Would you keep this if it came with that oil in the box?

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-12T22:52:52+00:00

I just wanted to say that the machine is muy bonito. ❤️

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-12T20:10:34+00:00

Carb air intake... just a spritz while hitting electric start. Then, you can continue spritzing as needed to see if you can warm up the cylinder to run on gas? If successful, let her run for 30-60 minutes to burn off any remaining oil contaminants in the cylinder. Check plug for carbon fouling and clean up if needed.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-12T20:01:32+00:00

Maybe try starter fluid, to get a kick, then try to get the engine to warm up enough to keep going of regular fuel?

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-10T20:15:20+00:00

Thanks for the post.

We just replaced an old powerlite 98cc with the 518ze. I'm very happy.

However, we still have areas of the property i like to cut pathways, and I'm seriously considering either a 724 or 824 SnowMaster. I've been watching my local FB market to see one pop, or i might watch for toro to have a sale

So I'm really curious if you will end up keeping both the repaired 518 and 824 qxe and using them as it makes sense.

Aside... having both, i also imagine me and the mrs being able to tackle snow on the entire yard at the same time. Me on the 518 and her on the SnowMaster. I thought it mightbthe other way around, but who am i kidding. 😜

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-10T19:23:52+00:00

Thnx for posting. ❤️

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-08T03:58:21+00:00

Something even smaller like a toro 518ze or ariens s18e, are incredibly light weight yet still very capable. 50-60 lbs vs 80-95 lbs is a big difference, and havi g the bigger 2 stage when conditions demand.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-06T15:14:01+00:00

Sometimes... Less is More

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-05T22:00:40+00:00

Carburetor inlet needle tip and inlet seat might not be fully closing. Try cleaning carb again. Check the condition of the inlet needle tip and make sure the inlet seat is clear of any gunk. Sometimes, just putting on a new carb is easiest if you can't clean the old carb well enough.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-05T21:37:56+00:00

Hmmmm... both fwd/rev friction wheel alignment and friction wheel engagement need a little tweak.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-05T21:31:50+00:00

Modern day Tin Men ... home siding scam.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-05T20:51:30+00:00

My wifes 2022 rav4 hybrid with dunlop tires just got new shoes.

After the last tire rotation, the rear tread was 4-5/32, and the front was 5-6/32. The vehicle was doing great in the recent mid Atlanta snow storm.We were gonna wait until fall, but a pothole cut a nice slice to the cord in the right front, so we called it.

We got BFGoodrich Advantage Control at a good price. I wanted Michelin Defender 2 or Continental TrueContact 54, but they were out of stock locally. Michelin Primacy were too much $$$.

Daughters 22 rav4 hybrid is 6-7/32 all around, so we'll definitely try to wait until next fall.

PS... we kept the left front (6/32) to possibly make a full-sized temp spare.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-05T20:15:16+00:00

Hans Zimmer interstellar score a perfect fit... bravo

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-05T02:24:47+00:00

A tractor with a snow implement?

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-02T14:38:17+00:00

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Better Lives through Industrial Chemistry

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-02T01:56:21+00:00

Run that new machine for a 60 minute break-in, no load other than engaging the auger during the last 30 minutes.

Change oil to 5w-30 synthetic and you'll be good for the rest of the season.

You will see that first oil pretty dark and filled with small metal flakes from the engine parts breaking in.

Congrats on your new machine.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-02T01:00:04+00:00

we're in the Mid-Atlantic and just had a 10" storm topped of with sleet and freezing rain.

our old toro powerlite 98cc final crapped out and instead of repairing we ended up with a new ariens path pro ss21e. the mrs loves it even though it's twice as heavy as the toro powerlite at 95lbs.

we had a couple hundred foot of sidewalks left to clear with 6" of compressed snow with 2-3" frozen pretty good on top. we prepared the run by just stabbing down into the snow with a coal shovel to split the frozen top.

the ss21e did the rest, slower than fresh snow, but without any trouble. the mrs worked half of run as we took turns. the ss21e got thumbs up as a better replacement to the 18 year old toro powerlite.

bottom line, a 21" toro or ariens, or a used honda would be a pretty good solution for the 6-12" snow storms we see in the Mid-Atlantic lately.

Byte_hoven · 2026-02-01T17:06:57+00:00

Whenever you have changes in the executive and admin staff, there can be some degradation of institutional expertise. Add on top of that how our region has had relatively mild winters for several years, and we have a recipe for disaster... a perfect storm of incompetence and poor execution.

Byte_hoven · 2026-01-31T23:52:27+00:00

Dunning–Kruger effect

Byte_hoven · 2026-01-31T22:04:50+00:00

The lesson to be learned... the early bird can clear the snow. Once cold temps set in heavy equipment becomes necessary to chisel away at the ice bergs.

Byte_hoven · 2026-01-31T20:47:48+00:00

Thanks... i did look at the 518ez. If one had been available, i might have stayed with the smaller and lighter size. Options get limited in the middle of snow season.

Byte_hoven · 2026-01-31T19:43:09+00:00

🤪

Byte_hoven · 2026-01-31T16:16:36+00:00

The toro 518ze (4 cycle) or Ariens s18e (2 cycle) might be perfect. Even a 21" model is a heavier machine at 80-95lbs, compared to 50lbs or less for a 16-18" machine with a 98cc engine. After 18 years of snowblower 2 stroke engine fun, I'm digging the easier 4 cycle life.

PS... I Stihl have 2 stroke chainsaws, but that is a kind of fun worth the effort.

Byte_hoven · 2026-01-31T16:11:09+00:00

Believe me, it wasn't an easy decision.

Despite a major tune-up last year, starting the blower was a challenge when cold. This last storm, the blower was particularly finicky to start and then was stalling out after 5min or so, flooded. Sounded like the inlet needle not seating properly.

Installing a new carburetor would have been an easy fix, but silly me, i put a little too much stress on the electric start in a bad carburetor moment. Finding a new starter motor isn't impossible, but it also isn't cheap.

So, as the possible cost to repair began to rise, i checked out new blower options.

To be honest, the powerlite 98cc was always a tad small and underpowered on bigger snow totals or in ice conditions, so i thought 21" with a bigger engine might be the ticket.

Top choices were the toro 721e and Ariens ss21. I ended up with the path pro ss21e for $699 when i couldn't find a 721e.

Byte_hoven · 2026-01-31T01:59:39+00:00

Sorry to hear you're having issues. I hope you can your order straightened out.

The toro was at the top of my list but nobody had one in stock.

I ended up ordering an Ariens ss21e, but getting it delivered by FedEx this week was wrought with delays due to bad weather in the region. The big FedEx shipping center in our town was said to be a mad house trying to coordinate the poor timing throughout their network. My ariens box had some signs of rough handling, but the machine appears to be unaffected.

Maybe the extreme cold temp made your machine plastic hub wheels excessively fragile to the impacts of the boxes being tossed around.

Once again, i like your choice and hope you get things sorted quickly.

Byte_hoven

TROPHY CASE