Snowblower recommendation: TB Storm 3090

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Greetings:

I wanted to share a positive initial review for the snowblower that I picked up last night. I got the Troy Bilt Storm 3090 which is a 30" 2-stage unit with a 305cc Briggs & Stratton OHV engine. It seems to be a good fit for our 150' driveway and will give my tired '70 JD 112 tractor/37" blower combo a needed rest until I can restore it.

It has plenty of power and the engine is very smooth and quiet (for a snowblower anyhow!) It started on the first pull and did not bog down in the heavy snow/crust mix that I had to deal with today. It has a joystick chute control, heated handgrips and a headlight. It also has trigger-type steering that allows power to just one wheel at a time to improve maneuverability.

http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_482861_55007_-1

I bought one that had been returned by another customer because a tire went flat as soon as they got it home. They never used it - it was spotless. It had been sent out to repair the tire and Lowes discounted it an additional $100 below the current $989 sale price. For $890 I think it was a good deal. Besides - pickin's were slim for any snowblowers around here this late in the season other than the small single stage units and the $1500 and up monsters.

The B & S 305cc engine with 110v electric start is really 9 horsepower from what I have read elsewhere. I do not understand why the manufacturers have stopped advertising horsepower...

I changed out the oil after about 1 1/2 hours of use. It looked like dark grey metallic paint! I put in Motorcraft 5w30 semi-syn and will change it again in about 2-3 more hours of use to clean out any more junk.

While it isn't an Ariens, Simplicity or John Deere I think it is good for what I paid. At least it does not have a Chinese-made mystery motor on it. My only beef so far is that I wish the chute were metal and I hope the joystick chute control will prove to be durable. I may also add a set of tire chains as it does not come with any.

That's my take so far.

Andrew S.
 
How long does a full clearing run take? If long enough you might consider changing oil after each use, at least this remaining season. This allows for a hot oil change and you can monitor the breakin process this way also.
 
One clearing probably averages between 1.5 and 3 hours depending on how bad the storm is, how wet the snow is, etc. I am going to change the oil again after the next clearing and see how it looks. It always amazes me how much metal dust ends up in small engine oil during break-in. Too bad this engine isn't full flow with a filter. It is probably just splash lubed like most others.

I feel bad for all of those neglected engines out there that run their entire lives on the factory fill oil with just top-offs. It is amazing that they last as long as they do.

Andrew S.
 
If that' the time of use I would change after each use, at least until you notice much less metal, then maybe every other use for rest of season, and of cource at end of season. 9hp. for .3 liters is 30 hp. per liter. My cars rating is 43hp per liter new, now I'm probably in the 30's. I think torque for the engine is a better rating for things like snow blowers which need torque to cope.
 
Yes, I'll change it after each run until I see the metal dust go away. Once it is broken in I will use a full synthetic 5w30.
 
"I do not understand why the manufacturers have stopped advertising horsepower..."
Because there was a lot of outright lying about the horsepower.
Same engine could/would be advertised as 5 hp, 5.5 hp, 6 hp, and even 6.5 hp.
Mush like the old days of the auto makers in the 70s.
Free engine power, power in/on the end product, power at red-line, power at the recommended rpm, power at the requlated speed (tip speed).
So the federalese stepped in and now they are rated by torque at the controled rpm. (typically 3000 rpm).
 
Very interesting...

I didn't realize that there were those kinds of games being played with the HP numbers on small engines like the auto manufacturers used to in the pre-SAE net (before '72) days.
 
Andrew that's a LOT of snowblower for the money paid! I know I've said it too many times already, but OVH engines are the only way to go for this type of equipment. The only thing alarming to me is 1.5 - 3hrs to clear a 150ft drive with a monster (30") snowblower like this?!?!

Joel
 
Hi Joel:

Yes, you are probably correct that my time estimate is high. 1 to 1.5 hours is probably more like it. Our driveway is 150' long but also has a large square area for parking in front of the garage doors. The fact that it is a bluestone (gravel) driveway didn't help in the past because the big 37" single stage blower on my old JD tractor enjoyed pitching rocks! That big single stage auger spinning at high speed is a sight to behold. It could probably double as a wood chipper!

I think the best part of going to a walk behind for me is the maneuverability factor. The tractor with blower is a long rig. The tractor also had a bad habit of getting stuck on icy areas and areas that aren't flat - even with the wheel weights, chains and my 200 lb backside in the seat. That heavy blower up front acts as a counterweight that tends to unload the rear tires.

Maybe Murphy's law will kick in and we won't get any more snow for the rest of the winter!

Andrew S.
 
I couldn't agree more Andrew. Growing up, we had a 1970 JD 110 with a single stage blower for our long gravel driveway. My dad eventually upgraded to a ~1992 JD GT262 with blower, but it was the same single stage monster. You could hear them coming from a mile away, but man do they move some snow. I've got a long, steeply sloped asphault drive with a small parking area. I clear it with my 24"/7hp pretty quickly. A horrible storm might take me 30min. Maneuverability is much easier with a walk-behind, as is off season storage. If you've got a huge drive, something tractor mounted is easier on the body.

Joel
 
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