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

One is shown here: http://www.powerlandonline.com/product/PDST24/Snow_Blower_24_65_HP_on_Sale__free_shipping.html

Any information on who makes it, reliability etc appreciated.  Searching online was fruitless.

It doesn't seem to have pinned wheels....  am also curious how easily it'd navigate.

Sorry to make assumptions when I said it appeared to be a MTD line of machine and LCT engine. The LCT is a Honda knockoff and I didn't want to imply that it is of low quality (I have one on my blower). I did want to point out the image and specs are the same as some MTD models. If it is a knock off, then the question of reliability should be addressed.

Sport

I had never heard of the LCT engines before so I checked them out. From the specs and appearance, the 208cc engine looks very much like the Mitsubishi engine on my pressure washer. I'd say that it's more of a Mitsubishi clone than a Honda. Either way, they look like nice engines too. If it runs anything like my Mitsubishi, it should be a fine engine. Here's a link for anyone interested.




http://www.j-thomas.com/Catalog/164_lct_engines.html

My Powerland 24" 6.5hp snowblower arrived today. I was a little nervous when I saw 2 belts just laying in the box and no air filter in the air filter container. I called Powerland and found out the belts were replacement parts and that snowblowers don't need/use air filters because filters tend to get wet, freeze up and bog down the engine in freezing weather. I have since verified this of most (if not all) snowblowers searching the web. The engine started with one pull and runs smooth and quiet.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see the discharge chute was metal and similar to Ariens design vs. the plastic version used on MTD machines (as well as seen in some older Powerland machine photos.. or maybe non-Costco versions) .

However... it was obvious the metal chute attachment got smashed somewhere from the journey from The Far East to my house, causing the base of the attachment to be out of round and an obvious significant ding mark nearby. After applying great pressure (practically standing on it) I was able to round it out enough to fit on the connection however it did not rotate smoothly. I called Powerland again and they offered to mail me a new metal chute and volunteered to throw in extra shear pins for my troubles, obviously all free of charge. I did not have to beg or plead. They even called me back later to give me the tracking number and advised the part would arrive by the end of the week.

Only time will tell whether this machine is durable but it appears solid, runs smooth and quiet and the customer service so far has met, if not exceeded my expectations. I can't wait for the first big snow... hopefully only a few weeks away. Hope this helps.

Also, it appears the manufacture is Chongquing Sanding General Power (based on some web surfing I've done) and uses a 168F engine. They have factories in China, Viet Nam and Cambodia according to their web site. American SD Power is the company name on the box and appears to be a subsidiary of Sanding. To your other question, the balance is pretty good but since this is my first snowblower it is hard for me to compare on it's ability to navigate vs. others.

The snowblower and the engine should give you years of service if you do the standard maintenance. Keep us updated on how it works for you.

I'll start a new thread on the LCT engine so that this one doesn't get highjacked.

Sport

What's the drive train like, ie is it pin drive in two wheels or does it have a differential?

Can you post or PM their service number... thanks.

Here is the owner's manual with contact info for Powerland snowblowers.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14733887/Powerland-GASOLINE-SNOW-THROWER-

Here are some reviews on Costco's website.  Doesn't look good ...

http://reviews.costco.com/2070/11497650/reviews.htm

EagleRhino wrote:

Those reviews make an MTD look like a high end Honda. :-)

EagleRhino wrote:

Those reviews make an MTD look like a high end Honda. :-)

So here it is over a year after I first purchased the Powerland 24" and have used it 10+ times. The Good: The engine is fantastic... in sub 0 F weather it still starts with 1 easy pull after 2 pumps of the prime (and while there is electric start it is more effort to put a power cord in an outlet than give a pull on the engine cord) Following some other guidance, I set the scraper clearance the thickness of a dime, and this machine does a phenomenal job of clearing a path down to the driveway as if it were a 1 stage When the snow is dry,the auger really pumps it out... about 20'... but recently plowed 8" of very very wet heavy snow, but, good news, still tossed it 3' - 5' and did not get all jammed up While this is my first snowblower, so I have no comparison, my personal opinion is it pretty easy to maneuver. The Bad: Literally on the very last pass of last season I pushed the blower into a large pile of very wet, heavy icy snow and the drive belt came off. I called Powerland to complain and they sent me some more free belts. Now that I know how to put the belt on, I think the original may have been installed faulty because it made a much different moaning sound when engaging When I was doing a pre-winter prep a couple weeks back I found one of the tires down and seal broken... and before I found out the trick of using a rope around the circumference and tightening it to get a bead again, I took both tires to the local bike shop to put in tubes so I won't have to worry mid-winter... but it set me back over $80 for parts and labor (I know, I got ripped off) In summary, the unit is all metal, but maybe not the highest quality metal. At least the wheels are not plastic like some of the new hardware store versions. The mechanicals are all pretty basic and serviceable. There is no sign of of rust or wear and looks like I got it a month ago, not a year ago. No oil is consumed. For maintenance, I use Mobil 1 0W-40 and Mobil 1 grease. I put Sta-bil in the gas and just turn off the gas switch and run the engine until the gas burns off in that cavity at the end of the season. Not even a hint of hesitation for start up when the new season began. If there are no belts or tire issues I would be dazzled with this machine relative to it's cost, but a year later am still very happy I made the purchase decision.