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

The Toro Retails around $1000 and the Ariens is in more in my price range at about $830.  What made me choose these two is that they both have Tecumseh engines and all of the Tecumseh engines I've delt with have been great.  I'm doing this research for my father who will be spending the money, I'm 17 and almost always snow blow the drive for him.  He has a heart problem and diabetis.  The less expensive toro than the one I was looking at had an R*Tek engine and I would much rather go with a Tecumseh.  There is the debate of L-Head versus OHV and from what I see is that they give more power with less CCs and are quieter.  I really don't care about sound (neither does my father)  just as long as it will last a long time and will be dependable.  I'm also a Fan of buying American and Made in USA equipment.  The Ariens web site cleary shows Made In USA but Toro is really secrative of where theirs is made.  I had always thought Toro made theirs domestic.  That alone may shift our choice of which to buy.  I was also checking out some Craftsman (from Sears), Yard Machines (home depot), and some Troy-Bilt (from Lowes) and they seem cheaply contructed compared to the Toro and Ariens.

I live just outside of Buffalo, NY in a suburb called Amherst.  We don't get the brunt of the lake effect but most snowfalls 4-8 inches and storms range from a foot all the way up to drifts with  5+ feet.  We can get anything from as little as 70-80 inches to well over 150 inches, sometimes over 200 inches in a stormy season (from what I have heard this could be one of those seasons).  I'm looking for something that will laugh at the 5inch range do great in the foot range and get the job done with 2 foot range.  I know there isn't really any blower out there thats going to move 5 feet with ease.  I know both of companies make great blowers and dealer support is really equal for both in my area.  The Price limit is $1000 right now.

The reason we need this new blower is because the 40 or so year old "Hahn-Eclipse Snow Giant" has died.  It made a loud clang after about 3 feet of a row then when I tried starting it again all the parts just spun freely.  The engine on it was a 7HP techumseh and there wasn't a thing I could throw at it that it didn't make its way through, not fast but it cut through nicely.

Here's some pictures of Snow Giant, rest in piece.  We're still going to take it to the service center (where we'll probibly end up buying a new one) and see how much it would be to fix.  The last 2 seasons its broke down during so it might just be time.

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Oh my father likes the "military" style shovel on the Ariens models.  Says it reminds him of his Marine days with the little folding foxhole shovel.

If cost is an object, you can replace the engine on your old machine with a new B&S OHV Intek Snow or Tecumseh for around $300. It bolts right on with the same hole pattern and the shaft height and diameter are the same.

Here's a 1970 Ariens with a new 7.5 hp motor. On that one I had to add a couple of ujoints ($9 each) to change the chute crank. I also repainted it and put in new skids and scraper bar ($20) and friction disk ($15).

Your rebuilt Aries looks new! Did you repaint it? Beautiful looking blower, I thought it was new. Very nice.

I should read posts more carefully. With regards to painting, (sorry to go off topic, maybe I should start another thread), what paint would you recommend? Remove all the old paint? Sand blast it? A great looking blower!

The thought has crossed my mind to re-paint and strap on a new engine.  The main reason we decided not to do that is the new blowers have independent controls to make the augars go faster or slower from the wheels.  The Snow Giants engine drives the wheels from a friction disc and then a chain from the right wheel drives the augar.  Its not a bad setup as all the power goes through spot but it requires some rocking from time to time and I need a unit my father can handle when I go off to college in a year or so.  He also isn't really a handyman so I need something that will go a few years with out breaking down.  A new engine would certainly keep that part of the snow blower in shape but its only a matter of time before something else goes. 

My father is slowly being seduced by the 828LXE with the trigger controls for turning and is probibly going to spend a bit more over the "limit" now that he is figuring in the unit will last over 10 years if taken care of make the yearly cost alright.  The only concern he has with the Toros is the plastic parts wondering what the life of a the plastic versus steal would be.

Replaced a 15year old Toro 521 last year  and had narrowed it down to similar choices you are looking at.  Really liked the new design of the Toro PowerMax with the new offset auger housing and the joy stick control, but also liked the ruggedness of the Ariens (less plastic parts), both were offering the same Tecumseh engine so that wasn't much of a difference.  Looked back on the old 521 Toro and it basically had the same amount of plastic parts, chute included and never had a problem with any of them, and the Tecumseh engine never failed to start even after being left in the detached garage in blizzard cold conditions.  When I went to complete the purchase for the Toro 826LE, I was really swayed by the independent drive system on the 828 and you also got a headlight as an extra.  Ended up with the 828 and glad I did.  The 826 is almost the same machine, a bit lighter, no independent drive, no headlight.  I watched my neighbor who did get the 826 struggle to control the machine in deeper snow and drifts while I was able to allow the machine to use its own power to make the necessary adjustments.  Neither machine is slowed down by the heavy snow which is a result of the new auger design.  The 826/828 is probably more than your budget but if you can spare it, I am sure you won't regret  it.

Around here the Toro is selling for a little over $900.

Tommorow looks like the day we'll make final decisions.  Taking the old one to the dealer to "remind" him that we also come there for parts and service and that usually goes a long way with "discounts".  Its down to the Toro 826LE/828LXE or the Ariens 929LE.  Its a toss up right now but both have great features.  My dad is really leaning the way of the 828LXE and I have to admit the controls setup is really simple and the Trigger control for turning is great.

For those of you who have used this Triggers, is is basically like haveing two clutches?  From what I read it seems like its the equivilent to chosing which wheel you want to engage or disengage "on the fly".  I was also curious how fast do these new ones go in 6th Gear?  I make some money on the side doing some driveways and ones around the block so was wondering if I could still speed my way there.

The safety features on these are alot better than the Hahn-Eclipse.  With the Snow Giant if you wanted it to stay put you had to put it in neutral or hold the clutch in.  It was much like a car.  You would squeeze the clutch change gears than release it and watch it go, and once it did just that, when I thought i placed it in neutral it was actually in reverse and while i closed my garage door I found it had backed up into a snow bank...thats another reason we're considering a new snowblower :P

"For those of you who have used this Triggers, is is basically like haveing two clutches? "

Without a doubt the one feature that made me choose the 828 over the 826.  On the fly you can disengage either wheel.  Squeeze the left trigger and the machine turns to the left, squeeze the right and it turns right.  Squeeze both and you can turn the machine manullay on a dime.  No more trying to hulk the machine and turn it around as I pass up and down the driveway. Learn to use the triggers to control the machine and you can save yourself a lot of energy.  In my opinion this one feature was worth the extra money from the 826 to the 828.

"I was also curious how fast do these new ones go in 6th Gear?"

With the throttle almost completly on fast, in 6th gear you will be at light jog speed.  Only time I use anything above 3 is when I'm all finished clearing the snow and am going from the end of the drieway back up to the garage.

If your dealer has all the machines on his showroom floor, test them out by moving them around, try the controls, etc.  I'm sure you will be impressed by the idependent drive system on the 828 over the 826.  But only you can decide if it is worth the extra money for you.

I am also considering the same two models, both of which are available at Home Depot.  My primary concern with the Toro 826 is its size (storage and handling).  While in the store, the sales associate (who seemed quite knowledgeable - not generally the case at HD) suggested that only one wheel be locked down on the 826.  He claimed that in all but extreme conditions, using one wheel to drive the unit would be fine.  Having one wheel turn freely made the unit handle much easier, at least as I navigated the store aisles!  I visited my local Toro dealer and looked at the 828.  While the Freewheel steering is a great feature, I cannot justify the extra $250.

While I like the size of the smaller Ariens unit, the width of the opening to the discharge chute concerns me, at least when compared to the Toro.  I live in an area that is subject to wet, heavy snow and I am concerned about clogging.  Also, the auger housing on the Ariens was not quite as high as the Toro making me wonder if it would do as well in deeper snow.

Can anyone give me some feedback on the 7524E.  Are my concerns valid?