Most reliable snow blower?

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

In my humble opinion most sales people do not know their products very well. I have seen this so many times it scares me. Check the facts yourself or toss a post up here and someone will be able to help with the reality, just like in this case.

Do you know what the difference is between a product Made in USA vs. one made in China? ..... A job for an American worker.

If that was the knowledgeable people at a true small dealership that told you that inform them they need to update their information. They're Chinese engines 100%. You can call Toro's customer service and ask them for yourself (Toro has really great customer service). All Toro branded engines, without exception, are 100% made in China.

 

[Bkf350SD]

I have quite a few snow accounts and i run Ariens 2 stage machines(with the tec snow king) and toro single stage machines.

I would buy a toro powermax if it had the briggs or tecumseh on it. Those are nice machines as well.

 

[GTO]

I have an Ariens 824,works fine for me.
If I had the money and more snowfall during the winter I would buy a Honda Track model.

 

[gordyy]

Well for my money you can't go wrong with these
Either one eats it no matter what is in front of it

 

[1320stang]

So, my dad is 72 and mom is 68, they live in Enid, OK which got 10+ inches of snow last night. Just got off the phone with them and they're just finishing up an hour and a half of shoveling snow in their driveway. I'm guessing maybe 2400 sq/ft of driveway. Problem is, my sister & I live 1.5 hours away. We don't often get a lot of snow, usually sleet or ice, but I've been kicking around getting them a snow blower for a couple years. Not sure what to get, looking for suggestions, electric or gas?. They still get around great (they just shoveled 2000 cu/ft of wet snow, duh!!) but I'd like to make it easier on them. We would really like for them to move down to Edmond near us, but they're friends and such are all up there, as is my father's work.

 

[kc-steve]

It'll probably melt in Enid OK before ya get a chance to buy one. Here. that's another story, but my Snapper is doing the job. Starting easily now that I have fresh gasoline.

Steve

 

[skiingman]

So, my dad is 72 and mom is 68, they live in Enid, OK which got 10+ inches of snow last night. Just got off the phone with them and they're just finishing up an hour and a half of shoveling snow in their driveway. I'm guessing maybe 2400 sq/ft of driveway.

Something no bigger than a 24. The bigger machines eat more snow faster, but unless you spend a ton of money they are more difficult to hustle around. A good 24 (a GOOD one) will do the job in no time and be a pleasure to use.

 

[1320stang]

I'm guessing that's 24" wide? I'm a little uninformed about snowblowers as they don't really sell them down here......... or basements.

I'm likely going to have to order one or bring one from down north. When is the best time to buy? late spring?

What would be cool would be a convertible machine, snow blower in winter, rototiller in the summer. I need to call DR or get on that invention show with those two goofballs.

 

[rbunch4468]

Really? A two year old snow blower thread?

My Ariens crapped out due to ethanol fuel jelly. I've learned ALOT in the past three days. DO NOT replace the Tecumseh carb with an Oregon POS China replacement. I did, and it *****. I bought a rebuild kit for the original and now it starts on the first pull. I bought the Oregon carb locally because we had a storm approaching. After extremely hard starts, I was able to clear the snow from the storm, but the price was a worn out pinion on the electric starter. Oregon carb? What a POS. Storm has passed, and now that I've rebuilt the original... All is well.

Local small engine repair guy says Honda provides the best reliability. He has a Simplicity... and hates it!

 

[chrisexv6]

My ariens is now 8 years old. I've never once had to clean the carb. I store it in the off season after running through a mixture of trufuel, seafoam, marvel mystery oil and marine stabil.

Thing still starts on the first pull even after everything it's been through here in southwestern ct

 

[kctyphoon]

absolute, without question, the two best snow throwers (i REFUSE to call them blowers cause its so dumb) are honda and yamaha (if you can find one). i had an older craftman that worked good, but every season without fail, nuts and bolts would vibrate off the thing and leave me stranded.. after a few years, i sold it, bought a brand new Troy Bilt from lowes, used it once - is was horrible - sold it.. i bought a 25 + year old tracked Yamaha YS624. at 6hp - it will throw light snow as high as my second story roof.. no electric start needed - starts every year
when it come to anything that needs to be reliable, or actaully do what it says it will - you cannot do any better than honda or yamaha. generators, snow blowers - anything with an engine - yes - they are expenisive, but its usually a life - long machine..

if you live, or have a connection in Canada you can get the new Yamaha's (only recently), but the old ones at 20+ years old are better then all the **** that sells at the home centers.. the wheeled throwers are just as good...

i used the brand new troy bilt on wet snow, - it wouldnt even make the heavy stuff clear the chute.. hallf what it tried to expell just fell all over the machine. might be good for light fluffy stuff - but anything with a little weight, your lucky with 4' ...

just for entertainment value - check out the new yamaha's - AWESOME

 

[kctyphoon]

FOR ANYONE USING WHEELED SNOW BLOWERS WITH SKID SHOES--

i had these on a previous machine.. these are an absolute must have IMO.. makes life so much easier, and keep the front chute of the machine from getting bent and rusting from uneven sidewalks, driveway aprons...

AND another usefull mod for any snow thrower -

 

[Butkusrules]

The problem with Honda is that they are sometimes twice as expensive. I can buy cub cadet run it for 10 years then throw it away and buy another brand new one for the price of a Honda. There Honda is not that much better then cub cadet or anything else. Not to mention consumer reports says Hondas throw for **** but again probably not a huge difference from best thrower.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Off season MAINTENANCE !

• Replace (upgrade) shoes/skids
• Remove wheels and grease the shaft before the wheel "rust welds" to the shaft.
• Remove the auger. Clean and grease the shaft.
• Replace all rusty nuts and bolts with stainless steel.

 

[77thor]

I have an older Ariens w/Tecumseh Sno King engine... great machine.
Never had a breakdown(knock on wood)...

 

[DonPowers]

I bought an 8 hp TroyBilt in the early 90s and gave it to my son in law a few years ago, its still running. The newer MTD models may not be as good though.

Bought a Honda 828 Tracked machine in 07, fantastic machine, its like a little bulldozer and chews through anything. Has hydrostatic drive which can go from a slow crawl to very fast and anywhere in-between. Much better than the friction disk that most other machines use. Was 12 below yesterday and it started right up with the pull cord. Has electric start but I don't recall ever using it. Also, the honda will chuck snow 60 ft or so. It was around 3k when I bought it. A friend bought a used one this winter for $800.

Also have a Kubota BX2660 with heated cab and 50" front mount blower, bought in 09. A bit of overkill but comfortable and fast. Tractor also has plenty of other uses with loader and other implements.

 

[CJM8515]

Have an 20 year old MTD, 5hp/24". Wish I had opted for the 8hp/28" model at the time but oh well. It clears things pretty well, doesnt like thick wet snow or harder packed snow all too much and will bog down. About 10 years ago I sucked up the paper and ruined the crank to the engine since it bent, replaced it with a tecumseh 5hp again and all has been well. The electric start is the only thing that doesnt work, but 2 pulls and ti fires right up.

Everything I own will fire right up no problem because I winterize everything and it then doesnt gum up the carbs.

 

[chrisexv6]

Ive started using TruFuel in my winterization process. Drain out whatever remains at the end of the season, add a few splashes of TruFuel mixed with Marine Stabil (the blue stuff), Seafoam and a little MMO for good measure. Run the engine for a few minutes, then turn off the fuel valve and let the engine run until it dies.

Next winter when I start up I get lots of smoke coming out (smoke = good in this case). The carb has never once been gummed up for the 9 years Ive owned my Ariens 926LE. After this season I might treat it to a new friction disk, or at least have a spare on hand just in case (still on the original with no signs of stopping)

 

[BFHtime]

I recently bought a used craftsman 9hp 29" snow blower. I think is from the 80's. It has a Tecumseh engine. It starts on the first pull, even at 0 degrees F. When I purchased it the owner was not sure if the electric start worked, because it was never used.

 

[Skin]

The problem with Honda is that they are sometimes twice as expensive. I can buy cub cadet run it for 10 years then throw it away and buy another brand new one for the price of a Honda. There Honda is not that much better then cub cadet or anything else.

Actually they are. You'll be sending your second or third machine to the landfill and the Honda will still be trucking along. Its not a brand without faults but their build quality is second to none.

 

[chrisexv6]

I recently bought a used craftsman 9hp 29" snow blower. I think is from the 80's. It has a Tecumseh engine. It starts on the first pull, even at 0 degrees F. When I purchased it the owner was not sure if the electric start worked, because it was never used.

Yeah the Tec Snow King engines seem to be bulletproof. Guzzle gas and make noise like no tomorrow, but as long as you keep the oil level correct I dont think you can ever kill one.

Problem is its hard to find replacements so you either end up rebuilding what you have, repowering with something more modern (not necessarily an easy job) or buying a whole new blower.

 

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

I live northwest of Boston and we just got hit with 30" last week followed by 15" yesterday. I just finished cleaning two big driveways and about 100' feet of walk with my 24 year old Ariens ST8/24. I bought my first Ariens in November 1971, ran it till 1991 then bought my present one. I gave the old one to my brother who ran it for another 10 years.

That's a combined 54 years using Ariens snow blowers up here in New England and not a single failure or disappointment in all those years.

Guess what brand my next slow blower will be?

 

[Nele]

Hondas look mean and well built

 

[PMD1966]

Agree on the Ariens with the Sno-King engine. Thought it was expensive 12 years ago when I bought it. Other than a few shear pins in the impeller and oil and spark plugs it hasn't needed any repairs.

 

[Nele]

Especially track driven ones

 

[Kracin]

In my humble opinion most sales people do not know their products very well. I have seen this so many times it scares me. Check the facts yourself or toss a post up here and someone will be able to help with the reality, just like in this case.

Do you know what the difference is between a product Made in USA vs. one made in China? ..... A job for an American worker.

in my humble opinion, if people wanted the jobs, they would still be here. not to steal the thread, but there are hundreds of thousands of jobs available that nobody wants, cause it doesn't involve singing, dancing, or making youtube videos.

 

[ecotec]

I bought my Honda HS622 in 2002 on a huge sale. It has been trouble free this whole time. If you set the choke and throttle it starts on the first pull. I have been quite lax in maintenance on it, and it still runs perfect.

We got our biggest snowfall since '74 the other day, and it handled it perfect. I have zero regrets.

 

[arms1970]

I got an old Montgomery ward 24" 5hp. Got me through 21 inches in Chicago that just fell. Many winters before that. I was just finishing up and I did throw a drive belt. So I will replace that this weekend. No PLASTIC on this thing what so ever.

 

[day]

I have had 2 Toro blowers and they have performed awesome(I live in Colorado).

 

[Rickster]

Old 2-cycle Simplicity I bought used from a landscaping guy going out of business. Every spring I run it out of fuel and empty any remaining from the tank with an old turkey baster. In the late fall I get a fresh Premium gas & oil mix ready. Starts right up in the dead of winter. I may have replaced the plug when I bought it several years ago.. I can't remember, but the guy did throw in some new wheels and a base scraper that I installed.

 

[Casey69]

I bought my Ariens 6 years ago in August as Home Depot still had it....and it was marked way down. It has the Tecumseh Snow King engine with the plug in electric start. I run it dry at the end of every season.

anyone know if the newer home depot Ariens snowblowers are any good, or are they just box-store quality with a premium price?

$1000 Ariens:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-D...921030/204266986?N=5yc1vZbxc5Z1z0wwdxZ1z0uxk9

 

[Showkey]

anyone know if the newer home depot Ariens snowblowers are any good, or are they just box-store quality with a premium price?

$1000 Ariens:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-D...921030/204266986?N=5yc1vZbxc5Z1z0wwdxZ1z0uxk9

Post # 134 in the link below talks about the dozens of models and the different "grades" in the Ariens lines. Big box blowers may not be the same machine as the power equipment dealers. ????????

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540295&page=9

The snowblower debates are similar to the best pickup truck discussions. The link is 13 pages and 185 posts.
I just donated my 30 year old HS50 Honda blower to my son after his 15 year old Ariens became a maintenance nightmare. I purchased a used Honda 7 hp HS724 with hydrostatic trans with wheels

 

[Skin]

anyone know if the newer home depot Ariens snowblowers are any good, or are they just box-store quality with a premium price?

$1000 Ariens:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-D...921030/204266986?N=5yc1vZbxc5Z1z0wwdxZ1z0uxk9

That model is identical to what you would buy at a small dealer. When you buy online they (Ariens) even pull them from the same warehouses and have independent dealers assemble and deliver them. The only Ariens I know of to be made to "box store" quality are the Sno-Teks.

If you can though support your local dealer. You aren't saving a dime going through Home-Depot and you wont get any favors from the dealers if you have out of the box troubles.

As far as the quality of the units, the engines are all Chinese from the Sno-Tek line all the way to the Professional series. I kind of hate them and many are suffering debris issues in the carbs. The unit itself is a great buy for a grand, but its a far cry from a Honda (two to three times the price) or your fathers/grandfathers snowblowers. Ariens has basically countered inflation by cheapening the units year after year. Go check the price tag for a machine in 1990 and I bet a comparable unit today is roughly the same price. That doesn't happen without some form of component cheapening. Great for people who are budget minded but less so for people expecting the quality of 20 years ago.

I live northwest of Boston and we just got hit with 30" last week followed by 15" yesterday. I just finished cleaning two big driveways and about 100' feet of walk with my 24 year old Ariens ST8/24. I bought my first Ariens in November 1971, ran it till 1991 then bought my present one. I gave the old one to my brother who ran it for another 10 years.

That's a combined 54 years using Ariens snow blowers up here in New England and not a single failure or disappointment in all those years.

Guess what brand my next slow blower will be?

If yours is this type, refurbish it, don't buy new, you will be disappointed. The drive system on this model is essentially bullet proof and they've even replaced (superseded) the split aluminum gearcase with a nice cast iron model.

 

[Butkusrules]

Sorry I'm a big Honda guy, owned 2 Acuras. But if you told me I could have a 10 year old Honda Accord or a brand new Taurus I'll take the Taurus.

 

[kctyphoon]

Sorry I'm a big Honda guy, owned 2 Acuras. But if you told me I could have a 10 year old Honda Accord or a brand new Taurus I'll take the Taurus.

the only problem with that scenerio is that cars have gotten better in the last 20 years, while most places that make snow throwers have figured out how to make the cheapest thing they can manufacture that can still be considered a snow thrower.. think to yourself if anyone is going to be bragging about owning a throw away troy bilt somone bought from Lowes 25 years from now.

my 6hp 25 yr old yamaha will throw light snow to the second floor of my house.. your lucky if a 7hp model today will throw anything mre than 5 feet.

 

[kctyphoon]

The problem with Honda is that they are sometimes twice as expensive. I can buy cub cadet run it for 10 years then throw it away and buy another brand new one for the price of a Honda. There Honda is not that much better then cub cadet or anything else. Not to mention consumer reports says Hondas throw for **** but again probably not a huge difference from best thrower.

im not saying cheaper models don't have their place - but you simply cannot compare the quality vs performance aspect.. its like comparing snap on and craftsman - except you can expect alot more maintenance over the course of owning a chinese knock off engine and a few snow storms where it wont start at all when you need it. (enter every cheap generator even made). many honda / yamaha items dont even have an electric start simply because its not needed.

 

[steed andersen]

I got an old Montgomery ward 24" 5hp. Got me through 21 inches in Chicago that just fell. Many winters before that. I was just finishing up and I did throw a drive belt. So I will replace that this weekend. No PLASTIC on this thing what so ever.

I am still repairing some of those old Montgomery Wards (Gilson) snow blowers. Solid,heavy metal on those old beasts. Some are from the early 70's and still going.

 

[boosteddsm92]

I'm going to say Honda but I don't think I could ever pay new price for one. I picked this HS828 up for $100 a couple years ago in perfect working order.



Already had a Yard Man 24" w/a Tecumseh Snow King 5hp motor. Never had a bit of trouble with it but I just couldn't pass up this Honda. This Honda throws snow further than anything I've ever seen.

 

[warmpancakes]

I have a ariens 2 stage from the 80s, with electric start, pull start is broke, headgasket just blew, but it still throws snow its build like a tank and weighs alot, look like **** its loud. even with a blown headgasket it still throws snow further than the neighbors new blower

 

[upgrading]

I'm going to say Honda but I don't think I could ever pay new price for one. I picked this HS828 up for $100 a couple years ago in perfect working order.

Lookin good.
You ****.

Someone I know just bought a new Ariens.
Has a very tiny gas tank on it.