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

I was told by an Ariens  dealer that the 7hp model will throw the snow as far as the 11hp model.He said the reason is that the impeller rpm's is the same on both.But in the Ariens brochure it shows that the smaller snowblowers throw  snow 0 to 35 ft and the deluxe and pro models will throw snow 0 to 50 ft.So who is right?Also all of the toro snow blowers regardless of hp all throw snow up to 45ft conditions permitting.How can you find out the impeller rpms of a snowblower and if it has a high speed impeller??Someone in this forum also said dont buy into the hype of the hp because all impellers rotate at the same rpms unless its a high end snow blower like a Honda...

You need HP to keep those rpm's up when encountering heavier snow and/or using a higher drive gear. Also the diameter of the impeller is important the larger it is the higher the snow velocity will be leaving the impeller surface, but there are other factors including impeller and chute design. I was never able to get a actual number for speed of the Honda impellers, but their snowblower engines run between 3850-4000rpm where most others run at 3600rpm.

Well said.  Last Friday, after a 6+inch heavy and wet snow storm in southern New England, my 11.5hp (B&S Intek) Craftsman blasted through the snow and tossed it 15 - 20 feet.  To give you an idea on how powerful this machine is, the snow changed to sleet and rain while I was out there.  I also have a cab attached and I can tell you this is a worthwhile investment!  When I finished, the back of my coat was slightly wet and my front was kept dry.  The plastic windows remained clear and visibility was never obscured by the light drizzle.  Interesting to see the sleet bounce off and then a change to water droplets.  Now would be a good time to buy one of these shelters at the end of the season when they should be on sale.

Snowbound wrote:

Some machines do well with "Snow Cabs" and others don't. Balance Can be affected by the added weight behind the axle especially if you don't use a weight kit up front. Instead of digging in to the EOD they want to climb the hill.Forget about getting it into the garage with the cab on if you have a standard 4 panel  overhead  door. During a cross wind it acts like a sail. Obviously my experience with the Snow Cab wasn't all that positive. If it works in your situation it's a blessing.

Marc

I was thinking about getting one for my deere,now after reading both articles im not so sure.How much weight do they add?