I am looking in the 24" to 28" range with 5-8 HP. I have looked at Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, and Cub Cadet.....They all appear to be the same machine with a different color paint. They all have chinese engines, and the linkage from the shift knob to the "transmission" is a external cable (looks prone to mal-function). I have also looked at the 28" toro, which looks great in every way, but the price is scary.
Does anyone have any input on the quality of the MTD blowers.