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

I’m in my first single family home and I need to purchase a snow thrower.  My driveway is paved asphalt, 180’ feet long and one-car wide up until the 3-car garage.  I live in central New Jersey and we get 25-30” of snow a year.  I’ve decided that I want at least 26” but I like 28”.  I prefer to purchase from a local shop rather than a Lowe’s, HD or Sears.

Is the $899 on a Troy-Bilt Storm 9528 a good choice?  At $899 it is certainly the price I want to pay but I am skeptical that I will get what I pay for.  Even though they are more than I had wanted to spend, I’m considering the $1099 Toro 826LE, the $1199 Ariens ST1027LE, the $1249 Simplicity L9528E.  If convinced that it is really worth it, I may also consider the $1399 Toro 828LXE.  The Honda's are simply just too much money for me.

Am I really just comparing great machines that will all do a wonderful job or are there really some noticeable differences between them in terms of quality and features?  Am I really going to notice the difference between the 26”, 27” and 28” path widths?

Thank you,
Mark