning it around 180 degrees. I think the outside wheel moves faster allowing the 180 turn.
Paul
Hi Gary, Congrats on getting the right snow blower! Your snow blower actually has an auto-locking differential (automatic steering or AutoTurn) That’s why it turns so easily yet both wheels have traction when going in a straight line.
Jonathan Nelson
Hi Paul, I bought a Snowmaster 824 a couple years ago after your review – Love it. However I just moved into a house that has a gravel driveway. My mistake for not considering my snowblower when purchasing a home….Anyways, wondering if you know if the bolt holes for the skids are the same as the bolt holes on the Power Max models? My curiosity is if the slotted skids on the Power Max can be used on the Snowmaster to raise it up and prevent it from picking up gravel.
Paul
Hi Johnathan, I measured the SnowMaster to the Power Max HD shoes and the bolt pattern is larger on the HD. I suggest taking a shoe off and take it to a larger dealer/repair shop. Most of these have dozens of skid shoes all hanging on the wall and you can compare them there.
Bob
Im70,live 40 miles south of Chicago. I have a honda HS520 single stage. The old house had a 120 foot driveway. The present house has a 35′ X 35′ driveway. I also have paver walk from front to back of house. At this house, I’m constantly changing chute direction. I’ve been thinking of getting the Toro SnowMaster 824QXE. I am sure the quick stick would be a big improvement and hoping it would be a little better at end of drive. Also, hope it would not clog on wet snow as easy as the Honda. Hope there wouldn’t be a problem with grade of driveway. Driveway seems like the normal pitch. I checked it and it was a little less than 3 degrees. Even though my Honda claims in brochure it throws only 26 feet, that has not been a problem for me. Would the SnowMaster be worst at removing packed snow or about the same as my Honda single stage? Being retired, as far as big snows, I am usually out there before it gets too deep. One concern I noticed is the SnowMaster’s chute does not go downward as much as my Honda. Being that it will throw farther, I wouldn’t want it going on my neighbors if I can’t point it down far enough. So I,m thinking I would just rather keep using my Honda instead of a 2 stage but would SnowMaster 824 QXE be a worthwhile improvement over my Honda single stage?
Paul
Hi Bob, The SnowMaster is the perfect snow blower for Joliet, New Lennox, Mokena, Frankfort area. It will throw snow better than the Honda and yes, you can throw the snow close to your driveway if needed. It will be a significant improvement over the Honda.
But, it is different than a normal single stage snow blower like the Honda. It uses a scraper bar – like a 2-stage – under the auger. What that means is it does a good job of cleaning snow off your driveway it will not scrape driven on snow off like you single stage will. If you have to have a perfectly clean driveway you’ll have to take a snow shovel and loosen the areas that have been driven on.
Marie Anna
Paul, you are a wealth of good, trustworthy information. Something you have not covered