I had a MTD 26" 8HP Track for 14 years and I can tell you first hand that the Track drive along with the trigger mechanisms made the snowblower totally manuverable.
The thing would turn on a dime right in the middle of the sidewalk. I was also able to maintain a nice close line and get really close to the car without worry.
Keep in mind that the cog drivewheels are made of plastic and over the years plastic will get brittle and they are eventually will crack and break.
I finally got rid of it because I was having a tough time finding parts. This time I am trying an Ariens wheel drive unit only I don't expect to get the same manuverability.
The nice thing about the Ariens machine is that the Track drive is an option and can be converted from wheel to track drive. The MTD was Track drive only. It really was the trigger mechainisms though that made the MTD machine so manuverable. Additionally it had a tendancy to ride up in packed or heavy snow and it would take a couple of swipes. Most likely it was because the unit was a little light up front.
For medium duty use where you need some manuverability in I would say the Track model is definately the way to go. If you have a real long stretch where you need muscle to plow through in heavy pack, I would suggest a heavy wheel drive.
Starwarrior
This message was modified Dec 19, 2010 by starwarrior
