# More Snowblower Porn



## frascati (Jan 31, 2014)

Copecabana Beach, Brazil. 

Last week's: "Lego-in-Camera", Chicago IL. 
This week: "El Toro Magnifico"
Model: Toro 724. Photographer: Zuiss Zute. 
Swimsuit: Red on Black Portofino, Sandusky Designs by Albert Munsing. Makeup: Dupont. 
Special thanks to snowblowerforum.com .. events and catering. 

Sorry....

Two questions. I've read here a few places that the "drum" type auger is much superior to the (what's-it's-name?) other type. Is this true? For one thing, the flimsy gauge of that other, which is on my 724, is prone to deforming under loads of hard snow and ice. So the drum type would be a huge improvement on that score alone. Is it actually better in performance? 

I've also read that the serrated auger is superior. 








Is there any consensus on this? I may replace the auger on my beloved 724, the one with an upgraded Tecumseh 11hp OHC that stops passersby with "gosh that @OD&MN thing rockets snow like a @[email protected] geyser"... can I have one?" 

My auger does not have the coveted serrations, and it lacks the wonder-drum within. Sorry for the first person narrative. We're probably all a bit like this here regarding our snowblowers. I can almost picture my offspring.. but I digress. Is it worth it to spring for a "drum" type auger? Why doesn't this style sport serrations for the double-whammie?

And why are they getting stupid premium prices for some of this stuff? I've seen 200+ dollars for a used auger worm-gearbox. That's a good way toward a new snowblower comparatively (if you add up the possible replacements on these older models). 

Here....









Ebay. 67.00 Dollars!!!! 134 dollars for the pair? (No charge for rust) Gasp

Anyway, there are a few threads here discussing impeller mods to close the gap between impeller and housing with pieces of reinforced rubber sheet bolted onto the impeller ends. 








What about the gap indicated above between the auger ends and the housing? Is this not wasted potential as well? Has anyone welded on a few inches to the auger so that it nearly meets the walls of the housing?


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

there were probally no snowblowers on the market with serrated augers when your toro was built so if you feel you need serrated augers i guess its tme for another snowblower. what little you might gain by wielding the auger ends won't be worth the effort your biggest gain will come from an impeller kit. as far as drum vs a streight shaft auger, some say the drum rides up on hard packed snow easyer i haven't had that problem


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

the drum augers do not ride up on stuff. the xtra weight of them keeps the front down. the side issues are nothing to worry about.


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

*The augers*

You can cut your own serrations in your augers. It's a summertime job. Personally I think the drums in the augers take up room, and may slow down the flow of snow into the impeller. Plus not a lot of the blowers have them.
Sid


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

No one "needs" serrated augers..
snowblowers worked perfectly well without them for 50 years..and they still work perfectly fine without them now..
here is how these things happen:

One snowblower manufacturer comes out with serrated augers.
Snowblower salesman says: "You dont want this one with those "old fashioned" non-serrated augers! clearly you can see *this* model with serrated augers is better"!

(which isnt true..but it *seems* true to ignorant buyers..and that's all that matters.)

Then, all manufacturers have to switch to serrated augers so as to not lose sales.
It's a completely unnecessary fad, but all snowblowers now have them..so there it is.

Older snowblowers, that dont have them, do not suffer in the least because they dont have them.

Scot


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

I feel that they will cut into the hard, or icy snow a little easier.
Sid


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Sid said:


> I feel that they will cut into the hard, or icy snow a little easier.
> Sid


No..not really.
First, because no one ever has a wall of solid ice alongside their driveway..
99.9999% of the time the snow will be "loose" enough that serrated, or non-serrated augers will both work equally well..and there is no such thing as "hard icy snow"..Snow doesnt get hard, from the perspective of snowblower augers..even if it gets a litte icy.

Unless you have a glacier in your yard, there will never be a *real* advantage to serrated augers..only a perceived advantage.

Scot


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## docfletcher (Nov 28, 2013)

Serrated augers are old fashioned. My blower has the latest and greatest ICE PICK Augers.


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## katsboytoy (Feb 3, 2014)

Thanks for the smack back to reality, Doc..


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I wonder if the blower would throw a pile of sand 25' into the air? 
Anyone ever try?


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## docfletcher (Nov 28, 2013)

There was a video on the site that showed some guys blowing piles of rock salt with a blower. It thread was called snow blower abuse.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

docfletcher said:


> There was a video on the site that showed some guys blowing piles of rock salt with a blower. It thread was called snow blower abuse.


Man that must hurt if the rock salt happens to hit someone.


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## scipper77 (Dec 4, 2013)

If anything, the serrations reduce the surface area being used to push the snow towards the center. I'd say you could argue that they reduce performance.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

My old Ariens with no serrations went right through some 2 week+ old snow banks with no problems when I was trying to widen my drive some. They were easily 2 feet high and it went straight through with no issues.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

Lets get back on topic.

Pete


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## jmb3675 (Dec 31, 2013)

I have never used a Toro with a drum style auger. I may have to but one and try it.
My Gilson with its old heavy NON-serrated augers went through what was basically A wall of ice chunks and snow last week. It went through it easier than any of the other snow blowers I tried that day. One of which had serrated augers and a larger engine. If I can get it to throw snow a bit farther, it will be the only one I need.


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## threeputtpar (Jan 16, 2014)

Yes, I think the drum inside of the auger helps move the snow into the impeller better. I had an old Toro 826 with the drum and it was bliss to use in heavy snow. I liked it so much that I sought out another Toro with the drum and now have an 824 Powershift.

I've seen pictures of 1128 and 1328 Powershifts, and they had the drum and the serrated auger. If I needed a machine that big, those would be the ones that I would go after. The local small engine shop recently had a 1328 for sale that they took in on trade. They wanted $549 for it, and it had the OHV Tecumseh. It lasted two days before someone snatched it up.


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

frascati
in regards to your question about making the gap between the auger and the housing closer i don't think it's a good idea especially with the way everything built today is lighter and cheaper to make.
i have a 2009 ariens that works great but had to put 4 shear pins in untill i realized the auger blade bent and was touching the housing[i'm hard of hearing]. bent it back to original as best i could but still bent out again and wound up breaking another pin going thru heavy snow.
so far it it has held up. find out sunday when were suposed to get dumped on again.
i was surprised how easy it is to bend the tips on the auger. seemed flimsy


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## Kestral (Dec 22, 2013)

I have a 1995 Toro Powershift 1132 and I have used it since new first at work for most of its life and this past year at my home. When used at work we had real issues with the city dumping massive wet snow that would freeze on our paved parking lot. It was not the city's fault they were just doing there job anyway this Toro model has a large 32" cut and a large drum auger. The drum seemed to keep two much snow from being pushed into inner auger/blower area (don't know what you call it?) so it would not overload. I never had a problem with the drum auger it seemed to work as advertised and always chopped up even the baddest messy frozen mess. I don't know why Toro dumped the drum auger other then the fact it must have cost more to produce then a standard auger.


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## Kestral (Dec 22, 2013)

I thought I should also mention that I have never in 19 years had to put a new shear pin or bolt in the drum auger of my Toro Powershift and that includes hitting some pretty nasty stuff!


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## scipper77 (Dec 4, 2013)

As an engineer I would like to know exactly what kind of forces the auger sees and in what direction? What exactly do serrations do? They seem pointless.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

Kestral said:


> I have a 1995 Toro Powershift 1132 and I have used it since new first at work for most of its life and this past year at my home. When used at work we had real issues with the city dumping massive wet snow that would freeze on our paved parking lot. It was not the city's fault they were just doing there job anyway this Toro model has a large 32" cut and a large drum auger. The drum seemed to keep two much snow from being pushed into inner auger/blower area (don't know what you call it?) so it would not overload. I never had a problem with the drum auger it seemed to work as advertised and always chopped up even the baddest messy frozen mess. I don't know why Toro dumped the drum auger other then the fact it must have cost more to produce then a standard auger.


 the cost yeah, most people complained about the drum style.


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## BeerGhost (Dec 17, 2013)

The serrations in the augers are to catch the snow and throw it forward out of the bucket. Into your nicely cleaned pass u made before.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I thought the reason for serrations was for it to chew up hardened snow easier?


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## scipper77 (Dec 4, 2013)

Big Ed said:


> I thought the reason for serrations was for it to chew up hardened snow easier?


I have heard that but I have never ever ever even considered the auger to be the weakest link when going through the hard pack at the end of driveway.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

BeerGhost said:


> The serrations in the augers are to catch the snow and throw it forward out of the bucket. Into your nicely cleaned pass u made before.


No, I think the faster spinning impellers do that. My Ariens throws snow forward just fine on the left side and I don't have serrated augers.


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## frascati (Jan 31, 2014)

Spectrum said:


> Lets get back on topic.
> 
> Pete











Next season's Toro snowblower. Emailed them to ask if it's a rider. I'll get back on that. Don't care. I'd push that any day. 


My non-drum toro blades, circa 1979, are disappointingly flimsy. The design is fine enough, but the steel is cheap mild grade and easily bent. I was in Lowes today and looked at a Husqvarna with similar looking blades, serrated, but when I took one in hand and tried to bend it sideways it was pretty much impossible. Same apparent gauge, but evidently very well tempered. 

I've fixed mine, for the most part, by bolstering the welds at the base of the augers with heavy tig welds. That was the weakest spot. They still deform a bit handling hard icy chunks, but not as badly and are easily set straight. 

I've asked here because I'd like to replace these with something sturdier and considered to be most effective for the size of my 724. I could use practically anything of similar dimension since parts are easily modified in my shop. 

It's 35 years old, but i feel a liitle money is well spent on this machine since it's never been in a heated garage, is 95 percent rust free, has always been post season cleaned and lubed and maintained. The original rubber drive wheel is, amazingly, still like new. The gears and worm drive have been lubed and maintained - gear teeth show no wear whatsoever. I just retired the 7hp L head and fitted an 11hp OHV. I'm going to extend the chute about 8 inches and line it with polyethylene cut from a children's roll-up sled. It's too much fun finding mods for these old machines. I like the relatively small auger width for my needs since I have a few narrow sidewalks that it clears perfectly.

I'll have to look into replacement augers. I'd welcome suggestions on that.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

The older 70s and 80 Ariens augers are pretty sturdy. You can find parts machines pretty cheap. Most of them are in the 24" wide category.


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## Geno (Nov 29, 2011)

I kind of agree with scipper77.. I can't say I've tried them both as I haven't. Always been a old ariens nut with tho old wide type.. But I don't really see much if any advantage. I would rather try them both to make that call, but this I do know- never saw my wider flat rakes fail to break up crusty snow. In all reality it would appear to me the wider the rake surface the more snow it will pull towards the impellor and that may be a +? If it is an advantage for solid ice.. then your in danger of gear box/shear pin damage for blowing rock like snow. Interesting conversation though- Wonder what machine started the change and what their design engineers input would be?


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