OT : Snow Blowers ? What to buy

[Smiley]

I am seeking the help of my Forumite brothers and sisters on this one. My wife gave me a IOU for Xmas for a new snow blower since our garage is almost done and we now have a new drive way to shovel as well as over 110 ft of front side walk . Never ever having this luxury before I call upon my friends to the NORTH for help . What does one look for in snow apparatus , does it make any difference if our average snow fall is say 3-4 inches verus what you would consider a blizzard ? What options do you look for and I assume these are all 4 stroke engines right ? Any help would be appreciated .

[Bruce K]

One word for you...

Ariens

I have a 350' long driveway with a parking pad, turn-around area, and a walk-way to the basement door. I own a 10 horsepower X 24" wide that will go through anything.

The wetter your snow, the more horses you need to deal with it.

You can probably use a 7 horsepower (possibly even 5) machine with smaller snow depths. The wider the auger the faster you get done but the more hp you need to do the job. The 24" seems to be an ideal size for sidewalks and our driveway.

Have fun. As Tim ALlen used to say on Home Improvement - "MORE POWER"

BK

[Smiley]

Gee Bruce , I have a 21 ft sail boat and I can plow that baby thru any chop at 8 hp at 1/2 throttle . 10 hp ... what is the link to the brand of snow blower you speak of "Ariens" ?

[mtflycaster]

Honda.

Variable hydraulic drive. Overhead cam. Build to last.

[JohnS]

My bro has an Ariens single stage 7hp and clears several neighbors and is happy with it. The 2 stage blowers are more for commercial snow removal people or areas that get regular big snowstorms. www.ariens.com.

[Dekonick]

A 2 stage snowthrower will do a better job. Go with at least 7 horses if you expect to blow any great depth of snow.

I have a troy bilt and it works just fine. Commercial ventures (I know several people who own snow removal / lawn care co's) require the better brands, but for home use a troy bilt, yardman, or anything else under a grand will probably be plenty!. I live at the bottom of a hill on a dead end street with a 40foot long, 22' wide driveway - I need to clear my driveway and the street to the top of the hill (or else I get completely plowed in by the county as all of the snow is pushed (from the entire neighborhood!)RIGHT in front of my driveway) and a 10hp beast works just fine. Get electric start if you can... its nice (and ADD stabil to your gas - do that for all of your gasoline powered equip and it wil start easier, not gum up the carburator, and make your life easier all around) :fight:

[Ahneida Ride]

Honda, with Tracks. It will go thru anything, even the worst compacted
crud at the end of the driveday.

The TRACK Honda also hs a unique feature. It has a weight distribution
pedal. This three position lever allows one to set how close the unit
scrapes the surface. On it's lowest level, it takes up the last remants of
snow. In addition, the lowest position shifts the weight of the machine
up front, thus the machine does not rise up in heavy snow.

Dry snow is actually blown 40-50 feet, not just displaced as many machines
do.

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/snotra.htm

I currently own the 8.9 HP unit. My previous unit was the 6.5 hp
version, I did 4-5 houses with this one. The 6.5 HP TRACK unit is
a beast.

Make sure the unit you are considering has the support bracket that
connects the auger gear box ( silver and up front ) to the frame.
From some reason, Honda sometimes neglects to install ths bracket,
eventually leading to shimmy in the augers. Without this bracket the
lauger lacks firm support.

Honda's are expensive and may be all sold out this time of year.
But the TRACK version is worth seeking out.

Merry Christmas !!!!

[dave thompson]

Snowblowers? We don' need no steenkin' snowblowers here! Oh wait, you're in Merryland and I'm not. Sorry, I forgot. :D







Seriously though, (when in Spokane) we can have a foot or so of snow on the ground and I use the daily shoveling as winter exercise. I don't own a blower. At my age I need all the help I can get!

[Kevan]

but I thought you Marylanders only qualified for one of those Toro plastic shovels cuz you only get 2.87 inches of slush every other year. :D

otherwise, I have nothing constructive to say... :confused:

[92degrees]

Far be it from me to talk anyone out of drool-worthy yard equipment, but even here in snowy Western Ma I get by just fine with a gas Toro single stage. If there's going to be more than 8-9 inches of wet snow, then I probably go out once before it's done and clean the driveway twice. Takes about 10 minutes for a 60 foot driveway. Save the $$ for fun stuff -- unless you get serious snow where you are.

[Smiley]

92 degree's , do you need electric start and how far does the TORO blow the snow away ? Thanks

All good advice , thanks to all so far , I don't know if in the DC area I need the artillery of a BIG mother blower :banana:

[H.Frank Beshear]

At least thats how far my Toro 5.5 horse will throw. Its works faster than my neighbors 2 stage on most snow. Where the plows pack it up its slower, but we usually tag team the drives anyway. Couple years ago on new years day we had 16-17 inches and lots of wind. We played outside all day, blew our drives out and neighbors across the street and next door. By then it was drifted over and we did them all over again. We got lots of cookies and hot chocolate :D that day. Electric start is nice but I use it once a year maybe. The bigger engines may be harder to pull. A good toro is 500-700$ and will last a long time. Happy holidays all, Frank

[dirtdigger88]

I hava a real cool 85 hp Caterpiller with a rotary broom on it- enclosed cab- heat- the whole 9 yards. I think that was around $35,000 with out trailer. That sucker can throw some snow. . .

jason

[Climb01742]

smiley, hire someone to plow your driveway. S.O. climb and i have a deal...i'll never ask her to do any house stuff, and she'll never ask me to do any yard stuff. as a kid, i mowed our yard every saturday and shoveled our driveway every winter to earn my allowance. yes, it gave me an appreciation of hard work and earning money. but it also gave me a hatred of all things yard related. find someone with a pick-up and plow...and sleep in. :rolleyes:

[soulspinner]

Dekonics got it right. Two stages and 6.5 to 7 hp should be fine for Maryland. I have a 6.5 two stage mtd(sold by Sears) with a light and sometimes here in upstate NY I wish for a Honda but where you are you should be fine with 7h.p. or so. You can go new and stay way under a grand and still afford a nice set of handbuilts from Joe Young...

[92degrees]

92 degree's , do you need electric start and how far does the TORO blow the snow away ? Thanks

All good advice , thanks to all so far , I don't know if in the DC area I need the artillery of a BIG mother blower :banana:

I try to keep it going WITH the wind and then it's probably 25-30'. I don't have electric start, but my experience over the past 4 years is that it always starts on the first pull -- even after sitting since last winter. Good stuff, and they're <$500 last I looked. My father has an 8-horse 2-stage and that's rather nice too...

[csb]

ford 2120, front bucket, rear blade.

but seeing as how one could snort the amount of
snow you get ...
my dads simplicity lasted 20 yrs..
honda makes great stuff, their engines are quieter
and FAR more enviromentally minded than anything
else out there, price? ... well

[Too Tall]

Smiley my friend. Can I put some perspective on this? You don't need to overcome nature with technology/ It's good exercise old boy :) Also, when we get THAT much snow...nobody's goin' anywhere fast. Spend the $$ on emeralds for Mrs Smiley.

[William]

Save your money Smiley. William has shovel - will travel. ;) For a good case of Stout or bike parts I'll shovel your drive!

Actually, my drive way, total in including turnaround is about 80 - 90 yards long....ok, the house is about thirty yards in from the road. I don't bother with the rest of it. :rolleyes: I shovel it all the way. Great exercise, one with nature, the sound of the wind through the trees, snow on my cheeks......sore back, numb fingers, frost bite....umm what brands were those again???:rolleyes:

William

[Bruce K]

Smiley;

13" of snow this AM. 45 minutes and I'm off to work. Eith the whole driveway clear.

Technology is a beautiful thing.

You have been given several good choices. I would stick with "name brands" in any event. Ariens, Toro, Honda.

2 stage are better if you've got the budget.

I have personally never felt the need for tracks (vs tires) and chains can make up for alot if you deal with lots of ice.

Make sure you buy from a dealer who services what he sells. Pick up and delivery is a must (if it's free even better - which is what my dealer does).

Good luck with your purchase.

BK

[Kevin]

Two words, "Heated Driveway"

Kevin

[gasman]

We don't have to shovel rain. :D of course we often don't see the sun in the winter.

[bpm]

I have a two-stage 5.5 hp, 22 inch Troy Bilt. It cleared my 120 foot driveway this morning of 12" of snow in about 45 minutes, including the junk the plows deposited at the end of the driveway. Cost was about $600. I could have gone up to 8.5 hp for another $200 but this unit will handle just about any storm we'll get.

[Bruce K]

Kev - I only wish I had the $$$ to make that happen.

bpm - I forgot about Troy Built. They seem to have a good reputation.

For me, the biggest part is what kind of service is available. There is nothing worse than having a problem and no way to get it solved quickly.

My LSBS (local snow blower shop) picks up, delivers, and provides 24 hour turn-around on most repairs. They ave also been known to provide "coaching" over the phone for small, easily fixed items, and have even sent a mechanic for a "house call" during a big storm where the loss of use of the machine would have been a major inconvenience.

There may not be too many dealers like mine, but I wouldn't buy from a store that didn't do their own work and transport.

BK

BK

[Kevan]

grumpy to start... isn't fuel efficient... requires a majorly expensive overhaul only after 3 years use and quits soon after upgrade. :crap:

[Climb01742]

the guy who plows my driveway cleared about a foot of snow this morning while i sat, cozy, sipping tea, watching sportscenter...ah..... ;)

[Doc Hollywood]

For living in Mary's Land, I wouldn't go overboard on size. If it snows more than 6 inches, the state shutsdown, so even if you could get out of your driveway, you'd have no place to go anyway.

If you get an Ariens, here is one that would more than likely handle your needs.
http://www.ariens.com/snow_products/compact_sno_thros/5520_e/

You could opt for the next size up, but I wouldn't bother getting a BIG machine.

Toro and a few others make a pretty good unit. Stay away from 1-stage units because if the snow is wet or heavy, it will just clog or bog down. A two-stage is a must for East Coast Snow.

Doc

[Tom]

you must have The Biggest Machine In The Development. Something like this oughta take care of the neighbors...

[ZippRider]

I use a Toro single stage and a two stage snow blower. The single stage is faster and easier to move around. We just received 10-12" of snow here in Indianapolis, and I prefer the single stage blower 5HP. I do about 20 drivways when it snows.

[Dekonick]

Smiley - believe me you want a 2 stage (but I must say that your driveway is TINY for a snowblower -) even though I doubt your work minds if you dont show when it snows. I don't have that option - no matter what I have to be there thus the snowblower purchase. Been thinking about it after my first post. You don't need any beast machine with your driveway, just the smallest 2 stage you can get. Your walkway wont be easy to clear with a snowblower either....think you will still have to rely on the old shovel for that...