Hello all, I am in the process of deciding which snowblower to buy as I purchased a house this year in Mass and (hopefully) Ill need to use one a lot! Our driveway is paved and about 100' long with a slight curve to it. I have a couple turnaround areas that are rock (medium sized rocks, not really gravel). The unit will be stored in a shed thats entrance is raised so the unit will need to climb a wooden ramp that's probably 215-20 degrees or so and will have to climb the side yard to get from the driveway to the shed which is probably about the same slope as the ramp. Now -- I just cant shake the coolness factor of tracks instead of wheels from factoring into my decision here. The Ariens 28 Deluxe Track model is the one I have my eye on (although it is admittedly more than I wish to spend). I have a few questions about the track models (I have bounced around the forums but havent seen threads with updated info so maybe todays track models are a little different).
- Are the Ariens track models really hard to turn? They look like they have power turning but Ive read that track models are hard to turn so Im confused there.
- Are the track models reliable? I could see where a more complex assembly might break more often, but as long as its pretty reliable Ill take my chances.
- Are there other pros or cons I should be considering about tracks besides 1) They look cool 2) Better traction for biting in to banks and whatnot 3) Possible turning issues 4) Reliability.
And the big question: Should I just be going with the Ariens wheel model for my needs and ignoring the coolness factor or tracks?
Thanks in advance!
PS - and I probably know where most of you stand on this but Ill ask anyhow - if I were to scale back my cost closer to 1100-1200 would it be stupid to go with the Troy Bilt track model over the Ariens wheel model?
This message was modified Aug 11, 2010 by jviera1298
