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

Shoveling sucks! There I said it. Living in Norther NJ we don't get TONS of snow, but when we get it, it's usually a bunch. I am tired of shoveling my driveway so I want to get a snowblower, but just looking online at all the different options has my head spinning. My driveway is approx 30' Wide by 65' Long. It has pavers at the entry and then asphalt for the rest. It's perfectly straight with no real inclines. Imagine 2 cars wide and 3 cars long, nothing special. I also don't really like doing yard work and snow removal so I want a blower that will get the job done quickly at one time, not having to go out twice for more for a big snow storm over 12".

1) What width should I get? 26"? 28"?
2) Any particular reason to get one with tracks?
3) They all seem to have very similar features, so what should I look for?
4) Which brands are better than the rest?
5) Does someone make all of them, because a bunch look the same? Craftsman, Troy, CubCadet.
6) A friend recommended a power chute adjuster, any have this?

Last, but not least, PRICE! I want to keep it under or close to $1K. I am not interested in useless features and I prefer quality so I rather get better quality with less bells and whistles. This also means possibly getting one a bit smaller and having to walk down the driveway one extra time, but I like good quality things.

Here are the ones I found so far, but can't decide:
Craftsman: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07188691000P?mv=rr
Troy: http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_10124_55007_-1 (Same as Craftsman?)
CubCadet: http://www.cubcadet.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_14101_145102_27656_-1_600000_42261 (Again same as Craftsman?)
Toro: http://www.toro.com/home/snowthrowers/gastwostage/828oxe.html
Simplicity: http://www.simplicitymfg.com/products/snow-throwers/large-frame-dual-stage/
Honda: http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/modeldetail.aspx?page=modeldetail&section=P2SB&modelname=HS928WAS&modelid=HS928WAS (Crazy Price!!!)
Ariens: http://www.ariens.com/products_snow/s_deluxe_group/s_deluxe_27/Pages/features.aspx

Thanks a lot!!!

I bought the Ariens Deluxe 24" a few weeks ago and had a chance to use it in an 8" snowfall.  It performed great and is obviously a very solid machine, plus it threw the snow a long, long way (advertised as 50 feet).  The only problem with it was that it was a bear to turn, since both wheels are locked to the axle. You have to really horse it around to change direction, skidding the wheels sideways.  The Deluxe 24  doesn't have a remote trigger to dis-engage a wheel to make it easier to turn, which is a sad shortcoming of this model.  The larger Deluxe models do have this feature.

I was going to trade my machine for a Deluxe 27", but decided to go for the Platinum Deluxe 24", which has traction control (the wheels spin freely in turns without the need to stop and disengage with a trigger), plus remote controls to manually rotate the chute and adjust the deflection without having to reach somewhat for a crank to spin or reach even farther to adjust the deflection cap on top of the chute.  The Platinum also has handwarmers and a headlight.  Even though the Platinum 24 was $300 more than the Deluxe 27, I thought it was worth it for the extra features.  But the Deluxe 27 is a fine machine-- I'd just avoid the Deluxe 24 for the reason I mentioned.

I really like the Ariens brand-- excellent heritage, quality construction and design, and a special je ne c'est pas... plus they're made in America (a rare quality!).

By the way, tracks are expensive (like $400-600 extra) and needed only for steep inclines.  My drive is about the size of yours and the 24" width of my blower is plenty wide.  I did the 8" snowblow in about 40 minutes, including the wide area outside our garage (about 30x40'), so I wouldn't expect you'd have a compelling reason to go any bigger than 27" at the most.

Ok great that makes it MUCH easier. The TOROs seems to be higher in price, so is there any particular to go with Toro over the Ariens?

Between the different Ariens:
Deluxe 27 - Basic Model
Deluxe Platinum 24 - Smaller, but many upgrades. Mainly interested in the better chute control.
Pro 26 - How much $$$ is this one? Worth the more powerful engine and size upgrade over the Plat 24 model?

Thanks a lot!!

Seems I post my questions the second someone answers them.

Ok so then either the Deluxe 27 or the Platinum 24 look to be the good choices from Ariens? About price, the Deluxe 27 is $1K at Home Depot. How much is the Plat 24, about $1300?

I was kind of hoping to get a bigger size than 24" for over $1K. Does the Toro 828 now seem like a better deal than the Ariens Plat 24?

Thanks

Looks like the Deere mowers are really Simplicity, but a bit cheaper. So what's the opinion on a Deere 928E  or Simplicity L1428E?

I like the power Chute on the Deere.

At my local outdoor power equipment (OPE) dealer, the Deluxe 24 was $899, the Deluxe 27 was $999, and the Platinum 24 was $1,299.  They all shared the same B&S 249cc engine.

Again, don't get fixated on width-- the difference between 24 and 27" is minimal over the course of a snowblowing job.  I would focus on experiencing the difference between having auto traction control and using a trigger to release the wheel.  Try pushing both machines around in a lot-- you don't have to crank up the engine to get a sense of how they move.  Then compare the crank control on the chute with the dashboard controls that let you quickly pivot the chute.

If you want to go with a Simplicity go with them instead of Deere.  The JD are rebranded Simplicity and look exactly the same on the outside, but sell for less then Simplicity.  Since JD is a brand that definitely wants to make a buck I think they make the internals cheaper for the John Deere machines.  This way JD still has a nice mark up.

Simplicity used to be an awesome brand but were bought out by Briggs and Straton: the engine manufactuer.  Simplicity, Snapper and Murray designs are all a mix now and are owned by Briggs.  The only part that is left from the legacy Simplicity  models are the chutes and buckets.  The handlebar and dash board are Murray/Brute influences.  The internals (the tractor mechanism) are Murray influenced and are not the same quality as the original Simplicity designs.

All that said, the new Simplicity are still fine machines.  Since they are premium machines they will serve you well.  But once you start comparing to Ariens and Toro, you have to ask what has more value and features that you personally want.

Toros are nice but when comparing to other brands AND if you are on a budget they might be too expensive.  I will give you my personal experience:

This fall I was looking at buying my first snow thrower.  I looked at the three brands in this disscussion. 

Toro 828 OE

Ariens deluxe 24 and 27

Simplicity L1226E

-----------------------------

I ended up eliminating the Simplicity because of the electric chute.  I know that it would of worked fine but I am a person that hates gizmos that make it harder for me to fix.  Mechanical stuff seems easier to fix then a motor.  I ended up going with the Toro for $1200.  I personally like the lack of any traction mechanism.  I like to keep it simple.  The quick chute design was definitely a nice feature too.  A big issue is that I was tricked into thinking Ariens sucks from all the local OPE dealers.  The Ariens dealers didn't seem too interested in persuading me otherwise, so I basically was left with my local Toro dealer, where I bought all my other ope.

Now that I have used the machine twice (in lots of snow) the high point are:

-the chute design (very quick to use),

-the plastic components (never rust and don't clog + 5 years warranty on them,),

-and the bigger intake system that only throws the volume of snow it can throw.

So in the end I am happy with this machine and think that the points above are definitely worth considering a Toro.

If I had to do it over again though, I probably would have gone with a Ariens 24 Deluxe and kept the $300 in my pocket.  YMMV

Given the choice between the two Ariens and Toro, I think the Deluxe 27 is really the best deal for the money. Toro is nice, but too expensive.

While Auto Traction control would be nice on the Plat 24", I am fine with the Remote Locking Axle; as long as it's not pin lock.

Then as far as the Chute, can someone explain to me what the "2.5x Ice Drill" means? I assume the Platinum model has a handle right on the dash, but how does the 27" Deluxe move the chute? Looks like you need to stand on the side and crank it, doesn't seem convenient. MORE importantly, I really want to make a turn and turn the chute all in one motion without stopping.

The Ariens 27 Deluxe use a turn crank to move the chute left or right.  The "2.5x" means it takes only 2.5 turns from stop to stop.  This is really quick considering all the cheap blowers take about 6-8 turns from stop to stop.  The only thing missing is a remote cap deflector (the throwing height adjustment).  But it is not necessary and can be compensated with the chute rotation itself.

You should be able to turn the chute and turn the blower in one motion.

During the snowfall we had a couple of weeks ago, I had ample opportunity to use the "ice drill" control on the Ariens Deluxe 24.  It worked fine, wasn't awkward to reach, and spun the chute quickly.  That said, I do prefer the dashboard control on the Platinum-- it is even easier and quicker to use and more importantly, is MUCH easier to control the chute deflector by using another lever on the dash.

I find that when the wind is blowing, you need to constantly adjust the chute deflector downward when you make a turn and need to direct the snow windward.  If you don't deflect down, the snow shoots up and is whipped into a cloud that blows back into your face and body and quickly frosts you.  It is a bit of a nuisance to have to keep reaching forward and bend over the machine to adjust the deflector manually up and down every 30 seconds.  Then again, doing that is still a whole lot easier than shoveling the driveway!

As you can see, there's not one "right" snowblower.  You gotta make judgment calls based on price vs features.  I think that it's a hard call between the Deluxe 27 and the Platinum 24... but I'm glad I went with the Platinum.