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

Take pity upon me. I've been lurking here, and I'm looking for some suggestions on a snowblower.

I've narrowed it down to four snowblowers (all around $900 to $1,000):

Cub Cadet, 10 hp, Tecumseh L-head, 28-inch

Husqvarna, 10.5 hp, Tecumseh OHV, 30-inch

Craftsman, 10.5 hp, Briggs OHV, 30-inch

Arien, 9 hp, Tecumseh L-head, 26-inch

The Husq and the Craftsman look to me to be made by the same manufacturers. The Sears guy told me that theirs is made by Murray. Yikes! I actually prefer the first three for ease of use. Of course, I'm aware of the Ariens reputation, though the 9-hp model isn't overly impressive.

Any thoughts? (My driveway is 25 by 50, and I live in Maine. Snowfally can be heavy, but the worst part is the pile at the end of the driveway that's caused by the snow plow!)

Thanks,

David

I've been reading the emails here with interest as I'm in the same boat as some others, namely can't make up my mind what to do on snowthrowers.  Having done some research though, I learned that the Craftsman 88790 is made by MTD Manufacturing, which makes Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Yard-Man and Yard Machines.  If you go to the MTD Canada Maufacturing site, you'll see the different logos of their brands, but if you click on the Troy-Bilt and follow the links, you'll see an exact replica of the Craftsman 88790 in there somewhere.  Sears has this blower on sale right now for $850.  Anyway, my indecisiveness has to do with noise, specifically, does anyone have any experience with Briggs Intek OHV being noticeably quieter than a Tecumseh L block or a Tecumseh OHV or even a Briggs non-Intek OHV?  I have my eye on an Ariens 9526 DLE (new for 2007), which has a Briggs Intek, but at $1700, it is exactly double the price of the Craftsman 88790, which has a Tecumseh OHV.  I'm like Sabesh of last year's reviews, where I need to do the chores in early AM or late PM.  Also looking at the Toro 1128 OXE (also $1700) as it has a Tecumseh OHV engine (lower models aren't OHV).  If the noise differences aren't that great between any of the various engines, then I would consider stepping up to name brand quality (Ariens, Toro) but saving some bucks vs the high-end models.  By the way, I have a corner lot with lots of sidewalk that is prone to ice problems, so I was also looking for something that is good at removing ice.  Anyway, thanks for listening, and any advice would be appreciated.

I think we've finally made a decision.  After spending the last month looking at the Sears models, Cub Cadets, Husqvarnas, Toros and Ariens - we finally decided on the Toro 1028LXE for $1399.

The Sears 88790 for $850 this week was very tempting and the Cub Cadet version for $999 at HD was my husband's favorite for biggest bang for the buck.  We also had a 10% off coupon for HD which would make it only $50 more than the 88790 which would be worth it since you get 10HP instead of 9, and stainless steel skid plates and shaver plate.

But when it came down to it, I wanted to buy from our local dealer and I also preferred either a Toro or an Ariens based on the excellent reputation of both.  So then I was looking at the Ariens 11528LE and the Toro 1028LXE both for $1399.  I chose the Toro for the ease of use of the joystick controls.  Also it has a 5 year warranty on the chute.  I felt if I bought the Sears or Cub Cadet I would have had to buy the 5 year at-home warranty which would have added another $150.  I don't think that's necessary with the Toro.   Plus the dealer will set up and deliver for free.  Sears wants $60 for delivery and HD wants $75 plus $15 for setup.

Another factor in the decision is that Toro is offering 1 year no interest no payment financing right now.        

Congrats on the new Toro. I, too, am now looking at the Ariens 11528LE and the Toro 1028LXE. But I'm also seriously considering the Craftsman 88105. It seems identical to the Husqvarna at Lowe's, but it has a 10.5 Briggs OHV instead of the Tecumsh L-head at Lowe's. (I was mixed up in an earlier post). I prefer an OHV since they allegedly have more torque (theoretically good for wet snow) in addition to being quieter and better emissions. Eventually, they'll all have OHV units. The Sears Craftsman is $999 on sale through the weekend, so I've got to decide soon!

I went through this two seasons ago when buying a lawn mower. I ended up with a Toro with aluminum deck. I know from that exercise that there's more to it than just the engine. So I'm trying to keep an open mind.

I'm probably leaning toward the Arien at this point  ...

We also looked at the Sears 88105.  I think it is $979 right now which is a great deal.  As you pointed out it is like the Husqvarna.  If you are a member of Costco, it is also like the Poulan Pro 1130ES that they sell for $999.  But that one is not an OHV engine, I don't think.

We ruled these out because we didn't want 30 inches.  28 was as high as we wanted to go since we want to store it in our garage during the winter.

Pricewise I would have preferred the Ariens 926LE or the Toro 826LE but neither had the power steering which I felt was a must.  

I can't believe what a tough decision this has been.  Good luck with your choice!

   

i bought a toro, hd sold it and i ended up w/ an ariens.

I am happy w/ it.

One thing on the SEARS, the "handlebars" are VERY high and unless you are tall it may become uncomfotable after a while.

DSHARP,

Check with your Husky or Poulan dealers (same machines with different Names).

Sears version, I understand uses bushings instead of bearings, smaller belts on Traction and Augar drives.

They have OHV engines on some of their blowers. Also trigger disconnect triggers for turning on a dime.

My chute controls, not quite as good as Toro's, but better than anyone else.

Huakys also have infinate speed settings, not just 4 or 5 speeds.

 Blower should run about $1100.00 at a dealer.

Lowes a 10.5 HP L head engine. 30 inch bite $999.00, with their credit, 10 % more off makes it $899.00 and also receive a  free

snow cab for it.

                                         Fred

DSHARP,

 Forgot tis bit of info.

Go to the Husky and Poulan web site  and read up on them.

You can also download op's and parts manual.

                                                            Fred

Well, I like 'em all including the Husky, but I'm leaning toward the Ariens at this point. I liked the 11528 with a 11.5 hp OHV. engine  I can get it at the orange big box store or from a local dealer. One question is whether the almuminum gear case is OK, or whether it's worth the extra $$ for the cast iron gear case. That's the only big difference I see between the two.

The Ariens is about the same price at both places when you include the extended warranty. If I skip the warranty (which includes pickup service), then the cost advantage goes to Home Depot. Are these things reliable, or is an extended warranty a good idea?

The dealer says he thinks the Toro is sturdier than the Ariens. Hard to know what's in the guts of the machine. The 10-hp Toro costs $100 more -- better controls but no OHV engine. I like the Toro too!

David

As it turns out I did not get the Toro yet.  My local dealer tried to pull a fast one on the order and charge me $50 for a documentation fee.  I said I wasn't paying it and resented him adding it on after the fact and not telling me about it when we made the deal.  They would not admit they did anything wrong so I cancelled the order and walked out.  I have another local dealer that I can get the Toro from but my husband is leaning toward the Cub Cadet at HD again for $400 less.  So far my local HD has not had them in stock so we have not purchased yet.  I still would really like the Toro and I even let their customer service department know about what the dealer did.

Has anyone else ever heard of a documentation fee?  Is this common when buying outdoor power equipment.  The dealer claims it was for applying for the 1 year Toro financing.  This makes no sense to me at all.  I have applied many times for 1 year no interest no payment financing and have never heard of a fee associated with it.  Why would anyone use it if it cost $50 to do so?  I think my dealer was just trying to make up for giving me the free delivery I asked for.   

My local dealer didn't charge for the financing option when I purchased a Toro Super Recycler mower. I think your Toro dealer is nuts to let you walk away over a $50 fee. Toro customer service is actually decent. I had a problem with my Super Recycler and they made it right. I also found that while I was not thrilled with the sales staff, the service department at my Toro dealer was pretty easy to work with.

 Good luck!