Hello -Looking at purchasing a Honda HS724WA or Ariens 24 Platinum. Our driveway is around 2000 sq feet on a slight hill. Also will be doing a sidewalk on a larger hill. Thanks for the help. My wife likes snow shoveling, so she also will be using the snow blower too.
It will probably come down to the steering issue. The Honda HS724 (196cc Honda GX200; about 7hp) won't steer, but the Ariens (250cc Briggs; about 8hp) does without wheel-release triggers. I haven't tried the Automatic Traction Control on the Ariens, so I can't say what it's like. I have read good reviews about that feature. It's locked in two-wheel drive until you start turning left or right. At that time, it goes into differential mode with some kind of clutching action on the wheels. When you go straight again, it locks into two-wheel action once again. No clue how it works. If you want to stop and back up, then you have to release the left hand lever to disengage the drive so you can freewheel. Then you stop and re-engage the left lever to move again.
If you would consider a 28-inch, you could go with a Toro Power Max 1028OXE (305cc Briggs; about 10hp). The Toro has steering triggers under each handle grip. Simply grip the left one to go left, and the right trigger to go right. Unlike the Ariens, the Toro drive can be left in gear while pulling BOTH triggers for freewheeling, then simply let go of the triggers to resume forward motion with locked two-wheel drive, or release only one trigger if you want to turn. That's a nice little perk, but hardly a deal breaker.
All these blowers can handle your uphill needs. Don't bother with a track-drive model. Hard to turn. Your wife would need a forklift to turn a track-drive model. Well, actually, so would I!
El Toro! 1028 LXE - Tecumseh 358cc 10hp Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
