Toro too old?

18 years ago

I have a '83 Toro 826 snowthrower, which was bought new. My father and I split the price, and since we lived next door to each other it got double use every winter until 2004. Actually got triple use the last seven years; my aunt and uncle lived next to my parents and my uncle plowed his driveway up to '97.

In '04 the machine wouldn't move when put into forward or reverse. My father having been an auto mechanic before he retired, took it apart figuring it was a belt. He said it was more than that and the part would cost more than the Toro was worth. Long story short, bought different machine, sorry I did. Just not as good. Same price, but 21 years later I should have realized that shouldn't be. Bought it in a hurry and figured more hp and wider cut, its got to be better. Wrong. So, I have the Toro sitting in the garage, does it make sense to get it repaired? Still has little rust, the body is real metal not tin and its heavy as hell. Also the chute is much bigger than the newer one which is something I miss. Think the 21 years of wear is too much (even though it still was going strong when it stopped moving)?

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Comments (7)

baymee
18 years ago
Absolutely not too old. I just bought a snowblower from the '70's. It's a real tank. Bolens.

Safely tip it up on its front end, using a block of wood under the front if you have to and remove the bottom plate and take a look. You should be able to see everything from there. Move the levers for the trans at the handlebars and see what's up.
nevada_walrus
18 years ago
Having lost my dad just a few weeks ago I hate to ask this but is your dad still alive? If he is ask him what the part is that failed and if he's sure about it. Then find out what Toro wants for it.
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helpless_n_ny
Original Author
18 years ago
No, my dad passed away this spring just a few days shy of 85 years old. He was still sharp as a tack till the end, but the subject never came up. Unfortunately, my dad was the mechanic in the family (the skill skipped a generation).
tomplum
18 years ago
They were great machines. I would think that the repair itself would be do-able. Obvious things on these would be a snapped pin that went through the driven gear and shaft or an obvious funky friction disk. If I recall (it has been a number of years) the pin was likely on these as the flange and shaft would become worn and the pin would just drop out. An easy fix is to install a HD roll pin and slide a cotter pin through the center and bend the ends to keep it in place. Access is through the bottom cover. Hopefully fuel was run out and no carb damage occurred from sitting.
joecool85
18 years ago
It's probably the friction disk. These wear out every 15-20 years or so. My dad's toro went through two, we replaced one. He had it for 35 years before we got rid of it. He only got rid of it because he didn't want to replace the disk again and (more importantly) he wanted a lighter weight machine. His was a tank, but it wouldn't stop for anything.

I live in Maine and we get big snow, or we use to anyway, the last couple years haven't been that much. But it would go through 2' or more of fluffy snow, and over 1' of wet heavy snow before bogging even a bit. When it did bog down, you could just go one gear lower and tractor through. If I had been older when he was getting rid of it (he gave it away), I would have taken it. But I was only 16 and didn't know better.
computeruser
18 years ago
Definitely get it fixed!

If you've got the patience, tear it down and get it sandblasted and repainted/repowdercoated, and you'll be on the road to a brand-new 1983 machine. I did a partial blast-repaint on my 1968 JD snowblower and it works like a charm. So much more sturdy than the new machines, and easy to work on, too.
jmherbert
18 years ago
I'd fix it. As the old (but true) cliche' goes, "they don't make 'em like they used to. IMO I'd rather have a 1983 model that rebuilt or even good condition than a new unit, especially a Home Depot unit.

That '83 was built in a era where they didn't try to cut corners to save manufacturing costs, like thinner metal, cheaper transmissions, etc.

If your up to the challenge, grab a service manual and hack away. People will help you out here if you have any questions.