Ive had a Troy-Built 2410 bought it new on sale with my 10% off coupon at lowes, bought online pickup in store to get an additional 5 % off. Ended up paying in the $350ish range. My driveway is slightly smaller then yours not much. I usually just clear enough to get by I hate clearing snow. It makes fast work of it even when we got 30+ inches in one snowfall it was less then a hour.
What to look for in a snow blower?
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I'll agree with the Honda blower recommendation, they are expensive but your grandkids will still be using it. Mine is almost 30 years old and the only issues I'm having with it seem to be related to ethanol.
Warm_in_NH
Minister of Fire
I bought my Ariens several years ago but I recall looking for a few things, but I'm a little fuzzy on them now.
Research what the gears are made of, cut vs. cast?? Iron vs brass...something like that, one's better than the other.
Horsepower / displacement, rather have more than not enough, especially if you're prone to heavy wet snow.
Personally I didn't want a plastic chute they always seem to get broken
I also wanted solid mechanical controls no cables or joy sticks to freeze up.
Ultimately it came down to an Ariens, Honda, or a Toro for me.
I went with the Ariens because it had what I wanted, I see a lot of the old timers running them, at the time the dealer was local for warranty work, price compared to the others.
Had two issues in 5 years. One was straight out of the show room, debris in the fuel, repeatedly stalled. Dealer refused to honor warranty as they said I put it there, although it was white plastic shavings, same material as the float bowl and the float bowl had excess plastic on the seam. Obviously there from the factory, delivered to me with a full tank, returned on same tank of fuel, cost me $60! Dealer issue more than a Ariens issue.
Positive drive clutch sometimes sticks or unsticks I guess. Goes into one wheel drive when it's super cold until it warms up. Not even worth bringing it to the shop for. I know that within two passes of the driveway it'll warm up enough it wont be an issue, been like this for 5 years.
Remember, even a crappy lil snow blower beats shoveling! Good luck.
Research what the gears are made of, cut vs. cast?? Iron vs brass...something like that, one's better than the other.
Horsepower / displacement, rather have more than not enough, especially if you're prone to heavy wet snow.
Personally I didn't want a plastic chute they always seem to get broken
I also wanted solid mechanical controls no cables or joy sticks to freeze up.
Ultimately it came down to an Ariens, Honda, or a Toro for me.
I went with the Ariens because it had what I wanted, I see a lot of the old timers running them, at the time the dealer was local for warranty work, price compared to the others.
Had two issues in 5 years. One was straight out of the show room, debris in the fuel, repeatedly stalled. Dealer refused to honor warranty as they said I put it there, although it was white plastic shavings, same material as the float bowl and the float bowl had excess plastic on the seam. Obviously there from the factory, delivered to me with a full tank, returned on same tank of fuel, cost me $60! Dealer issue more than a Ariens issue.
Positive drive clutch sometimes sticks or unsticks I guess. Goes into one wheel drive when it's super cold until it warms up. Not even worth bringing it to the shop for. I know that within two passes of the driveway it'll warm up enough it wont be an issue, been like this for 5 years.
Remember, even a crappy lil snow blower beats shoveling! Good luck.
Get a plow for your riding mower. Last time i bought a snow blower i didnt need it for 10 years. When i finally did IT WOULDN'T START.
Wont do that again
Wont do that again
Butcher
Minister of Fire
Well, we have had temps that barely make it above 0°F for the last 30 days around here so I would recommend a snow blower that comes with an operator or remote control so you can stay inside by the stove while the lane gets cleared. Get a plow for your truck and don't look back!
Have any of you seen the Cub 3X series? Stopped by my local CC dealer and he had a couple Ariens left (compact series) 22" $749 and the 24" $799
but I was not impressed with the small tires all though the gearbox was cast iron.
I liked the Cub 3x series (26" I believe). Priced at 1200 bucks though.....fun looking! They are going fast......even stopped by Sears for giggles and they had
none left but 30 more coming in tonight of the 88173 series. It made it on comsumer reports but got a much lower rating......they were 679.99
but I was not impressed with the small tires all though the gearbox was cast iron.
I liked the Cub 3x series (26" I believe). Priced at 1200 bucks though.....fun looking! They are going fast......even stopped by Sears for giggles and they had
none left but 30 more coming in tonight of the 88173 series. It made it on comsumer reports but got a much lower rating......they were 679.99
Warm_in_NH
Minister of Fire
Pretty cool. Some good videos of them throwing serious snow on u tube.
First thoughts, the 3 stage is a new concept, it's not that complicated, so if it's so great why hasn't anyone else developed it yet? More moving parts on a machine that takes a beating.
Personally, might be great, but I'd give it a couple of years and give it time to be fine tuned.
I looked at the 24" Ariens today at Home Depot - their price was $799. A blower is in my future sometime, just a matter of when, what and how much.
Ariens with Auto-Turn. It has a differential so if you want to turn, just give it a nudge and it will go in the direction you want. No wheel pins to pull and then have one wheel drive or triggers to pull to steer. I got the 28 inch Deluxe (the mid-line model) last September for about $900. All metal construction (the Cubs have a lot of plastic) and seems to be well built. Yes, it has a Chinese engine, but they pretty much all do now. It chewed through the icy wall at the end of the driveway yesterday with no problem.
I have a 15 y/o Mastercraft (Canadian Tire) - not sure who built them for CT back then. Tecumseh 8.5 hp is a bear to start ever since i got it, but I can't kill it. This year might be the one where it blows up though. I picked up a big rock at the camp and it got jammed in the impeller - bang - full stop. A half hour with a bar and tools to straighten out the impeller paddle and one of the auger blades, and back in business. Gears, drive etc didnt flinch. I beat the crap out of this machine this year with 2 rough driveways and a ton of snow - I'm not sure but i suspect the newer box store stuff would probably not survive the same workout right now.
I'm torn between Husqvarna and Toro when it dies. Hondas are amazing (watching then chew trough the worst crap effortlessly) but probably a bit too spendy for me. Couple neighbors run Husqvarna 30" cut or more + 11.5 or more hp and they walk through the snowbanks without working hard. Also a bit leary of joysticks (I have no experience with them but my gut tells to keep it simple). IMHO a single stage thrower is a toy.
I'm torn between Husqvarna and Toro when it dies. Hondas are amazing (watching then chew trough the worst crap effortlessly) but probably a bit too spendy for me. Couple neighbors run Husqvarna 30" cut or more + 11.5 or more hp and they walk through the snowbanks without working hard. Also a bit leary of joysticks (I have no experience with them but my gut tells to keep it simple). IMHO a single stage thrower is a toy.
I used to think the same thing until we got a few Toro 3650's at work. They will clear an impressive amount of snow in a short amount of time even up to about 4 inches of wet snow they still do alright.
maple1
Minister of Fire
Plastic chutes aren't something to be dismissed so quickly - as long as they're rugged.
My Toro has a plastic chute - I haven't plugged it up once yet, in all kinds of different snow (& slush) conditions. It's had a few rocks fired through it too, oops. Not saying it's indestructible, but I really like it so far. The joy stick hasn't given any issues yet either - I can usually wheel the blower around with one hand when I get to the end of the cut & swing the chute around with the other without the auger or wheels stopping. It's balanced pretty darn good.
My Toro has a plastic chute - I haven't plugged it up once yet, in all kinds of different snow (& slush) conditions. It's had a few rocks fired through it too, oops. Not saying it's indestructible, but I really like it so far. The joy stick hasn't given any issues yet either - I can usually wheel the blower around with one hand when I get to the end of the cut & swing the chute around with the other without the auger or wheels stopping. It's balanced pretty darn good.
a very good point - depending on the circumstances, it could be the perfect tool for the job (especially if it's a Toro, from what I hear they rock). Guess I'm a little biased though
(that drift wasn't there the weekend prior - the paths I cut that week were gone too). ![[Hearth.com] What to look for in a snow blower?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/126/126779-cba42bb04296791b1be34be2353c2333.jpg?hash=7KnJv0f5OP "[Hearth.com] What to look for in a snow blower?")
another good point. I joke that my machine is a rock blower (early part of the season and clearing a gravel driveway and the neighbors run for cover). It's picked up an assortment of interesting non-snow things (bark scraps, twigs, gravel, etc.) at our camp. That's the reality out in the sticks - driveways are like skidder trails but they still gotta be cleared when the snow flies. The last big rock I hit was probably due to the fact that I couldn't get down the middle of the driveway (pretty clear of obstructions) but instead had to cut close to the treeline (pic above). The plastic chute still has the "lifetime warranty" sticker on the side
. I suppose some other plastic parts are not so good, or different mfg plastic chutes may be flimsy, but this one has been bullet proof. Good to know about the joystick too. I worry that the newer, cooler technology will barf on me when I need it most, so I tend to stay old school for a while ('till things pass the test of time).
I used to have a Toro 2 cycle, single stage that was great for those pesky 1 and 2 inch snows. It was like pushing a shopping cart around the driveway, very easy to maneuver. It would be nice if I could find another one, used, for the times when there's not enough snow for the big blower and I have to use the shovel.
And don't get me started on those plastic shovels.
And don't get me started on those plastic shovels.
Anybody remember that attachment you could get for your lawnmower for throwing snow? it was a 70's thing if I recall.
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
I have a Toro 2 stroke, single stage and a Craftsman 2 stage.
The Toro is great. Will skim down to the pavement, even after a dusting if that's what you want to do. Wet slush? No problem. Last Monday I did 6" of slop (fyi my driveway is >100" w/ large parking area) never clogs. Was about like mowing the lawn. Does the plow spoil at the end of the driveway fine too but that does slow it down a bit. I passed two neighbors who had to keep stopping to pull the packed snow from their 2 stage blowers. I don't know if they didn't use the Teflon spray trick or if it was just that bad but I know that's a PITA and dangerous to have your hand by the impeller.
Need to do your Mom's place across town or that back deck? Pick it up with one hand and throw it in the trunk or up on the deck and away you go. Rubber paddles are easy on softer surfaces. Shot rocks, sticks even sucked up a bed sheet (how'd you like that in your auger and impeller?) no trouble.
The Craftsman isn't dated and works good but I don't even take it out unless we get >12-15" and even then only because I have it. Last year we had one storm 33" (made the news if you remember) and I wouldn't want to do that with the Toro. Could do it but it would be too slow and not made for that. But that does not happen often here on LI.
I like having both but if I could only keep one it would be the Toro.
The new Toro single stages are 4 stroke. I wonder how they compare?
The Toro is great. Will skim down to the pavement, even after a dusting if that's what you want to do. Wet slush? No problem. Last Monday I did 6" of slop (fyi my driveway is >100" w/ large parking area) never clogs. Was about like mowing the lawn. Does the plow spoil at the end of the driveway fine too but that does slow it down a bit. I passed two neighbors who had to keep stopping to pull the packed snow from their 2 stage blowers. I don't know if they didn't use the Teflon spray trick or if it was just that bad but I know that's a PITA and dangerous to have your hand by the impeller.
Need to do your Mom's place across town or that back deck? Pick it up with one hand and throw it in the trunk or up on the deck and away you go. Rubber paddles are easy on softer surfaces. Shot rocks, sticks even sucked up a bed sheet (how'd you like that in your auger and impeller?) no trouble.
The Craftsman isn't dated and works good but I don't even take it out unless we get >12-15" and even then only because I have it. Last year we had one storm 33" (made the news if you remember) and I wouldn't want to do that with the Toro. Could do it but it would be too slow and not made for that. But that does not happen often here on LI.
I like having both but if I could only keep one it would be the Toro.
The new Toro single stages are 4 stroke. I wonder how they compare?
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
well, the OP did ask "what to look for in a snowblower"
Made sure to keep my gloves on for removal
. Took a second to wonder what it was doing out in the street then decided it was probably better if didn't know.
BCC_Burner
Feeling the Heat
I have an Ariens Platinum 24 that I purchased this fall from an Ariens dealer here in Salt Lake City. We haven't had a particularly snowy winter, so I've only used it about 10 times since I purchased it, but it has been working well so far.
My driveway is about 85 feet long, single car wide, with a parking area for 3-4 cars at the end. It is slightly uphill and sidehill at one point, so self propelled is the only option for me, and a narrower cutting swath is easier to maneuver. An extra pass or two is less work than wrestling a large, unwieldy piece of machinery. If your driveway has any sort of pitch to it, I would advise going with a track driven model. I have a wheeled unit, and it was a major chore to operate on uphills and sidehills until I installed tire chains. Those help a lot, but I am jealous of my neighbors with track driven blowers. Definitely have the equipment on hand to use the electric start feature if your unit is so equipped. Mine starts on the first or second pull under most conditions, but it becomes iffy below about -10F.
I went with the largest engine size per clearing width I could afford, and I think that is a better strategy than going for the largest width regardless of power. I might do a bit more walking, but I can drop it into second gear and churn through 3-4 foot high plow banks no problem.
I can report back after the weekend, as we are forecast to have 2-4 feet of snow fall at my house between now and Monday night.
My driveway is about 85 feet long, single car wide, with a parking area for 3-4 cars at the end. It is slightly uphill and sidehill at one point, so self propelled is the only option for me, and a narrower cutting swath is easier to maneuver. An extra pass or two is less work than wrestling a large, unwieldy piece of machinery. If your driveway has any sort of pitch to it, I would advise going with a track driven model. I have a wheeled unit, and it was a major chore to operate on uphills and sidehills until I installed tire chains. Those help a lot, but I am jealous of my neighbors with track driven blowers. Definitely have the equipment on hand to use the electric start feature if your unit is so equipped. Mine starts on the first or second pull under most conditions, but it becomes iffy below about -10F.
I went with the largest engine size per clearing width I could afford, and I think that is a better strategy than going for the largest width regardless of power. I might do a bit more walking, but I can drop it into second gear and churn through 3-4 foot high plow banks no problem.
I can report back after the weekend, as we are forecast to have 2-4 feet of snow fall at my house between now and Monday night.
These guys are more expensive but I've never used a nicer shovel, have a 28" pusher and the regular shovel.
http://www.jmenterprises.com/
They're ok, IMO not as good as the 2 strokes. The one I used was the first year they were out so maybe they've gotten better they're also bigger and heavier than the 2 strokes. When I had a choice I always picked the 2 stroke and it made doing 3 flights of stairs a whole lot faster than shoveling.
3 stage has been around since the 70's. the third stage is nothing but a slow turning top auger to break up deep or drifted snow.
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That thing is a beast. Would've been nice to see what kind of snow it threw, but the driveway is already clear.
From the looks of the pictures that I have seen, The "New" 3 stage use a different auger configuration but the idea is still the same.
If you want to try a beast, look at an old Toro Power shift. The wheels shift back about a foot and all of the weight shifts to the front. You can chew through the "end of driveway banks" with no hassle. They were a great machine, I don't know why they stopped making them.
seabert
Member
For me I love my Toro 2 stroke snow commander. It is the biggest paddle based unit they make. It is easier to handle and faster than my neighbors who struggle with oversized 2 stage beasts. The Toro sweeps down to the pavement beautifully so when the machine is turned off my driveway is done. My neighbors still have to clear a layer of ice or snow by hand because those big 2 stage units cannot get as close to the pavement. Mine also works better in wet slushy snow than the ones with a metal auger that jams up. I have been able to clear up to 28 inches with my Toro. Of course I cannot run straight through it but neither can most 2 stage machines.
My blower is now 10 years old and has had maintenance done 3 times over its life. Shoe runs and starts like new every season. In fact I have had others ask me where I got mine from. If mine ever dies I would buy another in a heartbeat.
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