NHSnowbeast

I have had a few snow-blowers with not much luck in dependability. The MTD I had ran for 12 years without maintenance (but I was lucky). Recent research would have me lean toward the Simplicity.

Great call... Never even considered that. Thanks.

Thanks, I will give that a try in the next couple of days... Appreciate the help.

Well, I started it up and I played around with all the controls and all seem to be working great... except... No matter what gear (forward or reverse), when the machine is idling, it creeps rearward. At first I thought it was the very slight slope of my driveway, but when I pointed it downhill, it creeps uphill. I did a search on this discussion board and saw that someone a while back, had a similar issue with a Toro , and yet found nothing out of tolerance. Is this a common quirk, or something I should contact the dealer about?  I looked at the linkages, and they seem to be within tolerance, (Snug, but neither real tight nor with excessive play).

I'd really like to work out all the minor bugs now than see something "major" later which I might need to correct in the middle of a snowstorm. Any ideas??? Thanks.

borat wrote:

Borat- Thanks for your insight in particular... I agree with your "no gimmicks" approach, but I could not find any without the electic chute. Regarding your comment... It was 3 winters at the above described driveway but 9 at a two car garage (extended into a half-court basketball area), up a 7' hill about 60 feet long to the EOD... Not really light duty. In both houses, I had to throw, then throw again. (Hated that).
Actually it was 12 years of NH Snowfalls. Some 2-3 inches to 5-7 inches... but I'd say between 2-3 snowfalls every year over 12", (and two I remember were over two feet because it was higher than the bucket height)... I routinely would have a 2-4 foot pile of snowplow ice which it always cleared.  I can't explain it either. I Know I WAS LUCKY!!!
I never so much as adjusted any linkage. However, Last winter when I went through a 3" deep puddle at the EOD, I noted some slipping. Just waited about 5 mins and it worked fine after that.

This one will be maintained!!!!!!!!!