Again thanx to everyone for thier input. after pushing he snow w/ the jacobsen snoburst, i had decided to get the toro ($999 model)
(the toro felt easier to push than the ariens, ie more confortable to me. the upgrade on the ariens was in the gear case,,,but w/ the toro it was a light and easy steer, (so i figured that the gear case was more heavy duty.i liked (loved) the joy stick and preferred the red to orange(heresy i know) .Also the toro and ariens at the same price seemed more featureful than the snapper/simplicity. did not like the way the chute turned on either.
Anyway, the day before i was to go to get the toro, i came across a toro 826. It has the barrell drum and an 8 hp b&s engine and electric start.
It weighs 270 lbs and is built like a tank. The shoes and scraper bar looked pretty good. It has independent wheel drive, ie u can engage or disengage a whel via a knob from the "dash."
The seller ,son in law, of original owner thought t was 10-15 yrs old. Surprise! it was built in 1978. But only paid 150.
I have some maintenence questions including a problem w/ the pull recoil starter, which i will post separately. It is loud i have a pair of platic muffs.
Thinking about keeping it outside and getting a tarp. so the shed doesnt start smelling like gas.
again all of the posts were ead and appreciated.
2004-2005 Ariens 11528LE
Jacobsen snow-burst
