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.

I hope so. This will be my first winter with one.

NotMoneyGuy: Nice picture.  Could you please reformat it smaller so it won't blow out the page formatting?

>>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.

    Are you saying commercial guys can’t have ramps or have helpers?  Are you saying the commercial guys who were here and had two stages they used for their main clearing device were not here and I did not talk with them or see the two stages in the back of their trucks and on flatbeds?   Are you saying the ramps I saw or the helpers that were with them were not there?  You can’t figure out how to get oil out of an engine so getting a two stage out of a truck is way beyond that and not a surprise you have trouble with that also.  Today a guy picked up one of my high price premium expensive snowblowers and I got it into his trailer by myself while he was getting something from the cab.  Are you going to challenge that also?

>>required tipping to get the oil out.

   A slight angle and gravity work fine.  I don’t have to tip them over to get all the oil out.  I don’t have to lift them while they drain.  Are you lifting and waiting for them to drain?  That’s not a good way to do things.  You must be very strong if lifting for a side drain.  A board on one side does the job fine or roll it to a spot with a slight angle.  Changing oil should not be a labor as it seems to be for you.  If you were not exaggerating then you need to change your method.

   The comments about easy of maintenance merits on a two vs four stroke was not made by me.  They are different ball games and not enough trouble to be concerned about.

>>Here's a 22 year old single stage that has been used basically every storm on a 4 car driveway for 20 years.

     You’ve used a CR20E for your main clearing all the time for 20 years until 2007?  I’m very familiar with the  CR20E .  It’s cool but only for small storms.   It won’t handle much and if you claim it does fine.  The only way that machine would be viable is to go out many times before any buildup.  It’s a bit of a pain to use for the very limited low angle toss and very restricted side angle toss but if you like it fine.

>>It has never had new paddles and the paddles are identical to what you would get on a brand new single stage Toro.

    So no wear after 20 years of extensive use.  Great, you’ve got a winner there that beats your 15 year limit.  That’s a vane type with straight paddles isn’t it?   I thought flat paddle vain types were scrapped years ago.  What new Toro models have straight paddles these days?  I’m not familiar with any.   I’ve seen a few 20E’s with very worn paddles but they were probably doing 30-40 driveways per storm and not like the light load 3-4 driveways you have been doing for 20 years resulting in zero wear.   

   I use two stages and single stages every storm and plenty of times using a 20E.  If you want to claim it’s a great snowblower to use with no hassle for the amount and type of snow we get then fine.  If you want to claim it will even do big storms as implied by what you said, fine.   It can’t.  No worn 3hp CR20E is capable of the miraculous clearing in eastern Mass as you claim.  Your the one who said it was lacked power right?