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

And lived in the Northeast,with a 175 foot driveway,with a slight incline, and a rather large turning pad what snow blower would you buy? Currently have a 12 year old, 24", 7 hp Yardman that I need to retire soon! Thanks in advance.

Most of the machines that people are suggesting (that falls within your $1500 budget) have a B&S engine.  Rather than just suggesting a particular brand/model I would go out and check out what the local shops currently have available.  Choose whatever you feel has the best control scheme/layout and whatever feels good in your hands.
Ariens, Toro, Simplicity...they're all comparable machines and you probably won't go wrong with either one.

I like my Ariens and its built like a tank.  Other people on this forum like their Toro, Simplicity, etc and have just as much praise for these respective brands as well.

 If buying form a local dealer, that may be a factor for you.  You might end up going with a brand where you feel the dealer will be most helpful post-sale.

If I were in your shoes now and were willing to commit another $500 - $800 I'd probably pick up a Honda.  If not, like i said before, you probably can't go wrong with a Ariens, Toro or Simplicity.

Toro 1028 OXE is listed for $1799. Ariens Delux 30" for $1299 or Platinum 30" for $1599 or Delux 28" for $999. Deere 1028 for $1299 or 1330 for $1499

If you have your wallet set to $1500 then I would seriously consider gettting a Deere 1028 (342CC) for $1299.  28" is a nice size: not too small and not too big.  342CC is going to give you some serious power.

MN_Runner wrote:

To pony up the extra dosh for a 1028 is worth it but their are also sales going on. Some dealers will deal, some won't. Toro also makes the 826 and the 828 and those are cheaper.than the 1028. But this guy needs toget out to the dealers, try out the machines he likes and then get the best deal he can on the one he likes. I'd honestly buy a Simplicity over the Deere since I know Deere doesn't make their own products and Deere dealers don't sell Deere snowblowers. I bought my Toro from the John Deere dealer.  They don't carry Deere snowblowers at all.

I live in NYC and it seems we keep getting hit with storms greater then 20" and even thou im no expert you want something with a big Briggs and Stratton motor and a few choices would be the Toro 1028OXE or Deere 1028 or  Husqvarna 1830HV or Simplicity L1528E. If your in NE dealing with the same amount of snowfall as me you dont want a 30"+ wide unit. Its too much to muscle in really deep snows. I see you have a 24" now so moving up to a 26-28" unit you will be happy.

Im new to this site, which is home to many who can help you probably alot more then me. Good Luck!

tgseaver wrote:

Northeast...check

175 foot driveway...check

slight incline...check

 spent $1,400 with tax on an Ariens 24" Platinum and used it for the 1st time last week.

tgseaver wrote:

You can pick up a nice slightly used machine this coming spring if you can squeak one more season out of that Yardman. There's always tons of used snowblowers on CL once spring begins and the snows are gone for a while. Machines that go for $ 2,500.00 new can be had for $ 1,500.00 or less after only being used for one or two winters. I always try to buy my used OPE during the off season as I've found you can save big $$$ if you plan ahead a bit.

For your 'Budget' of $ 1500.00 in the United States you have many options.  I might suggest you look at Consumer Reports for the ratings of NEW snowblowers and how they will be expected to perform when brand new.  This in no way suggests they will run that way once the machine is no longer new, so check out their "Frequency of Repair" ratings under RELIABILITY by Brands.  These ratings are created from actual owners of each machine who fills out an annual Consumer Reports survey about the products they already own, so its pretty reliable information.  You might alos read their forum for the information they have as well.  The technology of all these machine is pretty much identical, except for the Honda machines, so the factors that you should consider are how is any one performing any better than its counterpart.  They all have 2 satge augers and impellers, but which have the larger diamteres.  They all have the same friction wheel drive systems, but which do the work with the fewest repairs.  Then there is the engine, and the imports would seem to be about all there is anymore, so good luck discovering which of those are better. 

Lastly, see if any of your neighbors have a similar driveway and how they have fared with the machine they own.  Nothing life a little neighborly advice.  Good Luck !

New_Yorker wrote:

Consumer Reports is very out of touch with reality when it comes to snowblowers. That was discussed in full in another thread. I would suggest to the OP that he disregard CR as their info is outdated and their ratings tend to be based more on cost/value than performance.

New_Yorker wrote:

Consumer Reports is very out of touch with reality when it comes to snowblowers. That was discussed in full in another thread. I would suggest to the OP that he disregard CR as their info is outdated and their ratings tend to be based more on cost/value than performance.

As a Long Term Consumer Reports fan and subscriber I would just say that each and every year every CR subscriber gets a survey to fill out of the products they have purcahsed with the past few years.  The survey then allows ordinary people, who spent their hard earned money on products like snowblowers to tell about that experience.  From those Real World and Very Practical answers CR creates its reliability ratings.  The Consumer Reports magazine does not permit their advice to be used in commercials, nor do they accept advertising.  Such independence and unbiased testing is done nowhere else, so it becomes incumbent on all who don't like such impartiality, for whatever reason, to malign Consumer Reports.  However there is no other organization that does the same, so their results are unassailable regardless of what the Biased persons may feel or say.  Consumer Reports remains a uniquely reilable source of accurate consumer advice, and I and thousnads of others recognize that fact.