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

From my perspective, the Simplicity 9528 has more value for the money.   I just bought one.  You get the B&S overhead valve engine vs. the L head in Toro and most Ariens. The over head valve engine is much quieter,   smoother , not as oil hungry and easier on fuel.  The machine  comes with trigger control wheel lock disengagement. Has the  one handed operation feature.   As long as you have the drive wheel lever depressed after depressing the auger drive, you can remove your hand from the auger drive lever and the auger will remain engaged.  This allows you to use your right hand to operate controls.  The chute control is via control rod and gears, not a cable.  So, the chute control will not tend to freeze up in cold weather as many cables do.   The auger gear drive is a hefty cast iron unit, not aluminum.  Construction is all steel and very stout.  Build quality is excellent.  I'd say if you don't want to pay for a Honda, the Simplicity is your next best bet.  

 In order of personal preference, I'd go Simplicity, Ariens, (very long pause) Toro.  I'd think long and hard about buying a Toro.  Their engine selection is their main downfall followed by a price too high to reflect the machine's actual value.    As far as Troybilt is concerned, they're in the same class as Craftsman, many Cub Cadet models as well as Yardman, White, and Yardworks  etc. 

Regarding width, wider = faster.  It also equals larger machine to store in the off season.  I've always used machines between 28" to 32".  From the descripton of your driveway, go wide bud!    

Thank you for the information.  I just got back from ordering the Simplicity L1428E.  They told me it was the same unit with a new model number.  The price was the same $1249 as the L9528 so it would seem that it is the same model.  Does anyone have any thoughts on why a model number that would imply a 14HP engine?  Was I given the correct info that this is a newer model number for the same unit?   I would feel more comfortable if Simplicity had the updated info on their website.

Torque numbers are used instead of HP.  Engine manufacturers are going to Torque ratings!!

Yo have a 14 Torque rated engine.

So:

HP = Torque   x    HP RPM / 5250

HP = 14 x   3600/5250

HP = 14 x .686

Hp = 9.6 HP

So your new Simp 14 Torque is equal to the old Simp 9.5 HP!!!

 Hope this helps understand Torque/ HP  ratings!

                                                                     Fred

 

jubol wrote:
Right, but Briggs rates their torque at 3060 RPM, not 3600. That's 8.6hp @3060 RPM. This "arbitrary" RPM (-cough-) coincidentally just happens to be very near Briggs' peak torque RPM (probably the mean peak torque RPM from the models 12,15,20, and 21 snow engines).

PK

Maximum horse power is not necessarily achieved at the same r.p.m. as maximum torque.    With gasoline engines, maximum torque seldom if ever is achieved at maximum engine rpm.  However maximum horsepower is normally achieved at or near maximum rpm.  Therefore, maximum torque may be developed at or around 3000 rpm but maximum horsepower will be developed at  or around 3600 rpm.   To add even more confusion to this debate, there have been rumors that all of the B&S 305 cc engines are essentially 12 h.p. engines of which some have been re-badged with different horse power ratings for some unknown reason.   Either way, the snow's beginning to fall here and they're projecting up to five inches.  Bring it on.  I'll let you know how the Simp 9528 performs.  

borat wrote:
Right, I get that. I just have trouble with engine suppliers rating their product at something other than operating RPM. To exaggerate slightly, if it makes 200hp at 1000 RPM and 2hp at 3600 RPM what good is it if it operates at 3600? It's massaging the numbers into favorable light for marketing reasons.

I'm more of a fan of rating by displacement. Yeah, I know the argument though..."If you put twin turbos, nitrous, VVT, Ram air, etc. on a 1.0L engine...". The fact is most powered equipment engines are very similar with respect to power to displacement ratios that this argument does not really apply.

Last I spoke to the Briggs folks, they'd indicated there were newly utilized metering plates to affect the rated power. I cannot confirm such though. I don't tear into them much.

Glad to hear your Simplicity is taken care of from a recall standpoint. The combustion certainly works better on the inside of the engine.

PK

PK,

Simplicity's web site shows it as a 9.5 OHV with a 28 inch bite!!.

He bought a 14 Torque rated 28 inch bite, and the only blowers on Simp's site with a 28 inch bite are  a 9.5HP blower and  a 11.5 HP.

So I think my figures are correct, as most small engine makers rate theire engine HP around  3600 Rpm and Torque around 3000 RPM's

Unless things have changed!  IMHO

                                            Fred

Whatever the actual power rating is, be it 9.5 or 11.5 hp it certainly throws snow.  Nothing significant about that.  My old 10 h.p. 29" Craftsman could move snow as well.  Last night we got about 5" of fine packed wind blown snow.  The Simplicity had no trouble moving it.  I did, however have to adjust the wheel drive cable tension.  Now it goes through the e.o.d. snow better.  One thing I noticed about the Briggs vs. the Tecumseh is that the Briggs doesn't bark as much when it encounters heavy loads.   According to my electronic tach, It also seems to  maintain it's peak rpm regardless of loads encountered.   The super slippery plastic liner that I installed in the chute held up well.  It didn't blow out nor deform.  I also installed a 1/32" thick piece of stainless steel plate on the inside upper surface of the deflector to protect the paint and take the beating from e.o.d. gravel deposits.  It had a couple dings in it after today's snow clearing so, It also did it's job well.   One thing that I don't like is how slooooowwww  the reverse speeds are.  I mean, it's ridiculous.  I'm certain it's a safety issue.   But please?????  

We had a wicked, cold north west wind today that would have made the job miserable if it weren't for the snow cab.  I'll tell you, I've been clearing snow with snow throwers for over twenty years and this is my first experience with a snow cab.  What was I thinking all that time without one?

I greatly appreciate everyone's input.  I had my Simplicity 1428 delivered a few minutes ago.  While I think that I was comparing three good choices, I am very pleased with my decision.  The build quality is very good and the unit is easy to operate.

The simple most important piece of advice that I can give anyone reading these messages who is shopping for a snow thrower.  Be sure to buy from a local dealer who services the units and will deliver and setup for you.  The few dollars I spend for delivery and setup was well worth it.  The delivery/repair main took 20+ minutes going over everything with me from operating the unit to putting stabalizer and antifreeze in the fuel.  Yes, I could have always read the manual and learned these things on my own but the extra value and piece of mind that comes from buying from someone who will fully stand behind the product is huge.  They even had me sign the warranty registration that they had pre-filled out for me.  Walt's Outdoor Center in Ringoes, NJ has earned a customer for life.

Mark,

I used to hate heavy snowfalls, 10 to 30 inches!!

Since I have had a blower, I look forward to them, Lot's of FUN!!

As a side benefit, no sore back!!

                                                  Fred

Good choice.  You'll be impressed with the machine's performance. 

We just had two good dumps here.  One on Monday and again on Wednesday.  First one dumped 5" on us.  Second one close to a foot!  We're being threatened with another big dump tomorrow between eight to twelve inches.  I'm sure glad that I traded in my old Craftsman this year.  My next door neighbour bought his 10 h.p. Craftsman back when I bought mine.  He managed to get the Monday dump cleaned up but his  machine crapped out on him at the end of the job.  He called me over to have a look at his machine.  The auger idler pulley actuation cable (inside the housing) broke.  Last I heard, it's still apart.  So, I put the Simplicity to work  to clean up the Wednesday dump on my driveway, neighbours driveway and the next one over from him.  That's three driveways all about 120 feet long, two cars wide with a turn around area at the top of each one.  I did it in half the time it would have taken with the Craftsman.   The snow cab is big plus.  I can work outside all day if the conditions are decent.  The snow cab breaks the wind and that  makes all the difference.   

I finally used my Simplicity 1428.  While the conditions were not perfect for the thrower, I just had to use it.   In Princeton, NJ we had a lot of freezing rain today.  My driveway was covered with about and inch of slush.  It would have been a bear to clear it by shovel so while the conditions were not great, I took the new Snow thrower out to help with the job.  The 1428 handled the job well.  It threw the slush far enough to go over the driveway.  The biggest thing I learned is that I have to practice using the thrower to better handle it.  Regardless, it was fun to get it out of the garage and use it.

markbean-

It is good to see someone else has one of these odd-model numbered Simplicity snowblowers.  I went one size smaller with the L1226E (which is the L8526E that is on the Simplicity website) and was trying to figure out if this was an old model or a new one.  I had a very hard time finding mention of the 1226 anywhere on the web.  From what you have said, it appears to be the newer labelling and is marked according to the engine's torque rating.

It was just delivered today and I am anxiously awaiting our next snowfall here in Wisconsin.  It is good to hear yours performed well when using it for the first time.

Andrew.

markbean,
I live a couple of miles from you and just bought a new Simplicity P10524E from a dealer in Princeton. I can't wait to try it but the amount we got just didn't warrant me firing up. If I can drive through it and there's no EOD mound, then I let it melt. We only got about an inch or less. But my wife cleared the sidewalk with a shovel! It all melted today. Oh well, maybe Saturday night we'll get a chance to really test them. But the forecast doesn't look like anything more than what we got Thursday.