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

Looking for some advice on a two stage snowblower.  I originally fell in love with the Troybilt 3090XP or the Craftsman equal.  But just found out that it is
a china made engine. 

My drive is about 180 ft long and gravel, currently.  Should have some pavement on it next year.

I'd like something that's wide, 28+.  A decent amount of power, something that can throw the snow.  Not outrageously expensive, perhaps 1200 tops. 

What are your thoughts? 

Thank you.

Quick-Turn of the ariens chute tends to malfunction, for 2k i want to be able to turn on a dime Left AND Right (the ariens only helps u make a left turn). the Simplicity Snowblower comes with amber light, I need A good strong Light. I think I will have to give up on the hand warmers and choose a toro. about the toro: any ideas if the pivoting scrapper bar is worth the extra money? Thanks

JoelKlein wrote:
If you have smooth and well maintained driveway or sidewalks, pivoting scraper does nothing more than a non-pivoting adjustable scraper.  Most of the time, proper adjustment of the scraper bar and skid shoes to your pavement irregularities  is the key to cleaning as much snow off the pavement but not catching on cracks.

I don't think you need a very strong light.  Snow is highly reflective and throwing more light at it more will come back to blind you.  Visibility is poor when the snow reflect back more light, your pupils constrict and you can't see see details in the shadows.

Thanks! Okay, I'm going to give a deposit right now at my local dealer. What should I go for, a toro? Or simplicity? If toro, is it with the extra money to get the bigger engine ?

JoelKlein wrote:
I always get something just a little bit more powerful or with more features than I think I need for the moment.  It's cheaper to pay a little extra up front rather than to sell and upgrade later on.  But that's my method.

Before putting down any deposit or buying anything, try out in person all of the models you are interested in.   You're the one standing behind those handlebars for years to come so make sure the controls make sense to you. 

Here are my personal opinions of some of the snowblowers I've had looked at.  Ingest with a grain of salt:

1.  Toro has the most user friendly design, despite what people say about their use of plastics.  I find the Toro (for example 1028OXE) is the most maneuverable and controls are logical and easy to figure out.  Front end is a little light so it may climb up on snow banks easier.  If you want your girlfriend or wife to clear snow for you while you sip hot chocolate inside, this is the machine. 

2. Simplicity has good construction, especially the one with the C-Channel handlebars.  It's a little short and doesn't have enough leverage, so turning around feels heavy.  Shifting gears between the gates are notchy and heavy.  Mechanics of the snow moving parts are generally heavy duty.  Red paint looks better than orange, IMO.  Creeper gear is a sophisticated military technology and only Simplicity has it, "Creeper Gear" may be trademarked.  The military never applied this technology to slow moving targets.  Everybody else don't even bother making a big deal, they call it first gear.  

3.  Ariens, is like a Chevy Malibu, good and well built snowblower, everybody seems to own one, exudes excitement and love like a #2 philips screwdriver.  It works when you need it, and you can count on next year's model will be essentially the same as the one you own the last 5 years.  Although the model name might change, it's the same thing.  Arien's marketing department has its customer into  four specialized groups:  cheapo penny pincher, extravagant luxury buyer, burly commercial snow removal specialists, and me-too track guys.  Their product lines overlap. 

4.  Honda snowblowers are beautiful and expensive.  Like a supermodel or a high end call girl, It likes to throw snow far and tight.  Controls are logical, maneuverability is slow and heavy.  Owners get flak all the time about how much they paid for it, while brand XYZ has hand warmers, lights, and traction control for $2000 less.  Honda snowblowers don't need hand warmers, the operator has $200 ski gloves to operate it, and $500 night vision goggles.  They never complain about how hard it is to turn with a locked axle because they do turns on the snow, not on dry pavement or showrooms.  The handlebars are designed for shorter people, 5 foot 8 inches and under.  So far, Honda is the only one that can sell a lawnmower, weedwacker, lawn mowers, and motorcycles from the same dealership.  Talk about one stop shopping.  

5.  John Deere.  I like green and yellow paint scheme.  Makes me feel part of the team that has $100,000 farm tractors, or at least own in installments.  Get them while you can because John Deere dealer will stop selling them, but carries Honda snowblowers and lawn mowers instead.

6.  MTD branded snowblowers are generally found at Lowe's or Home Depot.  You get what you get and probably can squeeze a few hundred $ off the sale price or at the end of the season, if that's your thing.  They do work, generally.  If you don't look too closely, you'll be happier with your purchase.

Just went through the buying process for a snow thrower...  Looked at many brands, most are MTD knock offs brands....  Was not all that impressed with the plastic on the MTD's including the chute, but most who have bought these machines seem happy with them, and the chute does not seem to be a problem. It seems to be hit or miss on each MTD about which engine is on it, some are B&S some are Chinese.  I have no idea about the quality of these engines. Finally settled on an Ariens ST28LE Deluxe....  why?  Three things impressed me about them. This years model 2011(serial # 3500 and up)  all have cast iron auger gear cases, all have dual auger drive belts and 14" augers....  The "dash board and springs on the 2011 models have been improved with thicker metal, than last years models. It has a light for night use.  Otherwise just about all snow throwers seem to be similar in design in this price range. The Ariens has a remote wheel lock to lock and unlock the left wheel for easier turning.  This seems to be a weak point of their design. You pull on the leaver to lock and pull again to unlock. I found it to be somewhat hit or miss as to whether  the wheel actually did lock and unlock....  got the Ariens at HD for $900 including tax, by signing up for their credit card and received $100off the $999 price. Ariens did seem to me to be a bit better built than most of the others, and with the discount was the most bang for the buck.

In Canada , some Craftsman models are built by Husqvarna , i would recommend these models,

I went through this same thing last season spengding countless hours online reading and asking questions. I wound up going with the Toro 826OXE very happy but I am looking to go with something with a larger engine. Dont get me wrong last year we got hit with the big one the day after X-mas and 3/4 of my neighbors blowers wouldnt move through the 26+ of snow while mine pretty much cut rite through it.

I am probably going to go with the 1028OXE by Toro but I want to check out Deere 1028 & the Husqvarna 12527HV (which is super cheap compared to the Toro's) or the Husqvarna 14527E or monster motor 1827EXLT !!

I just dont know how they turn compared to my Toro, a friend of a friend has a snow removal business and he swears by the Husqvarna's, so I need to find a dealer and check them out.

One important thing is make sure you make a decision in the next month or two, after that you will have to settle as everyone will be nearly sold out!

aa335 wrote:
I agree with most of what aa335 said. Three years ago I spent hours researching the different brands of snowblowers and the guys on this web site were very helpful. The one brand name that was consistently recommended was Simplicity and I ended up purchasing the 924E as a result. My only regret is that I did not go bigger, such as a 28 or 30 inch bucket. The two most important features of the Simplicity to me were the all-steel construction and the awesome Briggs & Stratton motor. Last winter we experienced a 24 inch snowstorm in Chicago. I live on a busy street and the city snowplows did a magnificent job of dumping five feet of snow, ice and road salt at the end of my driveway. It took three hours of continuous use to finally clear my driveway and the Simplicity didn't even burp once. That snowstorm proved to me I made the right choice and I recommend Simplicity to everyone. John Deere makes Simplicity so the Deere should be equal in quality. Buy the biggest and most powerful snowblower you can afford...it's better to have too much snowblower than too little. Good luck!

@ Summerwinds

IMO dont go to wide if you live in an area that gets large snow falls. When battling the EOD mountains I am sure you know that you have to manhandle/rock the machine back and fourth to get through it, its something that your not gonna do with a 30 or 32" unit. IMHO

I have a 26" and the only reason I am going with a 28 is cause its limited being a want a large engine. I guess to each his own and I am sure guys will argue the opposite of what I said but I am telling you from experience.

If you amortize the cost over 10 - 12- 15 years (or more), the total dollars spent become less relevant. You're the guy that's going to be behind the dashpanel for many years of use during cold, snowblowing sessions so you may as well be happy and comfortable with your purchase. That said, I realize we all have budgets to stay within so you may want to consider a lightly used, higher end machine. Now is a good time to look on CL, etc... if you're comfortable going that route.

I had a Honda HS624WA (6 HP, 24" Bucket) and now have a Honda HS928TA (9 HP, 28" Bucket). The HS624WA was nice because it was smaller and easier to maneuver and I had bought it second hand when I owned a much smaller property than I do now. I got my lightly used HS928TA last year and the difference between the 6 HP & 9 HP motor as well as the 24" & 28" bucket is very noticeable. Not sure I would go any larger on the bucket than 28" or maybe 30" as you begin to compromise maneuverability, especially if you have walkways or other areas where a larger bucket can become a detriment. Nice on the large driveway but a PITA on smaller areas that require a bit more finess. If you think about it, you might have to make one more pass with a 28" bucket as opposed to a 30" or 32" bucket on an average 10' wide driveway.