# New Toro Commercial 28 is awesome!



## reader2580 (Dec 20, 2019)

I picked up my new Toro Power Max HD 1428 OHXE Commercial snow blower today and it is awesome. I didn't know a walk behind snow blower could blow snow so far. I think it could literally blow snow over my house if I wanted to.

The one issue I found is the slowest speed is not slow enough in heavy wet snow. This can cause the blower to ride up over top of the snow. I don't know if getting the front weight kit would help this or not. One minor nit is they used cable ties to secure cables to the handle instead of some sort of clamps. Cable ties work, but they just seem cheap on a $2,300 unit.


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

That would be my dream blower. Any pictures of super Toro in the snow.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

My first couple new cars were each less than 2300.00 ......


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## reader2580 (Dec 20, 2019)

I probably would have been just fine with a Powermax HD instead of the Commercial, but I like to buy good stuff and keep it long term.


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## 2.137269 (Nov 15, 2019)

wish you lots of luck ,


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*Cable ties are easier to replace than clamps. and ties do not rust. mg::emoticon-south-park*


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

oneacer said:


> My first couple new cars were each less than 2300.00 ......


Adjusted for inflation today's prices as compared to the 1970's are reasonable for what you get. Yes, you could pay less in the 70's but we live in the 2000's. 

On Scot's database there is a brochure from 1973 and $460 was written on the top of the line 8hp model. If you adjust the price for inflation that $460 price today is $2664.77. Not really that far off from the Toro's pricing actually.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

promo video showing ACS (anti-clogging system):


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

reader2580 said:


> The one issue I found is the slowest speed is not slow enough in heavy wet snow. This can cause the blower to ride up over top of the snow. I don't know if getting the front weight kit would help this or not.



Awesome, glad you found a great machine! Those sound really nice. 420cc, wide bucket, and triggers steering. People seem to really like Toro's quick chute controls, as well. 

You may be able to adjust the friction-disk gear selection mechanism a bit to slow down 1st gear (well, all of your forward gears). It would also increase your reverse speeds slightly, if that was useful. 

I have about 25 pounds of added weight on my bucket. It helps hold the nose down while climbing the driveway's incline. For testing purposes, you could try something like a big C-clamp to hold free weights, or a metal chunk, etc, to the bucket. To see if it was a helpful change, before needing to buy anything.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Congrats!

Yeah, I've never used a Toro that has a "Leisure" speed.

My '80 724 goes slower than my '89 824...only because it has smaller tires. :laugh:


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## 2.137269 (Nov 15, 2019)

adding the weight to the bucket on mine helped a lot still it's not a powershift for eod's


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## minnesotaman82 (Sep 19, 2017)

Pictures?!?


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## RichVT (Oct 11, 2018)

Sometimes mother nature adds weight to my bucket.


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## johnwick (Dec 16, 2019)

uberT said:


> promo video showing ACS (anti-clogging system):
> 
> 
> 
> https://youtu.be/fqm6MhJAzfo




This is the first time I’ve seen this... pretty darn simple and seems like a good idea. I assume it’s effective?


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## RichVT (Oct 11, 2018)

Mine has never clogged even in conditions like those in the picture.


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

Mine has done that a few times but never clogged up so nothing would come out of the chute just the right conditions I guess.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

That Hp to Inch ratio is .50, that is by far the highest in the industry. 


Its a shame they don't make a tracked machine. That would solve your ride up problems. 

More weight is the only answer unless they put Powershift on it (Ariens?) 

That was a big part of why I went with a tracked machine because I loved the Toro 5 x 24, while under-powered now with the old drum auger it did well, but it would not cut the packed snow off my roof I had to go through (right into the driveway open one side and the deck out back) That and wheels did not do well in grass, I don't know if the flotation tires change that or not. 

I don't understand Toro, it took em years to put a discharge chute adjust where the controls were. 

The machine is so solid (agreed go with the best you can buy, if you keep it its well worth it in the long run - only complaint I had was my Toro 524 fell apart at the end, frame cracking like crazy and the engine was a cheap one that had the rear housing molded as part of the bearing). dang it only lasted through 3 owners and 25 years (actually 4 as I sold it for $50 to a friend who knew what he was getting - he had a small driveway and he ran it another 4 years) 

So why they won't make a track just baffles me. Can you imagine a 1428 tracked machine? It would rival a 828 Yamaha (grin)


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## Greg13 (Nov 25, 2018)

oneacer said:


> My first couple new cars were each less than 2300.00 ......


Easy now, you are dating yourself. 
Ford maverick $1995.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

71 Datsun was like $1995., 73 Nova, one of my overall best cars, like $2200. ….


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## 2.137269 (Nov 15, 2019)

and a vw bettle in 1964 was 1200$$


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## reader2580 (Dec 20, 2019)

Well, I am not so happy after using this blower in a real snow storm. The first time I used it was cleaning up the third of my driveway still full of wet heavy snow from a storm a week or two earlier.

I had maybe 6" in my driveway. The blower keeps riding up over snow I think it should be able to blow through. I also had a few spots where the engine bogged down just clearing the 6" on a flat area in first gear. There is no reason a 420cc engine should bog down in those conditions.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

two week old snow is a challenge for just about any walk behind.


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

Yikes!! Check the RPM's. I've seen videos of Toro 928's cruising thru deep snow.


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## reader2580 (Dec 20, 2019)

nwcove said:


> two week old snow is a challenge for just about any walk behind.


The blower blew the two week old snow just fine last week. My issue is blowing the 6" of new snow that fell yesterday. All of the compacted snow and ice had been removed from the paved portion of my driveway by hand before this latest snow.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

reader2580, where are you located, and what kind of snow did you get? I'm in northern MA, we only got about 2" yesterday, but it weighed a ton, since it got rained on all day. Just curious what kind of snow the 6" was. 

But I agree that even if it's heavy, 420cc should handle 6" without trouble. 

You had mentioned previously that first gear was somewhat quick. Maybe it's not able to slow down enough going forward. How does 1st forward compare to 1st reverse? There is a trade-off between forward and reverse speeds, on friction-disk machines. If 1st forward is fast, but 1st reverse is slow, it may be adjusted wrong. Adjusting the gear-selection mechanism would let you slow down 1st forward, in exchange for 1st reverse becoming faster. Personally, I prefer 1st forward being quite slow, so I can creep into snowbanks, and I prefer having 1st reverse be quicker. 

Forgive the basic questions, but sometimes it's worth just being sure. The engine was warmed up and the choke was off fully, right? If I've forgotten to turn the choke off fully, after warming up, my machine won't have much power. 

Alternately, to see if it was running lean for some reason, you could try giving it partial choke, to see if that helped it make more power. Either condition, too-rich, or too-lean, can reduce power. 

Does it run smoothly at full RPM, with the choke off? The RPM stays steady, rather than surging up & down? 

You shouldn't have to worry about this stuff on a new machine, but you could remove whatever shrouds are needed to get a good view of the carb and intake. You could make sure that the choke plate is opening fully when it's turned off. And that the throttle plate is opening fully when it's slowing down, under a heavy load (the governor should be pulling the throttle open fully). 

As far as riding up, my guess is that has to do with the balance of the machine, front/back. If it's easy to raise the bucket by pushing down on the handles, then maybe it's a little too-well balanced, and might benefit from adding some weight to the bucket, to help hold it down. That's at least a fairly-easy thing to try as a test, anyways. 

Sorry to hear this experience wasn't so great, but hopefully it can get sorted out.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

reader2580 said:


> The blower blew the two week old snow just fine last week. My issue is blowing the 6" of new snow that fell yesterday. All of the compacted snow and ice had been removed from the paved portion of my driveway by hand before this latest snow.


There's obviously something not right here with either the machine setup or the operator. You have a machine almost twice as powerful as my 826 OE model and that will burrow through 3ft of wet sticky snow like an angry mule.


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## 2.137269 (Nov 15, 2019)

Zavie said:


> Yikes!! Check the RPM's. I've seen videos of Toro 928's cruising thru deep snow.


my thoughts also. esp when mine turned out to be only turning 2900 when spec is 3300 to 3400 .rpms set right and the costly $160.00 weight it's way better.


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## Bulldogge (Nov 1, 2017)

Good luck with the new machine & have fun. I have the 10/28 HD & it is a beast. Love that anti clog system.


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## 2.137269 (Nov 15, 2019)

against your personal rules to voice about a lemon?? who about this list

purchased from snow blowers direct as a 2018 NOPE it s a 2016 by serial number warranty sent in by them in as power equipment direct before i got it.
start up checks and adjustments show engine rpm not set to spec. simple adjustment that shouldn't need to be done
2 hours 0 degs in a storm road grit gravel blows though the plastic auger housing not our problem $85.00 part and a hour labor (it's warrantied not to crack )
6 hours the motor locks up takes 3 weeks to get a new one as the crank case or short block are not offered as parts
15 hours second set of skids
20 hours 2 nd winter rusted right though to where daylight shows, toro tel's your own for a $548.00 part we don't cover rusting even when it is due to how the machine is made. bare metal and how it welded and warps
auger case leaking from sealing edge . it's untreated .un coated alum that can't handle salt even when the machine is washed with salt away after every use, toro could at least anodize or paint it,
if you paid $1800.00 for a machine and had these issues you would be pissed also sad part is there is no power equipment lemon laws like for cars .


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## penna stogey (Nov 25, 2019)

oneacer said:


> 71 Datsun was like $1995., 73 Nova, one of my overall best cars, like $2200. ….


My 71 Karma Ghia was $2200


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## minnesotaman82 (Sep 19, 2017)

87powershiftx2 said:


> against your personal rules to voice about a lemon?? who about this list
> 
> purchased from snow blowers direct as a 2018 NOPE it s a 2016 by serial number warranty sent in by them in as power equipment direct before i got it.
> start up checks and adjustments show engine rpm not set to spec. simple adjustment that shouldn't need to be done
> ...




**** hath no fury like 87powershiftx2 scorned .....seriously though that does sound like a terrible lemon of a snowblower. All brands produce them occasionally. Some more then others.


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