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

I'm trying to decide between getting the Toro 826 2 stage snowblower with the 249 cc Briggs engine and freewheel steering or the Ariens 22" compact model with the 169 cc Robin subaru engine.  I need to clean about
2000 square feet of interlock along with my neighbor's yard when he's away in Florida on his winter vacation.   Any reviews, suggestions?  Thanks.

joed wrote:

I'm a Toro fan so I'd say go for the Toro, more power, easy to use. I have the 1028 not the smaller 826. But I really like Toro and the quick chute and the easy steering. This forum has a LOT of Ariens fans and they'll provide opinions about that model. The Toro is pretty powerful. You didn't say what kind of snow you get or how much and also how big is your EOD? Those are all factors as well.

Steve_Cebu wrote:
Thanks for the response Steve.  Usually snowfalls here are around 10-15 cm (4-6").  Sometimes, we can get 20-30 cm (8-12").   The EOD stuff can be nasty too.  With our changing climate, we also get a mix of rain/snow along with regular snow too.  The driveway is about 45 feet long by 22 feet wide.  I also have to do the patios and walkways around the house.  Total is about 2000 sq. feet.  All of it is interlock.  My neighbour's driveway is about 40 X 20 feet.   I like both machines.  The Robin Subaru engine is excellent but I'm not sure if it's strong enough nor if the compact model is sturdy enough to last a long time.  The concern I have with the Toro is the length and width.  When I go around the corner of the house, I have about 29-30" in width and it's a very sharp turn.  The toro 826 is a long machine.  So, I'm not sure if I can get it through.  I also know you can get the plastic skid shoes for the Ariens so the interlock won't get scratched up.  I'm not sure if the Toro has the same option.  Does your Toro have the Briggs engine on it?

joed wrote:

I have the 10hp Briggs engine on mine. It sounds like you don't get too much snow and your driveway is pretty small. Mine is 220 feet long and the EOD is about 30 feet wide. I really should measure it. Except for your EOD you could almost use a single stage which would be better for patios. No problem turning the Toro just pull the handle and it'll spin on a dime literally and  the quick chute makes fast work of moving the chute. Funny how other brands need a motor to speed up their chute the Toro can whip from left to right and up and down pretty quickly. I have no idea if Toro has plastic skid shoes, for my use they'd be useless as they'd wear out too quickly. They do make some with wheels that are plastic and I think those would fit on the Toro. Someone posted a link in another post.

If size is a factor you will have to be certain whatever machine you buy will fit and do all the places you want. I think the 826 is a good machine and has a lot of power but it has to fit it the area you have. But with such a small driveway you could probably use a Toro single stage  like the 221Q and save a lot of $$$. It's much smaller and will easily fit in small places but it's not self propelled. but it won't scratch up anything either. How big is your EOD?

Steve_Cebu wrote:
Thanks Steve for the advice.  The length of my EOD is about 25 feet.  A single stage would be able to handle most of the driveway except the EOD which can be quite tall and heavy.   You make a good point about the cost of the Toro and whether it would be worth it.  The single stage toro is $900 while the compact Ariens 22" with the Robin Subaru engine is also about $900.   The Toro 826 is $1499.  All prices are Canadian.  I know the the Robin Subaru engine is excellent but I'm not sure if 169 cc will cut it.

I just picked up that exact Ariens a couple of weeks back, but I am still waiting for some snow to test it out in. My initial concern was about the motor as well. All accounts on here have been good for the subaru sx motors, but not much real world stories. My previous machine was a 24" with a 5.5hp l-head so I don't think that this motor will be any weaker than that by any means, and from what I have heard it is about a match for the 205cc Briggs. The motor on the Toro you are looking at is a 249cc so it should be a bit more powerfull. Probably comperable to the subaru sx21 (wish I could have gotten that motor). The way I look at it the 22" width may be a help to the smaller subaru motor as a wider bucket would only cause it to bog down more. As soon as I have a chance to use my machine I will def post an update on here as it appears a few people have been looking into this machine lately. In my area we mostly get pretty wet and heavy snow so hopefully this machine is up to the job, it certainly looks put  together well, and pretty stout for the price. I like the compact size, manuverability and ease of storage that comes with this machine.

Forcast says we might get some snow the end of this week, as far as if it'll be enough to try this bad boy out remains to be seen...

shiva916 wrote:
Thank you for the response Shiva.  Keep me update as to how your machine fares in the snow.  How is the transmission on that compact unit?  Does it move the machine at a good pace?

joed wrote:
The amount and type of snowfall you get would lead me more towards a Toro Single Stage than the Ariens Compact 22". It appears that for the most part, you would benefit more from the single stage than the 2 stage. Maneuverability, narrow width, interlocking pavers you don't want to scratch, patios and walkways, mainly 4" to 6" snowfall amounts, rain/snow mix, cost, etc... are all areas where a single stage has the advantage over a 2 stage. You could always tackle the EOD stuff by either staying on top of it throughout a storm (clearing it several times), attacking it in small bites or using the tried and proven shovel method of chopping the slop into a more manageable slop that the single stage can handle easier. It's a tough call as either one would fit your needs fairly well. Whatever you decide their will most likely be instances where buyers remorse rears its ugly head. You could always buy both and have all your bases covered!

FrankMA wrote:

Thanks for the response. I appreciate your advice. I was thinking of the same thing. Perhaps going with a compact 22" Ariens for the EOD stuff and a toro single stage for everything else. I was looking at the 221q or even the little Power Clear 180. The 221q is pretty big for a single stage. Combining it with the Ariens would take up too much space in my already crowded garage. So, I was thinking of that little power clear 180 with the 87 cc engine but I don't know much about it.

One suggestion might be to buy either a 221Q or 421Q and see how it performs this coming winter. It might be all you need to get everything done including the EOD. I think if you took your time on the biggest of storms, you'd be OK with a large single stage like the 221 or 421. That 421Q has a 163 cc 4 cycle power plant which should be plenty of power for heavier snowfalls and EOD issues. If you read through some of the older posts, you'll find plenty of folks that get by using just a single stage and have no problems at all. Some will start an argument if you even suggest that they consider a 2 stage....

Good luck my friend!

I would also second that recommendation by FrankMA.  Go with the 221Q or 421Q, skip the Powerclear 180 which I think is anemic compared to the Powerlite 325 which it replaces.  If you must get a small single stage as a companion to a 2 stage, get a used Powerlite.  They are very abundant used.