My MTD, which I just did an inspection on, and is in very good shape. 8hp and 24 inch, is a great blower, however, it can not get through the tough drifts that blow into my yard.
I spend most of my time, backing up, pushing in, leaning on the bars so it won't ride up, using a shovel to break up, then repeat.
After 2 hours my back and arms are wore out, I am beat! :-) Imagine my 125 lb wife doing this, 3 times in December already.
Unfortunately there are those of use who live between city and country life. Not enough room or place for a tractor :-), but your average wheeled snowblower just can't get the job done.
I need track drive, to push into the drifts, I need the weight, HP, and I want 28 inch.
My wife wants electric start, and likes the Hydrostatic drive, and yes, she does get stuck with the job of snowblowing, when I am travelling.
So in order to get Hydrostatic drive, electric start, tracks, and wieght, plus 28 inch, and at least 9 HP, you are now in the $2000-$3000, with most manufactures.
Now my logic, if I am going to spend 3k, I will likely spend another $600 and get a Yamaha, a machine with proven reliability, durability, ease of use, etc. (also no Shear Pins to deal with!!!)
Again, it is about what fits your particular needs.
I would only warn you that while I love my Honda HS928TAS snowblower for all it can do, I would caution you to consult your wife on the purchase of such a machine because I am 5'10" and 250 and feel sore after a few hours of steering this machine by brute force. It weighs 256 lbs. Now the tracked version is supposedly harder in this regard than the wheeled version would be, but I have not tried those machines, and Consumer Reports who has tested them still gives them a black spot for handling. If not for the handling issue, I would probably say that the Honda is as near perfect a snowblower as I've ever used. Oh, and the machine would need to be on a dolly to move about as pushing it when it is not running is near impossible, so it would need to be stored where one could start it and move it by its own power with little need to steer it until there is some slippery snow beneath the wheels or tracks. I devised a mechanics "creeper" with a 2' X 4 ' piece of 5/8" plywood fastened over it to move the machine around the barn I store it in. To get it on that dollly I use my considerable weight to push down on the handles until they touch the floor, Then I slip the dolly under the fron that is raised up, and then lower the snowblower onto the dolly. Your wife at 125, would probably not want to attempt such a move. Pushing it with the Hydrostatic Transmission engaged can do serious damage to the transmission, so learn from the dealer where the lever is to disengage right off. Best of luck with your decision.
