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

So, there not much snow in the midatlantic (VA), but there was the occasional snow storm with more than 2 feet of snow. I'm contemplating a single stage Toro 621 vs a HS928TAS. Big difference in price, I know. I hate to buy the Toro then realize that it's not enough when the snow is piling on. The Honda is just overkill for my area though.

You need to describe your situation. How long is your driveway, do you have a lot of end of driveway (EOD) clearing, flat or hilly, etc...? You're comparing hand grenades to howitzers. The Honda is a serious snow clearing machine that works well for medium to heavy snowfalls and especially useful for the EOD stuff. The single stage Toro is great for small to medium snowfalls (more dry than wet) and will get the EOD driveway done but you'll have to work for it.

You might want to consider a small 2 stage machine that can handle the deeper snowfalls as well as the lighter amounts. If you have your heart set on a Honda, consider the HS724WA (wheel drive). A wheel drive unit is easier to maneuver than a track drive unit. Ariens and Toro also make nice smaller 2 stage machines that cost much less than the Honda and are just as capable. I would tend to focus on the typical snowfall amounts you see rather than the oddball storm that happens every few years or so. If you really want to live large, buy one of each and you'll have all your bases covered. :)

FrankMA is spot on. Somedays one machine is not enough, and most of the time the other machine is just too overkill. It comes down to finance and storage space. Quite a few of us on this forum have both so we are prepared every winter. Both models that you mentioned are good machines so that's a good start.

I definitely realize the single stage is quite sufficient for me. Last year there wasn't even any snow. Usually there's less than 2 feet of snow throughout the year. Driveway is about 200 feet long. 2 cars can be parked side by side to give you an idea of width. It is on an incline, close to 30 degrees, maybe a little more. haha, 2 machines would be great. Doubt the wife will go for that. Storage and finances are ok. I guess I was just looking for a reason to buy the track drive Honda so that it would be easier to go back up the inclined driveway. it's not easy justifying certain tools. thanks

If finances are OK, then why get two?  Just get the Honda and you are good for anything.  Sounds like you will need it if there is a big snow with conditions as you describe em (wide, 200 feet and sloped).

Have you considered buying one machine new and the other as used off of Craigs List? Lots of good deals once spring rolls around and people begin to focus on lawn tractors and other summertime OPE. This would fly a bit easier with your boss (wifey) and get you both a single stage and 2 stage for whatever comes your way.

For the price of a big Honda he could buy a Toro SS machine and a mid size Ariens or Toro.  That's the route I'd go.  One of each. 

I live on the north shore of Lake Superior.  We get snow.  Lots of snow.  My driveway is 110' long x 20' wide with a 35' x 35' turn around at the top.  It has a 10% grade up hill from the street.   I use one of my SS machines 90% of the time.  It takes a serious storm for me to pull out the big Simplicity.  I think I "had" to use it once last year.  Otherwise, I'd pull it out just to put some time on it rather than just let it sit all winter.  I've got very capable Tecumseh 2 cycle powered SS machines that I bought for a cheap as $30.00.  With a bit of modification (governor over-ride)  those machines will move a lot of snow with relative ease.  They're the best snow blower bang for the buck that I've come across.   I also own a 2010 Toro 221QRE  single stage, which is a great machine.  Didn't really need it but considering they were going out of production, I couldn't resist buying one from HD when they went on sale for less than $600.00. 

  

raysmd wrote:
"Driveway is 200 feet long...incline, close to 30 degrees"  the grade just seems so much worse comes winter time.  That's reason enough to buy a tracked snowblower.  My single stage snowblower at 90 pounds with the rubber paddles has no trouble accellerating down a slope with me behind the handles.  Definitely fun but scary when there's no control of the slide.

"It's not easy justifying certain tools"...have your wife and kids come outside and clear the snow on days they need to get to work and to school.  It's not so easy to use the wrong tools for the job when the weather is beating down on you. 

aa335 wrote:
That's the tact I have used in the past and it almost always brings an end to any further discussion about whether or not (fill in OPE choice here) is needed. You need to have the right tools for the job at hand, especially as you get older. Another way to justify the cost of OPE is to amortize the cost over the expected service life of the equipment. A $ 2,500.00 purchase with an expected service life of twenty years is $ 125.00/year. A big 2 stage snowblower in your neck of the woods however, might be a bit harder to justify than where I live. Last winter was a bust as far as snow goes but the year before (winter 2010 - 2011) I logged about 35 - 40 hard hours on my 2 stage machine.

I follow a much simpler approach.  If I'm doing the snow clearing, I'm buying what I need to get it done.  Or sub-contract it out and wait 24 hours after a big blizzard.  :)

If I'm expected to keep the driveway clear, I expect to have the required equipment to do the job.  In my younger years, it was a shovel.  When we moved into the present house with the big driveway, I could keep up with minor amounts of snow.  However, with a big dump, there's no way I'd get it done, particularly if we had to get to work.  Accordingly, machinery is required.  Now that I'm older, even a large two stage machine can be taxing.  It's not a walk in the park that's for sure.  Normally, after an hour or more of wrestling with the Simplicity, I need to change my clothes due to sweat.  Can't blame that on getting older.  I'd get just as wet 30 years ago and I was very fit.  Personally, I find a large two stage machine easier to use when there's enough snow to warrant it's use.  Using the two stage for small amounts of snow means the machine works less but I'm still working just as hard controlling it.  Hence my recent appreciation for single stage machines.  I had never owned one before two years ago and now wouldn't be without one.  That's why I've scooped up all three Tecumseh powered SS machine I've seen posted in local ads. 

I just got back in from going over the $30.00, 2006 Murray I picked up last summer.   When I bought it, I cleaned the carb and spark plug, fired it up then put it away.  Today, I opened up the housing, checked out the engine mount, belt drive system and paddles.  This machine is almost mint.   Paddles and drive belt show very little wear.  I put in some fresh fuel and fired it up on the first pull.  The engine has tons of compression and runs strong.  Responds crisply to throttle input and revs up impressively.  From what I've seen of it so far, it seems that it might even be stronger than to old '97 Craftsman, which is virtually the same machine albeit older.  

What's interesting is that the Murray was built in China (engine built in USA).   I don't see any difference in build quality between the USA built Craftsman and the Chinese built Murray.  Both look very much the same.  However, the Craftsman did have a seriously cracked engine mount which threw the pulley alignment off which caused belt destruction.  The new mount I put on fixed that.   What needs to be understood though is that the Craftsman seems to have seen a lot of hard use before I bought it and is quite a bit older.  I plan to have the Murray first out so it will be seeing yeoman duty from now on or until it fails.  We'll have to see if it will hold up as well as the old Craftsman.  From what I've seen so far, I'm fairly positive that it will.  I'll put the Craftsman on back yard duty and the MTD or Toro on the deck where they'll see considerably less work. 

Will post a video of the Murray in action once we get some snow.