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

Going back and forth as to which one! Same price, Local dealers that service, like the look of both. Kinda leaning toward the Ariens only cause of the bigger engine 342 vs 305,is that a good reason?,or is 28" Toro a little more nibble to move around. Ariens seem to have more metal and less plastic, see I go back and forth.Please help ! Need to buy soon! Thanks for your suggestions.

Another thing I was thinking about today...again it is about the plastic. If you notice the really high end blowers from Yamaha and Honda which are easily double to triple the cost of what we are looking at don't have any plastic on them. Look at how much plastic they use on their motorcycles, snowmobiles, generators, etc. however none of them use it on their snowblowers.

Now look at the cheaper brands such as MTD, they use a ton of plastic, much like the Toro.

Just some food for thought.

klennop wrote:
Yamaha and Honda high end models (which we don't get in the US) comes with metal chutes that are lined with plastic.  Some members of this forum also have lined their chutes with plastic with benefits of slippery surface for higher chute velocity and less snow/ice sticking.  So they do come with plastic, strategically placed where it makes sense.  Honda and Yamaha is not going to crazy with plastic everywhere because customers dropping $3000+ on a snowblower as a long term investment is going to expect a good amount of metal.

While cheaper brands do utilize more plastics, it is not an indicator of poorer quality.  How it's used and where it's used is more important.  Homeowner snowblower are usually designed with higher convenience and ease of use in mind.  The Quick Stick feature of the Toro is only possible with the use of plastic chute.  Metal chutes are too heavy to move around quickly using the Quick Stick mechanism. 

Also cheaper brands do have more plastics in them, to meet price points that big box store customers expect, on top of the promotion and sales going on.  Consumers wants cheap OPE with big engines and features, whether or not they consciously aware of the trade offs in quality and performance.

For commercial use, the perception is that plastic chute will not hold up to the constant bombardment of snow and other debris.  This is partially true.  Design engineers don't go out of their way to change commercial user perception of plastic, just give them what they want and call it a day.  Properly designed chutes and material selection can make plastic chute just as good as metal chute, but why go change their mind if they want they don't want to.

Toro has always been criticized for using too much plastic in their snowblower.  A lot of that comes from non-Toro owners who do not own or use Toro.  However, there aren't too many actual Toro owners complaining about the plastics failing.  People are usually more apt to voice their dissatisfaction than praise.  If there is any complaint, it is the lightweight front end which tends to ride over the snow more easily than heavier buckets.  Other than that, Toro overall as a snowblower system seems to work and people have been happy.

Ever see what happens to plastic after it gets a good hard knock...when it's forty below zero?

Dr_Woof wrote:
It shatters.

A lot of people don't live in -40 climates.

Not going to snow much at -40.  Interesting tidbit, -40C is the same as -40F. 

mvedepo wrote:
Exactly! 

aa335 wrote:
I do agree with you on most of what you are saying but I just want to point a couple things out.

I am spending $1600+ on a snowblower so why should I settle for a bunch of plastic when the Ariens has all metal like the more expensive models. If the use of plastic isn't a indicator of poor quality on main components then why do all the high end models not use a full plastic chute or have their controls made out of plastic?

You may be right about the Quick Stick on the Toro not being able to work because of the weight of the metal chute. Well then why not make the controls out of metal to work with a metal chute? It is to save on cost right? Well then how come they don't beef up the motor to the same size of the Areins with all the money they saved using the plastic parts. I don't see any of the savings passed on to the consumer.

I have been pretty lucky with the plastic chute on my Crapsman but you know there were quite a few times I was expecting to have a hole. So have I been lucky...maybe...or does the plastic work like it should?? I just have a hard time buying another machine with the plastic chute. We get into the 40 below with windchill where I am at and again maybe I have been lucky.

As far as snow sticking to the metal, I have never had an issue with this on any device I have used in the past so I don't see that as being a problem.

As I also mentioned earlier if the plastic chute aids in less resistance, why does the Toro throw the snow less distance than the Ariens with a metal chute?

I do agree with the comment about the light front, like I also said earlier, you can buy a weight for $80 more to rectify this. For what? To make it like the Ariens where you don't have to pay extra.

I have nothing against Toro, I have owned 2 mowers, one of the smaller power curve units and an older larger Toro with the power shift system. I just feel like they are cheaping out vs the competition. Would I be happy with either unit, probably but I think bang for buck the Areins wins. I may go look at them again today.

klennop: All your posts seem to favor the Ariens unit so why not go for it. I can understand your apprehension about the plastic vs. steel even though I firmly believe that this is not an issue (although I prefer steel over plastic as well). Steel is not that expensive and high end plastics are not cheap so the overall cost savings to the manufacturer may not be as much as one might think. In the end, it all comes down to what you feel most comfortable with and perceive to be the best bang for your hard earned buck. You're going to be the guy behind the dash during horrendous weather conditions so you'll want to be as comfortable and pleased with your purchase as possible.

See my replies in blue text below:

klennop wrote:

FrankMA,

You are right about my posts favoring the Ariens because based on specs, it seems like the winning machine. Also like I said earlier, I went in to buy an Areins but started thinking about the Toro. I figured why not post exactly what has been running through my head, maybe it would help someone else in my position, or maybe it wouldn't.

Now if the cost of the plastics vs steel is close to the same, why is the price point of the Toro higher with a smaller engine, and you need to add things to make it comparable to the Areins. It just doesn't seem like a deal to the consumer. When breaking it down like I did earlier, the Ariens just seems to edge the Toro out. Not one person has said why the Toro is so much better on this forum. Everyone seems to say well you will be happy with either. So I am trying to find someone to show me why the Toro is better than the Ariens, that's all. I am not trying to start an argument or shove the Ariens down someones throat but just pointing out what I see.

aa335

I understand the whole consumer expecting more metal for their money depending on what they are buying. However speaking of performance you don't see anything high performance made out of all steel unless it is made for durability like a tractor, rototiller, snowblower, etc. You mentioned Toro not pitching all Steel like the Areins but you don't see them pitching anything about the innovative plastics either. I think it is more for saving money on their end and yes it takes money to be innovative but it isn't like the competition is standing still either. True they don't have to pass on all the savings to the consumer but at the same time, then they should make the machines even more comparable. If that Toro had the larger engine, maybe I wouldn't be so apt to be swayed towards the Ariens?

Also true there is no standard in throwing distance, what would be nice is a standard in how much volume a blower can move or something to that nature.

Yes all manufactures offer add ons, like everything else that is manufactured. My point was just that why add another $80 to a machine that is already a little more expensive than the competition to make it on par with the competition.

And for the record I am a Mac guy, we have 2 Macs however we also have 2 PC's. I would take a Mac over the PC but I am not even going to go there.


Everyone does have their own opinions on this, which is why I keep sharing what I am thinking, etc. I didn't have time to look at the machines again. Hopefully tomorrow, I will let you know what I decide but I think everyone knows which way I am leaning.