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

(I've also posted this on the "toolshed" forum of gardenweb, so I apologize if you're a member of both)

I, like another recent poster, live in Minneapolis where the average snowfall is 50" per year.  On average, 1 snowfall per year exceeds 10".  Unlike the other poster, my driveway is paved asphalt, and is 52' long by 20' wide.  About halfway up is a slope of about 45 degrees (it gets real slippery) where my car always gets stuck - even if there only 2-3" of snow on the driveway.

I've shopped around, read a bunch of posts on both sites, but I'm still unsure about the right machine for the job.  However, I have two constraints to my decision. The first is that I have a two car garage with limited space for a snowblower.  The other is financial - I really can't afford to spend more than $800 (with tax) on a machine.  I've read that Hondas are really good - but. for me, unaffordable.  My final constraint is mechainical - I'm not very mechanical.  I can fix easy things around the house - but mostly I want to get the job done and go on to something else.

So, I've got my own ideas (from researching and suc), but I'm interested in suggestions from the others members of the forum.   I'm not sure about things like single or dual stage,  and the correct horsepower to do the job.   I can tell you that I'm interested in the Ariens St-5524, a dual stage 5.5hp unit for $699 at HD.  I liked it because it seemed easy to move around in the store and had the bigger tires, which for me was easier.

So, if anyone is willing to give some advice, I'd love to hear it...

thanks,
Steve

Sounds like you're on the right track. Ariens is a good choice. They've been made forever and parts are readily available should you need any. They're reliable. I don't think horsepower is all that important. The larger the machine capacity the larger the horsepower will be. The larger tires are a good thing but, I'd consider tire chains if you are working on any type of slope. They  work well on ice surfaces where rubber tires alone don't. I guess in my opinion, the brand of machine you are looking at and the purchase price don't look to bad. A larger machine will do the job quicker but costs more also. Hope all this rambling on helped.

Jake...

  i work for a reputable repair shop here in the twin cities.   i personally use a toro 2-cycle CCR powerlite, and have no problems,  sure that 1 10" snowfall you might have to do it twice.  by far less maintenance with a 2 cycle.  you can move up to the CCR 2450  4.5 hp.  these will units will clean right down to the pavement,  there is also a cab available for these units too.

If indeed you have a 45 deg slope, then a single stage may not be the best choice. The reason being that the single stage is not self propelled (except from the auger) via any drive mechanism.

mech12 wrote:

Mech - can you provide a link or pic of a snow cab for a 2450? I would sure like to see this...

Marty