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

Been snowblower shopping for the past week or so....looked on craigslist first and found that a lot of people think their 12 year old rusted snowblowers are still worth 80% of what they paid....I've narrowed my search down to the following:

Ariens Delux 28 # 921022 ($999)
vs.
Toro PowerMax 38614 ($999)
vs.
Poulan Pro PR627ES ($799)

I want to buy from Home Depot cause I have a gift card to use as well as a 10% off coupon...I'm intrigued by the Poulan because of the price and features seem to be up there with the others...the Ariens has the largest engine of the 3 and that may be helpful up here in Maine where the snowfall can be anywhere from a few inches to a few feet. Driveway is about 150'

these are all 2010 models so I cant find any reviews online but you guys seem to be very helpful here...any suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks!

If you have to got to the box store, then get the Toro, they make more uniform models that no matter where you get them they are still the same. The Ariens may be lighter that a OPE store line and the Poulan is basically a stripped Snapper which is a stripped Simplicity, so what is left at that point. 

Don't give up no Craig's List yet.. there are more to come as the season gets closer, or just after it starts. Someone may decide that the 2-3year old machine is no longer worth thier time and they will pay someone else  to do the work adn you get the luxury of that broken in machine...

Just my 2C worth...

Doug

indy597 wrote:

I bought my 1028 for a bit more than that but it has skid steering which is a breeze to use. The 727OE doesn't have that feature and it really makes life easier. That said the Toro is a great machine and their chute system is really easy to use. My carpal tunnel is pretty bad and cranking handles is no fun. The chute is fast and pretty accurate once you get used to it. After 3 storms I had it nailed. No stress on the wrists either. Oh and I'm in central NH and we get a fair amount of snow last year excepted. You should be able to go to a dealer and get a really good price around this time of year. My driveway is 220 feet and 16-18' wide with a huge EOD and a 35'x40' L section and I do the whole driveway in about an hour or so. I have YouTube videos posted. Luvin' the Toro so far.

so how can I tell if the Ariens model at Home Depot is a stripped down cheap one or not? Or should I simply avoid that brand there?

indy597 wrote:

That is nonsense. The dealer models are the same as the Home Depot models. Also, the Poulan Pro is made by Husqvarna, not Briggs, so it has no relationship to Snapper/Simplicity/Briggs.

The Toro and the Ariens you'll be able to look at on the sales floor at Home Depot. The Poulan Pro is web order only. I'm not sure it's a good idea to buy something you can't review in person first (you could try to find a place with one though just to review).

You should look at the comparison in specifications (these 3 units are really in 3 different "categories" of size and features), then go to Home Depot and peruse each before you make a decision.

PK