Nov 1, 2011

Toro. Buy a Toro

A couple of posts down I reported a Toro leaf blower kaput and said I planned a desultory repair effort even though it's already survived years of use, abuse, and neglect beyond any reasonable expectations.  I now report success and urge you to  buy Toro.

1. The thing is logically constructed.  Somewhere in Minnesota (Toro Country) lives an engineer whose brilliance includes this thought. "Y' know, the guy who owns this might have to fix it some day, so let's build it so he can." May he live a prosperous thousand years and people the land with his offspring.

2. Meaning the screws come out cleanly. The case pops apart without releasing springs and other small parts all over your shop. Everything that makes it go is visible and reachable.

3. Reassembly is aided by logically place guide pins and slots. And most importantly, by room for the wires! I know of no Toro competitor offering this feature. They find it amusing to design their gizmos so that reassembly places wiring in immovable positions between what should be mated surfaces of the plastic covers.

4. The problem was simple enough. A safety interlock went bad. Now, a less responsible citizen than myself would have simply bypassed the device, a three-minute chore requiring six inches of fine wire, four inches of electrical tape and a pair of pliers. I would never do such a thing. I just put it back together and somehow, like magic, it started blowing leaves again. Then I sent email to the CPSC reporting what a good boy I am.

In case I forgot to mention it, you should buy Toro stuff. (FTC disclaimer pending.)

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