# Freewheel Steering on Toro Snowblowers, Necessary or Not?



## joed (Dec 26, 2001)

I'd like to purchase a 2 stage snow blower this fall. I've narrowed my choices down to:

1. Toro 826: $1599

2. Toro 828 $1899

The snowblowers are pretty much the same except that the 828 is a bit bigger and has freewheel steering. I like the size of the 826 better and it would fit much more easily in my garage and around the side of the house where I need to clear snow. However, I also like the freewheel steering on the 828 but the price is pushing my budget.

Is freewheel steering necessary? Is it worth spending $300 extra for?


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*toro snow blowers*



joed;795149 said:


> I'd like to purchase a 2 stage snow blower this fall. I've narrowed my choices down to:
> 
> 1. Toro 826: $1599
> 
> ...


The biggest thing you have to deal with is snow and ice and packed snow etc. The 828 gives you the ability to turn on a dime(one wheel driving-one wheel stopped or in neutral versus wide turns unless you want to physically twist the blower around etc.

If you do not have the room for the bigger blower in the garage then its the 826 buuuuut,

It may depend strictly upon how much time you spend removing snow, how tired you become, how cold it is outside how quickly you want to remove it etc.

I am on my third snow pup with the curved auger-CCR 2000 power paddle-great machine, two cycle Tecumsa, grooved flat belt drive with spring tension etc.- they have been on the market for over forty years and still sell very well as they are light and easy to use, I have a salamander to warm them up when needed-but not just for that though, I still have my second 20 inch pup with the flat paddles from twenty years ago- I would still have the first one from thirty years ago but traded it in as junk when paddles right main bearing on the chute housing failed after 11 years.

if you spend a lot of time clearing snow the larger machine will be a plus from the power standpoint and ease of use. I use WD-40 as an aid in snow throwing- the guys here use eureka fluid film-I will have to try-fluid film it as soon as I find a nearby retail outlet-the local john deere dealer is more than a hop, skip, and a yodel across the valley from me and I very rarely if ever get up north etc.

it comes down to how much time you have to spend or how little time you have to spend cleaning your driveway and sidewalk.

leon:waving: tymusic


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