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

Hi,

Great forum! I'm in the market for a new blower. My Simplicity 5 hp from 35 years ago is old and tired [it's suffering from severe motor toast - I have to baby it thru deep snow or it kills]

We have a local shop that sells the Husky's and the Toro's. I had been looking at a Toro Power Max 828 LXE too. I probably wouldn't be adverse to another Simplicity either, however there's not a local dealer that sells them.

I like some of the features on the Husky over the Toro... 10.5 hp v 8 hp, Hand warmers [I have issues with my hands], 300.00 cheaper than the Toro.

I am a bit concerned on the Husky about the diameter of the snow chute where it exits the 2nd stage. It's maybe 5-6" in diameter -smaller than others I've looked at. I wonder if it will clog easily. Perhaps there's a reason they include a chisel tool that's clipped on the front. The sales guy said the throw on the Husky was about 20' depending on snow conditions. He also said slushy snow will clog [it'll do that on any blower I suspect].

Does anyone have a Husky? Just looking for some input.

Thanks much!!

Al

The Simplicity is not too bad after all these years. My brother is considering having it reworked to use it at our Mom's house. It's really his machine, he "loaned" it to me about 17 years ago after he had gotten a new one.

The Simplicity dealer is in the next town over. I haven't been there to actually see/touch the new Simplicitys yet. I think I will check them out even though I'd like to buy it locally.

I did not ask which engine the Husky has. I really didn't see any logos or markings on the engine, to be honest. The guy did say last year they had trouble with the Tecumsehs - availibility-wise. They Husky website says they're the Snow Kings. I find it odd they'd use those engines, if they're shutting down production.

http://www.usa.husqvarna.com/node3099.aspx?nid=84619&pid=78472

I also like how tall the Husky handles/controls are. The Toro's are taller too. I'm 6' 5" and it's nice not to have to hunch down. Yeah, I have back problems too ;)

Thanks for the info!!

I've also been looking around for a machine.  In the process, I've visited many dealers and big box stores, plus have accumulated brochures.  For 2008, The Toro 828LXE and 1028LXE are both Tecumseh L-Head, while the 1128OXE is a Tecumseh OHV.  The Husqvarna 10527SB-LS is also a Tecumseh L-Head, but has a whole bunch of nice features.  I saw the top-end Craftsman at Sears.  It's a Husky, alright, though I'm not sure how many features it has; but it has power steering and a Briggs 305cc engine.  Simplicity is owned by Briggs and Stratton, so guess the engine there.

I use a Husqvarna 5524STE (bottom-end model, alas!) at the school I work at.  It does clog with wetter/sloppy snow, so it's necessary to stop every so often to clear it.  However, I think this a pretty common issue with many snow blowers.  It just happens, but some blowers are better than others about this.  The Husqvarna's are pretty decent, and they certainly have lots of good features in the "Landowner" and "Professional" series, as I'm sure you've seen. 

Do you have an Ariens dealer in your area?  They are excellent, in the same category as Simplicity.  Their "DLE" series machines are their best ones.  They feature Tecumseh OHV engines, but they are going to ship some machines with Briggs in late November and early December.   We'll have to see which machines in their whole line-up will be affected.  This whole Tecumseh shutting-down thing is surely stirring up things right now for all manufacturers.

For quality, go Ariens or Simplicity.  Toro is also in the excellent category, but, yeah, they are probably over-priced for what they are.  And of course, I don't think you go wrong with a top-end Husqvarna. 

coasteray wrote:
I bought a Ariens 1130DLE last season and unless things have changed this year, they have a Tecumseh L head / Snow king engine on them.  Their website still list it as that engine as well.

coasteray wrote:
No we don't. My brother has an Ariens 8hp, he's not been overly happy with the distance it throws the snow. My geezer of a machine throws it further than his. I'm going to checkout the Simplicitys on Saturday.

Good luck in your quest for a new machine.

Thanks!

Al

Just thought I update this. I decided to pull the trigger on the Husqvarna 10527SB-LS. I went to checkout the Simplicitys - but sadly the dealer was sold out of the higher end models that I was interested in. I was able to look at one [they had a sold unit in the back room]. They were unsure if/when they'd be getting more. Since I didn't want to get stuck I decided to head back to the shop with the Husky. The one I was looking at a few weeks back was still there. It was probably a sign - hopefully it was GOOD sign :-) I will be taking delivery of it on Saturday. Unfortunately we woke up to about 5-6" of snow this morning...

Thanks for everyones help. I'll come back let you know what I think of the Husky.

Al