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

I have had a Honda HS55 snowblower (with tracks) for around 20 years.  It has been great.  I replaced the gas tank once over the years but otherwise have done nothing to it.  It still starts first pull.  It is tiny but seems to outperform my neighbors machines.

It owes me nothing but it is starting to have transmission issues and is generally worn.  I dont think its worth trying to repair and renew it. So I went shopping for a new machine.  I have been steered to the Ariens Deluxe 24 Platinum ($1300) and the Honda 724 (wheels) ($1999).  I am leaning to the Honda simply because of the great experience I have had with my old machine.  But the Ariens appears to be a pretty nice machine also and I could make use of the $600 savings!  I am having a hard time deciding on which is the better choice here.  I dont know much about Ariens machines in general.

I'd love to hear any feedback on this Ariens machine in terms of dependability, how Ariens last, performance etc and any thoughts on whether its worth spending the extra cash on the Honda?

Also if anyone has that Honda 724 I would appreciate feedback on that as well. 

Thoughts?

Huge thanks in advance.

My only advice is to buy a machine that has an easy turn feature.  Either a differential or a remote axle lock/unlock lever will do.  Twenty years ago I used to be like you and simply muscle my snow thrower around but today my back appreciates all the help it can get.   My particular Ariens has one remote lever, so the machine is easier to turn in one direction than the other.  With a differential the machine will turn easily in either direction.  Either system beats muscling it around.

Between the Ariens and the Simplicity it's a toss up.  From the feed back on this board over the years my sense is that Ariens is more of a hit or miss if it's purchased from a box store due to inconsistent set-ups.  Simplicity models may be more consistent because of dealer set-ups.  The differential on the Ariens is attractive but not a reason to select it over the Simplicity.  Personally I used a neighbors snowblower once that had an electric chute.  It was a few years old and was slow.  I honestly could move the manual chute on my snowthrower much faster than that electric chute.  Again that was an older model, today's models may have a faster more responsive electric chute.  The Simplicity looks to be built really well and weighs in at 240lbs the Ariens at 224lbs.  I do like the 16" tires on the Simplicity compared to the 15" tires on the Ariens.

Also I'd stay away from those cheap Japanese imports.  With Japanese manufacturing being called into question these days you don't want to own a snow blower that accelerates on it's own or gets recalled during a blizzard.  (Sarcasm intended...LOL)

DaHo - lots of good information here on this thread. Personally - I think aa335 hit the nail on the head - but you may not want 2 units. I also live in New England, and find that I use the 221 about 98% of the time on my 6-car driveway. But I digress... I think Honda 2 stages are nice, but I think they are overpriced. I think that either the Ariens or the Simplicity will give you more than what you need, and at a more livable price. In terms of robust-ness, I think you'll find the Simplicity to be the top of the pile. While you may not be familiar with the brand, rest assured that they are well known, well respected, and very well built. Also, as Steve Cebu mentioned, give Toro a look too. They are one of the best snowthrower makers out there (their single stages are legendary and absolutely unequaled in capability) and their PowerMax 2 stage units are very impressive and innovative (I have one and love it) The bottom line is - if you buy the Honda, you'll be happy - that's a given, but for less money, you'll be equally happy and have an equally nice, equally robust unit. Not a bad deal at all....

bevans,

That banner could be a wee bit bigger, don't you think?

This message was modified Feb 11, 2010 by aa335

Paul7 wrote:
I haven't come across any cheap Japanese imports (snowblowers).  Let me know where I can find Yamaha, Honda imports for cheap(er).  I haven't heard any cheap Japanese imports of any kind except from the post World War II era.  That's over 50 years ago!  Does anybody still believe that crap?  Let's not continue blasting import products when production is in the US is shrinking everyday.  I kid you not!

Let's leave Toyota out of this discussion.

"you don't want to own a snow blower that accelerates on it's own"

Actually, I'd love that.  I'd pay extra for it.

"but you may not want 2 units"

I think that's an important point.  I already have 7 gas engines that I have to look after (or is it 8?).  Individually, not a big deal.  But when you have bunches, and you are the repair guy, then you think twice about that.

I narrowed it down to the Ariens or the Simplicity and decided to go with the Simplicity.  It just felt better in my hands, feels so solid. 

Its sitting in my garage now and the snow is falling.  We are supposed to get a foot  of heavy snow tonight so tomorrow will be great test.

Thanks to everyone that chimed in with all the good info.

You touched on the one important intangible that's often overlooked...how the machine feels in your hands.  Let's face it, this isn't rocket science.  All of the units that you were considering will move tons of snow for you.  But if one machine has the feel that you like then that's the one to go with. 

DaHo - I think you made a great decision. Please post a review after you've used it tonight/tomorrow.

forget about toyota cars accelerating on their own.I just found out my 2001 honda accord is being recalled for it's airbags.There's nothing like an airbag hitting someone in the face unexpectedly.....At least if you own a honda snowblower,you dont have to worry about the airbag deploying lol....