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

My 25 Year old no name snowblower has finally reached a point where it's not worth repairing and I have decided to buy a new one.  Right now the pickings are a little scarce in my area but I can get either the Toro 826 LE or the Ariens 1027 LE.  Both are pretty much the same price but I really can't decide between the two.  They both seem to pretty much have the same features except the Ariens does have a 10HP over the Toro's 8HP.

Which one would you all prefer?  I was a little disappointed in the huge amounts of plastic on the Toro but still overall it did still seem to be just as sturdy as the Ariens. 

I have also been very disappointed in how difficult it is to find any brand snow thrower with a B&S engine.  Why did they all go to Tecumseh?  I don't really have anything against Tecumseh but I've always had great luck with B&S engines and that would be my preference.

**** I feel I should also mention that the Ariens is at Home Depot, they have 2 floor models left.  That kind of worries me because of all the people in the past few months that probably played with the controls while browsing for snowblowers in the store.  It just concerns me that it may cause something on the snowblower to break prematurely.

If they are the only two choices you have, I'd probably lean toward the Toro.  In the last several months of reading this forum, the Ariens name is the one premium brand most often associated with people having problems.  I'd buy a Snapper or Simplicity in preference to either Toro or Ariens.  You not only get what I consider a better built machine overall, you also get the B&S ohv engine.   And,,,it might even be less money.   

Thanks for your help Borat.  I was just looking at Simplicity's website and I noticed their lower end models have the B&S Powerbuilt and the higher end models have the Intek.  What is the difference between the two?  If I can find a Simplicity snow thrower is it worth it to pay more for a model with the B&S Intek engine?

From the choices you mentioned, I'd have to agree with Borat.  Ariens still makes an excellent snowthrower with their Professional models but I have issues with their "Home Depot" machines.

I've heard good things about the Toro 826LE so I don't think you can go wrong with it but the Simplicity may be s a step above.  The Simplicity L9526E is the lowest priced Simplicity that comes with the B&S Intex engine...this model also comes with the Easy Turn Wheel Lock Release for easy  maneuverability.

Regarding the engines, I've always been pretty neutral on them but over the last few years I find myself leaning away from Tecumseh.

Good Luck

Chewy wrote:

I'm not absolutely sure but the main differences between the Powerbuilt  and the Intek Snow are the engine features.  I think the Powerbuilt does not have an adjustable throttle nor a fuel valve.  So when you fire it up, it runs full throttle immediately and cannot be slowed down.  It's either on or off.  Other than that, they pretty much the same.  I'd pay the difference to have an adjustable throttle but I sure wouldn't pay too much for it, particularly when a new 10 h.p. B&S Intek Snow engine can be had for $350.00.  I like the option to allow the engine to idle when warming up   I have the Intek Snow engine on my 9528 and it's a pleasure to use. 

The differences between the Intek and Powerbuit (now called the Snow series and Snow Max series) are that the Max (Intek) includes a standard throttle, super low tone muffler, fuel shutoff, larger controls (for easier usage with gloves), easier access heaterbox, larger fuel tank, and a high fill oil filler. I think that's everything... The fuel shutoff I believe can be had on the standard series if requested by the OEM (the throttle as well with some argument). Honestly, aside from the throttle, I don't see much value to the Intek/Max package for the cost adder.

The Ariens warranty rates for snow products are low (percentage-wise) compared to other OEM's. The thing you need to remember is that Toro and Simplicity (including Snapper) sell very small small quantities of 2 stage units relative to Ariens. Even Husqvarna/AYP isn't the same volume proposition. That said, there are simply many more Ariens units out there in which folks with issues would seek out websites like this for assistance. There is also a higher volume of sales through mass retailers (Home Depot) which generally have a lesser quality of setup (no fuel is allowed in a Home Depot so the units cannot be run prior to delivery, even for a belt run-in procedure). Poor setup can translate into a host of problems.

Chewy, you may find Briggs and Stratton engines less and less likely on non-Briggs built finished goods (brands other than Murray, Simplicity, Snapper, Swisher, Frontier, etc.) as they are truly a competitor to most manufacturers instead of a supplier. It would be kind of like Ford buying engines for their trucks from Chevrolet (albeit Saturn Vues had Honda engines in them at one time, so it isn't out of the question).

PK

Thank you all for the all advice and help.  Snowman the one thing I don't understand is your comparison of Ford using a Chevy engine to Briggs and Stratton engines be used in say a Toro.  I thought you were going to say it was a cost issue until you made that comparison.  Does Briggs & Stratton own those other companies you mentioned?  That didn't make sense to me either because I noticed that Toro and Craftsman still use Briggs & Stratton engines on their lawnmowers.  Unless Tecumseh doesn't make a summer engine anymore??

I probably wouldn't pay a high premium just to get the Intek over the Powerbuilt engine on the Simplicity.  But I would pay more to get a machine in this weight class that had the Remote Wheel Locking/Unlocking Lever.  The Simplicity L9526E is the lowest priced Simplicity that has this feature and just happens to come with the Intek. 

Briggs owns Simplicity and Snapper.

 With regard to the Ariens- Ask to speak to the manager of the store and ask for an end of season discount. Don't be shy-Home Depot has a history of deep discounts on their left over stock and floor models and its' pretty close to that time. 

If you buy the Ariens from Home Depot go through the set up/assembly  procedure in the manual before you run it. Look to make sure that each bolt is tightened and that all the washers are present in each area that is referenced for assembly .Make sure the  plastic cable ties are in place (the ones that keep the control cables away from the muffler and spark plug . The engine requires no set up other than to check the dip stick for oil level and add fuel. Total time invested is about 30 minutes. Remember you are not putting the machine together but checking on work already done.Besides if you do this you will have the added benefit of knowing your machine.  Don't forget or neglect to do the after first hour or so belt adjustment. Perform the  suggested time interval first oil change with 5-30wt  (don't over or under fill), keep your fuel fresh and use Stabil or it's equivalent and the machine should last you the rest of your life.  

 My father bought a 926LE three years ago for $499 and I bought a Toro 2450 as a backup for my 2 stage for about $300. We can argue all day long about one brand vs another but when you factor in the savings Home Depot gives on left overs it's a no brainer. An Ariens at deep discount is a bargain!!!!  

Marc

In regards to asking a box store for a end of season discount,First of all,i would NOT buy any OPE from a box store.And then you say check there work?My father in law is the cheapest s.o.b. in the world,he always buys from Menards,and guess what?I always end up over there fixing/putting together the right way some snot nosed little punks mess.(He must be wondering about Mary Jane rotten crotch.)Sorry about the rant,but i would spend the extra 4 or 5 hundred and get a quality machine from a reputable dealer.You might as well go to Walmart .And i won't even say what i think of them.

sorry for venting.but the bottom line is you get what you pay for.if you are handy with a wrench,and do not care how your machine is put together,by all means,go to a box store and get a good deal.with my experiances,i do not recomend it.they do not service nothing,parts are next to impossible to get,need i go on.my neighbor bought a blower from menards,went to use it,it would not go in gear,fixed that and then the damn chute fell off.quality built or what?sorry im getting worked up again.you get what you pay for.

Donjag-

I agree with you to a point about the Box Stores. But if you have ever seen the small ammount of actual assembly (dealer prep) there is on a snow blower you would understand my point of view. On the Ariens all that you need to do is flip up and attach the handle bars using some wing nuts,mount the chute and attach the chute control to the control panel, attach a cable with a plastic cable tie and you are done. It takes more time to assemble most children's toys.

Chewy ,the fellow who started this thread stated he is replacing a worn out 25 year old machine. Anyone who has owned a blower for 25 years is more thgan capable of whats required to check out a floor model that is brand new with an engine that hasen't seen fuel. 

In addition we are not speaking of an MTD , AYP or Craftsman cheapy here. We are talking about an Ariens LE series machine that is the exact same unit sold in the OPE stores. I would like to support my local OPE dealer and for $50 or $100 I would but not for 50% off of list.  

Marc  

marc,i apologize,i have never dealt with a ariens from a box store.only the crap you mentioned.sorry

Thanks for all the replies everyone.  After much consideration I've decided that I'd rather not buy a floor model from Home Depot because probably hundreds of people have played with over the past few months.  I admit I'm probably putting way too much thought into this but if something goes wrong with it I'll always say I should have known better.  Plus after much research it really does seem like the Simplicity's are the best bang for the buck so I think I'm going to wait until next fall and buy one of those.

donjag wrote:

An apology is totaly unnecessary!

Marc

The issue that I have with box stores isn't that a part-time clerk may have bungled the assembly and set-up.  Yes that may happen but I took my Ariens front-tine rototiller to an Ariens dealer once to have it serviced.  As part of the service they sharpened the tines...and then put the tines on backwards.  My point is that you can get bad service anywhere but my sense is that most Ariens dealers are on top of their game compared to box store clerks.

My main concern with the box stores is their liberal return policy.  Anyone buying a snowthrower from HD has 30 days to play with, fiddle with, or do God know what to the machine...then return it where it's resold.  Years ago I bought a riding lawn mower off the floor from a box store.  I couldn't get it to start for the life of me.  After much frustration I learned that someone previously bought it, put year old stale gas in it gumming everything up, and returned it because it wouldn't start.  The store clerk simply drained the tank thinking that would fix it and put it back on the floor. 

My message is that when buying from a box store...make sure that you're not buying something that some idiot had 30 days to mess up and then returned.