New Snow Blowers

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Snagglefoot

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I need a new snow blower for my acreage. I have 180 ft driveway of which 100 ft is a 7 degree slope. Seven doesn't like much but is is a significant slope. I probably get 10 bad storms a season, but they really cause a problem when I try get up the hill. The storms usually dump a couple of feet of snow and the worst ones would be 3 ft. The driveway is gravel. My garage has a 20 ft flat section in front of the two car garage to park vehicles in front and then slopes down for those 100 ft, levelling off for the last 60 ft. It would be no problem for the initial run down the hill but I was thinking I should run chains to get back up. I really don't want to buy a tracked snow blower because they add quite a bit to the cost. I'm trying to keep below $1000 US. I would like electric start and lights. Also I need to do paths, around the yard. I don't own a quad so I'm not willing to go there. Any advice on models, engine size etc? Thanks.
 
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I don't have the slopes but I have to clear quite a bit of snow each winter as well. I have run a Poulan for about 5 years now. Its a stripped down Husqvarna. I beat the snot out of it as I ask a lot. It was just over 1000$ tax in and it is love/hate.

Now it does not have a light, those individual wheel brakes/steering, heated grips but it does have electric start, 291cc and 30" width. I though I would miss the light but the other snowblowers I have used were so so at best. I use a LED headlamp and am much happier with it. I do not like those quick steering models as I find them cumbersome at best.

The LCT engines are Chinese made and have/had some minor issues: the primer line dry rots in a few months but is easy to replace. Some of the older models had a defect, which was apparently fixed where the gasket for the crankcase was not up to par and caused a slight oil leak. Mine was apparently not on the recall but it started to leak, It was an easy enough fix done in about an hour. You just unbolt the crankcase and separate it enough to add some RTV sealant on the corners.

Now this thing starts first pull. Does not matter the temperature. I used the electric start to test it out but that's it. -30 C and it fires up with one pull and I cannot kill the thing. I bury it and the only time it stops throwing snow is when I physically cannot push it any harder into a snow bank and when the governor opens up, she really throws.

Now, like I had said, the primer line dry rotted but it was easily fixed and never a problem again. The crankcase caused me issue but was easily fixed. I had a slight fuel leak at the carb as the fuel line was weeping and found the petcock was not sealing properly and drained the bit of fuel out. I never checked the fuel level as I figured it was good and couldn't get it to start so I overused the electric start and cracked the starter. That was my fault and my poor temperament.
 
With the kinds of storms you said you have, I would buy the most powerful engine I could afford.

I bought a new Ariens Deluxe 28 snow blower in 2011 for $1,000. At that time they were built with Briggs and Stratton engines. Mine is a 250cc with 11.5 ft/ lbs of torque. It's perfect for the kinds and frequency of storms we get here on Long Island. Most of our storms are under 2 feet but we do get walloped once in a while.

Best of all it clears the EOD piles that the snow plows dump with no trouble. My driveway is about 80 x 15 feet long that widens to park 2 cars and we have a 3 car parking pad on one side. Also have approx. a 50 foot path to the front door and another path to the oil tank in back. Plus an area in the street by the mailbox, another area in the street for the trash cans and to park a visiting car or 2. The current Deluxe 28 now comes with a similar size LCT instead of the B&S engine and has "power steering".

However for your snow falls , I think you need something with a larger engine than 11.5 ft/lbs of torque.

I'm partial to Ariens because of my past research and my experience with mine. Not an ounce of trouble. I started it yesterday after it was sitting for 5 months and it started right up on the first easy pull. It always does.

Ariens has a "Platinum" line that I think is a good fit for your situation but they start at $1,499 US. The "low" end model is 24 inches wide and comes with a 369cc engine that has 17 ft/lbs of torque. That seems monstrous to me compared to mine but with 10 storms of 2-3 feet each, it will do the job for you. Tires are pretty aggressive too and chains are always available for the 7 degree slope if needed.

https://www.ariens.com/en-us/snow-products/snow-blowers/platinum

In the price range of $1,000 US I think they will all have electric start and a light.



I don't hear many good comments about anything made under the MTD family of blowers: Troy-Bilt, Cub Cadet. Craftsman, Yardman, John Deere (I think), and a few others whose names I can't remember. The build quality just isn't there. And I have yet to see the torque spec for any of their engines no matter the brand. I used my FIL's 24inch Troy-Bilt at his house a couple of times a few years ago. It was junk.



You might also find this site helpful. It's kind of like BITOG for snow blowers:

https://www.snowblowerforum.com/



I know of a few people who bought online from Snow Blowers Direct but I don't know if they sell in Canada:

https://www.snowblowersdirect.com/throwers/two-stage-snow-blowers.html



Best of luck!
 
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Your thinking about chains is correct. They are a must if you want to go on any kind of ice, and especially on a grade.
 
I wonder if buying two would make sense. Murphy's Law clearly states that it will only be broken when you need it most. And it sounds like you plan on working it.

I know treads add cost but don't those machines "float" well? As in, more neutral balanced, and more easy to set so that it doesn't scrape gravel.
 
Husqvarna makes good blowers too.

I would worry about the fragility of the drive system. A friction disc style isn't the most robust. Cranking up hill could lead to premature wear. I might choose a operating style where I do a "full swath" downhill then a half swath/ finishing swath uphill if I felt I was taxing the machine. But then you're looking for a machine with few compromises so that platinum Ariens might be the one.
 
My 40? yr old Ariens has the friction disc drive. It out lasted the Tecumseh engine. I should order a new one along with a belt and some shear pins to get ready for the winter. I repowered it with a 212CC Predator. I filled it with 5w30 and if it doesn't start by the 3rd pull, it's because I forgot to turn on the gas.
grin2.gif
 
Ive been very happy with my commercial Simplicity from the mid 90's however things are very different today. It seems like the MTD lines are all the same chinese stuff with extra options tacked on. Husquvarna looks like quality, but is obviously a bit more. Would you consider a relatively new used one? You can probably pick one up for about 700 with tracks and all, and if it doesnt run you can get it going and save more on a quality machine.
 
I know it doesn't fit your price criteria, but the Honda snow blowers with track drive fit the bill for your needs.
9hp model, but sit down for the price....
 
If you can find a sweet used pro duty Toro, Simplicty, Ariens or Honda, those machines are going to throw more snow per bite in stock form than any of them. In Canada, if you can find a Yamaha, those are beasts as well. Like BrianF suggested, for the 'cheaper machine' realm, I much prefer anything made by the Husqvarna group over anything made by MTD. I find them a bit better designed and easier to work on. For my Buffalo NY winters, I have a newer 28" Ariens SnowTek as my main and a ~20yr/old YardMan (MTD) 24" as backup. I have a project Ariens 2-stroke rubber paddle job too.
 
Just to comment on power. The 291cc LCT is rated for 14+ foot pounds. I have not had any power limitations. The only issues throwing was when there was absolute powder or slush, which is the limitations for most. The biggest limitation is the traction. Chains might help but I get behind the machine and push with everything I have. But this is when we get a real bad wind driven snow drifts. They come in and set like concrete. You even have difficulty with tractors.

I also have to run the machine over gravel. You have to set your skids up higher and that will leave some snow behind but that's the price you pay. It sucks but you eventually pack down snow and can run the blower decently fast after that and not worry about throwing rocks at the house or vehicles.

I have replaced the auger belt last year and still might do the drive belt just so I don't have to fix anything in the dead of winter. The friction disc still runs strong after all the crap I ask it to do.
 
A buddy of mine has one of those Cub Cadet (MTD) 3-stage snow blowers. He bought it 3-4yrs ago.. He likes it but hasn't had to put it to hard work yet. I would expect it to be in line with any MTD snowblower. Keep it clean, dry and out of the elements when not used and it will be OK.
 
My Honda HS55 1980's era snowblower has tank tread or tracks. It will go anywhere, up stairs up and over any obstacle or depth of snow with ease. Its only 5hp...but it throws (a very well known attribute) is long lasting and is very reliable. I got mine used (previous light commercial application) and it was a very good bargain when compared to new. It will most likely out live me and I have had it for 10 years.
 
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