What to look for in a used snow blower?

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Rand
But in the 400-500$ price range that gets you a GREAT single stage.. not much of a 2 stage.
I usually maintain 3 driveways. The one driveway will fit 5 cars wide and 5 deep. I can go down the middle and it will throw to the edge on both sides even with 8" or 10" of crusty stuff.


That's good to hear. Our driveway is probably 3 cars wide (jammed together) and 4-5 cars long. I figured that I'd take one slow pass straight down the middle, then start cutting each half, throwing to each edge as I work my way to the edge.

My neighbor said that one year a few years ago, he had to break out the shovel because the snow piles got so high that the machine couldn't throw it over.

There are two 3 hp Snow Champs on Craigslist. One is $50 and the other is $150. I think these have 3 hp Tecumseh 2 strokes. I called the guy on the $50 one and I'm second in line; will know on Saturday if the first guy passes. I figure I can't go wrong for 50 bucks, and it'd be a good way to get my feet wet. I could sell it for what I paid for it if I decided that I am a snow blower guy and want a better one down the road.

The $150 one looks to be in better condition, but $150 is probably a little dear for that particular machine. I could offer $100 and see if he bites on it. It's on the DC side of the mountain, though. Everything over there is priced twice what it is here.

 

[supton]

Good plan. You can always flip it if you don't like it.

 

[JTK]

Hokie- Like said above, when it comes to single stage units, Toro or Honda are where it's at. I had a Toro CCR unit years ago that I brought back from near death and I wished I had kept it instead of selling it. Last winter I bought a fixer-upper Ariens single stage unit to toy with. It doesn't come close to what the little Toro would chew through and throw. Honda single stagers are excellent as well. At the end of the day, I use 2-stage units for my main machine, but we can get a lot of snow. I would avoid anything Troy-Bilt/MTD. I would possibly take anything Husqvarna Group built, but only as a third choice behind Toro and Honda.

The old Tecumseh 3hp 2-strokes are tough little buggers, but don't have enough power. The Tecumseh 2-stroke on my Ariens single stage unit is a 5hp and it still lacks power compared to Toro units.

 

[EdwardC]

I just went through the same process of researching and purchasing a used single stage snow blower. I did a lot of searching and ended with a lot of the same conclusions that everyone else mentioned. In general, low end single stage units are no good. High end single stage blowers are a hard sell a $500-1000 compared to low end 2-stage blowers (talking about new units).

Also, Toro or Honda are probably your best bet, and if possible, look for their higher end models. I ended up with a Honda HS621 which was very highly regarded. It's no longer sold in the US, but still generally available on Craigslist, although usually for more than $200. The Toros were high on my list but I kind of just "wanted" a Honda, so I held out for one of them.

Obviously, I haven't even tried out the blower on snow so I can't say first hand out well/poorly it does, but the videos on youtube are pretty fantastic. At the price I got it for, it needed a little work with new paddles, scraper and belt, but the engine was completely solid.

GL!

 

[Hokiefyd]

Yep -- there's a Honda on Craigslist within an hour's drive for $300 (unknown model #), plus a Toro CCR 3650 for $200. Both would be at the top of what I'm looking to pay, but doable, especially if the Honda's a 621 model with the commercial GX160 engine.

 

[Kawiguy454]

Only difference between a single and duel stage is that on a single the screw pulls the snow to toward the center and the paddle that launches it out the chute is part of the rotating screw. The dual has a separate spinning paddle that flings the snow out faster than the screw pulls it in so it tends to not clog.

I have had craftsman 2 stroke singles and they always seemed to be fussy about fuel mixture like 2 strokes are. Light load was not a problem but if you're trying to do heavy snow or deeper than the front throat it got fussy. I would do at least a 4 stroke OHV single or a similar 2 stage. My brother got a 2 stage craftsman and it didn't even hesitate to throw deep snow 25 feet.

Arent the enviros forecasting a lot of snow this year? ...be prepared.

 

[EdwardC]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Yep -- there's a Honda on Craigslist within an hour's drive for $300 (unknown model #), plus a Toro CCR 3650 for $200. Both would be at the top of what I'm looking to pay, but doable, especially if the Honda's a 621 model with the commercial GX160 engine.


Funny, that's exactly how I got a deal on my Honda. They didn't list the model number in the description, but I could see that it was an HS621 from the pictures and it looked relatively clean so I jumped on it. The closest I'd seen locally was one for $175, but it was much rustier. Others in decent shape were listed for $300-$400.

The CCR 3650 and the Power Clear 621 was also on my list, but CCR dropped out for me since I decided I wanted a 4-stroke.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Single stage snow blowers don't handle we heavy snow very well. I suspect that that is the kind you get down your way. As others have stated, take a long hard look at some of the smaller two stage units. You will be glad that you did, especially when the big one hits.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: EdwardC
Funny, that's exactly how I got a deal on my Honda. They didn't list the model number in the description, but I could see that it was an HS621 from the pictures and it looked relatively clean so I jumped on it. The closest I'd seen locally was one for $175, but it was much rustier. Others in decent shape were listed for $300-$400.


Seems from my research that I'm looking for either a Honda HS621, any Toro in good shape, or even a newer Honda without the GX engine if it's in good shape in my budget. You all have pretty much echoed what I've seen elsewhere (Toro or Honda for single stage throwers). I'll post back here if I find anything worth taking pictures of!

 

[Hokiefyd]

This guy's getting it done with an HS621 in what he says is 8" of heavy, wet snow. Seems to throw it well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LigNaW5ZG1M

It's funny how that engine sounds EXACTLY like my HR215 mower. Probably because it's basically the same engine (GX160 vs GXV140). Those are great engines, and this is probably the thrower I'm most interested in finding.

 

[EdwardC]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
This guy's getting it done with an HS621 in what he says is 8" of heavy, wet snow. Seems to throw it well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LigNaW5ZG1M

It's funny how that engine sounds EXACTLY like my HR215 mower. Probably because it's basically the same engine (GX160 vs GXV140). Those are great engines, and this is probably the thrower I'm most interested in finding.


You know you want to fill your garage with more Hondas!

 

[Hokiefyd]

Well, it is pretty full of them. Both vehicles, an HR215 mower, an HRB217 mower, and a Generac pressure washer with Honda GC160 engine. Really, I like Honda-powered stuff moreso than Honda-branded stuff, but you can't get a Honda-powered snow thrower from anyone else. Honda engines have just been so good to me, and I've had less luck with other brands, that I usually stay with what I know works good. The first Honda thing I ever owned in my life was a 2003 Craftsman mower with a GCV160 engine. It has sort of ballooned from there.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I recently bought two snow blowers. I bought one for myself and one for my father-in-law. I wanted either a Toro or a Honda. For him, I was looking for one with electric start above all else. I found me a Toro 621 R and found him a Troy-Bilt Squall 521.

The Troy-Bilt has a Tecumseh 5.5hp 4 stroke. The oil was thin and black; it may have been original. Otherwise, the unit is in excellent shape and shows very little use. The electric start works great. Like all Tecumsehs, it "chugs" as it runs, but seems to run strong. The unit has near perfect balance to it, easily tipping back on its wheels with just a small amount of pressure on the handle. The paddles looked used, but were still in good shape. I was able to flip the scraper bar and put the fresh edge forward.

The muffler directs the exhaust down and rearward, towards the operator's left foot. I think that's silly. The engine appears to be a horizontal shaft adaptation of Tecumseh's then-standard 195cc mower engine. I do like how open the back of it is, and you can access the fuel line easily. I will probably install an inline fuel shutoff valve and a fuel filter.

Mine's a Toro Power Clear 621 R. It uses a Chinese-built Loncin 163cc engine. I don't care for that, but it seems to be the way they're going these days, except for Honda (using US-sourced GC160s), and I didn't really want a 2 stroke. It runs smoother than a Tecumseh (what doesn't, am I right?). It starts on the first pull of the rope and doesn't even need a prime -- just a little choke. Of course, it was in the 80s here yesterday.

The paddles are like new, but the blower housing and steel chute have some corrosion on them. It's pretty evident they were clearing on a loose surface, or had a lot of loose material mixed in (like pea gravel or sand) because of all the corrosion pitting on the surfaces. It's all cosmetic, though, and a few swipes of 180 grit and a shot of black Rustoleum will fix that right up.

The Toro doesn't quite have the same balance as the Troy-Bilt (it takes more muscle to lean it back), and it has a straight across handle rather than the U-shaped handle of the Troy-Bilt (think Honda mower). I also don't care as much for the Toro's rear lower shroud, that masks the engine and fuel tank area. But I like everything else better on the Toro -- it feels like a more substantial unit. It has a pretty large aluminum engine mount running sideways just in front of the axle. And the curved paddles are supposed to be second to none in the single stage market.

Looking forward to the snow, now!

 

[JTK]

Interesting find with that Troy-Bilt/MTD unit. That's a 5.5hp flat-head snow engine which hasn't been used in years. Tecumseh stopped building engines in ~2008, but some new old stock trickled out until 2009 or so.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The engine's build date appears to be ~2006, and I'd guess that the blower is as new as could be with that engine only due to the great shape it's in. It really does look like it's hardly been used. I don't think Troy-Bilt blowers are known to be performance leaders in this market, but I just had to buy it for him due to the combo of low hours and electric start.

If it turns out to be a real dud, performance-wise, we can sell it and get most of our money back and then try something else.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
The engine's build date appears to be ~2006, and I'd guess that the blower is as new as could be...


Just based on the lack of scratches and new condition of the decals, etc. That sucker doesn't look like it was used much, if at all! I've used that style before. They're not horrible, but that Toro will out throw it big time.

 

[jeepman3071]

For single stage blowers, Toro is at the top of the list. Definitely my favorite to use. Simple, well built, and powerful.