Snow blowers!!

D beatty

Well-known Member
I am starting to look at snowblowers that are in the 28 to 30 inch size. I have never used one and have no idea who makes the best machine for the money and which ones hold up the best. I am be told Iam getting to old to be useing the aluminum scoop shovel. We also got us a new dog this spring and I will have to make some paths for him to do his business and he doesn't have much ground clearance. Any comments or ideas will be appreciated.
 
10 years ago I bought a 10 year old HS55 Honda and have never once thought I should have bought anything else. Starts like a Honda and blows the snow, a lot of the newer box store blowers are pretty lame in the blower part, probably liability.
 
I have a blower made by MTD. It has the 10hp Tecumseh engine with electric start. My wife bought it in 1997 for my birthday. Hal
PS: We get Consumer Reports and they list the different snow blowers they've tested and rated.
These are the 24 inch two-stage blowers.
Sears Craftsman 88183 for $680.00 w/rating of 73
Toro Power Max 724 for $800.00 w/rating of 69
Sno-Tec 920402 for $600.00 " " 66
Honda H5724WA for $2200.00 " of 65
a167781.jpg

a167782.jpg

a167785.jpg
 
You did not ask which one is cheapest but you did indicate that you are looking for a long-lasting high quality machine that can do what it is supposed to do.

My vote is for the track-drive Honda models. I do not know of another brand of engine that starts as easily, as quickly and in all kinds of weather as a Honda. No question.....they are not inexpensive but in terms of getting what you pay for, the Honda wins hands down in my opinion. It is a lifetime machine. Take a good look at the HSS622TCS. I think that this one is probably all the machine you need. Yes... it is a 22 inch unit but if you are looking to keep your cash outlay down, then that would be my choice. The HSS928TC is a 28 inch model but at a much higher cost in order to gain that extra 6 inches.

You do not mention the length and width of your driveway nor how often it snows or how deep most of the snowfalls are. Those are the things that justify going to a wider model with higher HP. If you are dressed for success, then so what if you have to take 2 or three more passes to clear the drive.



My 2nd choice would be an Ariens. This is an American fixture in the outdoor power equipment business that builds really good products. However, their prices are very close to the HONDA and after using the track drive Honda, I would not go back to wheel drive.
 
Which ever brand you get stick with the 22 inch cut, more economic and easier to handle. I have had experience with the track Honda and a Sears. Both did very well. Whatever you pick get something that you can get repair parts for or a good trustworthy dealer who will be around when you need him.
 
I just changed oil in my blower. I don't have any complaints on the 10hp Tecumseh engine being 17 years old. It's has the 28" swath. It hasn't been started since Feb or March and it started easily with primer and choke. Hal
a167786.jpg

a167787.jpg
 
I've got a White(mtd^)11hp OHV,33",track drive that comes into play when Ma Nature gets vicious.Though a tad bulky for"close order drill",this Beast hasn't met its match in winter yet.Has"man height" handles,110 electric start,heated grips,trigger steering,electric spout,rotation,dashboard spout height lever,halogen light etc.No doubt other mfgs similar machines are similar in nature. I spent several yrs buying,refreshing and reselling castoff blowers.
Note:Regardless of the nameplate,there's only a handful of actual mfgs out there and many "nameplates" on newer rigs are simply unrelated to the "Original" quality proven machines of the past.Nameplates sadly have just become another saleable asset of a dead Company :(
 
I looked at a Troy biult with tracks but sales person said that if its not running its hard to move them. I have looked at about 5or6 differant snow blowers and they look like they all use some of the same parts.
 
I have looked at that size a Sears and that is the size I want to get( they run about $1,000.00). That size at Sears is a MTD built unit and its the same machine as a Cub Cadet. I also looked at Troy Built but wasn't impressed with their machines. The used ones that I looked at that looked good they were only a few hundred dollars from buying a new one and with new one I know how it was used. If you look in back round you can see some of what I shovel.I don't have any good pictures drive with out something setting in it.
a167931.jpg
 
Thanks Hal! Every tree and bush on the place I planted . Heres a picture of our house looking from garage to back of house. We built house in 1978 and it took us 4 years to complete doing it in our spare time.I have about 2 acres of yard to mow and take care of.
a167961.jpg
 
True fact,due to fact that tracks do not"freewheel" as EZ,and the drive system adds weight to the machine and ground clearance is less.However the most likely scenarios for this problem are"out of gas" :( and shifting the beast around garage.
Only took me about bout 15 seconds the only time I ran outta gas 1/4 block from"homebase"to determine that fetchin the gascan was a WHOLE lot better plan than than playin Clydesdale :)
 
The track blowers are nice looking machines the only thing that I wonder is in ten years you need new tracks will I be able to get them. Your odds of finding tires is better than finding tracks. When I buy something new I take care of it and will keep it for 20 + years as long as nothing major happens to it. Of the blowers that I have looked at I like the 28 inch ones.
 
The chances of you wearing out a set of tracks in even twenty years would be highly unlikely. Go talk to a longtime Honda dealer about that issue and see if he has ever had to replace a track due to wear.

Many of the off-brands are made by MTD, a company that is not known for building a high quality product and the internet is full of reports about warranties not being honoured.
 
Tom I should have said dry rot instead of wear out. Setting in garage in summer it gets hot and that heat effects rubber tires and rubber tracks.
 
No problem.

I agree that dry rot can be a concern but I have numerous garden tractors that still have original tubeless tires that hold air in spite of being built in the late 60's or in the 70's.

With a tracked machine, dry rot would not be a major concern to me unless I was storing the machine in a very hostile environment. There are two pieces of outdoor power equipment that are greatly under used by most owners and those are snow blowers and rotary tillers. Lawn and garden tractors often see use once or even twice each week but in many areas of the country, snowfall can vary widely from year to year.

Some years, you might not put 2 hours onto the snowblower but the next year it might see 20 hours. Proper storage and maintenance is the key to longevity for snowblowers and rotary tillers, especially when it comes to adding fuel stabilizers or running the machine out of gasoline 100 percent.

Honda pretty much pioneered the use of rubber tracked snowblowers and I bought one of the very first units for my father back in the 80's. He loved it because it started for him on the first pull every time and it threw snow much better than the snowblowers he had previously.

So far, I have not noticed any threads about rubber track deterioration problems. Have you? Snowmobiles have been using rubber tracks since their inception and then we have all of the mini and midi excavators with rubber tracks followed by numerous manufacturers of skid steer loaders.

Those machines do wear out their rubber tracks and they also damage them from improper use by the operator. Those scenarios are pretty hard to duplicate with a snowblower unless you insist on climbing concrete or stone steps every time it snows.
 
We have a lot of big box stores and not many full service dealer around here anymore . We have 3 places selling cub cadet, Sears sells MTD, Ace sells Craftsman (MTD), Lowes is Troy Built,and the one Cub Cadet dealer that is actually a full service dealer sells Toro to. From what I have looked at MTD built, Troy Bilt, and Toro there is not much differance between the size that I am looking at (28inch). Like you said if I take go care of it any of them will out last me at my age.
 
after being in the small engine business for 20yrs i can tell you there are only 4 quality choices. #1) Ariens #2) Honda #3) Simplicity PRO series and #4) toro, or at least they used to make a good one. Ariens is the best value to dollar, Honda is great quality but be prepared to pay. Simplicity PRO series only, great stuff but priced like honda. People are obsessed with a low cost and purchase cheap snowblowers. and than replace them in a few years. BUY quality fist and get 10-20 years from your snow blower. My 2 ariens are from 1978 and 1976.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top