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

I just signed up as a new member and wanted to thank this site for help in picking out my new snowblower.

I recently gave up on a not too old craftsman 24" with a 5.5hp snow king L head. This was the basic 2 stage that they offered with no electric start and only 3 forward speeds. Last 2 years have been nothing but problems. I decided on the compact 22 due to the subaru/robin motor and compact size. Haven't had a chance to try it out in the snow yet but am hoping it's up to the task. Machine looks well built and much more put together and durable than the outgoing machine. I was torn between the compact 22 and 24, but decided to go with the subaru motor, hope it will provide just as much power as the bigger briggs 900 series. Anyone have a chance to use one of these machines with the sx17? if so did you find the power comperable? Thanks

Nice to find people who have actually used the product ! 

Please help me decide on whether to buy an Ariens Compact 22-inch snowblower ... I almost did a month ago. 

Here's the set up:  I have a 19" 1-stage, paddle-type snowblower nearing the end of its useful life and it's been okay in light snow but the limited size of the intake means the job takes 2-3 time longer when the snow is deep.  I'm in downstate NY and the snow only gets deep a couple times a year and it's an asphalt driveway so it hasn't been a big deal.  But more importantly, I have a small garage with limited space and the old 1-stage, which is relatively small and lightweight, can fold up and fit nicely next to other machines in the garage.  So I started looking for a 2-stage snowblower that was as small as possible while still being a well-built, quality machine.  I checked stores and found lots of 24" snowblowers which I think are too big, so I looked online and found the Ariens 20-inch snowblower (ST20E), but it has been discontinued .  That led to the Ariens 22-inch (920012 / 920013).

Here's the questions:  First, how much snow is left behind?  My neighbors have two-stage snow throwers (Toro and Craftsman) and while they may finish up before me, my driveway/walkway is alway clearer than theirs.  The paddle-type machine gets down to the blacktop so by the end of the day, even with temperatures in twenties and teens, the sun helps clear things up.  Meanwhile their auger-type machines leave a thin layer of snow and when it gets compacted, it turns to ice which can last for weeks in January, while my driveway is totally clear.  I've been told that some fancy 2-stage machines have adjustable augers, but nothing will get as close paddles.  It's not a deal breaker for me, I's just like to know what to expect with some real world use.

Second, roughly how much space does it take up?  For comparision, I have a self-propelled, rear-discharge, Honda lawnmower.  The Ariens 26-inch models I saw in a store (along with other brand 24-inch) are wider by a few inches but that's not a big deal.  More important is the lenght/height... they seemed maybe 10" less long, but again, my 1-stage snow blower lets me fold the handles forward so it's even more compact for storage during the off-season.  I realize this is never going to happen with a 2-stage snowblower because their engines and chutes make them higher profile.  Second, roughly how much space does it take up?  For comparision, I have a self-propelled, rear-discharge, Honda lawnmower.  The Ariens 26-inch models I saw in a store (along with other brand 24-inch) are wider by a few inches but that's not a big deal.  More important is the lenght/height... they seemed maybe 10" less long, but again, my 1-stage snow blower lets me fold the handles forward so it's even more compact for storage during the off-season.  I realize this is never going to happen with a 2-stage snowblower because their engines and chutes make them higher profile.   Again, not a deal breaker, but any opinion would be welcome.

lap_abc wrote:
Every 2 stage snow blower I've used had an adjustable scraper bar at the rear of the bucket.  I have a paved driveway so I always set the bar so that it scraped the asphalt clean.  My driveway is bare when I'm done so I suspect that your neighbors have their scraper bars set above the driveway surface.

No need to guess how much space it will take up.  Ariens and mostly all other manufacturers have complete specifications for their machines on their web sites. 

http://www.ariens.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Ariens%202011%20Sno%20Spec%20Sheet.pdf

To help with your questions, like the previous poster stated, the scraper bar on the machine can be set to litterally scrape the driveway by adjusting the skid shoes on the sides of the bucket. I have mine set to leave about 1/8" or so, and while at times it may freeze up under right conditions more often than not by the next day or 2 I also have mostly clean driveway due to the sun. The shoes can be lowered all the way down to give a clean driveway all the time but this will wear down the scraper (a part which you can easily replace) after a few seasons I would say.

As far as storage the handles can fold up a bit on the compact models, they fold forward toward the engine. Floor space will be similar to a normal push behind mower (specs can be found online). The difference is the height as the chute and engine height are obviously higher than a lawnmower. I suppose you could take off the chute for summer storage and fold up the handles to make the machine as small as possible but for most people I don't think height will be much of an issue as floor space. Again I won't bother folding the handles on mine because you can easily slide a mower or something else on the shorter side right in behind it and the handles are up high enough to not really cut into much storage space.

FYI I just did a quick measure for you, floor space is about 3' length from the front of the bumper to the point in which the handles fold. Width is about 24" (22" bucket plus a skid show on either side) at it's widest. Folding the handles will save you about 18" overall length, as the machine exceeds 50" from tip of bucket to tip of handles, but again this extra length is at about waist height and you can fit something behind it if space was at a premium. Height of the machine to the top of the chute is also about 3' but taking it off doesn't seem worth the trouble as it would only save you maybe 6" tops until the height of the engine comes into play. This was based on a quick measure of my subaru powered compact 22, the briggs powered machine may vary slightly on engine size and height, but I doubt it would be that significant.