# Toro Power Max HD 1428 OHXE Shear Bolts Down Grade



## Toro-J (Apr 11, 2019)

I want to replace the shear bolts that originally came on my snow blower to a lower grade so they will break with less impact force. Toro pride their selves with no shear bolts on the auger and impeller, and I don't want to risk damage to my blower since I will be regularly blowing snow around my fire wood pile which I'm sure the blower will try to eat up a chunk a wood that I had missed picking up in the snow.

What grade shear bolt should I use? The more I read online about bolt grades, the more unsure I am about selecting the correct grade.

I have heard of a guy who ran his Toro 1428 into a cast iron water shutoff valve that was slightly above ground buried in the snow and costed him over $1500 in repairs including 2 snapped belts, warranty would not cover this since there was negligence on his part.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

They Leave The Little TORO Factory With Cadmium Plated Grade 5 Bolts. Why Anyone Would Put Those BLOODY SHEER Pins In There Instead. Is Beyond My Comprehension In This Life. The Motor Will STALL OOT.


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## cpchriste (Jan 19, 2014)

Toro-J said:


> I want to replace the shear bolts that originally came on my snow blower to a lower grade so they will break with less impact force.


No markings get you low strength steel. Beyond or outside that, you can grind away some fraction of the bolt area/diameter as long as you do it at the shear plane locations. .


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

On that case of hitting the shutoff valve, I would have taken Toro to the task. They claim that sheer bolts are not needed. They should stand behind their claim.


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## ST1300 (Feb 17, 2017)

The softest steel bolt would be a grade 2 (available at most hardware stores) it will have no markings on the top of the bolt head. Do not use stainless steel, it has a 20% elongation (or stretch) factor over regular steel and will really smear at the point of shear. Grade 2 will only do this a little bit. 
That is why most genuine shear bolt are a grade 5 and have a groove cut at the points of shear, the torque of shear is calculated and the groove is cut at that point so they break (shear) cleanly. 
If Toro says they are not needed or even doesn't make any you might look for other brands that have the same diameter and shear grooves cut at the same points as the diameter of your Toro shafts.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

If you cant find the size shear pin/bolt you need, just score a standard pin/bolt at the axle circumference point for a clean shear point. The more you score, the easier it will shear.


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## dcinma (Dec 13, 2017)

Good info.
I'm nervous too about testing Toro's claims. 
I started a thread about this a while back. If I can find shear pins that will work, I'll make some using the info you gave.


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## Toro-J (Apr 11, 2019)

I'll check online to find a grade 2 shear bolt that already has the groove etched around the shank, not really wanting to experiment at etching my own groove onto the bolt with this $$$ snow blower with less than 2 hours on it. There is a lot of torque in this 14 hp engine, if the bolt doesn't shear or the engine doesn't stall after swallowing up something, I could be in for a huge repair bill that warranty will not cover, so I'd rather replace shear bolts. 

Going to get dumped on tonight with supposedly 8-12" of snow here in West Central Wisconsin. I'll have to stay away from my firewood pile until I get some Auger & impeller shear bolts installed. 
Appreciate all your feedback!


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## dcinma (Dec 13, 2017)

See my post about this, I just explained a solution.


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## chadneufeld (Dec 14, 2021)

Toro-J said:


> What grade shear bolt should I use?


Have a look at Home Depot if you are still looking for shear bolts. I found 5/16 x 1-3/4 shear bolts that worked for my Toro 828 OXE (1" auger shaft).
PowerCare Shear Pins for MTD Snow Blower-PCR7500 - The Home Depot

I highly recommend changing out Toro's bolts for proper shear pins. I sucked up a fist sized rock and the rock got wedged between the auger and the scrapper bar. Stopped the engine immediately but also bent the auger and the auger housing. Check out the bent bolt that Toro used. Shear bolts would have saved me a lot of repair work.


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## Toro-J (Apr 11, 2019)

Thanks. My auger shear bolt size is 2-1/4 x 5/16. Lowes don't carry that size shear pins, if they had, they don't ship to home, 77 miles out from me.


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## sledman8002002 (Jan 20, 2021)

Just for the sake of looking/comparing I pulled the factory grade 5 auger bolt from my 928 and put it beside a shear bolt I have on the shelf. I may very well do the switch myself just to save any future misery.


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## asavage (Dec 20, 2021)

On mine, if the bolt were to drop out (if it was a shear bolt), that spacer would also be lost. I think I'd want to have a baggie of spare spacers with my stash of shear bolts.

On mine, they're:
* Toro Part# 25-5090 *
SPACER-HUB, AUGER










[later]
Maybe I just don't know what I don't know: maybe shear bolts always come with spacers? I've never bought any.


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## chadneufeld (Dec 14, 2021)

asavage said:


> I think I'd want to have a baggie of spare spacers with my stash of shear bolts


You don't need the spacer if you buy shear bolts made for a 1" auger shaft. In the picture @sledman8002002 posted, you can see the lower shear bolt is shorter than the Toro factory bolt. When I changed mine out, I didn't need the spacer.


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## cpchriste (Jan 19, 2014)

asavage said:


> On mine, if the bolt were to drop out (if it was a shear bolt), that spacer would also be lost. I think I'd want to have a baggie of spare spacers with my stash of shear bolts.
> Maybe I just don't know what I don't know: maybe shear bolts always come with spacers? I've never bought any.


Spacers come with the shear bolts on blowers that have a larger hole built into one side of the auger tube. The spacer causes the shearing action to happen at both bolt ends simultaneously rather then individually, thus doubling the required auger torque to shear.
I could speculate that the spacer (collar) is used so that the shaft shear groove can be deleted but I'm not sure of the mfr reasons.


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## jbandl (Sep 19, 2017)

UNDERTAKER said:


> They Leave The Little TORO Factory With Cadmium Plated Grade 5 Bolts. Why Anyone Would Put Those BLOODY SHEER Pins In There Instead. Is Beyond My Comprehension In This Life. The Motor Will STALL OOT.
> View attachment 184320


I used my 724 just 12 times in 4 years on a small lot.
But one Toro auger bolt sheared off at some point this week.
I was not aware of any related engine stall.
Did not notice the missing bolt and deformation on the
auger until some time after two iceberg hits (I think it
was blowing fairly good snow without that auger).
I replaced the bolt with a Grade-5, 1/4" until I get the Toro part.
Grade-5 to shear when needed, but not more than needed.


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