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

After 37 years of using various 2 stage machines, I finally got around to buying a single-stage…..NOT intended to replace the 2 Stage, just to “compliment” it…

 As one gets older, it becomes a tad more difficult to handle the bigger machine ALL the time, even when there are lesser amounts of snow.

 So, I spent many hours searching thru this forum for help, advice and information on the pros, cons and capabilities of the SS.

 You guys may not even realize just how helpful a forum like this can be…..

 The various contributions that y’all have made over the years with your posts sit there like an encyclopaedia for anyone willing to do the research.

 From your posts I have learned a lot about a SS blower, and now feel more comfortable with my decision to buy one. They appear to be a much more capable machine than I had thought – this I learned from all your links to YouTube which enabled me to see various models “in action”.

 Which particular brand I bought was not a big part of my decision making – features, warranty, & price played heavily into my decision – all coupled with my own personal circumstances and how I plan to use the machine…..

 The machine that I bought has a 205 cc B & S Snow Series OHV engine with a gross torque of 8.0 T.P @ 3060 rpm. It has both the recoil and electric starters, an on-the-go chute rotation lever from the operator’s position and the quick adjust deflector. The clearing width is 22 inches, the intake height is 12.6 inches and the auger diameter is 10 inches.

 The machine has a 4 year warranty – repair only. I paid $500 + tax (Canadian $s)

 Just bought it on the weekend and have yet to use it - - here’s hoping that it works like some of the ones I saw in the videos !!

 I’ll post some pictures in a follow-up....

 Just one question at this time about using a SS – I noticed in a lot of the videos that the operator would release the auger start lever when they were backing up to make another pass – then restart the auger when going into their forward motion…and it seems like most operators did this ALL the time….is there a reason for that ?? Can one not back up while the auger is still engaged ?? (Other than for safety reasons)…

 Seems to me that the continual engage / disengage of the auger is unnecessarily hard on the pulleys / belt etc. etc. On a 2 stage, with the auger lock down feature, the auger runs almost continuously…

 As I’m anxious to learn the best way to use the SS, and the dos & don’ts, I’d appreciate any feed back on this question.

 Cheers = Roger

borat wrote:

   This is an excellent idea.  I have used a simiilar system on my top fuel dragster and all of the fasteners on my Lear are tied  like this.

royster wrote:
Yeah.......

Back in the day working at NASA, we had problems with fasteners vibrating loose on the launch vehicles.  I was assigned to figure out a way to stop it from happening.........

borat wrote:

You probably saves lives  with your idea,  that is really great.

Thank you, NASABoratNJ. Think you can do something about the potholes around here while you're back down here on Earth????

FrankMA wrote:
No.  Can't help with the  pot holes but if you drill and wire every fastener down on your vehicle, it won't fall apart as quickly. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vqUdC-8nFY

borat wrote:
Thank you again NASABoratMN_Runneraa335Steve_CeburoysterNJ for all your assistance!!! Could'nt have done it without you guys....

borat wrote:

I don't bother with trying to stop fasteners loosening. We got pot holes in Chicago big enough to swallow the whole car.

HI ParadiseNFLD,

Do you recall how much you paid for that machine at Canadian Tire?  I was looking at that one as well.  What about spare parts (auger/scraper bar)?  Does Canadian Tire sell them, or do you think they would be easy to procure locally when they need replacing?

I just picked up a Toro 418ZR today from Home Depot, but I'm going to keep it in the box on the off chance I find something else out there.

Regards,
james

Mr_Pacman wrote:

I paid $499 + tax (end of season purchase). They are currently selling for $599 + tax at CTC in my area.

I already purchased a drive belt to have on hand as a spare....got it from a "local" snow blower repair shop BUT they had to order it in from Moncton, New Brunswick.

Cost was about $38 as I recall.

Not sure if CTC will sell the parts BUT they may as the machine is "exclusive" to them.

That being said, I see many other identical machines, with different "branding" and suspect that parts availability won't be an issue.

I am very pleased with this machine and quite happy that I bought it. It worked extremely well for me last year and I expect a repeat performance this year.

Cheers = Roger