# What's with the old drum-style augers?



## jadnhm (Dec 12, 2016)

Hello folks!

Cruising the local classifieds I've seen a few of the drum-style auger machines and wondered about them 

What is the engineering theory there?
Did they work well?
Why did they stop making them that way/give up?

I have to say it seems like they would be 'tough' but also there is way less room for snow to travel through them...


----------



## kozal01 (10 mo ago)

Most manufacturers have moved to the more open ribbon style auger as it aerates the snow as its moved into the impeller to allow it to throw it further and prevent clogging and plowing.


----------



## Hec In Omaha (Jan 10, 2021)

Not exactly.
The older Toro drum style auger was engineered to meter the amount of snow that was fed to the impeller. The big drum occupies space and therefore reduced how much snow made it to the impeller. This design is very hard to clog!
I have a 1980 Toro 421 with the drum style auger and I can't get it to clog. I actually tried clogging it last season snow blowing some wet heavy stuff. I could not get it to clog! However, My neighbors 30" MTD clogged 7 times. We were both clearing a neighbors driveway at the same time! The newer style augers are an evolution of cost cutting designs. When I restored my Toro 421 I couldn't believe how well built the drum style augers were. The are solid an heavy!











Hec


----------



## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Old lawn and garden tractors from IHC, JD, Wheel Horse, Simplicity, Sears etc., used heavy well built single stage snow blowers for many years using the Kohler horizontal crank engines that allowed them to use simple belt driven designs for their single stage snow blowers until the lawn mower mafia started using vertical crankshaft engines for power and they started using the 2 stage belt driven snow blowers.


----------



## Hec In Omaha (Jan 10, 2021)

Yup! Like my 1978 210!👍

Hec


----------



## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Yes sir, it is a thing of beauty,

There are folks on the TractorByNet Forum that have never seen single stage snow blower and do not understand 
what is so great about them. 

The Grasshopper mower folks are the only other mower builder that offers a front mounted heavy well built single gear driven to roller chain final drive single stage snow blower that could be used on a sub compact tractor with a bit of frame building for a three point hitch.


----------



## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*As Stated Above By Some One Here. The Drums Are Made To Meter In The Snow Intake. By The Year 2005 TORO Went Away From Those Drums For Some DUMB Odd Reason. Yes They Work Well. ALOHA!!!!!!







*


----------



## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

Hec In Omaha said:


> Not exactly.
> The older Toro drum style auger was engineered to meter the amount of snow that was fed to the impeller. The big drum occupies space and therefore reduced how much snow made it to the impeller. This design is very hard to clog!
> I have a 1980 Toro 421 with the drum style auger and I can't get it to clog. I actually tried clogging it last season snow blowing some wet heavy stuff. I could not get it to clog! However, My neighbors 30" MTD clogged 7 times. We were both clearing a neighbors driveway at the same time! The newer style augers are an evolution of cost cutting designs. When I restored my Toro 421 I couldn't believe how well built the drum style augers were. The are solid an heavy!
> 
> ...


Your machine looks great 👍


----------



## numb3rs (Oct 25, 2021)

I used to have a drum auger 824 and I managed to clog it on wet snow just fine. Now the ribbon type of my current Power Max is no slouch. It is as capable or perhaps better perform than the old one.
I would say the drum design was too expensive for the performance it delivered.


----------



## Hec In Omaha (Jan 10, 2021)

This guys video shares my experience with drum style augers over ribbon type.


----------



## shallowwatersailor (Feb 19, 2013)

A picture of my ultimate single stage snowthrower. It was a 1998 Toro/Wheel Horse 523 Dxi with a Daihatsu DM950D diesel engine and a 42" Wheel Horse snowthrower. Sold it when we moved and downsized.


----------



## meierjn (Jan 8, 2013)

Very nice!


----------



## soyabean (25 d ago)

Does snow get trapped inside the drum? Then what happens?

I see a hole in the drum. Is that for the trapped snow to vacate?


----------



## numb3rs (Oct 25, 2021)

soyabean said:


> Does snow get trapped inside the drum? Then what happens?
> 
> I see a hole in the drum. Is that for the trapped snow to vacate?


Not really. It is mostly enclosed so not a lot of snow get trapped inside. What gets trapped will be melted / tumbled out. 
the hole is access hole to replace shear pins


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Toro has discontinued producing the drum style for some time now, draw your own conclusion ......


----------

