With all these storms we've been getting, it's time to get a snow blower. I have been looking for a 2 stage, and asked a friend who plows and stuff if he had any suggestions on where to get one. Most places are out of stock on them. He suggested a place but said to get this Toro unit with paddles, rather then an auger. He said it works better. Can anyone confirm this? I don't have a huge driveway, but want something that will be easy to use and work well. I had a single stage that was horrible, the wheels would get stuck in the snow, and it wouldn't throw the snow at all. So suggestions are definitely welcome.


Toro with paddles

 

I have a craftsman that I just bought and it is great, and wasn't that expensive, and it was one of the highest rated in consumers reports.

 

A single stage with paddles will not work better than a 2-stage with auger. It will be cheaper, but will have more trouble with deeper and heavier snows.

 

I bought a Yard Machine 22" chute 5 HP thrower with a 7-speed transmission (5 forward, 2 reverse) in 2000 (I think it was 2000). It has been a very reliable and good piece of equipment but it is getting a little long in the tooth. The engine and transmission are in fine shape and it works great. But I may be replacing it in the next year or two. So eleven or twelve seasons is not bad at all.

 

http://s.shld.net/is/image/Sears/071...sm=0.9,0.5,0,0

and if you look around you can find a $50 online coupon from Sears. to make this $550

 

That Craftsman is actually the one I want to go pickup but none of the local stores have any. With all the storms we have already had and with more coming, I may be out of luck finding anything.

 

My dad bought a 2-stage Ariens last winter, and the thing is an absolute workhorse. Two weeks ago we got 30.5" of snow in less than 24 hours, with about 24" sticking. It was able to handle that much heavy snow.

 

I got mine here. http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/

Ordered early Thursday, arrived Friday afternoon. The big selling point for them is the fast shipment. I got that without paying for the extra fast shipping however they were in Chicago and I'm ins S. Wisconsin so it was pretty close. Bust still pretty damn good.

I got a toro with paddles and it works great. True since it's a single stage I have to go slower on the thick stuff and not do as much at a time but the nice thing is it can scrape the ground and get more snow unlike the auger two stage which has to hover above the ground.


Also I picked up the rubber floor mat that both Homedepot and the site above sell. It's nice for collecting the snow that melts off the blower in the garage.

 

2-stage with auger. Don't waste your time, otherwise.

 

Must have if you get 5" of snow or more regularly: 2-Stage with auger. The single stages are little more than shovels that have an engine on them, they are next to useless in anything, but light snow.

Preferable: Tecumseh Snow King engine. Briggs are Ok, but read below.

I have a 3 year old Ariens with a 6.5hp OHV Snow King engine, and the thing is fantastic. It has torn through everything that Wisconsin winters have thrown at it. Including an all time record setting winter two years ago (104 inches total snowfall.)

Just out of curiosity, I looked at Ariens line for this year, and it looks like they have gone to Briggs and Stratton. I'm not sure why. While Briggs do make good engines, the Tecumsehs just seem to be a lot better when the the temps really drop. My next door neighbor has a Yard Machines with a Briggs 5hp on it, and he can not start it manually in temps below 5F, he has to use the electric starter. Mine, on the other hand, starts on the first pull of the handle at -15F. The two machines are about the same age, have two setting chokes, and have seen the exact same weather.

I hope that helps.

 

You will be happy that you got a two stage with auger when it eats right through the crap that the plow left at the bottom of your driveway. Just make sure that you get to it before it turns into a solid block of ice.

Tecumseh went out of business so you probably won't find any Snow Kings around. The company's assets were sold a few times. There is a company that owns the rights to the engines and makes parts for them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh_Products

Too bad too, I like my Snow King. Starts on first pull and runs strong. I've never had to use the electric start and I have no idea if the electric starter even works

 

I've spent half the day calling around and looking online. No one has any in stock. The constant snow we have had this year has really driven the sales of these up I guess.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Such a shame. Thanks for the info, I never even considered looking up if Tecumseh was still in business or not, as those engines had been around forever.

 

get the right tool for the job

 

Can't figure new snowblowers. My two repair places say they are all crap.

A friend owns a large landscape co and he does what I do, buy 1960's Ariens for $100. BUT, he employs multiple onsite mechanics. The ancient Ariens I have bought have cost me more than buying new. Maybe 40% of the cost is transporting the unit on a flatbed 1 to 5 miles.

Anybody tried Honda?

They cost a fortune, but the thing keeping me away is that the nearest authorized repair is 20 miles away

 

This year was the last year for my father's '78 toro 524. Engine still ran well so it was a shame. But I am using my mother's fiances 5 year old toro 826 with the Tecumseh engine and it's a beast. He just had it sitting in a warehouse since he has his long driveway plowed. This is the first newer snowblower that I have used that I can see going for 30 years with good maintenance.

I have used my uncles and my brothers newer Ariens (8 horse 24"auger) and they seem to be more cheaply built than this toro. We had my brother's rig split in two last weekend to change a belt. I could lift the thing with one arm. I can see the benefit to this, but I want a heavy machine, like the ole '78 that two people couldn't pick up.

If you have a chance, drive around to some gas stations to see if there are used ones available. I wouldn't be hesitant to even go for on thats 25-30 years old. 10 years old not so much. Better off bying new imo. They really don't make them like they used to, and chances are it will only need a couple belts and a carburetor rebuild and clean, which is simple. Can be done in a few hours. Worst case scenario you'll have to take it apart to replace a friction gear, linkage, or chain. Which isn't that bad either.

If you want to buy new, I suggest going with the new toro 8 horse 28" auger it will be more than you need in CT. Spread $1500 out over your entire lifetime, which is what it should last you with proper care. Also, you will be better off not buying from Home Depot or Lowes, as they are not the same machine as you get from a specialty equipment shop.

 

I can't spend $1500 right now.

 

I feel your pain OP, I'm from Westport. I'll be purchasing a snow blower next year, can't justify the increased mark-up because of this years snow fall.

 

^ That's true. I'm sure they are jacking the prices up. When I have to buy my own I will probably do so in the late summer early fall.

 

Wait until the end of feb and the month of march, Lowes and HD will be discounting them nicely. You can get a very useful model for $5-700.

I have had my trol bilt for eight years now and the only thing i have replaced is a couple shear pins, which is normal.

 

Yeah, the old ones are heavy and loud. I like the newer stuff. Nothing wrong with a new Ariens. The old ones are fun if you need a workout and like to tinker. I recently replaced an old Little Wonder Leaf blower with a new Billy Goat. The Goat is half the weight, much better on gas, and doesn't try to blow out the ear drums of my neighbors. My 6 year old Ariens is really good on gas and has had zero problems.

 

While I agree that a 2 stage is a better way to go. You are kidding yourself if you say that a single stage is a shovel with a motor. My driveway is 22ft wide and 60ft long, so its not huge, but not small either. For the first few years I shoveled the driveway during snows. Last year my neighbor gave me a single stage that his family didn't need anymore. I absolutely love it and recommend single stage blowers to everyone. I used a 2 stage for many years living at my parents house and agree that a single stage won't go through 20" of snow or snow packed hard as ice like the 2 stage will. However my unit blasts though any snow we have had up to 10" with ease. I can now clear my driveway including what the snow plow pushs into the end of my driveway in 15 min.

 

I don't notice much of a sound or efficiency difference. Between models that are almost 30 years apart no less.

 

A neighbor bought a 4-cycle single stage from HD at the beginning of the season. It actually does fairly well, I must say I was surprised. It's been a light winter so far, the most we've gotten is about 10 inches or so. We'll see how he does when we really get walloped.

 

I found this marketing video that puts a single stage against a two stage. Keep in mind that it's a marketing video. I believe the main difference between a Ariens Sno-Tek and their Compact series is that the Sno-Tek has a Chinese made engine. That's how they were able to get the price down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI-AFIA56yo

 

My new snowblower

My Western 8" plow is in the background.

 

The single stage in that video would've done better if they had just had the guy go a bit slower instead of jamming it in the snow bank as fast as he could. In most cases a 2-stage is overkill. I live in Wi and get a ton of snow and the single stage is just fine. Sure I have to go a bit slower then the 2 stage sometimes but I've never had any problems. Half the people in my area that have 2-stage blowers also have these huge ride on mowers for tiny little lots. Bigger isn't always better when you don't actually need it.

 

Do you get a lot of wet heavy snow? How big is your driveway? Is your driveway on a hill? Do you need to clear out the front of your property for access to a walk, fire hydrant or parking spaces? These are things you need to consider before you make a decision.

Some people need a powerful machine. I wouldn't be able to open up the end of my driveway, which is piled up with wet ice chunked snow left from plows, without a powerful machine. Also, we have lost 6 feet of road with all the snow. I can clear out the wet heavy drifts (now 10 feet tall) that block my front walk and hydrant and clear out spaces for parking. If you don't need an 8 horse 2 cycle, you're right, it wouldn't be smart to buy one. It's up to you to figure out what you need.

 

So today was the first big storm with my 1 stage blower. Big storm and snow over the blower. It had no problem going through it. It never stalled and never got stuck.

Only a couple things I imagine were different then if I had a 2 stage. One I could have gone a little bit faster but that doesn't bother me. The other was at the end of the driveway after the plow came through. Rather then shove it through that I grabbed a shovel and carved it all down to the curb. It took me two minutes at most and that made it so I could actually see the curb. The blower itself went through the chunks left behind without a problem Get to do it all over again tomorrow. Hell maybe even tonight.

 

Meh. My lil Honda one stager works just fine for residential purposes.

Slore alert!

HS520A

Easy start Honda OHC engine
4-stroke - no smell, no smoke
Light and maneuverable
Large 20" wide clearing width, 12" high
Clears up to 50 tons/hour
Semi-self propelled auger drive

MSRP $729.00*

 

We just had an ice storm. EVERYTHING is covered in ice. A single stage would not have worked for this storm. There may be another ice storm coming on Saturday. This is the worst winter I have personally experienced and its only half over. If I am going to spend the money, I'd rather spend it on something that can handle anything Mother Nature throws at me. Although I am sure that Honda is nice, at $729 I can get into a decent 2 Stage blower (if there were any in stock anywhere).

 

For $729 you can get a much better machine.

 

I got a nastygram in my mailbox from the mailman asking me to increase the area around my box so he doesn't have to get out of the truck. I have no idea where he thinks I'm going to move the snow to. I'll give it a shot with my blower but I think it's mostly ice now.

 

you may have to use a garden shovel.

 

I bought an Ariens 926DLE in 2007. It was a leftover 2006 model - but it still cost @1,500. This winter alone has already made it the best investment ever. It is a beast and has gone through everything I have tried.

My Dad had an Ariens for 30 years - it was still running when he finally got rid of it. He was given a 1 year old Snapper snowblower and after <10 years it is having problems. He went to go get a new Ariens last month and same as you found all snowblowers all sold out.

 

Well I FINALLY picked up a blower. I just happened to be at Home Depot with my parents to go over some stuff for their upcoming kitchen renovation I will be doing. I saw a guy walking with one so I just stopped mid sentence and said I'll be right back. Went to check and they had about 10 or 15 of them sitting there, all the same model. It's a Murray 24" 2 stage. It has an electric start, 6 forward speeds and 2 reverse, and a Briggs and Stratton motor. I believe it is a discontinued model, as that is what I am seeing at other sites. It gets good reviews, and I am sure they just come out with new models each year. I could be wrong on that however. This is the blower, and it cost $599. http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Mur...9.html#reviews

 

Sweet, we are done with snow for this year

Enjoy your blower

 

We are also looking to get a snow blower, but waiting till after this season because A) no stock left and B) too many expenses this year. We're in NY and get fairly regular snow storms, especially this year (one per week, at least). Ranges from a couple inches up to 3 feet, snow, ice, and everything in between. We'll need a decent machine. Driveway is also fairly big so we are killing ourselves shoveling this year. Luckily, our neighbor has bailed us out a few times with his snow blower.

 

I picked up the exact same one. It's Canadiana which is the exact same as the Murray. I guess this is the one they sell up in Canukistan

Got it at Home Depot. They put three on the floor literally when I walked in. By the time I left 30 minutes later, only one remained.

same specs as yours.




Let it snow baby.

 

Nice. I actually just went back and picked up a second one for my sister-in-law. They are moving back from Maryland and we asked if they wanted one too. I just tested mine out on the large pile of snow I have from shoveling. I left the skids up so I didn't hit the ice on the bottom. The stuff on top is a bit wet but soft. It went right through with no problem. Will be so nice to have when it snows again.