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

Relative to larger horses generally equals larger buckets - as well as overall OPE equipment.

For a given application of 7 horses on a 24" versus 9 on a 28" bucket, how much more does the extra horses in power versus the lesser play a role in bucket size.
Or do I just look at weight of both machines and look at it from a power-displacement ratio.

Or I would assume more torque, less HP is even better when looking at engines for snowblowers.
I do like the smaller bucket but I also like the extra power....

FrankMA wrote:
While we all lust for more horsepower to throw farther and clear snow faster, there's a point where more horsepower is a detriment, consider this:

1.  Heavier built rakes, buckets, bearings, pulleys, belts to handle the additional power.
2.  Increased vibration and noise
3.  Increased risk of damage to property, machine, or personal injury
4.  Increase skill and strength of the operator to handle the faster ground speed and more effort to maneuver
5.  Increased fuel consumption
6.  Increased cost of equipment and maintenance

I have a 11 HP / 32" wide snowblower.  At full governed operating RPM, and half of available ground speed, it requires concentration and effort to keep it the machine and the snow discharge in  control without damage to property or injury to unsuspecting people/pets that happen to wander by.  Sure, I would love to have 13 HP because Ariens decided to sport their 28" pro model with a beastly 414cc because bigger and badder, right?  Not really!  There isn't a time when tackling ice encrusted EOD pile or 20" fresh snow when I want it to be any faster or throw any further.  Hurling frozen ice or unsuspecting hidden objects 50 feet in the air is reckless.  We're not clearing airport runways where speed, distance, and volume is critical.

I don't know how many people feel the same way as me, but snowblowing is a therapeutic activity, there's no need to be any faster or more dangerous.

I started looking at some options.....

and came across a used 622. Small 22" 2 Stage. However, not sure how undepowered it will be on throw  BUT I like the 22" bucket width.
 All I care about is how this will throw on hardened EOD. 15 feet and I'll be a happy camper. I like the 2 stage for the chop, cut and then the impeller option.
Methinks it may perform just a smigen better than my single stage due to same power - 2 stager has blades/impeller but drivedrain loss on driving both may be just a smiggen better on throw distance.


Even with the driveway, walkway, etc - I was constantly clearing out the chute due to wet snow clogging it.

I need that ~chop, dice, breakup~ action before it reaches the chute.

Next up are the 24"s, in which there is the HS724, Ariens Plat. and Simplicity makes a 305CC driven machine....
So going back to throw, Impeller speed is important eh ? On wet , sloppy snow or heavy dense salted iced snow, am I focusing strictly on engine and then second to that build quality.
I don't care about hand warmers........or turning

I can say from the experience of using a HS624WA for 10 years that the HS724 will get the job done. Once again, you'll have to adjust your forward speed to accomodate the process speed of the augers & impeller. If you go too fast, the engine will bog down because it's won't be able to keep up with the volume of snow it's trying to process. You'll definately get a respectable throwing distance if you keep your forward speed in check.

As far as build quality goes, I think that is just as important as the engine. Once you get into the thick of the EOD garbage, the machine will begin to shudder and vibrate as it processes the dense mixture of salt, ice, slush, etc... The build quality needs to be robust enough to take that type of abuse and not fall apart. A heavy duty, thick steel bucket, augers and impeller are a must for longevity and performance as well as any surprises you can't see lurking in the slop. Press into the bucket and check the auger and impeller blades and compare them to those found on a high end machine if possible - see how they measure up.

FrankMA wrote:

With all due respect you could never clear EOD mountains that the NYC sanitation leaves with a single stage unit. I was one of a lonely few that was able to cut through the mountains left by these guys and mind you nearly everyone had two stage units. Like I said in my other post they salt before it snows, then the plow, then they salt, then plow then salt which creates so much ice that unless its 10 degrees and no traffic over the snow you need a strong 2 stage. JMHO

stresst wrote:

I would not want to do it with a single stage either but it could be done. You would have to knock down the height and chop up the chunks into smaller, more manageable sizes before going at it with a single stage or even a sub compact 2 stage for that matter. The point I was trying to convey was that if you take your time and work the machine within its limits, the job can get done.

I tackled the same stuff as stresst. 26+ on anything that is not on the *street* - aka salted is fine.

Slow small bits, BUT constantly clearing the chute due to wet packing clogging snow.
I suppose heavy slush is just the same on any machine......it just doesn't like getting thrown.
I saw a video on youtube of these monster simplicitys getting beaten by the wet slushy stuff.

My SS cannot and will not take EOD. Maybe fresh EOD. But not anything more.
It's too heavy to move anything effective out of the chute.
I move as much snow as I can onto the front garden, etc.
But everything else past the  driveway, I chop with a ice breaker, and is a constant routine on  being a Olympic Shovel Thrower. I  just lift and chuck the hardended EOD as high as I can so that when it falls, it breaks and crumbles.....allowing passing cars to safely drive over it.

Any HS622 users in here. Or have any any experience with it.
I do like the footprint. but the drive controls are way at the bottom ---- which is a big downside as well.

mobiledynamics wrote:

YIKES! Have you considered moving to Florida???

Heh.   My neighbor who does not even own a SB understands that if you dump it out....the snowplow will be putting it back in the spot.

I'm a lazy sunva$#%* and there is no way I'm tossing that stuff on my front yard. But he,  60+ years old will faithfully just carry all that EOD and dump into into his backyard with a Shovel !
Once I get down to a reasonable level, I will just push snow out the street, walk it a bit and spread it over....and let sun, salt, blacktop and the occasional car do it's magic....

The houses across the street have it easy. Since the plows plow only to the right......snow walls will be built up against curbside parked cars as high to the roofline and more.

I just care about the the area of the street which meets the driveway --- like I said, even after leaving a 8" wall parallel to the out edge of the parked curbside cards, the plows will just come and break that wall and shove all the snow in. It's futile just even clearing it, as when I get home, I park the car wherever I can - then need to clear the entire driveway away just so I can pull in.

Thanks to our dear old sanitation dept.

I would agree with FrankMAs first comment. About time and square footage.  Ground speed, snow consistancy and depth and engine HP.  Are the three factors that need to be matched to effectively and efficiently remove any amount any type of snow. Then you have the large EOD piles that are different matter.  Horsepower and mass probably play the largest factor there. Sometimes just to get through the first pass.  No SS is going to fair well tacking that job. Although persistence may pay off SS are not designed for that type of work. The augers spin at a high RPM and usually are not made of a thick enough steel to take that type of snow.  It's hard on the blower and sooner or later something is going to break or bend. I'm my opinion a well built 24" with a 13HP would probably go through anything a person would face.
Not sure whether that combination is available.  I have been toying with the idea of putting my 11hp Honda clone on an older ST model Ariens I have sitting around.  Just what I need, another project.

mobiledynamics wrote:
With the exception of the plowing ONLY to the right, I have the same woes as far as city plows putting snow on the EOD.  Gives me an excuse to have a 2 stage snowblower.  If the city plow was to take care of my EOD mess, they may as well pull in a few feet on the driveway and back drag the snow onto the street.  I don't see that happening, not in America anyways.  Without the EOD situation, all I really need is a good single stage snowblower.