# Power max 826OXE impeller bolts and skids



## Torobrand (Jan 29, 2016)

Bought new in 2011 and last weekend I snapped off two bolts on the impeller shaft. I ordered them from the dealer and they are a grade 5 bolt. Doesn't it seem strange that a "shear" bolt would be a grade 5?

Secondly, my skids had worn through the horizontal metal and allowed the auger to hit as it went around. These skids are metal but must be real soft, but are reversible so I did flip them.


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

Good thing you flipped them Myself and many others use a paint stir stick under the cutting edge when we set our skids up. this way we leave 1/8 in of snow on ground if you do not have a super smooth driveway. I have a set of SnowBlower Armor skids 
snowblowerskids.com - Snowblower Forum : Snow Blower Forums
You may want to look at, this company is one of the sponsors on this site.


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## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

Are saying the shear bolts are grade 5 due to the markings on the heads - or does the package say grade 5? I wouldn't think that's the case.....


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

TORO uses grade 5 bolts only. no BLOODY shear pins. *ALOHA From the paradise city.:smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027:*


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Those skids wear out no matter what brand of snow blower you have . Now what did you hit to brake those grade five bolts


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

There are a lot of options out there for skids.
Not sure what your stock Toro skids are like but I upgraded my Troy to stock Ariens skids. I was in a hurry to use the machine and went to Homedepot since they had them in stock. They were much thicker and like yours they were double sided where the stock ones were single.
There are also plastic ones and they seem to last a good long time plus they don't scratch concrete or asphalt the way metal will and they don't leave rust stains inside your garage if it's sitting on concrete.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pol...KHTN7DIUQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=snowblower+skids

These are very well liked and they are a forum sponsor.
http://snowblowerskids.com/


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## Torobrand (Jan 29, 2016)

*Bolt head markings*



bad69cat said:


> Are saying the shear bolts are grade 5 due to the markings on the heads - or does the package say grade 5? I wouldn't think that's the case.....


The bolts I picked up from the Toro dealer had 3 lines emanating from the bolt head center, indicating a grade 5 bolt. The only bolt better is a grade 8 which has 5 lines emanating from the center. I agree with you, I would not think that's the case either. Seems to me, that a common Ace Hardware bolt from the bin would be a better choice. The "only" reason I could think for using the grade 5 bolt, is that it might shear better than the softer one which might bend and lodge in the shaft. Just thinking out loud.


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## Torobrand (Jan 29, 2016)

*Wish I knew*



69ariens said:


> Those skids wear out no matter what brand of snow blower you have . Now what did you hit to brake those grade five bolts


I wish I knew. I did my driveway 3 times, my neighbor's driveway three times, and broke through the snowplowed icepacks in front of four drive ways before loaning it to my neighbor down the street. He did his driveway and then called me to say the snow no longer was being thrown out of the chute. I assumed it was clogged, which it was, but then when we cleared it, discovered the impeller did not move. Took it home, let the snow melt out and that's when discovered the broken bolts holding the impeller to the shaft. I found two small pieces of the bolts in the bottom but not the bolt head. I have since replaced the two bolts with the grade 5 bolts, but haven't used it.


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## Torobrand (Jan 29, 2016)

*Grade 5*



POWERSHIFT93 said:


> TORO uses grade 5 bolts only. no BLOODY shear pins. *ALOHA From the paradise city.:smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027:*


But aren't they too hard to shear? Also, they look like a normal bolt, no small indent to allow for breakage like a real shear bolt or pin. Just doesn't make sense. I felt so compelled to verify the bolts, that I called customer service and they confirmed that they are indeed grade 5 bolts. Guess that settles it.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Torobrand said:


> But aren't they too hard to shear? Also, they look like a normal bolt, no small indent to allow for breakage like a real shear bolt or pin. Just doesn't make sense. I felt so compelled to verify the bolts, that I called customer service and they confirmed that they are indeed grade 5 bolts. Guess that settles it.



On a Toro they say the gearbox is strong enough to handle it and it's the belts job to slip.

Not saying I fully agree but that's how Toro explains the Grade 5 bolt in the auger.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

The engine will stall out. if it hit/picks up something it should not have. I rather have an engine stall. than lay on the snow cover ground trying to replace 1 of those Bloody freaking shear pins. up here in the frozen tundra.k:k:k:k:k:


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

Torobrand said:


> I wish I knew. I did my driveway 3 times, my neighbor's driveway three times, and broke through the snowplowed icepacks in front of four drive ways before loaning it to my neighbor down the street. He did his driveway and then called me to say the snow no longer was being thrown out of the chute. I assumed it was clogged, which it was, but then when we cleared it, discovered the impeller did not move. Took it home, let the snow melt out and that's when discovered the broken bolts holding the impeller to the shaft. I found two small pieces of the bolts in the bottom but not the bolt head. I have since replaced the two bolts with the grade 5 bolts, but haven't used it.


 did you switch them to those things before you put the grade 5 bolts back in.???????????????????????????????


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## Torobrand (Jan 29, 2016)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> On a Toro they say the gearbox is strong enough to handle it and it's the belts job to slip.
> 
> Not saying I fully agree but that's how Toro explains the Grade 5 bolt in the auger.


These are the broken pieces found in the bottom of the snow blower, but they don't look anything like the ones I bought to replace them.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

Well, those guys are gone; may as well read them their last rites.

Do you have any intact Shear Pins left in that Auger Shaft . . . . you could compare them to the remnants of these dead ones, and to your new Pins ?

The remnants do indeed look like regular bolts . . . . but you can see that they were willing to sacrifice themselves in lieu of the Gear Box.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I'm not sure I'd call them regular bolts since that's a lock nut on there. The new shear bolts I ordered in for my Murray and Brute machines look just like those including that kind of gold color.
But it's hard to say from just a photo. :2cool:


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## Torobrand (Jan 29, 2016)

Vermont007 said:


> Well, those guys are gone; may as well read them their last rites.
> 
> Do you have any intact Shear Pins left in that Auger Shaft . . . . you could compare them to the remnants of these dead ones, and to your new Pins ?
> 
> The remnants do indeed look like regular bolts . . . . but you can see that they were willing to sacrifice themselves in lieu of the Gear Box.





Kiss4aFrog said:


> I'm not sure I'd call them regular bolts since that's a lock nut on there. The new shear bolts I ordered in for my Murray and Brute machines look just like those including that kind of gold color.
> But it's hard to say from just a photo. :2cool:


Of the two old bolts/nuts which were installed at the factory or the dealer, not sure, my post above is all that I found. Here is a picture of the new bolt I bought from the dealer, and a picture of the grade 5 markings. The new bolts have less threads. Notice the old bolts had threads on the nut piece which extended past the shaft, and the center piece which was inside the shaft was also threaded. The new one, if it was sheared and a picture taken, would have the center piece just a plain shaft


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## ujoint56 (Apr 8, 2020)

Well my 826 OXE just stopped working. Both augers are freewheeling on the shafts. I have read conflicting information relative to whether or not these have shear pins. There is a 6mm or so hole on each of the augers that I would assume were/are for shear pins but I can't get any definitive information. If there are no shear pins, what would cause the problem with the augers. We already have over a foot of snow and are expecting two more feet by the end of this week so I am expecting to be snowed in for the next week.


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

ujoint56 said:


> Well my 826 OXE just stopped working. Both augers are freewheeling on the shafts. I have read conflicting information relative to whether or not these have shear pins. There is a 6mm or so hole on each of the augers that I would assume were/are for shear pins but I can't get any definitive information. If there are no shear pins, what would cause the problem with the augers. We already have over a foot of snow and are expecting two more feet by the end of this week so I am expecting to be snowed in for the next week.


This thread is 4 years old.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Torobrand said:


> I wish I knew. ......before loaning it to my neighbor down the street. He did his driveway and then called me to say the snow no longer was being thrown out of the chute. I assumed it was clogged, which it was, but then when we cleared it, discovered the impeller did not move. Took it home, let the snow melt out and that's when discovered the broken bolts holding the impeller to the shaft. I found two small pieces of the bolts in the bottom but not the bolt head.


And this is why no one uses my snowblower but me.


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