First of all, I've been reading here along time reviewing everyones questions and comments on the different brands of snowblowers. After a few experience's of my own I will let you know what worked the best for me.
For about 18 years I have been doing grass cutting and snowblowing as a part time job. For winter I only take about half the accounts that I do for grass cutting. The winter of '07-'08 i had 11 residential driveways/sidewalks and for '08-'09 winter I have 12. My 10 year old Snappper 1030 was showing it's use. I have a Toro 3650 also. I shopped around the major brands and it seemed the Toro dealers alll insisted that the powermax was the snowblower to have! I thought their single stage work good so the 2 stage should be good also! After looking at Snapper (no comparison to my old one) Ariens and Toro, I bought an 1128OXE Toro in March of '07. Used it a few times and the season was done. Here in SE WI we had a winter like we haven't seen in years for "07-"08. That winter set record snowfalls. So far this winter is starting out the same. After using the Toro for a few snowstorms I had a few problems. The wheels would stop moving all of the sudden they'd go again. Stop and go on and off-how annoying! The joystick control wouldn't lock the chute in posistion and all of the sudden the wheel drive handle no longer locked the auger handle down, So much for the advertised 1 handed operation. Do you know how hard it is to keep both handles down and turn the chute at the same time? Thee next day I called the Dealer up, told him my problems and he picked it up the next day. He called me the following day and said everything is fixed. We sealed the belt cover and made some adjustments to the cables. he brought the snowblower back. 3 days later we get another 10 inches. I clear my driveway first to get out. I make 3 passes and the wheels stop moving keep the handle down all of the sudden it goes for awhile and stops.Call the dealer up he says I thought for sure we had It fixed. All they did was goop around the cover with some black silicone. The rest of the day it was stop and go. the auger handle would still release on it's own. The joystick control for the chute was actually fixed.
The dealer picked it up again looked at it and called me.The drive wheel appears water is getting on the drive wheel! ( I could have told you that the first time.) We don't know what else to do. The single handle operation of the handles is strange. All of the sudden it just lets go. They delivered the snowblower once again.
I decided it's time for something different. I need something that works! Many people are relying on me when it snows. Looked around for an Ariens. I found a11528 DLE Pro. Traded the Toro in and will never look back.I bought the Ariens Feb. 22 '08. Since then I have did 162 Driveways/sidewalks with the Ariens. Keep in mind I use the single stage for the light snow. Not 1 call to the dealer! I'll take the Ariens differential over steering levers anyday. The throwing distance was greater, tires were bigger and it wasn't 60% recyclable plastic.
I always thought that plastic chutes were the way to go because they don't clog. To this day I have yet to clog the Ariens!
As for the Toro 3650 , I sold it and bought a Honda HS520. It is so much quieter, runs smoother, and has better direction throwing the snow, and it even starts easier then the Toro.
These are my findings. Keep in mind I put an average of 10 years of use on a snowblower in one year! Ariens has me sold! As for Toro Advertising "No troublesome shear bolts". Run a Toro and an Ariens with shear bolts into the same thing ! Which will cost more to fix? Shear bolts are on augers for a reason.
The worst part about this whole deal is the Ariens would have costed only $250.00 more then the Toro when new.
I know I'll get some feedback, but this is what I have found in my own use. I have NO tolerance for something that doesn't work as it should when you really need it!
