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

I am planning to purchase a new snowblower this week and would be grateful for your suggestions. I have researched a number of brands that are available here in the Chicago area including Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, Ariens, and Poulan. I understand that American Yard Products (AYP) manufactures most of the lower and mid-range brands that are sold at the big box stores (Lowe's, Home Depot) and that companies like Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, MTD and Poulan simply add their own labels to basically the same product. I especially noticed that Craftsman and Troy-Bilt are identical. One of my concerns is that many of the contributors in these forums state that the Tecumseh motors are loud and vibrate strongly, and that Tecumseh is going out of business this year. Most prefer the OHV Briggs and Stratton motors because they are smoother and quieter than Tecumseh. Would you agree? Troy-Bilt claims that their motors are "Troy-Bilt", but are they really Tecumseh or B & S? The only brand in this price range that I have seen equipped with the B & S is the Craftsman. Poulan definitely has the Tecumseh "Snow King" motor.

I have an 80 foot long by 15 foot wide driveway that connects to a main street. The city snowplows tend to pile up the heavy wet snow at the end of my driveway when they make their passes down the street. Living in the Chicago area means I can get some significant amounts of snow, but most are typically in the 4 to 8 inches range.

Regarding features, I am concerned that the "joystick" equipped models (Troy-Bilt, Craftsman) with exposed wiring will gather ice while in use and freeze up making the chute control worthless, so I prefer the simple crank control. And the plastic chute's durability concerns me too. Most of thse models have 6 forward speeds and two reverse speeds.  

I would like to spend less than $1000, which means the Ariens, Toro, John Deere, and Honda are out. What brands (Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, Poulan) would you recommend? What horsepower would you feel I need to clear a driveway of this length? And what about the swath size - 24", 26", 28"? Finally, do you prefer the B & S motors over the Tecumseh motors?

Thank you, I really appreciate your advice!

 

You will get a million views on this topic.  Rather than give you a recommendation for specific  brand, I'll provide you with some points on what to look for when comparing machines. 

Engine:      B&S  in preference to Tecumseh but either in preference to Troybuilt's - Soybuilt.  They're using Chinese engines now.

Chassis:   The thicker the steel the better.  I usually look at the sides of the intake housing.  I push in/out on the sides to see how much they bend.  The stiffer the better.

                    Look for bearings instead of bushings.  If nothing but bushings in your price range, look for bronze or metal bushings in preference to plastic.

                    Controls should be well designed, simple and robust.  Avoid electric and cables as much as possible. 

                    Auger gear  case will in all likelihood will be aluminum.  Choose the largest size available in the  price range.  Larger gear cases usually mean larger stronger gears.

                    I prefer steel chutes & deflectors.  Plastic calls for less maintenance (painting) but can weaken in areas where holes are drilled for fasteners to mount them etc.

Fit & Finish:  Make sure the machine is assembled properly.  Look for loose/missing fasteners, improperly or misaligned parts.  If it's shabby on the showroom floor, imagine it after a few years of hard service.  

Service:     If you don't do your own work, make sure you buy from a dealer rather than a box store.  You might pay a few bucks more at a dealer but that will pay for prompt and competent service if required.

Warranty:  The longest and most comprehensive of course.                       

Borat ,

Thanks for your excellent advice. I went back to Lowe's earlier today to look at Troy-Bilt but decided against it. I have the choice narrowed down to Craftsman...specifically the 250cc 28" swath Model 88690. This model has the Briggs & Stratton engine. Unfortunately it has the plastic chute. Retail is $829 plus tax, minus 10% with my Sears card. Have you any thoughts on this particular product?

>>I especially noticed that Craftsman and Troy-Bilt are identical.

Product ID: 137558741
Manufacturer: MTD
Mfg Part No: 88690
Brand: Craftsman
UPC: 043033547616
SKU: 07188690000P

MTD makes Troy-bilt

trouts2 wrote:

What I meant was that the design, frame, even the colors are the same (Craftsman & Troy-Bilt) but the Craftsman 88690 has the B & S engine, not the Troy-Bilt engine. I did not see a Troy-Bilt model comparable to the Craftsman 88690.

Again, any advice you guys can provide is truly appreciated.  

summerwinds! i would not buy a craftsman!the engines are usually the longest lasting  part of a snowblower.all the doo dads that are attached will most likely fail first.like a plastic chute,augers,pulleys,belts, and cheap drive units,etc. i don't know how long you plan to live where the big driveway is but i would spend the extra bucks and get a good quality name brand unit no less than 8 hp.i have a 100 by 16ft driveway and i would want no less than the 8 hp.i bought a 1986 ariens 8 hp when i lived in town with a 30 ft driveway  and 70 ft of sidewalk. it did a great job no matter how much it snowed.then i moved rual with the big driveway like yours and am glad i bought the bigger unit. it takes me about 12 swipes and 40 minutes to do my drive and a smaller unit would take even longer.the time you wish you had the bigger, better machine is when you need it the most. the dead of winter with the worst snow conditions imagineable. spend the extra $ and get a quality unit,take care of it and it might last you as long as mine has.  22yrs!. mike janesville wisconsin.

mkd55 wrote:

Mike,

Thanks for your input. I believe the 88690 Craftsman's horsepower rating is 8 or 9 hp. If I eliminate the Tecumseh engines, that leaves Toro (I think) and Honda, right?  Ariens uses the Tecumseh engine. So does Poulan. What other brands do you suggest?

Anyone have experience with Simplicity two-stage snowblowers? I was looking around on web sites and found them. They look like a quality product, and most of the models have the B & S OHV engines. I plan to buy something this weekend. Your thoughts?

Hi Guys!

Summerwinds-

Spend a few more $ and buy a premium machine. Simplicity, Snapper,Ariens or Toro. I know it is easy to spend someone elses money but a properly taken care of "premium" machine will last you a minimum of 20 years and probably much longer.

Members of my family and I have owned Simplicity machines for the past 47 years (off and on) and always seem to come back to them. The only reason we sometimes buy another brand is for reasons of local dealer availability or when we need a unit and one of the big box stores is doing 50% off on Ariens. Simplicity is now owned by Briggs as is Snapper. The Snapper units seem to be the same basic unit as the Simplicity without some of the options.

I would strongly suggest you stay away from the MTD units that are badged as TroyBilt,Cub Cadet etc. While they can give decent service the frames and drive system are light duty and tend to be delicate. Buy a two stage machine of at least 24" auger width and an engine of at least 8hp. I believe that 4hp per 12 inches of auger width is an appropriate way of deciding if a unit has enough power. 

My father has a 2005 Ariens 9526LE which replaced his 1960 Simplicity. The Ariens was bought because Home Depot was stuck with them and reduced the $1000 price to $499. He gave the Simplicity to a guy accross the street who is still using it. 

My son got a Simplicity 1060DLXE in 2004 and they were running a 12 months same as cash deal at the time. Ask the dealer  about current promotions and which currently available unit corresponds to the 2004 1060DLXE. It has the Commercial frame and was a few dollars more than the 9560E which is the similarly powered consummer model. The 9560E is also a great unit . Remember these are old model #s but I think they are still being built today using a new numbering system.

I could go on and on but in answer to your question you can't go wrong with a Simplicity or any of the Premium brands.

Marc

Summerwinds-

Just checked the Simplicity web site-

Current model # for the 1060DLXE is P1524,(listed as commercial)

Current Model # for the 9560E is L1226E(listed as large frame)

They are also making an intermediate model called the 1924E which has an aluminum gearbox. The other two models have cast iron gear boxes.The Ariens LE models and the Toro as well as the Honda have aluminum gear boxes so it is not a terrible design but the cast Iron are stronger.

Marc

One of my neighbours bought a YTD machine with a plastic chute. He had problems with the gear at the bottom that was used to swivel the chute. Aside from that its still working after 3 years of 2-3 driveways er snowfall use. I have a all metal chute with a crank and am lusting over something I can turn a little faster. An Ariens with a Toro "Joystick" would prabably be "best".

As far as B&S vs Tecumseh is concerned I think the difference in noise levels is way over blown, both are single cylinder no muffler engines, one may be quieter than the other but neither is quiet. Ear protection is a must. Parts for Tecumseh will be available via third party for years to come as well as transplants ( tis better to recieve than to give). At the same time I put a new B&S on a machine that had an old Tecumseh and there was a noticaeable increase in power. Could be new vs old but I think the B&S had more available power.

Chute Size: Assume a 2" overlap on the swaths, calculate the number of swaths. Generally you want to have an even number so you end up at the same end of the driveway as you started. That means one swath difference is not significant. I tend to lean towards a smaller intake since that means you have more horsepower per inch of intake. It also means the blower is lighter, more agile and easier to maneuver.

I have a 26" machine with an 11HP B&S. It works very well but is a bit heavy and awkward. I do a lot of short driveways so my next machine will be a lot more maneuverable. It would be nice if I could get the chasis without the motior, I could then do a transplant.

Maintenance wise is mostly a matter of end of season stuff:

1. Clean and lube ( do it upon delivery as well);
2. Drain the gas tank;
3. Oil in the spark plug hole, turn engine over by hand, replace spark plug;
4. Change the oil;
5. Store under cover but with air circulation.
   

Regarding your query concerning Simplicity snow throwers. 

I have the Simplicity 9528.  Which has a 9.5  h.p., 305cc B&S engine, 28" swath.  It's the best snow thrower that I've ever owned or operated.  I've only owned Craftsman machines but I've operated numerous others.  Simplicity is a hard core, rock solid machine.  Very durable and well designed.   By the way they're built, this machine is a lifer.   I can see this machine outlasting more than one engine.  Which is fine.  A new engine, if ever required can be had for as little as $300.00.   Keep your maintenance up and a Simplicity will give you many years of reliable service.  Here's some pics:

Gentlemen,

After listening to all of your good advice I have decided to purchase the Simplicity 924E. This model is a bit smaller at 24" but has the B & S 9 hp engine. It should be more manueverable at 176 pounds compared to a similar Ariens at 250 pounds. Cost will be just under $1100 with tax & delivery. Sounds like a good deal and I like the fact that many of you are so impressed with the Simplicity brand.

Thanks again to everyone. I will let you know how it works when I use it after the first significant snow.    

 

summerwinds! you made a wise choice! the lighter machine will handle easier and most of the time that is a plus,however in deep snow a heavier machine tracks better. also if the front is too light  in very deep snow it will tend to want to go over the bottom couple of inches instead of plowing or cutting through it. probably true of all machines though. one other comment i have is that for 22 yrs my ariens always done the job. every year after sitting all summer the very first time i go to start it it starts very hard.i bought mine with the 110 volt electric start and i just plug it into the wall and it starts much easier this first time.once this initial start and run is over the rest of the year it starts first or second pull by hand.i never did anything during storage but put stable in it and shut the fuel petcock off.i do try to store it only half full though so i can top the tank off with fresh gas before the first initial start.

 Marked! I will come back to check this soon!thanks a lot.:-)
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