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Snow blower

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It will work, but more HP and a bigger chute means you can throw the snow farther and higher. If it is heavy wet snow, it will not go as far and will take more time to clear. If your driveway is steeply sloped, get tire chains for the snow blower. You will need them.
 
LegendKiller said:
1. Don't touch anything that doesn't have a Brigs&Stratton that isn't made in the US or a Honda.

2. Don't touch anything that doesn't have a steel gearbox, sheer bolts, and a grease plug to fill the gear shaft after the winter.

After a pretty large amount of research I settled on an Ariens Deluxe 28"+. This was a special model from a couple years ago when Ariens ran out of B&S 250cc engines and ran a line with 305cc engines. Hand warmers, electric start and a manual drive disengage mechanism to make turning a lot easier. I got that for $1k. The whole thing, engine and all, is made in the USA, machine is made in WI.

I can't stand the joystick chute control, it never quite locks in where you want it.

My brother's Toro has done OK but the reliability hasn't been great.

I wouldn't touch anything Craftsman with a 10' pole, engines and overall quality is getting worse. Nor would I really touch anything else. Having an unreliable snowblower completely defeats the purpose of it.

As far as Honda, I'd love to get one, but the price premium over everything else is huge. I just couldn't justify it. I love my Honda lawnmower, but paying 2-3k for a snowblower just isn't practical for me.
Click to expand...

I agree with what your saying. Ariens is like the rest of the snowblowers now. A lot of Chinese parts, and even most of the B&S engines the put on them are made in china now.

I also love my Honda mower, and would considering getting a Honda snowblower, but I don't get their pricing for them. 2-3 times the cost of imho comparable blowers from ariens. 24" start at 2300 bucks. WTF.
 
michal1980 said:
I agree with what your saying. Ariens is like the rest of the snowblowers now. A lot of Chinese parts, and even most of the B&S engines the put on them are made in china now.

I also love my Honda mower, and would considering getting a Honda snowblower, but I don't get their pricing for them. 2-3 times the cost of imho comparable blowers from ariens. 24" start at 2300 bucks. WTF.
Click to expand...

Seems like Ariens has the most USA made, especially if you get the ones with the 300+cc engines.

Yeah, the Hondas are crazy. I don't get it.
 
michal1980 said:
I agree with what your saying. Ariens is like the rest of the snowblowers now. A lot of Chinese parts, and even most of the B&S engines the put on them are made in china now.

I also love my Honda mower, and would considering getting a Honda snowblower, but I don't get their pricing for them. 2-3 times the cost of imho comparable blowers from ariens. 24" start at 2300 bucks. WTF.
Click to expand...

you have to remember that the hondas are hydrostatic drive. this is a huge difference from a clutch/belt system
 
Zivic said:
you have to remember that the hondas are hydrostatic drive. this is a huge difference from a clutch/belt system
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I know. But on there mowers (say the HRX line) getting the hydrostatic drive is only a $100 premium.

I'd like one. But there way out there on price. As if they almost dont want to sell them.
 
michal1980 said:
I know. But on there mowers (say the HRX line) getting the hydrostatic drive is only a $100 premium.

I'd like one. But there way out there on price. As if they almost dont want to sell them.
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Or they feel that they can command a premium for the name/technology
 
EagleKeeper said:
Required:
Electric Start

Optional:
Reverse - Heavier unit - harder it is to pull it
Multi-speed - Saves having to hold the unit back when doing heavy/deep
Light - Much easier when doing night work
Chute rotational control - convience
Click to expand...

Pretty much totally disagree.

Electric start-if an option I wouldn't buy it. Any modern snowblower will have the low compression start, it's super easy to start. My previous snowblower (30 yo) would wear you out after three pulls or so, it's replacement is a breeze. I use the electric start maybe once a year to test it.

Reverse: absolutely required on any sizeable blower. I know from experience.

Multi-speed: To me this is required. I go different speeds depending on the snowfall, one inch of powder is a lot different than six inches of slush or three feet of snow.

Light: would be a nice convenience if I had one, but then again it takes away the excuse about not having to get up in the middle of the night to do a preliminary cleaning. I'll go with lazy over convenience.

chute rotational control: I can't imagine having a snowblower without this, unless you are talking about a lightweight snowthrower for a once in a year snowfall down south somewhere.

Additional required: my snowblower has toggles on each handle to disconnect the drive wheel on that side. This is fantastic, much like power steering. That, plus a working reverse gear makes snowblowing more like walking around than working.

Final additional requirement: one of those plastic pokers to clear out chute jams. Spend the five or ten bucks for one, far too many people lose fingers each year to this. Oh, and have some extra shear bolts on hand as well, if you don't you'll need one for sure.

I currently have a two stage 27" inch Craftsman two or three years back for $600-$800 and it's perfectly fine for a 300 foot New England driveway, even when we had the 36" storm.
 
Must be the area you live in, i see them all the time on CL. There is one on there right now with a blower, mower, plow and some type of driveway cleaning thing for 800 bucks..
 
jaha2000 said:
Watch craigslist for an old Gravely Super C.... Get the blower attachment for it and profit..
Everything mentioned in this thread is a toy compared to the Gravely. I sold my Ariens Deluxe 28+ after i got the gravely.
Nothing mentioned above will do this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNmlIKILis
Click to expand...

the gravely is a nice unit, but don't call the hondas a toy. that gravely don't throw snow like a honda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE4Ke2OFg3E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDVfv7N7KVs

Jump to 5 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfOQJXPZlD4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmSl3KSWUlI
 
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