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

I purchased my John Deere 928e from Lowe’s for $1,299 plus sales tax. First I purchased a Troy-Bilt from Lowe’s, but it didn’t make it through the first tank of gas before a bearing ceased up on the friction wheel shaft. Guess a bad bearing could happen to any machine, but it turned me off to Troy-Bilt, which is now owned by MTD. Lowe’s has a 30 day return policy on power equipment, so I got a full refund for the Troy-Bilt and they didn’t make me pay for a second delivery charge.

We haven’t had much snow since I got the 928e, but I did move some piles back away from my driveway in anticipation of lots more snow this year. The 305cc B&S engine is a potent 9 HP and easily handled the packed snow. If your back still allows you to do some snow shoveling you shouldn’t have too much trouble handling the 928e as most of the effort involves pushing down or forward. That said, the John Deere 1130se does have the Easy Steer® drive system to help turn. The 1130se was $1,499 at Lowe’s.

My 75 year-old neighbor uses a lawn tractor mounted snow thrower for the ultimate in easy handling, but such a rig starts at around $3,500. Of course you can mow the lawn with it as well, but storage and switching over from snow thrower to lawn mower can be a big job.

Here's a photo of the 1130se

brake4beaver,

I agree with JeffM that Toro is also a good brand. I had a Toro 419 (4 HP, 19 inches wide, two stage) snow thrower that served me without fail for 28 years with little maintenance past changing the engine oil and gear oil in the auger gear case. I never changed a belt nor had to take it in for repair. It finally started making a noise that meant it needed some work and I gave it away, but it still started on the first pull. The JD 928e I have now is overkill for most situations given the size of my driveway, but if it’s anything like the Toro, I figure it will last me for a long as I’ll be clearing snow.

The important point is that you can get a good quality small snow thrower that’s far easier to handle and maneuver than something the size of the JD 928e or 1130se. The smallest Toro two stage thrower is the 522e, which has a list price of $1,050. The important point is that it weighs just 143 pounds vs. 255 for the JD 928e. That much less weight is important for anyone with back pain.

Photo of the Toro 522e

Snowmann,

I agree, $1,050 is a lot for a Toro 522, but as I wrote in reply #4, the similar sized Troy-Bilt I originally purchased for $599 didn’t last through the first tank of gas. Maybe it was just that particular machine, in which case, the Troy-Bilt is a good buy. If you purchase it from Lowe’s you can use it and then take it back within 30 days for a full refund.

However, brake4beaver is looking for an American made machine and the engine on the Troy-Bilt was made in China. When I asked about that the salesman said it was the same design as the Honda engine, to which I commented, coal and diamond are made of the same thing. I don’t think he got it, but my point was there’s more to an engine than just the design, there’s the metallurgy, tempering, machining, materials and workmanship.

Anyway, if the Toro is built like they used to be built, the machine can last for decades. That reliability and light weight might be worth the money to someone with chronic back pain.