I've been fixing small engines for almost 10 years now. I've always admired the heavy duty construction of the older Toro and Ariens snow blowers compared to the newer flimsy box store machines. My grandfather bought a brand new Toro 724 snow blower sometime in the early 1980s. He passed away 2 years before I was born, and the snow blower was given to my dad, who owned it for 16 years before we bought our current John Deere rider with a snow blower attachment. That Toro taught me a lot about engines. I learned how to change the oil, spark plug, clean the carb, and make other small repairs. It was a bullet proof machine and it ran great when he sold it. Considering it had been used on a long dirt driveway for most of its life(and threw just as much gravel as snow), I'm surprised how it held up.
Don't get me wrong, a 25hp John Deere with a 42" blower is a great machine, but it isn't the most maneuverable. I had thought about picking up an old snow blower to fix up and use for the sidewalks, and remembered our old Toro.
I found one that needed a little love, but was complete and cheap. I picked it up two nights ago, and have already started ordering parts. This machine is a little different than our old one, but it still brings back memories. This is an 826 model, with an 8hp Briggs and Stratton engine, and 26" wide clearing swath. Not many of the old snow blowers came with a Briggs, most had a Tecumseh snow engine, so this machine is even more unique. It also has clutches on each side to help with steering. It was an early version of the "power steer" found on modern snow blowers.
I'm the third owner of this machine. The best part is the original owner kept all of his receipts and maintenance records, even down to the quarts of oil he bought for oil changes. I even have the original purchase receipt from 11/4/1978.
Here are some pics of it from the craigslist ad. I'll put up more once I get home today.
The shrouds are off because the previous owner went to replace the points and lost interest. All of the parts are there, and they drained the gas before taking it apart. The gas tank looks pretty clean inside. I've ordered a newer style coil to eliminate the points and convert it to a Magnetron ignition. It has some rust but nothing too extreme. I plan on stripping it down and painting it. Once I get the engine running I'll see if it needs anything.
I'll keep this thread updated as I work on it.
Don't get me wrong, a 25hp John Deere with a 42" blower is a great machine, but it isn't the most maneuverable. I had thought about picking up an old snow blower to fix up and use for the sidewalks, and remembered our old Toro.
I found one that needed a little love, but was complete and cheap. I picked it up two nights ago, and have already started ordering parts. This machine is a little different than our old one, but it still brings back memories. This is an 826 model, with an 8hp Briggs and Stratton engine, and 26" wide clearing swath. Not many of the old snow blowers came with a Briggs, most had a Tecumseh snow engine, so this machine is even more unique. It also has clutches on each side to help with steering. It was an early version of the "power steer" found on modern snow blowers.
I'm the third owner of this machine. The best part is the original owner kept all of his receipts and maintenance records, even down to the quarts of oil he bought for oil changes. I even have the original purchase receipt from 11/4/1978.
Here are some pics of it from the craigslist ad. I'll put up more once I get home today.
The shrouds are off because the previous owner went to replace the points and lost interest. All of the parts are there, and they drained the gas before taking it apart. The gas tank looks pretty clean inside. I've ordered a newer style coil to eliminate the points and convert it to a Magnetron ignition. It has some rust but nothing too extreme. I plan on stripping it down and painting it. Once I get the engine running I'll see if it needs anything.
I'll keep this thread updated as I work on it.