Shop For Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025

I've puzzled over this machine with 90% loving it and 10% hating it. I think I know why. I trusted the high reviews and bought it this year. The first snowfall (5-6" of moderately wet snow) I rolled this unit out and in 30 minutes of use, the large belt slipped off the pulley. I dragged it inside and put it back on. Outside again and this time it slipped off in ten minutes. Two more tries and then the plastic rotor started bashing the housing. I called Toro and if you select Option "5" you actually talk to a human. They said if I printed out my Amazon purchase record, they would treat that as a receipt. I asked instead that they send me a new belt as mine had begun to look pretty sad. Although they said the belt was an unwarranted "wear part", they would send me a new one at their expense. When I installed the new belt, I realized the rotor axle was loose. It cannot be tightened without a 5/16" Allen wrench (who owns that?). I bought one, tightened the axle (not easily) and reinstalled the new belt. The other day I faced 3-4" of new snow (very slightly wet) on my 7000 square foot parking area. The Toro 1800 worked beautifully for the 2 1/2 hour job. My conclusion from all of this is that 5-10% of all the Toro 1800's leave the factory with a slightly loose axle. Once the belt is out of the flat plane, it will always slip. Get that Allen wrench. It really ought to be shipped with the unit. I think most owners will ultimately need it. The only reason to ship your 1800 back to the factory is if you burn out the motor or have an electrical failure. The belts, rotor, and axle should be handled at home.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

Order Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025

I've had this snow blower for over a year, and with the exception of a really WET snow storm, it has worked flawlessly. The wet storm was too much for it, but it also bogged down the neighbor's gas unit too.

Anyway, rather than repeating what all the other reviewers have said, I will just offer a simple tip for dealing with the cord:

With a gas blower, people tend to clear a 30 foot long path (for example) all the way down the length of the driveway, turn, clear another 30 feet back, and repeat until done. With the electric Toro, I find it much easier to make several short arm-length paths (push in one direction, and pull the unit back to you) until a section is cleared so the cord is not dragged much, and repeat until done. The Toro is light enough that it's a piece of cake to handle this way. Think of it as if you were operating a vacuum, rather than a snow blower! It's simple, effective, and extremely fast. :-)

Here's a visual aid to make my point.


Gas Powered:
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Electric:
---->---->---->---->---->
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---->---->---->---->---->Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

Where To Buy Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025

I have three properties to clear in South Minneapolis so I needed a blower that I could toss in the van and transport to each location. I highly recommend it! It clears snow as well as the old 3.5 hp two-stage I owned a years ago. Clearly this machine will not clear a 3-foot snow pile pushed up by a snow plow. However, it DOES a great job of wet heavy snow. I was trowing this soggy stuff at least 20 feet. The construction is sound and time will tell if it will hold up. Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

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I received my new Toro electric snow blower is just a few days after I ordered it. Assembly wasn't too bad. Afterward, I just had to wait for some snow. Well, this past weekend we got about 8 inches of nice powdery snow. I did my driveway and sidewalk twice during the storm. The Toro worked great. It threw the snow about 20 feet away from the work area and cleared a clean path. The Toro even handled the heavier snow at the end of the driveway created by the road snowplow. I am very pleased with the Toro's performance at least for this first snowfall.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

Buy Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025

I have had my current unit for 12 years and it still works great. It is terrific not to have to deal with the maintenance issues of a gas unit. Where I used to live in Northern NJ, my drive was between two houses and 110' long so a lot of the snow had to be moved twice. Now I live in Massachusetts and have a gravel drive. I do have a few tips for new users.

1. MOST IMPORTANT, if you need a 100' cord (and you probably do) make sure it is 12 gauge wire. I burned the motor out of the first one I owned by using a 150' 14 gauge extension cord. If you burn out the motor you might as well buy a new unit because the motor itself is about $260.

2. It can be difficult to get thru snow higher than about 10". When you are in deep or wet snow, don't take a full width bite.

3. On the street plowed pile at the end of your drive, break it up with a shovel. If it has re-frozen the unit will just sort of walk up it. The rotor is a tough plastic but it can't break up big icy chunks.

4. If you have to blow the snow twice to get it out of the way, clear the area you are going to send it to first (especially with a heavy snow fall) So it is not dealing all of the snow at once.

5. If you have a gravel drive,and are careful it doesn't pick up much but don't blow snow against your house unless you like the dimpled look and broken windows.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

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We just got 18-20 inches of snow in Rhode Island and I was able to blow us out. It took a few runs and it went a little slow, but it did the job. I love this blower.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

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Electric, and light weight. It did the job on ~14" of snow. I did take one star away due to the electric cord, but I preferred electric over gas due to the maintenance overhead of gas, and how many times I actually use it over the year. It did sit in my garage for about 4 years before I broke it out.

It does take about 15-20 minutes to assemble. I expected it to be a little simpler, but not bad.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.