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

i need help selecting a snow blower at home depot, as i received a gift certificate towards one in the amount of $800, and they are all 20% off at this time......i realized the lawnmower shops are usually the smarter choice for purchase, but this gift certificate helps me out dramatically.......my driveway is approximately 100 feet long, is a single lane from the bottom to the top, and i have about a 40x40 foot area at the top of the driveway......i have a fairly steep driveway of asphalt, and i live in Boston Ma where the winters can be bad, although so far we really havent received anythng.......

my choices are limited due to the home depot selection, but i have been looking at the Ariens 724 ($719), the Ariens 926LE ($799), and the Cub Cadet 528SWE for ($799).......

OHV, L-Head, headache......

can someone help me make the best decision for my situation......

thank you in advance

Full,
Try and get one in the box!!

Then assemble it your self according to the Ariens manual.

That way you know it was put together correctly.

also you will learn a lot about your machine!

Buy the 926 LE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fred

PS, You can never have to much HP!!

9 is much better than 7.

I think the 926LE is the way to go. You will want to go through all the set up procedures including the auger/clutch belt run-in if it's called for in the manual. HD doesn't do it and other needed steps for set-up are often out of whack for machines purchased at HD.

I would tell the manager at HD you want an unopened box because thats the way to go otherwise you'll never get to know your machine.Just go by the manual and you would'nt go wrong.On the size issue nothing less than the 926 but I would throw in the extra BUCKS for the one above the 926.

great advice.....i will try to get an unopened one, but the selection appears to be dwindling rapidly, and i hope they havent already assembled their whole stock......there was a sign in each Home Depot i went to that said free assembly, and price limited to in stock.......i hope that doesnt mean there are none still boxed......i think i did remember seing the one up model to the 926 as well in the lot.......seems like the most popular sale out of the Ariens was the 724.....

Full,
Be sure and get your 926.

Weighs over 100 lbs more than the 7 HP, has a light, wider bite, and one great blower!

Be sure and read the reviews on this site!!

Fred

thanks for everyones help.....i paid $799 for an Ariens 926LE at H.D. tonight, and said i wanted one that was still in the box.....the kid told me i should take one that was already assembled because it was free.....i told him i would only buy one still in the box because i dont trust the home depot assembly crew to put it together, and you would have thought i crapped in this kids hand with the way he looked back at me.......

anyway, i have to go back this week to pick up the unit "in box" and hope i can lift it into a pickup truck with a friend.....just shy of 300lbs and i dont know the dimensions of the box, but they wanted $59 more to deliver it, so ill find a way.....

thanks again for the advice!!

Bradford

brad, consider putting it together in the pkg lot. just 4 bolts or so and then u will be able to roll it. hd probably has ramps u can use to load it.

we rented one of its trucks.

i would get it out of there, asap. it tends to sell sold items. even if your name is on the box.


Buy a pair of head muffs (or whatever they are called) noise cancelling makes a humungous diffference.

Good luck

Full,

Ask HD to help you load it on your truck!!

They do that for me on heavy items!!

Fred

Get ear protection as well. The ear muffs keep your ears a bit warmer and hold the hat on. The soft foam or rubber plugs give you about 3dB ( half the noise) better protection. I use both most of the time and ear muffs all the time. From what I've heard the foam plugs may work a bit better than the soft rubber since they supposedly expand to fill the ear channel and plug it better. I don't like the muffs with a built in radio since the purpose is to lower the noise level, not replace it with entertainment. Some other people really like them.

Ear protection is also a good idea for lawn mowing, chainsawing, grass trimming, basically anything with a loud engine. I've even worn muffs with an electric trimmer although that might have just been me trying to "not hear" the wife with more chores .

fullcontact wrote:
Now that you own a snowblower, think about building a simple ramp.  3/4 " plywood, a couple of 2 x 3's for structural support, grey deck paint and for a finishing touch, tack on some rubber mats to act as a non-skid surface.  When my walk gets icy, I also mount the ramp from the entrance walk to the top step and call it an "ice-bridge".  You can ripple the rubber mats to shed ice that might accumulate.  The same principle as a de-icing boot on the leading edge of an (older) aircraft wing.