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 mine! Very beefy but as you mentioned the locking mechanism is finicky. The only possible drawback that I see would be trying to use this if you only had one of your hands.
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.
This has to be one of the dumbest examples of trying to prove a point I have ever seen...what did you expect that it would just spin in a perfect circles. It's weight is not centerd. The bit is numb nuts 😂😂🤣
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!
Did you notice that vegetables tend to stick rather firmly to the blade during slicing? Or is it just mine that does this? Very noticeable when slicing zucchini/squash/potatoes…
The more you use it it will stick less, little scratches will become air pockets. Starchy veg will always have a tendency to stick to flat ground blades
I love youre review and I appreciate your critique.. It did not deter me one iota, because I will NEVER need or use a knife like this for Batoning.. I have the TOPS Operator 7 Blackout so I guess I am just drawn to Thick Stock knives... as you say the aesthetics of this knife are un deniable.. Sorry but you are a bit of a Steel Snob.. LOL I am NOT an outdoorsman though.. Dont hunt.. so this is perfect for mme
☕ 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.
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!
I had to put the handle in a vise to get get it to lock. Right out of the box it is a pain in the ass. I hope it proves to be more useful. Also, I think I'll have to adjust it if the vice doesn't work. to realign the locking device.
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 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
162 is a great knife imo, have 3, 2 green and 1 tan. But the buck is a great rough daily user knife for sure, and Bucks 420hc is great for a budget steel, they also do a great job with s30, s35vn stuff too. Have a 102 woodsman in s30v but carry a 5160 102 woodsman often as well.
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
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!
Aus 8 is a budget steelnow but when it was first used for knives it was at least a mid grade steel. That knife design has gotta be about 10 years old. But I do agree boker should have upgraded the steel. It’s a cool little knife to use from time to time but it definitely shouldn’t be your primary knife if you need a knife for daily use and specific tasks
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.
4/5. It really is a great tool! I own one and find its overall shape and weight offer excellent clearing/chopping capabilities. Also the squared tip allows you to grasp the blade at both ends allowing for shaving work. Finally there is a small notch allowing you to hike up on the blade for optional detail work or feathering/slicing. The blade is great, you can do a lot with the Froe, HOWEVER, sadly Buck's fit and finish is not up to par. After one trip and heavy chopping a single brass handle fixture has fallen out and the micarta handles frankly do not fit the blade handle, which doesn't even have hole for a lanyard. Overall, 4/5. I will be discarding the Micarta handles and drilling a lanyard hole. Next I will strip the blade, have it blued, and then professionally reassembled with fitted handles.
