# Toro 1030HD rusting prematurely



## Ianwelch001 (Sep 24, 2020)

Hello. Just bought my 1030HD new this past October and have used it about 5 times. 
I used fluid film on the auger, impeller and chute before using it and have noticed rust on the auger. Is this typical? 

On a side note, the stock metal skid shoes kept Jerking the blower everytime I hit ice so I replaced those with the arnold roller skids. And now the blower will roll down the driveway if I let it go.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Sadly yes, as the paint is being worn off against the snow pack you are removing.

Everything that contacts snow will wear off the paint that was applied at Toro paint shop.

I guess if you want you could remove the open auger halves and sand them down to bare metal with the 3M sponge type sanding sheets or blocks and coat them with 4 or five coats of Rustoleum black paint in the off season to counter the effects of the friction created by the auger rotation.

They don't fuss much over the painting of these things by using an electrostatic charge to glue the paint to the metal. There is no harm in painting anything that is rusting it just takes time to prepare the metal right to do a good job of painting.

Using a disposable paint mitt to paint the open auger halves is ideal with a quart can of rustoleum black paint. you just have to sand it down to bare metal and rinse off the sanding dust well and let it dry before you paint it. 

You can coat the shaft stubs with never seize at the same time to keep them freed up and also coat the wheel bores and axle shafts with never seize when you do the auger work. 

If you have the augers removed you can tackle removing the impeller and paining it and coating the impeller shaft with never seize too. 

Leon


.


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## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

No, it is not typical, unless you use the machine to blow snow. Keep it in a heated garage and it will not rust. Instead of sanding the rust off and priming and painting, I suggest you use something like Loctite's Extend. This stuff converts the rust to an organic compound (I think) that is durable and paintable. It will work better than paint alone. No matter how often you scour and paint your auger and blower, using the machine will wear down the paint and you will have rust. Btw, using your snowblower on the salt laced snow at the end of your drive (EOD gunk) will hasten any corrosion. Again, the only real cure is to park the machine in your living room, perhaps mounted on a board over your mantel and move south.


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

Ianwelch001 said:


> Hello. Just bought my 1030HD new this past October and have used it about 5 times.
> I used fluid film on the auger, impeller and chute before using it and have noticed rust on the auger. Is this typical?
> 
> On a side note, the stock metal skid shoes kept Jerking the blower everytime I hit ice so I replaced those with the arnold roller skids. And now the blower will roll down the driveway if I let it go.


Spray it with oil.
Or fluid film


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## Jesse11B (Jan 27, 2020)

Rooskie said:


> Spray it with oil.
> Or fluid film


I worked with a landscaper that always had us spray down equipment with WD 40 at the end of the day. It seemed to work well for his machines. 

It might make a bit of a mess on the floor/storage pad, but I’ve sprayed my blower down after each use with WD 40 or cheap cooking spray. I hit the bucket area pretty good. Haven’t seen much of rust yet.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Ianwelch001 said:


> Hello. Just bought my 1030HD new this past October and have used it about 5 times.
> I used fluid film on the auger, impeller and chute before using it and have noticed rust on the auger. Is this typical?
> 
> On a side note, the stock metal skid shoes kept Jerking the blower everytime I hit ice so I replaced those with the arnold roller skids. And now the blower will roll down the driveway if I let it go.


You spend all that money and the paint is coming off already?>>>>>>!!!!
It took over 15 years for mine to start rusting a little in spots.
Tell me, the second picture of the inside of the bucket, is that wet or is the paint starting to flake?
You like the new roller skids?
You need to install a hand brake or carry a small block of wood. 

The comment about using cheap cooking spray? I used to do that to mine but don't anymore. It builds up a thick, hard oil coating on the metal. Almost like a burnt on wax.
The only way to get it off I had to use 200 proof ethanol, even a rubbing compound wouldn't take it off.
At the end of the season I just wash it then wax it like you would a car.


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## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

Jesse11B said:


> I worked with a landscaper that always had us spray down equipment with WD 40 at the end of the day. It seemed to work well for his machines.
> 
> It might make a bit of a mess on the floor/storage pad, but I’ve sprayed my blower down after each use with WD 40 or cheap cooking spray. I hit the bucket area pretty good. Haven’t seen much of rust yet.


WD in WD 40 stands for water dispersant. While it is not a good rust preventative for the long term, it will prevent rust for a while, and if you respray it, the rust will not come back. WD either evaporates or oxidizes, which is why repeated coats are necessary.


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## Arcticnorth (Nov 27, 2020)

My dealer told me not to use WD40 as a lubricant on the cables and on the mechanical connections in the snowblower.. (sorry about my lack of english technical language). WD40 starts to "gum" at temperatures as high as 20F and freeze at -20F. I was adviced to use high quality weapon oil instead.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

The newer machines seem to rust more quickly than what we may remember from days of old. I've seen it in all brands of equipment. 

Rust reformer is your friend, so I would use it where rust develops. 

WD-40 is 'Water Dispersing' . . . so it may help . . . or not. Anything that needs lubrication should get such from oil or grease.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Speaking of the EOD pile and road salt, always do that EOD pile first so the rest of the snow you're passing through the machine flushes (so to speak) any of that salt laced snow out of the machine.
If you have any clumps from your wheel wells it's a good idea to use a shovel on those.
As always, brush off what you can before storing it and park the front up on some wood so the scraper bar or skids aren't sitting in water as it melts.

WD40 is a pain because it's your fathers Buick and then again not. Now that WD40 makes a whole range of products it's hard to tell if someone is talking about the original WD40 that was designed as a water dispersant and was great for drying/cleaning ignition components, wiping down tools and a few other things but was a terrible lubricant and disappeared rapidly or one of the newer BRAND of WD40 products designed to do specific jobs.
I'm always confused if someone is talking about original WD40 to be used on stuck bolts, nuts, ... which it's terrible at (IMHO) or the WD40 penetrating oil which isn't bad.
Sorry for the rant. Original WD40 is nice to have but has limited uses and I worry that it's still being pushed like a snake oil, does all cures all.
For all I know they may make a cable lube as they already make a chain lube.
.


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## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Sorry for the rant. Original WD40 is nice to have but has limited uses and I worry that it's still being pushed like a snake oil, does all cures all.


I've read that WD40 has a large component of fish oil. Snakes probably use another lubricant.


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## dcinma (Dec 13, 2017)

At the end of the season I hook my garden hose up to the laundry sink and give the machine a good flushing with warm water inside and out. Most of my work is dirty salty street snow. I live on a narrow private way with no sidewalks.


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## BrooklynDaddy (Apr 28, 2016)

Ianwelch001 said:


> Hello. Just bought my 1030HD new this past October and have used it about 5 times.
> I used fluid film on the auger, impeller and chute before using it and have noticed rust on the auger. Is this typical?
> 
> On a side note, the stock metal skid shoes kept Jerking the blower everytime I hit ice so I replaced those with the arnold roller skids. And now the blower will roll down the driveway if I let it go.


I posted this (2016) with my 3 year old Toro Powermax 826 OE.

Similar issue with rusting - I used vinegar to remove the rust - and sand it down afterward.

review - it's now 2021 and no problems. Let me know what you think...









Toro Powermax Rusted shaft, impeller - add zerk fitting ?


Picked up a used 3 year old (2013) Toro Powermax 826 - model 37772. Has Rust problems (see pics). Want to finish four (4) steps before this fall. 1). Remove rust 2). Paint 3). Thinking of adding zerk fitting to auger and impeller. 4). Grease shaft (white Lithium grease) - anything better ? a)...




www.snowblowerforum.com


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## dcinma (Dec 13, 2017)

My new 8/24 OE has only been used twice. I noticed the welds on the augers have begun to rust. I bought a can of fluid film (first time) to spray inside the bucket. Then I discovered this under the machine.







It appears to me that wherever there is a weld the paint barely covers. I don't know if it's the prep or application at the factory that's the fault. If I knew this was going to happen I would have sprayed automotive clear coat on all the welds before ever using the machine.


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