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.
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.