Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Got a Sears 10/32 snowblower but too bulky to use, plus it's old. A friend may trade me for his 28" 8 hp blower but that is up in the air, plus thinking of something newer. Went blower shopping and impressed with the Toro 8hp 28" with steering etc. But am not funded beyond a grand. Looking for a 1. used Honda, or, seen a MTD in Kents for a grand Canadian, 26"/10hp. If the MTD is going to fall apart after a few years I'd rather stay away from it but have no experience with that brand. I know it's not a Toro or Honda, but is it worth considering? Maybe a used Toro, Ariens or Honda (rare) would be better. The problem with the used stuff, is...may be buying someone else’s troubles. Got a long gravel driveway, and want something good in slush. I seen a Honda in action and was impressed but no way can I afford a new Honda.  All suggestions appreciated.

Stay away from Tecumseh ????????????? I love the Tecumseh engines.   I own a bunch of ope and most of them have Tecumseh including a 30 yr old ariens snowblower that runs like new.  And a 30 year old leaf vac that runs like new.  Both Leak or burn no oil and have never givin me 1 problem. Oil is spotless everytime I change it in both. Carbs are one of the easiest to work on.  The Briggs and Hondas are great but in my opinion the Tecumseh is right up there.

Oh , My bad . I just noticed your screen name . That answers  the question .

Clueless wrote:
I have a  1970 Ariens purchased new by my dad, and the 35 year old five horse ran just fine for the 8-9 snow storms we had last season, including one of 25". I retired it for a new B&S 7.5, but it still runs well.

I also have an Ariens ST824 with a Tecumseh. So  based on my equally large sample batch of two, they're perfect......

Tecumseh had virtually 100% market share in snow engines for most of the last 30 years or  more.

Today most of the snow blowers using Briggs & Stratton are owned by Briggs & Stratton. This means competitors like Ariens and Toro are unlikely to use them, ever.

You can usually buy a 1-4 yo old Ariens used for 60-75% of the new price. You'd save enough to repair or replace anything, although repairs are unlikely.  These machines are not complex.
With your budget you're probably better off keeping what you have.

Was in Home depot and those Toro's are really nice. The kicker is I need to put it in the van as i will be using it to help some older friends with their sidewalk and driveway. I guess that answers my question, but really appreciate the replies as i learned a great deal about blowers in the last 2 weeks. Got to find an Aries dealer as Home depot only stocks the bigger Aries. Thanks for the advice.