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

I was wondering if the Toro 826 2 stage snowblowers is easier to maneuver than the Ariens 24" Platinum Deluxe.  I purchased the 24" Platinum Deluxe last fall and I'm not happy with it.  Although it has the auto. traction control, I find it hard to turn.  My 70 year old father, who lives with us, will go out to do the snow when I'm out at work.  I can't stop him because he's so stubborn.  He finds the Ariens too hard to turn.  He also had heart surgery a few years ago.  So, last thing I want is for him to have a heart attack while trying to move the Ariens.  I also don't like the fact that the Briggs engine on it has been back firing on shut down.  Briggs can't find a solution for it.  This year Toro will be offering freewheel steering on the 826.   My dealer is willing to give me a pretty good deal on a trade in?  So, would it be easier for my dad to maneuver an 826 Toro with freewheel steering or would I better off looking at a more compact snowblower like the Ariens compact series or Toro 722?  Thank you.

I would consider getting a smaller, compact snowblower (6HP, 2 stage, 24" bucket) just for your father. It might take him a bit longer to get the job done, but he'll be able to manuever it easier and with less muscle. A lighter single stage unit might even be enough to keep him happy and not work him too hard. If your father is anything like my father was, you won't be able to stop him from doing what he has always done. Have you considered "assigning" him an easy area to clear when you're not home (like walkways or a patio area?) and you do the heavy work later?

Are you sure the Auto Traction Control on the Ariens is functioning correctly? This should be the most maneuverable machine available..? If the ATC is functioning correctly I don't believe the Toro (826OXE) or any other machine would be any better, but you could perhaps see if the dealer has a demo you could try out to have a look for yourself..?

A smaller unit may be OK, but smaller, lighter snowblowers also require more "muscling" with the big pile the plow puts at the end of the driveway. A single stage will be worse for this.

PK

Thanks for the replies.  The machine is working fine.  Dealer checked it out.  I find it heavy to maneuver.  Dealer said that the Ariens is shorter than the Toro.  That's why it feels heavier.

I can't go with a single stage because that won't knock out the snow left by the city plows.

If I were to go with a compact series, would the toro 722 or the Ariens 624 be a better choice?

joed wrote:
Perhaps if you're looking at the Toro 22" Compact 2-stage you should look at the Ariens 22" Compact models (920012 or 920013) instead of the 24". A narrower housing will make it easier to slice through the pile at the end of the driveway.

These two models are identical except the 920013 has a Subaru SX 17 OHC Snow Power engine and no headlight, while the other model has the Ariens OHV engine (built by LCT) with a headlight.

In any case, either Ariens is $300 cheaper and gets you things the Toro doesn't have. A headlight (in the case of the 920012), single hand interlock, much farther throwing distance, larger impeller, synthetic gear oil, an all-steel chute, a better chute crank (2.5 cranks lock to lock), 15 degrees more chute rotation, 4 more speeds, double sided skid shoes, serrated augers, etc...

A thousand bucks for the Toro is alot of money for a small basic machine. That is price territory for a much larger well-featured machine.

Thanks for the feedback Snowman.  I live in Canada.  Unfortunately, the dealer I deal with only has the 24" Ariens with he Briggs engine.   I haven't had a chance to look at the specs but he said the machine weighs 185 lbs.  My platinum deluxe weighs 224.   So, I just though that trying to get my father to muscle a 185 lb machine without any auto differential might be harder for him than moving the platinum deluxe.  That's why I was looking at the little toro.  It weighs 162 lbs.  

Your dealer must be referring to the shipping weight with the packaging. The unit weight for the 920006 (last year's 24" Compact, which I assume is the unit we are talking about) is 169 lbs. The current 24" Compact model 920014 (with the headlight) is 172 lbs.

Snowmann wrote:
Thanks Snowman.  I spoke with the dealer again today.  He did confirm that the compact 24 series does weigh about 170 lbs.  Next question, you can get the unit with a 205 cc Briggs engine or 169 cc Robin engine?  Which one is the better engine?

The Briggs is a fine engine and you might want to consider that model if it has the added headlight (the 2010 model 920014 has the headlight). But if you are looking at a new 2009 model without the headlight (920006) then the Subaru powered model is definitely the way to go (920010). The engine is smaller in displacement, but it puts out similar power to the Briggs due to the high power density of the modern OHC design (note the Subaru is rated in net Hp not gross). You can go the Subaru power website and have a look:

http://www.subarupower.com/series.aspx?sid=59

http://robinamerica.com/pfeatures.aspx?pid=161

The SX series Snow Power engines are based on the EX/SP series. Industrial grade (the Briggs is a consumer grade engine), pent-roof combustion chamber (re:Hemi style), OHC (20 year newer engine technology that comparable OHV engines), case hardened cam chain, 1/3 fewer valvetrain parts than an OHV, ball bearing crank journals, forged crank, cast iron cylinder sleeve, real Mikuni carburetor, automotive style valvetrain, heavy duty piston rings, quieter and smoother than the Briggs. This would be my first choice snow engine over any other (including a Honda GX), just a beautiful piece of work.

The Briggs would be fine too. Even without being an industrial grade engine, the engine should still outlast any snowblower if taken care of.

One more thing, the Subaru will be full power right out of the box. If you get the Briggs, it'll take a few break-in hours to get spinning up to full power so give it a while before you pass judgement.

I hope this helps.

Thanks Snowman.  You're a wealth of information and have been a big help in my decision.  I appreciate your kindness and input a lot.   I'm going to check in with the dealer this week and see if the Suburu powered engine is even available here in Canada.

One more thing, model 920010 is the 2009 Subaru-powered 24" Compact. For 2010 the comparable Subaru powered model is a 22", 920013. The main differences (besides the width) are that the 2010 model has a 2.5" taller blower housing (20" instead of 17.5"), 13% more auger surface area, and better L3 synthetic oil in the auger gear case.

Here's a couple of Youtube videos I found of similar (albeit Briggs powered) machines blowing snow. These look like 2009 models.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPlp9A4jjTk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRjIYssJh4U

Another question.  Compact series carries an aluminum transmission vs my platinum deluxe which has the aluminum xs transmission.  Any difference, especially with performance and durability?

joed wrote:

The XS is a good deal beefier because of the larger augers and shear bolts on the Deluxe models. The shear bolts and gear case load carrying capacity are matched to the diameter of the augers. The Compacts have 11" augers, while the Deluxes have 14". Larger augers will require more torque from the gear box (and hence the shear bolts must be stronger or they will fail too frequently). Both gearcases can easily handle a simultaneous double shear bolt rupture (which occurs very rarely) so they should be equally durable. Also, while the old L2 gear oil was excellent, the new L3 synthetic gear oil in the 2010 models is spectacular; literally the best gear oil money can buy. It provides ultimate leak protection and film strength and I highly recommend it. If you buy a 2009 model, have the dealer throw in an 8 oz bottle of the L3 on the deal.

Snowman,

Still trying to decide between the models.  I got a chance to see the subaru powered compact 22.  Wow, it's got a bigger housing at 20" vs 17" on the other compact series but a narrower width at 22" vs 24"  I still also kind of like the toro 722 except for the smooth blades vs the serrated blades on the ariens.  I also like the headlight on the compact 24.  So, what to do?  Compact 22 with Subaru engine, compact 24" with the briggs, or toro 722 with the briggs.  That's where I'm stuck.  Any opinions?