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

Let me ask a question, suppose you have four snow blowers side by side all the same width, horsepower, etc. What makes one better then the other? Forget plastic chute vs steel, forget the power steering, heated grips, reliability, etc,etc. I am talking about moving snow......will say a 3k Honda have tighter auger clearances and make for moving more snow? Just trying to understand the huge variance in snow blowe prices.

If all machines are side by side with equal output engines will will say 9hp Honda move more snow then say a 9hp craftsman with a Tecumseh?

Yeah, this is kind of an open-ended question.  It's somewhat subjective, based on what's important to you.  Do you want something that just gets the job done?  What about ease of use, reliability, parts availability, warrantee, longevity?  It's like plumbing.  You can buy a German-made faucet that will easily outlast you or I, and you will pay for it.  Or you can buy something cheap that works great for a couple of years and then starts to leak.  You can't get parts for it and you have to pull the damn thing out and replace it.

Some folks value the name...to show off.  Whatever floats your boat.

I ask myself (most times) could I get away with something less expensive, still be satisfied and put the savings to better use?  Perhaps education or investment or food?  ;)  I traded up this fall from a 12-year old MTD to a 18-year old Ariens.  Yes, traded up, in my mind, based on what was important to me.  I went down in HP, 10 to 8.  Down in auger housing size, 30 to 24.  But I got a machine that is reliable, balanced and parts are everywhere.  This machine should last another 18 years.

I went down the path of buying a new one in the $1500 - 1600 range.  A new Simplicity, Toro or Ariens would have been great but I had better uses for the money.  Plus, I'm having fun and learning something about restoration and myself as I do so.

   I have a  Husqvarna  27 inch with the Briggs (USA built engine ) 305, 14.5 torque  With hydrostatic drive.  Purchased ed in Feb 2011    

My next door neighbour has a John Deere  27 inch with a Briggs (USA  built engine)   305 , 14.5 torque with disc drive. Purchased in January 2011.

We  had a lot of heavy storms  last winter, and were able to compare  the 2 snowblowers.

Just clearing the level drifted driveway, there wasn't much difference ,Except I was always travelling faster and always finished before he did.   

Now the end of the driveway :     With my Husqvarna with the hydro drive , I was able to go through the heavy  snow from the snowplow with one pass. The engine speed and sound was consistent.

With his John Deere , he couldnt get through without pushing , backing up and jerking his machine  , finally getting through the heavy snow. His engine speed was reving up and down on the governor and making a loud racket.

I dont know what the impeller speed of each machine but  both machines have a 12 inch impeller and a 12 inch auger.   There were no slipping belts on the Simplicity John Deere.

60 feet Steve??I think your fudging the numbers just a bit.And yes I have seen you on youtube.If thats 60 ft then,I'd like to know what measuring tape you are using.Also someone else questioned your measuring technique that saw your video..So Im not alone....

How well the machine is designed, build tolerance and balance will determine how well it performs. 

If that JD was built by Simplicity and had trouble with end of driveway snow, then I'd say there's something wrong with it.  Probably a slipping belt.   Here's a couple pics of my Simplicity 928 in action I've posted before.  Not quite 60 ft.  More like forty.  My previously owned Craftsman machine would be lucky to throw half that distance.

mikiewest wrote:
This is 20 feet:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SteveCebu?blend=1&ob=5

not that there is anything wrong with that! ;)
but seriously..its 20 feet.

Scot

Thank you all for your reply's! Great thread IMO!

mikiewest wrote:

Yes I know someone questioned it online. I also used a 50 foot tape measure and when that ran out I marked where the tape ended and then I measured to the furthest point that it threw it. This is powder and it's not throwing against the wind. So it stands at 61 feet. I think no matter what I use to measure the distance someone will question how far it is.

So if you have some foolproof way of measuring so that no one will question it I'm listening. For me a tape measure works just fine.

sscotsman wrote:

Yes it's also not the video in question either. That video was very heavy wet snow from this October.

The video where it threw 61 feet was with the chute facing forward is this one. I was out there with the tape measure myself, so I know how far it threw it. It was throwing onto fresh powder so it was real easy to see where the snow was coming down. I got soaked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va7J5zDk4e0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJh9bgt3yi8

Looks like 59.867 feet unassisted.  I think the wind helped carry it along to 61 feet. 

aa335 wrote:

You can see the wind what little there was was blowing a bit to the left. I measured it straight on, at 50 feet I was being buried in snow, the outer edge was 61 feet.

I was curious to see how far it was throwing it but this was very light powder. If it had been heavy snow it would not have thrown it that far.