# Toro grip on steep driveway



## afmacfar (5 mo ago)

I'm am considering purchasing the Toro TRX HD 28" Track snowthrower. I have a 600' long (10' wide) asphalt driveway that, in places, has a 15-18 degree slope. I live on the side of a mountain in Western NC that gets 12"-20" storms. ATV or pickup snowplows are not effective in that they can't plow uphill. My idea is, using the Toro, to intially clear a path going downhill to the end of the driveway then return uphill on the cleared path. I would only clear snow going downhill. My question is does the track system have enough gripe to readily travel up this steep of a driveway?


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## Toon (May 11, 2021)

If the Toro track bites as well as the Honda tracks, you will be able to blow snow going uphill as well. My concrete laneway has better than 20 degrees incline, and it works fine. It is better downhill but certainly can blow uphill as well.


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## snow blows (Jan 9, 2016)

I would definitly do some research on it if I was you. Unlike the wheeled Toros I have seen some real horrible reviews on their tracked blowers.


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## afmacfar (5 mo ago)

snow blows said:


> I would definitly do some research on it if I was you. Unlike the wheeled Toros I have seen some real horrible reviews on their tracked blowers.


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## afmacfar (5 mo ago)

Thanks for the feedback! The reason I'm considering the track Toro is that we have a great Toro dealer a few miles from us. They do pickup/delivery and service. Other than a big box store, we don't have an Airens or Honda dealer within a 100 miles of us. Paul Sikkema has some good YouTube videos comparing the Toro to Airens. He gives the Toro a very good review. Also it appears that Toro has "fixed" some issues to the track models on their '21 & '22 models.


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## kozal01 (10 mo ago)

Im admittedly biased but after using an Ariens rapid track machine I would never buy another brands tracked machine. Honda, Toro, Yamaha, not one holds a candle to the Ariens track system. (and yes, Ive used all these brands) I'd drive the 100 miles for an Ariens. My wheeled Ariens could handle hills pretty well, the tracks are even better, it'll go up and down no problem.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

kozal01 said:


> I would never buy another brands tracked machine. Honda, Toro, Yamaha, not one holds a candle to the Ariens track system. (and yes, Ive used all these brands)


Was it an HSS Honda with steering, or an older HS? Quite a difference...


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## kozal01 (10 mo ago)

tabora said:


> Was it an HSS Honda with steering, or an older HS? Quite a difference...


Actually both. My father owns an older one and a buddy of mine has the HSS. The HSS is an improvement for sure but it’s still nothing like the Ariens system.


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## snow blows (Jan 9, 2016)

I haven't used my Rapidtrac in the snow yet but unless an HSS can spin multiple 360 donuts on dry pavement with one finger it won't stand a chance against a Rapidtrac. My past includes an HS 828 and a HS 1132 and they aint in the same zip code. The minute I tested mine in a parking lot I bought it and an hour later my HS 1132 was on Facebook for sale. I should add that I was absolutely not looking to buy a new snowblower when I bought it. Someone else was test driving it as I walked by and I was sold.


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## snow blows (Jan 9, 2016)

afmacfar said:


> Thanks for the feedback! The reason I'm considering the track Toro is that we have a great Toro dealer a few miles from us. They do pickup/delivery and service. Other than a big box store, we don't have an Airens or Honda dealer within a 100 miles of us. Paul Sikkema has some good YouTube videos comparing the Toro to Airens. He gives the Toro a very good review. Also it appears that Toro has "fixed" some issues to the track models on their '21 & '22 models.



Here's is a review on the Toro you may want to look at before you decide.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

snow blows said:


> unless an HSS can spin multiple 360 donuts on dry pavement with one finger it won't stand a chance against a Rapidtrac.


Challenge accepted! This could be fun... Video to follow. Hopefully it will work the way I think it will.


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## Toolboxhero (Dec 24, 2010)

The video from CQ is outdated. Toro listened to all of us the first year and fixed the traction (transmission drive belts not tight enough) and the loose parts (now using proper torque settings on the assembly line.) 
Toro had a service bulletin out the next spring so you could upgrade your "first year" 1428 and 1432 PowerTRX. It's now one of the best machines on the market. It will throw snow as far as the HSS Hondas and has almost as much capacity as the Ariens Pros. 

The Toro PowerTrx has more than enough traction to go up your steep driveway. It's a very heavy machine and won't run out of traction. That said, If you usually get 2-10 inches there is a faster snowblower out there that will also easily go up and down those hills.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

snow blows said:


> unless an HSS can spin multiple 360 donuts on dry pavement with one finger it won't stand a chance against a Rapidtrac.





tabora said:


> Challenge accepted! This could be fun... Video to follow. Hopefully it will work the way I think it will.


OK, here's the video. I used a velcro strap to bind the drive lever and the left steering trigger and off she went...


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## snow blows (Jan 9, 2016)

tabora said:


> OK, here's the video. I used a velcro strap to bind the drive lever and the left steering trigger and off she went...


Sorry but turning a 360 with one finger has absolutely nothing to do with what your video shows.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

snow blows said:


> Sorry but turning a 360 with one finger has absolutely nothing to do with what your video shows.


Respectfully disagree... I used a velcro strip in place of my "one finger" so that I could back off and take video. 'Nuff said.


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## snow blows (Jan 9, 2016)

Locking one wheel/track with a brake and driving in a circle is not spinning a 360 sorry. You could do the same thing with a semi truck. Can you do it without the motor running? I know all you guys with Honda statues in your living rooms are gonna have a hard time with Ariens totally kicking your butt in the handling category but your gonna have to live with it sorry lol. Rapidtracs don't need to lock a track to turn they just need one finger lol.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

snow blows said:


> Can you do it without the motor running?


Yes, indeed. Do you need a video?


snow blows said:


> Rapidtracs don't need to lock a track to turn


The steering triggers DO NOT lock the track. They disengage the track from the transmission allowing it to freewheel. Then the driven track on the other side turns the blower. Pulling both triggers completely freewheels both tracks, allowing the snow blower to be moved around easily.


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## snow blows (Jan 9, 2016)

Where does the one finger part come into play here?


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## afmacfar (5 mo ago)

Toolboxhero said:


> The video from CQ is outdated. Toro listened to all of us the first year and fixed the traction (transmission drive belts not tight enough) and the loose parts (now using proper torque settings on the assembly line.)
> Toro had a service bulletin out the next spring so you could upgrade your "first year" 1428 and 1432 PowerTRX. It's now one of the best machines on the market. It will throw snow as far as the HSS Hondas and has almost as much capacity as the Ariens Pros.
> 
> The Toro PowerTrx has more than enough traction to go up your steep driveway. It's a very heavy machine and won't run out of traction. That said, If you usually get 2-10 inches there is a faster snowblower out there that will also easily go up and down those hills.


Thanks for the info on Toro's actions to address the traction issues. Believe it or not in these humid mountains in western North Carolina we will get 1-2 storms a year where we are getting 12-24" of snow. With the humidity these are dense, heavy snows that a truck or atv can't plow uphill. The only machine that works for us in these conditions is a bobcat. FYI I grew up in Northern Michigan where I first used snowblowers.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

snow blows said:


> Where does the one finger part come into play here?


I can pull the trigger easily with one finger.


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## snow blows (Jan 9, 2016)

Then show me your video of you spinning with one finger (not driving in a circle) your snowblower like the so called challenge began. Lol Honda owners are relentless.


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