# Toro Power Max HD 828 OAE Review



## krp312

Greetings,

Just leaving my experience here for any future lurkers. Product: Link (Model 38838). Purchased new in January 2021.

I live in NJ, where our storms can drop 1 ft. of snow, easily, and they tend to happen sparsely. Perhaps, the snowblower sees use 2-3 times per winter? I live on a property whose driveway and footpaths aren't laid out in a common way. At certain spots, I have to thread the needle with the snowblower, and aim the discharge with some precision. This machine can do 90° turns on footpaths of typical sidewalk width, even if there's edging.

I really like the Quick Stick. I find its name to be 100% appropriate: it's fast and easy to use.

I like the recoil start. It's reliable and I don't lose sleep at night, thinking I'll have problems during the next storm. That said, the unit is very new. (Note: To start a warm engine, don't prime it or engage the choke. First, try simply pulling the starter. If that doesn't work after 2-3 pulls, then introduce the other starter options one by one.) The electric start bailed me out when I couldn't get the recoil to work (but that was my fault; I unknowingly flooded the engine).

I dislike that it doesn't have hand warmers. I didn't think I'd want them. I thought, this model is already full of bells and whistles! I can just man up. Turns out, hand warmers are helpful. I thought I could just wear gloves, but it's not that simple. If you have a big storm, you're feathering the throttle clutch, while engaging the auger. And that big, heavy machine needs some operator strength to run it straight, and to avoid contacting the ground with the auger. And sometimes you might not have the patience to switch gearing, instead opting to push/pull the entire machine manually. And maybe your gloves aren't very grippy. This all leads to my right hand getting kind of sore. So the gloves literally come off. I have a strong suspicion I'll get used to it over time, but I'm just saying that hand warmers are more important than I thought.

At the time of this write-up, if you want hand warmers, Toro's 2-stage product line will force you to make tricky decisions. Hand warmers are available for the top-of-the-line Compact model, and for Heavy Duty, it's the 1030 and up. If only they offered it for the lower-tier Heavy Duty models!

I like the controls. I have experience with no other snowblowers. The controls are intuitive. Your left hand controls the throttle clutch and discharge chute. Your right hand controls the auger and transmission. The work flow is sensible. Your left hand can engage both the drive and auger, freeing your right hand to reach across the control board to adjust the discharge chute. This is not a seamless experience, but it's comfortable enough. I can put it another way: I wouldn't pay another $100 for improved controls.

I had a bad experience that involved the manual. It's unclear how to engage/disengage the fuel shut-off. My advice is to ignore the position of the valve in the illustrations and instead completely focus on the direction of the arrow.

I dislike Toro's support. Their support system is comprised of a customer service department that can address things like ordering, or account support. For mechanical or technical questions, your sources of expertise are your local dealers. (Of course, you can always call Toro dealers that aren't local, but they wouldn't appreciate the nuances of your locality, like weather and ethanol-free fuel availability.) This all means that as a Toro owner, you don't have a single source of truth, aside from the manual, for technical questions. Edit (2/17/2021): I just asked a technical question to customer service. They referenced the manual, and then escalated the question to a supervisor. I wasn't able to get a definitive answer, but at least they tried.

I've run Avgas in it without issue, but only for a short time.

I like the headlight. It proved its value very early in its life, as it helped me get the job done an hour before the Superbowl.

It feels planted, robust, and powerful. I think for the vast majority of us (at least in NJ), this snowblower will have everything you need.

Best of luck and hope this was helpful.


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## BazookaJoe

Thanks for the write up! My younger brother recently bought this same machine. He likes it very well. 

I fully agree with your opinion regarding the lack of an option for heated grips on this machine. Some people want heated grips, while other folks not so much. What would it cost Toro to boost the engine's alternator another few amps to run the heated grips if the customer wanted- maybe increase the engine's cost by $10?


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## TooTall999

I have a question; when you refer to feathering the throttle I assume you're talking about engaging / disengaging the drive control? And if you are muscling the machine to keep the auger from hitting the ground, your skid shoes might not be set correctly.


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## krp312

BazookaJoe said:


> Thanks for the write up! My younger brother recently bought this same machine. He likes it very well.
> 
> I fully agree with your opinion regarding the lack of an option for heated grips on this machine. Some people want heated grips, while other folks not so much. What would it cost Toro to boost the engine's alternator another few amps to run the heated grips if the customer wanted- maybe increase the engine's cost by $10?


Thanks for reading!

Maybe they're doing some product line 4D chess strategerie. Consider this. If I wanted a 2-stager with hand warmers, my options start with a Compact 826, and the next step up is a HD 1030. That's too large of a gap. Are they trying to funnel those with a power preference to the 1030? It didn't work for me. I chose power and sacrificed hand warmers at the HD 828.


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## krp312

TooTall999 said:


> I have a question; when you refer to feathering the throttle I assume you're talking about engaging / disengaging the drive control?


Yes but to be precise, a rapid engaging/disengaging motion, using the least lever movement possible. To do this, my hand is almost fully extended. 

Preferring control and feel, I took off my gloves. With gloves, it was slippery and I couldn't understand the machine's feedback as well as without gloves. That's why I think this might not be an issue over time.



TooTall999 said:


> And if you are muscling the machine to keep the auger from hitting the ground, your skid shoes might not be set correctly.


Absolutely. When I have time, I'm going to evaluate that. My driveway is flat, but my sidewalk is imperfect. It also felt like the auger was contacting my brick footpath. That one is a head scratcher.


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## BazookaJoe

> Maybe they're doing some product line 4D chess strategerie. Consider this. If I wanted a 2-stager with hand warmers, my options start with a Compact 826, and the next step up is a HD 1030. That's too large of a gap. Are they trying to funnel those with a power preference to the 1030? It didn't work for me. I chose power and sacrificed hand warmers at the HD 828.


I'm sure the marketing department makes their best guess as to what features will result in the most sales & profits. And/or, as you suggested, perhaps marketing believes the buyer will move up to the larger machine. It would seem that the logic is very simple- snow = cold weather = cold hands possible = install heated grips. But- I am an engineer, not a marketing guy.


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## RIT333

I worked both engineering and marketing at GE, and you are right. It is all about what will give the highest market penetration and profit, not what the customer wants. We "told" the customer what they wanted...sort of !


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## tpenfield

Thanks for the write-up. My wife does not let me spend the amount of money to buy a new Toro, so I have to buy older ones on CL and FB and fix them up. 😀 

I did buy a new Husqvarna a few years ago that had hand warmers . . . Not worth it IMO. A good set of gloves with liners will do the same.

The 'OAE' is the OHV engine, Auto-steer, Electric start (Right?) I think you need the 'H' in the model for hand warmers, The 828 being about 8 HP (11.50 torque) for 28" width may be a slight bit low, but Toro's tend to be efficient at throwing snow, so it is probably fine.

My dream machine is an 1128 OXE and I have been eyeballing some on CL and FB. 'X' is trigger steering, if I recall correctly.

I do like the metal chute on the new Toros . . . the plastic chute on the prior models makes the machine look 'MTD' - ish, and I would imagine the change may have been marketing driven to compete better with Ariens.


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## Zavie

krp312 said:


> Are they trying to funnel those with a power preference to the 1030? It didn't work for me. I chose power and sacrificed hand warmers at the HD 828.


IMHO the snowblower division is given a overall budget for improvements/changes and has to spend within those constraints from year to year. It may give the appearance of "funneling" towards other models but I think it's more of living within a given budget and deciding how to spend those dollars.


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## krp312

tpenfield said:


> Thanks for the write-up. My wife does not let me spend the amount of money to buy a new Toro, so I have to buy older ones on CL and FB and fix them up. 😀


Thanks for reading!

I get you! My wife and I didn't arrive at that price lightly. It was a little painful spending that much. But I'm not knowledgeable enough with these machines to work on them (though I hope to be, one day).



tpenfield said:


> I did buy a new Husqvarna a few years ago that had hand warmers . . . Not worth it IMO. A good set of gloves with liners will do the same.


I agree. My gloves have decent grips, but they're a bit too big, and my hands end up sliding around inside them. The experience should be much better if I get proper-fitting gloves.



tpenfield said:


> The 'OAE' is the OHV engine, Auto-steer, Electric start (Right?)


I believe so!



tpenfield said:


> My dream machine is an 1128 OXE and I have been eyeballing some on CL and FB. 'X' is trigger steering, if I recall correctly.


All the best to you getting that dream machine!



tpenfield said:


> I do like the metal chute on the new Toros . . . the plastic chute on the prior models makes the machine look 'MTD' - ish, and I would imagine the change may have been marketing driven to compete better with Ariens.


As a first-time snowblower buyer, the plastic chutes brought pause. After some research, I learned that they're very strong plastic, but I guess, sometimes plastic parts (even if 100% functional) suggest inferior quality. (But if it were lighter than metal and thus easier to maneuver, cheaper to make, and just as strong as metal in its application as a chute, then that's an easy sell. It's harder to believe such a thing though, without someone doing some sort of stress test on, say, YouTube.)



Zavie said:


> IMHO the snowblower division is given a overall budget for improvements/changes and has to spend within those constraints from year to year. It may give the appearance of "funneling" towards other models but I think it's more of living within a given budget and deciding how to spend those dollars.


That also is feasible, and I thought the same thing. If hand warmers were made available for the middle-tier Compact model, and taken away from the 1030, that would look silly.


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## numb3rs

I'd be less concern about the plastic chute but would be more concern about the plastic dashboard, especially the joy stick. 
when I looked at the 2015-2016 model when they first introduced that dash design on fb marketplace, they all look discolored from UV. 
I have a Toro lawn mower with personal pace function. The personal pace bar is made of the same plastic and after a few years of pushing that plastic, it starts to become wobbly.


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## KJSeller

Thanks for the write up. I bought a used Toro 826LE repowered with a Tecumseh 10.5 HP engine. Bought it to upgrade from my craftsman 24 inch 208cc motor. The extra power makes all the difference in the EOD piles the plows make on my driveway. I wish I had hand warmers but there has only been one time this winter my hands were freezing after clearing the snow.


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## bisonp

numb3rs said:


> I'd be less concern about the plastic chute but would be more concern about the plastic dashboard, especially the joy stick.
> when I looked at the 2015-2016 model when they first introduced that dash design on fb marketplace, they all look discolored from UV.
> I have a Toro lawn mower with personal pace function. The personal pace bar is made of the same plastic and after a few years of pushing that plastic, it starts to become wobbly.


That's odd. My Super Recycler with Personal Pace is about 14 years old and the black plastic, while discolored some, feels the same as it ever has. 

To the OP, when it comes to handwarmers I know Toro officially does the same thing with the 928 by not offering them at all, but others here verified it has the same stator as the 1028 which comes with handwarmers. I haven't heard of anybody doing it on the 828. I'd start by finding out whether or not the stator can handle it. 

I really don't understand what Toro is thinking by not making handwarmers optional. These are premium machines, after all.


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## numb3rs

bisonp said:


> That's odd. My Super Recycler with Personal Pace is about 14 years old and the black plastic, while discolored some, feels the same as it ever has.
> 
> To the OP, when it comes to handwarmers I know Toro officially does the same thing with the 928 by not offering them at all, but others here verified it has the same stator as the 1028 which comes with handwarmers. I haven't heard of anybody doing it on the 828. I'd start by finding out whether or not the stator can handle it.
> 
> I really don't understand what Toro is thinking by not making handwarmers optional. These are premium machines, after all.


For my use case I have to do a lot of turning to navigate curves around garden bed and tree trunks which adds a lot of twisting motion to the plastic. Also the super recycler has much better wheels, smaller 21 in deck and is lighter which makes turning much easier thus less manhandling and less stress to the personal pace handle. 

I think hand warmer should not be a deal breaker for equipments like this. When it snows the weather is usually warmer and you most likely wear gloves anyway. Adding hand warmers draw a lot of power from the engine for diminished return. I would rather use that power to move snow instead of making the handle temp from -10 to -8oC.


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## bisonp

numb3rs said:


> For my use case I have to do a lot of turning to navigate curves around garden bed and tree trunks which adds a lot of twisting motion to the plastic. Also the super recycler has much better wheels, smaller 21 in deck and is lighter which makes turning much easier thus less manhandling and less stress to the personal pace handle.
> 
> I think hand warmer should not be a deal breaker for equipments like this. When it snows the weather is usually warmer and you most likely wear gloves anyway. Adding hand warmers draw a lot of power from the engine for diminished return. I would rather use that power to move snow instead of making the handle temp from -10 to -8oC.


Handwarmers draw about 1/10 HP, if that. 

To each their own. I am finding that as I get older I am less tolerant of suffering to save a few bucks. I have yet to find gloves that have decent dexterity while maintaining the ability to keep my hands warm in sub 0F temps when holding onto sub 0F metal handlebars for 40-60 minutes.


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## sirkovg

I purchased the 8/28 HD at the beginning of October 2022. Had our first snowfall today, 3-4 inches on Nov 16. Temperature was 28F. Had high expectations, but quickly found out this machine is under powered. Even in the slowest speed the machine struggled to blow the snow. Going though the 10 inch snowbank, I had to stop and allow the snow to evacuate the chute, otherwise it would have stalled out. I can't see how this machine will clear away a 10 inch snowfall. I'm seriously considering selling this unit and going with Ariens.


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## Tony-chicago

?
Wonder what was wrong.
Maybe some belt tightening or some adjustments. 8 may not be a lot but should do better than that.
Pictures please.

Or it dnh...


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## sirkovg

Tony-chicago said:


> ? Wonder what was wrong. Maybe some belt tightening or some adjustments. 8 may not be a lot but should do better than that. Pictures please. Or it dnh...


 It's brand new, first time I used it today. It's been in the garage for 3 weeks, filled with fresh super ethanol free gas. What would you want pictures of ?


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## Tony-chicago

Belts, augers, overall machine, and tires/wheel axle.


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## Tony-chicago

A bit of adjustment may be the only issue. Otherwise it goes back.
But if there is not some catastrophic mistake, then just a belt or such, or auger backwards...


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## sirkovg

Tony-chicago said:


> A bit of adjustment may be the only issue. Otherwise it goes back. But if there is not some catastrophic mistake, then just a belt or such, or auger backwards...


 The snow comes out of the chute throwing it a good distance, but the machine is lacking power to throw the snow, and you hear the engine forcing to move ahead. I bought this Toro to replace a 10 hp Bolens that was 30 years old, and that machine would have blown the snow 40 feet in 5th gear, with power to spare. Maybe I'm just used to a more powerful engine. I'm going to call my dealership and see what they recommend


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## KJSeller

I'm not an expert, but I think when manufacturers claim it can clear 10 inches of snow, that's probably fresh light snow and not hard packed heavy end of driveway stuff that will cause any blower to bog down.

The main reason I upgraded to my Toro was to get more power. Went from a 208cc engine to 358cc. Don't get your emotions hurt cause the blower can't keep up. As the kids story said, "slow and steady wins the race". 

You may need to tighten up/adjust something or clean the friction disc etc. 

When I have real heavy snow I just attack half of it at a time. Sometimes you need to stop moving forward and let the auger clear that mess first.


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## sirkovg

Tony-chicago said:


> ?
> Wonder what was wrong.
> Maybe some belt tightening or some adjustments. 8 may not be a lot but should do better than that.
> Pictures please.
> 
> Or it dnh...





KJSeller said:


> I'm not an expert, but I think when manufacturers claim it can clear 10 inches of snow, that's probably fresh light snow and not hard packed heavy end of driveway stuff that will cause any blower to bog down.
> 
> The main reason I upgraded to my Toro was to get more power. Went from a 208cc engine to 358cc. Don't get your emotions hurt cause the blower can't keep up. As the kids story said, "slow and steady wins the race".
> 
> You may need to tighten up/adjust something or clean the friction disc etc.
> 
> When I have real heavy snow I just attack half of it at a time. Sometimes you need to stop moving forward and let the auger clear that mess first.


The machine is brand new, used for the first time, with factory set adjustments. I'm just disappointed that this machine is lacking, power as far as I'm concerned. It seems to struggle with 4 inches of snow with the engine forcing.

My neighbor has a similar machine, purchased the year 2021. Yesterday he was clearing the edge of the road after the snow had softened , become slushy and after the plow passed. He zipped through that muck at a fast pace, much faster than the 1st speed I was using for 3 -4 inches of light snow. Anyways after the next storm, I'll ask him to try mine and see what he thinks.


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## Tony-chicago

Pictures


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## sirkovg

Tony-chicago said:


> Pictures


pictures of what? It's brand new.


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## Tony-chicago

Belt area. Augers, impeller, overall machine


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## sirkovg

Tony-chicago said:


> Belt area. Augers, impeller, overall machine


It's new, used only once yesterday, so why would you need photos?


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## Tony-chicago

I give up. Please remove my membership here.


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## sirkovg

Tony-chicago said:


> I give up. Please remove my membership here.


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## KJSeller

You never know who adjusted what at the factory. Could have been at the end of the day and the guy had to rush home. Sounds like you need adjustments IMO.


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## sirkovg

One thing I did notice this morning is that my driveway made of paving stones is scratched from one of the slide shoes.or skids When I lifted the machine, one is barely worn and the other has all the paint off. Visually you can see the difference in height. Yesterday a felt a lot of drag, so I guess that would explain part of my issue.


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## sirkovg

KJSeller said:


> You never know who adjusted what at the factory. Could have been at the end of the day and the guy had to rush home. Sounds like you need adjustments IMO.


I'm going to adjust the skid height to 1/8 inch and see if that helps..


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## KJSeller

On the cable for the auger there is a screw and a jamb nut that can be tightened/loosened to get the auger control tighter. I would try that as well. You can see it in the last picture. 

Check some YouTube videos for how to do that.


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## sirkovg

KJSeller said:


> On the cable for the auger there is a screw and a jamb nut that can be tightened/loosened to get the auger control tighter. I would try that as well. You can see it in the last picture.
> 
> Check some YouTube videos for how to do that.


Thanks, simply disappointing that something out of the factory, and then setup and tried by a dealership, would require adjusting.


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## Tony-chicago

Skid height is one issue.
The picture skews things but please check the alignment of the tensioner pulley with the upper and lower front pulleys.
Confirm auger is moving as well as impeller tightness... i mean, like above, check belt tightness. Machine off. Auger control on and off. Check belt brake is in proper orientation. Rare. But does occasionally get swapped to wrong side of belt. If you have one. Pulley, belt, brake. Moves with the auger control and tension pulley.

Scraper bar is correct? as in mounted well? Adjust height of bar by raising or lowering skids. For uneven surface or gravel go high. Otherwise 1/8 minimum.
Chassis square with box?


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## KJSeller

Again testing without snow, everything works. But against heavy snow it needs to be tweaked. I had to do the same with my used Toro that was new to me last year. 

Only the pros know what need to be done without needing a snowfall. Don't get bent out of shape.


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## Tony-chicago

Are the augers hitting the bucket?


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## sirkovg

Re-adjusted the skids, seems better with less drag, although still marking the paving stones.
I do not see any paint removed from in the bucket, so I'm assuming the augur is not hitting anything.
I wanted to send a few small videos , but it seems videos are not permitted. Everything it nice and tight, belts in good condition. Everything engages when the handles are depressed, and the auger turns with vigor. Impeller has no play and turns with the main shaft along with the augers.


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## KJSeller

You might have to also do the Impeller mod at some point. That helps really get.the snow going!


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## sirkovg

KJSeller said:


> You might have to also do the Impeller mod at some point. That helps really get.the snow going!


For me the engine is lacking oomph. I get the impression even going downhill, the engine is struggling even in 1st speed. Not sure it would be able to handle 4 inches in 3rd speed.
As mentioned earlier, after the next decent snowfall, I'll have my neighbor with the same model, give it a whirl, to see if he finds it similar to his, or lacking power.


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## tabora

sirkovg said:


> I wanted to send a few small videos , but it seems videos are not permitted.


Upload your video to one of the supported services and then insert the media link...


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## Tony-chicago

Any news?
Hoping it is all good shape now.


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