Head to head
Toro SnowMaster 724 QXE vs Toro SnowMaster 824 QXE
Quick take: The Toro SnowMaster 724 QXE costs $50 less.
| Spec | Toro SnowMaster 724 QXE | Toro SnowMaster 824 QXE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$1,199 | ~$1,249 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Single-Stage Gas | Single-Stage Gas |
| Power | 212cc Toro Premium OHV | 252cc Toro Premium OHV |
| Clearing Width | 24" | 24" |
| Intake Height | 18" | 18" |
| Throw Distance | up to 40 ft | up to 40 ft |
| Weight | 125 lb | 131 lb |
| Starting | 120V electric + recoil | 120V electric + recoil |
| Heated Grips | No | No |
| Drive & Handling | Personal Pace self-propel — push harder and it speeds up, ease off and it slows, with no speed lever to set. The in-line auger pulls the machine forward as it cuts, which is why a 24-inch machine weighs 125 lb instead of 200. | Personal Pace rear-wheel self-propel with a 210-degree Quick Stick chute — five degrees more rotation than the 724, which matters on a driveway you clear in both directions. |
| Warranty | 3-year residential | 3-year residential |
Pros & cons
Toro SnowMaster 724 QXE
- ✓Clears a 24-inch path at a walking pace most two-stage machines can't match
- ✓125 lb means one person can load it, hang it on a garage wall bracket, or turn it around without effort
- ✓Personal Pace removes the speed-lever fiddling that slows a conventional two-stage on a mixed driveway
- ✓Quick Stick chute control moves rotation and pitch in one motion
- ✓120V plug-in electric start, so it fires in January without a pull
- ✗Paved surfaces only — the auger touches the ground and will throw gravel
- ✗No heated grips at any price in the SnowMaster line
- ✗18-inch intake is shorter than a two-stage, so a deep plow berm has to be taken in layers
- ✗At $1,199 it costs more than the Power Max 824 OE, which is the more capable machine in deep snow
Toro SnowMaster 824 QXE
- ✓The 252cc engine holds auger speed in wet snow where the 724 has to be slowed down
- ✓Only six pounds heavier than the 724, so it keeps the line's real advantage
- ✓210-degree chute rotation covers both directions of a driveway without repositioning
- ✓$50 over the 724 is the cheapest meaningful upgrade in Toro's snow line
- ✓Lifetime warranty on the chute, deflector and lower chute assembly
- ✗Paved surfaces only, exactly like the 724
- ✗Still no heated grips
- ✗Nearly identical to the 724 on paper, which makes the two models hard to tell apart on a showroom floor
- ✗18-inch intake limits it in drifts regardless of engine size
- ✗At $1,249 it is priced against genuine two-stage machines that will outlast it in deep snow