Most reliable snow blower?

[theoldwizard1]

http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/ariens/

Unquestionably, the pre-1990 Ariens, Craftsman, Toro were better built. Most of those had "real" transmissions and heavier gauge steel in the housings. About the only thing missing on some of those older units is electronic ignition.

 

[woody 73]

I bought the following from sears new in 2005:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/for/4786847970.html

It has never let me down even for one second, starts every time never had the tank empty, changed the oil a few times and it runs like a champ. Not sure if that helps you out?

 

[lars]

Gravely Snow Cannon. It has that name for a reason.

That coupled with a Gravely with a Kohler K series engine is nearly indestructible.

 

[arms1970]

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.

All kinds of videos of these old beasts on youtube tossing snow like its nothing. My neighbor buys a new snow blower every 2 years it seems. If it doesn't start he runs to get a new one. Pencil pusher. Lol

 

[mazdarules]

I love my yamaha YS1028J, its a beast.

 

[Hop2it]

I have a 1975 ariens 5 hp it works great we just had a storm that left about 14-16" it sure saved my back.
Doug

 

[Jlbc212]

Honda! Love my HS928!

 

[upgrading]

I love my yamaha YS1028J, its a beast.

That big blue meanie looks cool.

 

[rtole]

We have tons of older used snowblowers around here.
http://www.bismanonline.com/content/action/Search/?doSearch=True&q=snowblower

Anybody who wants one can easily find one in good condition.

I know a guy around here that has many nice older ones he has repaired. He doesn't advertise on bisman.

 

[rtole]

I had to buy one a few years ago, while I think the Hondas are the best of the newer machines, I was not able to pay that much so I had to compromise. I went with a JD 928 e. It has a 14 inch impeller and most of that size have a 12. (In the consumer grade lines) my JD is the same as a simplicity. It will throw really far, but shear pins always break if you get into frozen snow. I am only slightly happy with it, but neighbors got craftsman, and mtd........they break all the time. If I could go back, I would rather had something else, but I was strapped for cash and could not buy a Honda at the time. Now I will use it as long as I can.

 

[kctyphoon]

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.

thats probably the best deal on a Honda in that condition ive ever heard of.. you could probably get about $1500 for that.. some guy was selling a track model that size for $350 - i emailed him at midnight and said consider it sold it you still have it.. (of course it was already gone)

i paid $800 for my tracked yamaha ys624 from the original yamaha dealer that ordered it new... telling people i paid that much for something thats probably from the 80's doesnt come without its looks - but clearing the snow in front of my house using one hand gets its share of looks too..

 

[Beaumont67]

Living out in the country, my dedicated 1992 John Deere 318 with hydraulic 1 stage blower (48" wide) gets the job done.
Had some 2-3 foot snow banks here, this week and does a fair job, scraping snow close to the pavement.

Few weeks ago, changed the oil from Mobile1 to AMSOIL (10w30, 4 stroke synthetic) and installed a NAPA Gold WIX filter.
(hour meter at low 502.4 run time, on the 18HP Onan, original paint garden tractor)
- few weeks ago, installed a Canadian Tire blue top AMG truck battery and bought one new 4 ply front right tire
- nothing stopping JD this winter

 

[fanatic]

I have an Ariens that is about 4 years old and like it a lot but, it doesn't take abuse like the older units.
I replaced the drive disc last year, not sure what engineer thought that thin rubber vulcanized on a metal disc would be a good drive system but, other than that I haven't been able to break anything else....yet.

 

[chrisexv6]

I have an Ariens that is about 4 years old and like it a lot but, it doesn't take abuse like the older units.
I replaced the drive disc last year, not sure what engineer thought that thin rubber vulcanized on a metal disc would be a good drive system but, other than that I haven't been able to break anything else....yet.

Friction disc drive setup has been around for a LONG time. My Ariens is now 9 years old and I havent replaced the disc even once. Im buying a spare to have around but its still going strong on the original.

There is a procedure in the manual for checking the tension on the engagement cable/spring....you might want to check on that. Maybe its engaging too much or not enough and causing premature wear on yours.

 

[kctyphoon]

I love my yamaha YS1028J, its a beast.

Mines 30 years old and still going strong.. every year all I do is spray some carb cleaner in the carb, drain and replace the old gas, and it starts every year no problem.

 

[ilovevocs]

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.

That's a you **** deal.

Casting a vote for Honda.

 

[IMStuner]

I had this Honda since 1994 and it's been reliable.


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[F150tech]

I have had an Ariens st824 for 15 years, change the oil and the spark plug every season, never has it failed me even in some of the blizzards we have had in the northeast over the last few years. It has the Tecumseh snow king engine.

 

[someone else]

I had to buy one a few years ago, while I think the Hondas are the best of the newer machines, I was not able to pay that much so I had to compromise. I went with a JD 928 e. It has a 14 inch impeller and most of that size have a 12. (In the consumer grade lines) my JD is the same as a simplicity. It will throw really far, but shear pins always break if you get into frozen snow. I am only slightly happy with it, but neighbors got craftsman, and mtd........they break all the time. If I could go back, I would rather had something else, but I was strapped for cash and could not buy a Honda at the time. Now I will use it as long as I can.

I've got a 928E as well, but aside from the basically 1 sheer pin a year, it's been stellar. Fires every time, runs great every time, clears snow, every time.

 

[dkmc]

I had an MTD 8HP I got cheap with low hours.
The thing was a pile of tin and belts, POS.
Sold it and bought an older Skid Steer.
Haven't hardly had any snow last 3 winters to use it!

 

[MacMcMacmac]

I was looking at the Yamahas a few years ago. Absolutely awesome machines.

Don't buy any of the cheap Murray units. I bought a Brute 27" at WalMart a few years ago and hate it. Feels cheap, and it has a mind of its own as to when it will decide to drive the wheels or not. Snow gets in on the disc and it just sits there. Unless the platter backs off its bearing, and then it drives itself all the time and you have to go chase it down the road. That was a cold repair job! Blowers must have the worst use to repair ratio of any type of power equipment.

The motor has been ok (Briggs), but the muffler shield split the first winter. I agree that a 24" would be the sweet spot for size. The 27 is a bit of a handful in a tight driveway.

 

[kctyphoon]

I bought my sister a cheap used craftsman a few years ago. It's a 5hp, single speed dial stage, and I gotta say the thing was pretty impressive when I used it. It's small, 22" I think. Doesn't throw snow very far, but it always works and is great for those small storms we get..

 

[maxpower_hd]

Mine is a 1964 Areins and I have never had much of an issue with it. IMO you will not find anything as simple to use or troubleshoot now. I changed the belt this season for the first time. I have owned it since 1993. I do have to remove and clean the carb every couple of seasons. I typically clean the plug at the same time. I change the oil yearly. That's about it.

 

[thickhead]

1970's Yardman 7040-1 SnowBird. Purchased for $50 at a yardsale. Carb is messed up but still runs! Fires on first pull.

Just seeing one of those again made me both nostalgic and pissed off at the same time. I spent many, many winters dealing with one just a bit older than that one.
My Ariens 11528DLE has been doing 4 driveways (help neighbors) per storm for the last 8 years without a fault, but dont buy from a big box store - go to a dealer.

Otherwise I'd get a Honda, but would love to try a blue Yamaha beast!

 

[chrisexv6]

I have an Ariens 926LE that I bought, new, from Home Depot back in 2006. It was on clearance (oh the days when they stocked WAAAAAY too many blowers and after Feb you had your pick of massively discounted new blowers)

Here we are about 11 years later and the thing still starts on the first pull. I upgraded it to AutoTurn last season, but other than that and oil changes the thing has done everything Ive asked of it with no issues along the way.

If I had to buy another blower today, there is no question it would be an Ariens. If I could get a stellar deal I would buy it from HD again, but if not Id give my local dealer the $$$.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I run my SB dry at the end of every season. I will be purchasing a fuel pump this year to siphon the gas out.

 

[Tonellin]

Ariens 1128 with tecumseh engine. Starts and runs flawlessly every time with nothing more than new oil and spark plug every season

I've read many threads about NOT buying your snowblower at a box store. There is a reason why they are hundreds of dollars less than your local power machine dealer like plastic being substituted in wherever possible.

Mine was bought from a Ariens dealer over a decade ago and has been worth every penny. Weighs well over 300lbs and shows no sign up slowing down with these tough new england storms

 

[chrisexv6]

Ariens 1128 with tecumseh engine. Starts and runs flawlessly every time with nothing more than new oil and spark plug every season

I've read many threads about NOT buying your snowblower at a box store. There is a reason why they are hundreds of dollars less than your local power machine dealer like plastic being substituted in wherever possible.

Mine was bought from a Ariens dealer over a decade ago and has been worth every penny. Weighs well over 300lbs and shows no sign up slowing down with these tough new england storms

Back when the 11528 and my 926LE were "new", there were plenty of posts by snowmann (I think his real name was Paul?) talking about how Ariens did NOT make models different for HD than for dealers. There were some dealer exclusive models (as there still are), but a 926LE, 11528LE, etc at Home Depot were exactly the same as at a dealer. And if you think about it, why would anyone want to spend money on a production line to make something "just a bit different" depending on its destination location?

NOW, yes, you can buy the black Sno-Tek models and they are definitely watered down compared to the "real" orange colored Ariens models. But it sure looks like a Deluxe 30 from HD is the same as a Deluxe 30 from a dealer. Obviously your support network is better from a small dealer (or, not, depending on your dealer) but machine wise I still think they are apples to apples if the model is the same.

What I find interesting is my local Lowes....all the John Deere blowers they've had in the past have dealer stickers right on them. Seems like they are all assembled and setup by a local dealer before being for sale at Lowes. I think thats changed (not even sure they carry JD anymore?) but its interesting that I could have gotten a "dealer" prepped John Deere from Lowes.

 

[Tonellin]

Back when the 11528 and my 926LE were "new", there were plenty of posts by snowmann (I think his real name was Paul?) talking about how Ariens did NOT make models different for HD than for dealers. There were some dealer exclusive models (as there still are), but a 926LE, 11528LE, etc at Home Depot were exactly the same as at a dealer. And if you think about it, why would anyone want to spend money on a production line to make something "just a bit different" depending on its destination location?

NOW, yes, you can buy the black Sno-Tek models and they are definitely watered down compared to the "real" orange colored Ariens models. But it sure looks like a Deluxe 30 from HD is the same as a Deluxe 30 from a dealer. Obviously your support network is better from a small dealer (or, not, depending on your dealer) but machine wise I still think they are apples to apples if the model is the same.

What I find interesting is my local Lowes....all the John Deere blowers they've had in the past have dealer stickers right on them. Seems like they are all assembled and setup by a local dealer before being for sale at Lowes. I think thats changed (not even sure they carry JD anymore?) but its interesting that I could have gotten a "dealer" prepped John Deere from Lowes.

Interesting thanks for the clarifying information. That makes a lot more sense than ALL ariens snowblowers being different whether you buyer at dealer or big box

 

[PMD1966]

Ariens STE824. Purchased 1998. Sta-Bil and drygas in the gas. Change spark plug and oil every year. Electric start, but starts with one pull at 5 degrees. Tecumseh engine.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I was looking at the Yamahas a few years ago. Absolutely awesome machines.

I don't think they are sold in the US anymore ! Canada, yes.

The biggest problem with 2 stage snow blowers is lack of maintenance. Simple things like removing the wheel and drive sprockets ever few years, cleaning the shafts and then lubing them before reassembly.

 

[kctyphoon]

I don't think they are sold in the US anymore ! Canada, yes.

The biggest problem with 2 stage snow blowers is lack of maintenance. Simple things like removing the wheel and drive sprockets ever few years, cleaning the shafts and then lubing them before reassembly.

There's a guy in Staten island advertising one on eBay.. he musta smuggled it in from Canada.. had it advertised on there last year too..

 

[diggerrick]

Laugh all you want, but I've had a 2-stage Craftsman snow blower going on ten years, and the only problems I've had are a couple broken shear pins (my fault - they did their job), and the chute rotating rod popped out once. It starts every time (electric start) even after sitting for months. I keep the tank full.

 

[94EG8]

The best snowblower you're going to find is a Honda. I've worked on just about every major brand of 2 stage machine out there, a lot of them in large numbers. You never see Hondas with starting issues. You just give them a single half hearted pull and they go. Beyond the fact that they always start they also throw snow way further than anything else, and then general construction is better than anything else. They're heavy where they need to be, but light in areas that don't need the extra strength so the machine doesn't weigh a ton. The hydrostatic transmission is great too, and I can't say i've ever seen or heard tell of anything having any issues with it. You can't really appreciate just how much better they are until you use one.

assuming you don't want to spend 2+ grand for a new snowblower you're left with just 2 engine choices. Chinese Honda clones which **** and Briggs and Stratton which **** less.

I used to do this for a living, those Chinese Honda clones are way better engines than a lot of people seem to think. They're light years ahead of the old the old Tecumseh Snow King engines, and somewhere between a B&S and a real Honda. Very close to a real Honda depending on the brand of clone.

 

[Skin]

I used to do this for a living, those Chinese Honda clones are way better engines than a lot of people seem to think. They're light years ahead of the old the old Tecumseh Snow King engines, and somewhere between a B&S and a real Honda. Very close to a real Honda depending on the brand of clone.

The problem is generally not with the block or crank, its the bits bolted on around it. They're garbage, comparatively speaking. One of the biggest issues is the use of metal tanks, being super cheap, and not cleaning them. Powermore (MTD) sticks a magnet in them to collect filings which then just sit in the tank. LCT (Ariens/Husqvarna) doesn't do anything so they migrate into the carb and cause running problems. Also plenty of broken recoils and dry rotting rubber. A Tecumseh isn't going to win any innovation awards and stinks to hell when running but they were reliably built and would run for decades. Im not seeing remotely close to the same reliability in the new stuff. Some of the designs make you want to throw the whole thing into the dumpster too like having to dismantle most of the engine to replace an electric starter.

This is an old thread but Briggs aren't much better anymore since everything for the last few years has also started coming out of their China facilities but their QC seems set to a higher standard. Not too much to complain about with the Loncin Toro's either.

Its not the fact that its made in China, its the fact that its poorly made in China.

Yamaha has their entire snowblower made in China-as are Subaru Robin small engines which were also quite decent (short lived in snow applications though). Point is if these other equipment manufacturers would stop being so cheap we'd get a better product.

 

[cgrutt]

Had a few snowblowers over the years. Snapper, Toro, Craftsman. By far the best one was a Massey Ferguson but that was made for a subcompact tractor. Thing was a beast. I used to do my neighborhoods sidewalk about 1/2 mile every snowstorm. Currently have a 38" Simplicity which is pretty nice. They all worked well though.

 

[timbitca]

Love my Yamaha YS624 from the early 90s. Got it free from my Dad who was the 2nd owner. Need to put new belts in it, didn't have time since I got it when winter was already started but it still works fine. It just shoots like a Craftsman does instead of a Yamaha.

Barely used it in January but used it enough in the last two days to make up for that. 1.5' of the white s*** fell and calling possibly for another foot Thursday.

This summer its going to get a tear down with some more new parts and maintenance that's overdue.





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[Packard V8]

My POS Home Despot blower let me down again finding Nemo. I just had it serviced and wouldn't even sputter when I needed it most.

Looking for the best brand for reliability starting. Ariens seems to be pretty well reviewed.

Nothing better than going to the tool geeks though... I mean that in the best possible way..

My Simplicity is only 40 years old, so I can't speak to how long it will last, but the Briggs & Stratton 8hp still starts first pull every time.

But in real terms, starting and durability are two very different factors. Starting is the engine manufacturer and has nothing to do with Ariens. Durability is how well the components other than the engine are designed and built.

jack vines

 

[James-W]

I have a Toro snowblower that I bought back in the early 1980's. In about 2005 I had to replace the Briggs engine. Originally it had a 3.5 HP engine on it, now it h as a 5.5 HP engine. Works great and I have not had any problems with it other than the engine replacement and I had to have the gearbox rebuilt once. So in about 35 years I have had two things go bad on it. I would say it has given me pretty good service.

 

[MN_Runner]

I have a 2011 Honda HS928WAS, which was bought new. It has been a great machine without any issues. It is very easy to start and maintain. I also have a 2013 HS520AS and it is perfect for those 2"-5" snow. I recommend Honda snowblowers and lawnmowers.