Toro Encourages Homeowners to Protect their Snow Blower's Built-In Shield

Kick off National Snow Blower Maintenance Week with essential pre-season care for both single- and two-stage models

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Oil checks, refreshing fuel and replacing spark plugs are traditionally at the top of your Snow Blower Maintenance Week checklist, but overlooking critical ground-contact components might lead to costly damage to both your machine and property. Whether operating a heavy-duty two-stage machine or a compact single-stage unit, protecting your equipment's built-in wear items is essential for winter readiness.

In recognition of National Snow Blower Maintenance Week (October 15–21), Toro — America's #1 snow blower brand* — is drawing attention to the importance of a two-stage snow blower's skid shoes.

"Wear items like skid shoes, scraper bars, and rubber paddles are engineered to absorb friction and protect the core structure of your snow blower," says Wes Bollingmo, channel and product support manager at Toro. "Inspecting and replacing these key components before the season begins ensures optimal clearing performance and protects driveways and sidewalks from accidental damage."

On two-stage models, the primary focus centers on skid shoes. Their job is to keep the high-speed auger from making contact with your driveway. Avoiding this damage is a matter of establishing the correct ground clearance. Homeowners can easily verify their equipment height using these baseline rules:

• Maintain a 1/8-Inch Clearance: For concrete or asphalt, leave a 1/8-inch air gap between the scraper blade and the ground. To ensure accuracy, always adjust the skid shoes on the flattest available surface.
• Elevate Settings for Gravel: Gravel driveways require a different approach. Start with the skid shoes adjusted high and make small, incremental changes downward to prevent the machine from catching and throwing loose rocks.
• Match Material to Property: If scratching is a concern for high-end stamped concrete or custom pavers, utilize non-marking poly (plastic) skid shoes. They provide excellent surface protection, though they wear faster than steel and require more frequent inspection.

For single-stage snow blowers, pay close attention to the rubber paddles and scraper bars, which are among the most commonly missed maintenance items. Because single-stage paddles make direct contact with the ground to propel the unit forward, worn paddles reduce clearing efficiency and expose the lower housing to excess wear. Homeowners should check scraper bars for level wear and replace paddles when they reach the wear indicator hole to prevent surface damage and maintain maximum throwing distance.

These steps are just a piece of the operational puzzle. For a full list of simple pre-season maintenance to perform before the first winter storm arrives, homeowners can find a comprehensive Snow Blower Maintenance Week checklist at Toro's blog, yardcare.com. 

"We're calling on all snow blower owners to join us in celebrating National Snow Blower Maintenance Week this year," says Bollingmo. "Many of these tasks can easily be done at home. If you'd prefer to have a trained technician handle your yearly tune-up, an authorized Toro service dealer is a great resource."

To find your local dealer to prep your snow blower for the upcoming winter, visit http://toro.com/locator.

About Toro
With roots dating back to 1914, Toro is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment including turf and landscape maintenance, snow management, rental and construction equipment, and irrigation solutions. Through a strong network of distributors, dealers, retailers and rental stores in more than 125 countries, Toro helps customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, construction sites and agricultural operations. More at: www.toro.com.

SOURCE Toro