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

Help?? Any thoughts on what my best bets would be?  I need something that my wife would be comfortalbe using as well. Any comments are appreciated...

The purpose of the forum is to help people.  Giving advice with exaggeration and miss information is not so helpful to the poster or others who’ll search the forum for information.

>>In fact, tipping over a 300lb behemoth to change the oil once a season

    Is “tipping over” a machine required for an oil change?  I could not tip over any two stage but can still do oil changes. Machines average 300lbs?   Why do you tip your machine over to do an oil change?

>>It takes about 15 years to wear out a rubber paddle here in New England,

The big machines have not been around that long so how do you know that?

 Single stages used as a main machine have their paddles wear way before 15 years judging from the many single stages I have purchased from owners with worn out paddles.

>>Check out the commercial snow guys and see what they're running - 2 stroke single stages....fast, powerful, effective, and basically maintenance free.

    I deal with quite a few commercial snow guys and none of them use single stages to do their main clearing.   A couple clear with two stages but most have plows.  Many have small single stage 3-5hp’s because they are light and very good at cleanup, paths and walkways.  I don’t know any that have the big single stage machines 6hp or above.  A few have come here to buy two stages from me and I guide them to single stages.

I have met a few people who have very small driveways that use single stages, 5hp or lower and like them.  They were fine with putting up with the shortcomings of a SS on bigger storms and EOD, no problem for them. 

A few around Boston with parking spots or condo owners that clear parking spots like the single stages.  I have only met one guy west of Boston who gets the same snow as me, had Ariens 5hp or larger and loved it.  I bought his Ariens ST724 two stage which he did not use anymore.  He had a double wide drive about 8-10 cars long.  I quizzed him quite bit and he said he had zero problems with EOD or any large storms in the last several years.  Hard to believe but that’s what he said and he stuck to it.

For those of you who say the single is useless, can't handle 12 inches, or nobody uses them - I beg to differ.  I live close enough to where you all live to experience similar snow  (though I think oftentimes you may see more accumulation and frequency Steve ), and I use one EVERY SINGLE STORM and have used one for 20+ years this way.  The information you are stating sounds like it is coming from reading the internet vs actual hands-on experience.  I may be incorrect, though, and if so, then we have differing opinions and thats OK too.  I don't need a lecture on how big single stages don't work in Massachusetts heavy or deep snow though, because they do, and they do very well too.  I also own a large, proper 2 stage unit and agree that they are wonderful machines ('else I wouldn't own one)... but so are (good) single stages.

I also realize this post is irrelevant as the original poster already made his decision.

Commercial snow removal guys who need a snowblower don't drive around with a 2-stage in the back of their truck - they'd need ramps or a team of guys to get it in and out.  They plow and clean up with a single stage, because it is light and fast and gets the job done.  Is it the end-all-be-all solution?  For me, mostly yes, for others here, maybe not.  But that doesn't mean they won't work or are useless. 

Well to be honest it really depends on your needs. For certain If I had to use a big single stage, I could probably get it to work. The EOD would be a royal pain as it's a LOT of snow. But I'm in the middle of NH. Years ago when I lived in Mass, a single stage would have probably sufficed for my apartment there. For some people overkill is the way to go. No idea if a big single stage 2 stroke would be best for heavy snow but for most storms in Mass depending where you are in relation to Rt 128 you could manage.

The colleges do the walkways and they all use tracked Hondas or Toro's, of course they have major stuff for the parking lots. Some of those walkways are very long and would take 2 passes with a 2 stage. If you have a plow you can't do walkways without tearing up all the grass. I looked at getting a single stage Toro the 221 I believe but it would not have had enough oomph!

No doubt your single stage does the job for you and that's good. Mixing gas and oil is no big deal unless you mix it wrong some how. I don't think there is any one right answer, but for a big heavy EOD it's tough to beat a 2 stage.