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

I know the question of snowblower suggestions gets asked a lot but...

If I do decide to definitely shop for a replacement for my hs1132 what models should I look at in terms of the features for my conditions;

-long driveway (1000' just in length)
-lots of snowfall (western adirondack snowbelt area) some dry and light, some wet and heavy.
-deep cold, and the blower is in an unheated space

-ease of turning.  I   want something that my wife can operate in terms of ease of turning. We do considerable clearing around the house - paths to the woodshed, utility shed, walkways around the house, and walkways around farm buildings

I bought the honda because of my experience with honda equipment and their reliability. I  was willing to pay the big price tag because I figured I'd be buying a machine that would last as long as I'd need it.
Who is at that same level of reliability and longevity?

I do have a husqvarna dealer nearby and I've used their saws for commercial heavy use for years with no complaint and only praise. Does this quality extend to their blower line?

And lastly, are the tracks that advantageous that their difficulty in manuvering is worth it?

A lot of demands to consider but snowclearing is a big part of our 5 months here. I appreciate the help!

Like Knee_Biter said, get a 928 for the small areas.  Actually, the smaller 724 may be fine too.  Although $2000 for a 724 is quite pricey, there are more cost effective choices.  I'm biased towards tracks as I love taking on deep and packed snow.  Wheeled units may be a better choice if you are tight quarters and have a lot of turns. 

And others have mentioned, get something big that you can ride on for the driveway.  There's no point wearing out an expensive walk-behind exposing it to a service that it was not designed for.  Tracked snowblowers are painfully slow for that long of a driveway.  It can become tiresome and painful just for operating the snowblower, in addition to all the blowing wind and snow and frost biting temperature. 

I believe in getting the right tool for the job or hire a plow service.  As the Brits have a saying "Horses for courses."  The right tools make the job more efficient and enjoyable.  Your equipment lasts a whole lot longer too, doing what it supposed to do.

That is a lot of driveway, wow! Where I work we have a john deere 2520 utility tractor with a heated cab and a "47" two stage blower mounted on front, its a nice unit except for the cab height, its made for shorter people. Its a cozy cab and if you are over '5'9 you hit your head on the overhead panel where all the controls are, otherwise it does a nice job.

Coldfingers

aa335 wrote: I don't understand this, why would a tracked blower be slower than a wheeled blower? In my mind, the depth/weight of the snow is the limiting factor on how fast you can go. In light snow you just upshift. My tracked blower in its highest gear is almost too fast to keep up with.

Bill I guess tracked snowblowers are geared 40% slower than comparable wheel drive snowblowers to compensate for the extra power needed to drive the tracks. I have an ariens 9526 dlet track drive snowblower and it is slower than the wheeled one I replaced it with. It does however have added traction to go through the harder packed snowdrift without spinning. I notice it most when I back up, going forward in a higher gear still is fast enough for me and then in first it barely crawls along but doesn't get overpowered as you are going slow.

Coldfingers

Are they actually geared lower than the same unit with wheels, or is it because the drive wheel is a smaller diameter? Same result, though.
I can see there being a difference in reverse, but not forward as there is quite a lot of gearing available.

Bill_H wrote:
Speaking only for the Ariens the lower gearing is because the wheel/sprocket thing that drives the
tracks is so much smaller in diameter than the wheels on the wheeled machines.  Everything else
(apart from the axles and differential) is probably identical, which is why the wheeled ones go too
fast in 1st.

Paul

Bill_H wrote:
The track setup on my Honda 1132 is slower than my old 928 wheeled Honda.   The diameter of the wheels are larger than the height of the trac, and I'm sure its the same trans, ect.  The same revolutions just doesn't cover the same ground.  Now, does it go as fast in snow?  You betcha!

Bill_H wrote:

In most instances, you are correct.  On heavier snow, track speed versus wheel is insignificant.  Both will be driving at similiar ground speed to prevent over driving and spilling snow to the side or plowing snow ahead. 

In light fluffy snow up to 5 inches, max speed is a little slow.   I wouldn't mind a bit faster because the auger/impeller has no problem digesting that kind of snow volume.

I think everyone explained this very well. When I bought my new track drive ariens this fall the dealer did say that if the snow is light and fluffy you will wish you could go faster through it, he was right. I do have a 520 single stage honda that I was going to sell but have kept it for just this reason, when I get light snow falls that are more than what you want to clear with a shovel I take out the single stage unit and you can go as fast as you want to pushing that. I know its maybe over kill having two machines and my wife mentions that every once in awhile, ha!, but I figure between the two of them that I'm set hopefully for a long time to come.

Coldfingers

aa335 wrote:
OK, now it all makes sense, thanks. Looks like it's just a difference between brands.

My tracked machine has a really high gear that is almost too fast to use since you're walking so fast. I only use it when I finish at the bottom of the driveway, and put it in transport mode (lifts bucket off the ground about 1.5", also useful for making paths over grass) and run back up to the garage. Must be the way the gearing - I use that term loosely, it's really how far from the center of the friction disk you are -  is set up, since my lowest gear is too slow for almost anything and the highest is too fast for almost anything. I even do EOD in 2nd.