Toro Power Clear™ 221R (21") 141cc Single-Stage Snow Blower

So, after the series of storms that hit DC during late '09 and early '10, I decided that a snowblower was in order.

Now, *this* winter really called for a two-stage, but this winter has been...unusual. Anyhow, the Toro arrived about a week after the worst of what we are calling "Snowmageddon". That's my fault for ordering late.

The driveway was still pretty much covered by about 10" at that point. The parts that had not been packed down by footsteps were a breeze to clear (even with a layer of crusty ice).

The week-old packed-down parts were a bit of chore, but still way, way easier than shoveling would have been at that point.

I cleared it all in 30 minutes, and am confident that this thing will be able to handle any "normal" storm that might come our way in the future (4-8").

For those of you who deal with a few snows per winter, or even the odd season with none, this is an affordable option. Also, it does not require a great deal of storage space-- comparable to a lawn mower-- so it's pretty easy to keep in even an ancient one-car garage.

So, after the series of storms that hit DC during late '09 and early '10, I decided that a snowblower was in order.

Now, *this* winter really called for a two-stage, but this winter has been...unusual. Anyhow, the Toro arrived about a week after the worst of what we are calling "Snowmageddon". That's my fault for ordering late.

The driveway was still pretty much covered by about 10" at that point. The parts that had not been packed down by footsteps were a breeze to clear (even with a layer of crusty ice).

The week-old packed... more

I was initially concerned that all I could locate mid-winter in Washington DC during the record setting 2009- 2010 winter was a single stage Toro snow blower.

However, when it arrived and I put it to use the first time, I was "blown away" literally as to how good it was at not only picking up and blowing the snow high and far, but in cleaning the driveway and walk ways down to the paved surface; clean as if it had not even snowed.

I guess the secret is in the high speed rotor and the rubber, tire material blades verses the steel, slow moving blades of a dual stage blower.

My initial fears were misplaced.

I was initially concerned that all I could locate mid-winter in Washington DC during the record setting 2009- 2010 winter was a single stage Toro snow blower.

However, when it arrived and I put it to use the first time, I was "blown away" literally as to how good it was at not only picking up and blowing the snow high and far, but in cleaning the driveway and walk ways down to the paved surface; clean as if it had not even snowed.

I guess the secret is in the high speed rotor and the rubber, tire material blades verses the steel, slow moving blades of... more

I ordered my Toro on Monday evening and it was delivered to my house on Thursday afternoon.

This was during a time of heavy snowfall in northeast Ohio. No local merchants had any snowblowers in stock and were claiming none were available anywhere. SnowBlowersDirect was stocking snowblowers !!

The Toro models are best in my opinion. They seem to be self propelled. Very little effort is needed to use one. They clean down to the pavement, and throw snow 25-30 ft.

I have had some difficulty starting- it has required a few extra pulls. Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase.

Thank you, Snow Blowers Direct.

I ordered my Toro on Monday evening and it was delivered to my house on Thursday afternoon.

This was during a time of heavy snowfall in northeast Ohio. No local merchants had any snowblowers in stock and were claiming none were available anywhere. SnowBlowersDirect was stocking snowblowers !!

The Toro models are best in my opinion. They seem to be self propelled. Very little effort is needed to use one. They clean down to the pavement, and throw snow 25-30 ft.

I have had some difficulty starting- it has required a few extra pulls. Overall, I am ... more

Dear Friends at SnowBlower Direct,

I am THRILLED with the performance of the Toro SnowBlower AND the service provided by your company.

Our story begins with hearing on the news that we had over 2 feet of snow headed our way. Dreading the shoveling task ahead I started looking for a snowblower - too late - wouldn't you know, there were none to be had in our region because of an earlier storm that emptied our area stores of every snowblower.

Then I found your company on-line and placed my order on a Wednesday afternoon. True to your word, my snow blower was on it's way to me THE SAME DAY, coming THROUGH one of the biggest snow storms the Washington, DC area has seen in a century.

While the snow arrived before the shipment, sure enough, on Monday morning, the UPS man hauled my snowblower up the walk to the front porch (way to go BROWN!! what a team SBD and UPS make!!).

As soon as I got home from work, I unpacked the box (no assembly required) mixed the fuel with the (conveniently included) oil, filled the tank, pulled on the cord (it did take a couple yanks), and commenced to chewing through the 12+ inches of snow I already had on the ground.

What would have taken me two-plus hours with a shovel took literally FIFTEEN minutes with the blower. Smiling from ear to ear, my thought while powering through the white stuff was literally "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE ?!?!?!?

The Toro chews its way through and literally pulls you along with it. It has PLENTY of power for a foot of snow. It also had no trouble with the 8" of slushy mix down at the curb, hurling it aside, albeit at a reduced pace.

The easy-adjust chute makes it simple to direct the snow where you want it. I did not have any problems with clogging.

While some areas that get more snow may need a heavier, more powerful machine; in my opinion this is the tool for homeowners who rarely will have to deal with more than a foot of snow. We actually got 28" that day - I just did it in two steps - 30 minutes total!!!!.

Finally, the unit is very compact - an important point since it is going to spend 95% of it's life sitting in my garage between storms.

All this being said, the unit does not have a reverse, so you do have to haul it backwards with muscle, but it does not weigh that much (70 or so pounds).

Toro doesn't sell this as a professional-grade machine, and it isn't in the same class as the big premium-grade units, but it is THE right tool for me.

Way to Go, SBD and Toro - well done.

Dear Friends at SnowBlower Direct,

I am THRILLED with the performance of the Toro SnowBlower AND the service provided by your company.

Our story begins with hearing on the news that we had over 2 feet of snow headed our way. Dreading the shoveling task ahead I started looking for a snowblower - too late - wouldn't you know, there were none to be had in our region because of an earlier storm that emptied our area stores of every snowblower.

Then I found your company on-line and placed my order on a Wednesday afternoon. True to your word, my sn... more

Record snowfalls in Maryland this year! The last few years lulled me to sleep. This year after three major snows, I finally decided to take the plunge based on Consumer Reports & the reviews written here.

I purchased the Toro 221R during the last snow storm (all local dealers were sold out) & received it after all the snow had fallen and UPS could finally deliver.

Today I used it for the first time and had to attack almost four feet of hard packed snow & ice from the last three storms. Frankly, I am amazed.

One of the other reviewers said it went through “snow like a knife through hot butter.” I didn’t expect that, since my snow was hard packed and four feet deep, but I was absolutely amazed at the efficiency and ease of use.

If only I had had it earlier. :(

The unit is light enough for easy transport (the light weight originally bothered me) and although light, it easily goes through snow and ice much higher than it is. For really high pack, just treat a shovel with WD40 & knock the snow pack down to a reasonable height first, then plow ahead.

The Toro throws the snow far enough to really rid the area of the thrown snow.

A superb purchase, and my son will now be an independent contractor and pay for the Toro easily with only one more snow. We will be splitting the profits. :)

Record snowfalls in Maryland this year! The last few years lulled me to sleep. This year after three major snows, I finally decided to take the plunge based on Consumer Reports & the reviews written here.

I purchased the Toro 221R during the last snow storm (all local dealers were sold out) & received it after all the snow had fallen and UPS could finally deliver.

Today I used it for the first time and had to attack almost four feet of hard packed snow & ice from the last three storms. Frankly, I am amazed.

One of the other revie... more

We just got another 18" on top of the first 18" last week in southeast PA. I bought my new Toro 221R the night before the storm and had it ready to go for the next morning.

I used the Toro 4 times during the storm and it had no trouble keeping 3 driveways clear along with a long sidewalk. It's an amazing tool- started quickly and ran flawlessly.

The neighbors using their shovels had to come over and check out what this thing was that was able to clear so much snow so quickly.

I like the forward assist auger and the simplicity of the user-friendly controls. This thing never bogged down and threw a wave of snow high and far. I moved snow for 2 hours and was still on the first tank of gas.

The neighbor thought it was great that he didn't have to shovel his car out totally by hand. And, it's easy to keep clean.

I'm buying another one as a gift for a family member. If I had one thing to complain about it would be the bare-bones plastic wheels. This would be great with small, knobby pneumatic tires.

We just got another 18" on top of the first 18" last week in southeast PA. I bought my new Toro 221R the night before the storm and had it ready to go for the next morning.

I used the Toro 4 times during the storm and it had no trouble keeping 3 driveways clear along with a long sidewalk. It's an amazing tool- started quickly and ran flawlessly.

The neighbors using their shovels had to come over and check out what this thing was that was able to clear so much snow so quickly.

I like the forward assist auger and the simplicity of the use... more

This snowblower is amazing for its size. We just recently were dumped with 30" of snow. This snowblower ate through snow like a hot knife through butter.

I also have a 11/12 HP, 2-stage Ariens that I paid $1400 for that throws the snow only 4 feet and doesn't remove all of it from the driveway. The Ariens is a piece of junk!!!!!

The TORO is easy to push and clears a perfectly clean path. I used this snowblower to help my neighbors who were both using 2 stage snow blowers. The TORO hands down put those over priced pieces of junk to shame.

My neighbors kept asking me "How are doing that so fast"? The TORO starts on the 1st pull and the 2 stroke engine throws the snow every bit of 20 to 30 feet.

I'm not a big fan of writing reviews but felt compelled to, regarding this piece of equipment. If you want a quality piece of equipment that works, buy this snow blower.

This snowblower is amazing for its size. We just recently were dumped with 30" of snow. This snowblower ate through snow like a hot knife through butter.

I also have a 11/12 HP, 2-stage Ariens that I paid $1400 for that throws the snow only 4 feet and doesn't remove all of it from the driveway. The Ariens is a piece of junk!!!!!

The TORO is easy to push and clears a perfectly clean path. I used this snowblower to help my neighbors who were both using 2 stage snow blowers. The TORO hands down put those over priced pieces of junk to shame.

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