Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I live in central Ohio and don't have a real Ariens dealer anywhere near me.  We don't get a ton of snow but on occasion we get hit pretty good.  My current single stage kind of gets me by but I have had to repair it already after only 3 yrs.  I have a 3 car wide driveway  (but not really long) so I need to be able to throw snow a good distance and also be able to handle the frozen chunky stuff at the EOD. I make a lot of turns.  I'm considering 2 machines: 920015 ($899) on the low end or 921020 ($1249) as a higher end option. My questions are:  How convenient/reliable  is the new quick-turn chute & deflector vs the 2.5x crank?  Is it a must-have? Are the materials in the deluxe better grade (steel thickness,etc.) than the compact series?  I'm not sure if the 249cc Briggs motor is made in the US or China.  Does this thing have enough power for the EOD?  I'm kind of leaning toward the Subaru 287cc motor on the Deluxe series unit, even though I'm wondering if a 30" unit might be a little large for my needs.  To me it seems like you're getting a Honda equivalent engine for a great deal.  But perhaps I'm putting too much stock in the whole Subaru thing and overbuying on the machine.   Given these questions and criteria, which model would be the best choice for the money?