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

Hi folks, great thread & site!  I'm into a snowblower purchase a bit late in the game this season.  I've narrowed it down to these 2 and was hoping to get some comments or shared experience/knowledge.  I'm in Eastern Canada and options are slim for good quality blowers this year.  The JD will run me $250 more than the Toro but I'm not sure it's $250 better.  The JD has a B&G 259 cc engine which they claim is 9HP equivalent whereas the new Toro has a B&G 250 cc, which they market as 8HP.  I'm uncertain as to which has an advantage when matched with their respective auger and impeller systems.  I believe the JD system is a twin of the Simplicity system (actually the whole blower looks nearly identical to Simplicity which is probably a good thing!).  The JD does have an electric start, light, and 2" wider bucket, and I could probably get the dealer to throw some driftcutters but is this worth $250 more?  None of these features are necessities for me (although they are nice to have), it's more about the performance of the blower, reliability, and longevity.  Anybody have experience with the new line of JD's and/or the a Toro 826?  Please share, thanks.