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

I would like to get some input on a new snowblower  for home use. I have a 20 x 50 ft drive with and 10 deg incline halfway up that goes level, and 100 ft of walk. Maneuverability is an issue, since I have to  blow snow between cars. I have limited storage space too.  My area gets about 25 inches of snow per year,  but sometimes we get a dump of a foot of wet snow.

The Ariens Compact 24  920014   and  Sno-tek 24 920402 are on my short list.  Others I should consider? Are the upgrades for the steel chute, cast iron gear box and Briggs Ariens orange models worth it in this price point? How about the Briggs 250 cc and dual belt auger  on the Ariens 24  921031 which is a step up in $$? LCT snow engine reliability and parts availability?

I am concerned about some of the  poor online reviews of the Ariens Compact 24  920014 that cite problems with Briggs engine, carb and friction disk.  It is surprising the Sno-tek reviews seem to  have much fewer problems.  As many of you may know , it is the similar to the Compact 24  with the LCT engine and without above upgrades..

Hello Edge,
I live on a cul-de-sac where the neighbors own Ariens, Honda, Toro, and the cheaper box-store blowers. Based on the performance (other than Honda - can't beat Honda, but the price is senseless - for a frickin' snowblower) of all the neighbors blowers I purchased an Ariens Platinum 30. The reason I purchased this particular Ariens is because all other Ariens were sold out at the time. My choice would have been the Compact 24 you mention. 2 of the neighbors have this machine and it's performance is just about comparable to my Platinum 30. It's also pretty easy to manoeuver due to it's smaller size. Mine is a 30 inch path, the compact is 24 -  a difference of 6 inches. NOT a big deal at all on a 20 foot wide driveway 10 passes for you, 8 passes for me. Certainly not worth paying the extra dollars for a 26, 28, or 30 inch. Also, you want maneuverability to blow between cars - 24 wins there. Are you blowing to each side of your driveway? If so, that means you have to blow 10 feet. Not a problem at all for the Compact 24. Remember, it's a snowblower. I don't see any need for bells and whistles on something that you are going to shove into the worst kind of elements. My neighbor with his 24 gets his driveway done as well as me with my 30. As a matter of fact, his doesn't ride up as easily in the end of driveway stuff as mine does. IN MY OPINION, if you don't have the money to blow on a Honda, get the Ariens Compact 24. Where do you live? I live on Canada's east coast in Newfoundland. We get a lot of wet snow here. Neighbor's 24 handles it easily (well, as easily as the rest of us anyway).

As for your concerns about the engine and friction disk. Nothing wrong with Briggs engine. They've been around for years. I remember my father's old McCulloch generator with the Briggs and Stratton engine from 35 years ago. It bit the dust last year in a house fire. And the friction disks. This technology is used in millions of snowblowers, and is very reliable. I believe there was a bad batch of friction disks in some Ariens machines. This has been remedied, and you should not have a problem there. With a little maintenance, a Compact 24 should last you for years. There are other choices but the Compact 24 is a great choice. Watch for a significant price drop online. It's gone from 650 to 800. Back down to 675, and now sits at at $1099 at Home Depot in Canada. it was 675 last week. I'm guessing it will be back down there again next week.

GC

The Ariens Sno-Tek 24 for $599.00 is definitely a bargin and warrants strong consideration. For $200.00 more you can get the Ariens Compact 24"  which has many of the same features as the Sno-Tek but also includes a headlight and the Briggs engine vs. the LCT. Not sure if the Briggs engines are even made in the USA anymore for what it's worth. I would also consider the Toro 724 OE as it seems to have many nice features and appears to be well designed. Many of the Toro snowblower owners on this site speak very highly of the performance and ergonomics of their machines. It also compares quite well with the Ariens Compact 24 for the same $799.00 price tag.

25" of snow per year is not a whole lot of snow so any of these choices would most likely satisfy your needs quite easily.

Here's a photo of the Toro 724 OE:

Can't argue with Frank's response. If all you get is 25 inches a year you do NOT need a high-end snowblower. The Compact 24, as well as Frank's suggestions are all good choices.

I believe that only 3 of the Briggs engines are manufactured in the U.S. right now (at least in the Arien's line). But I believe the Chinese Briggs would be just as good. I can't comment on the LCT engines. I have a Chinese engine in my Champion generator. Can't really comment on that either as it has less than 5 hours use.

I suggest a Toro 621 single-stage machine.  It'll handle snows up to 10" or so, cleans down to the pavement, and takes up less storage space than a two-stage.  If you get a monster snowfall or EOD ice that the SS can't handle, have one of these for a backup http://www.acecalumet.com/images/snow-scoop-400.jpg  You can get the scoop at your local Ace Hardware for around $40-$50 - I've got one and it will handle anything I can throw at it, and it won't hurt your back.  Hang it up in the garage when you're done with it.

I'd also lean toward a Toro 621.  Very capable machine.  Particularly in an area that gets so little snow.  However, if you get all 25" in one event, you might be out doing the driveway more than once as it's coming down.  Chances are you have a neighbour with a dual stage.  If you have an unusually large EOD, you can make a deal with a neighbour to use the dual stage for the EOD and you can take care of his driveway with the SS.  I find that with normal amounts of snowfall (3-10" of regular type snow) if I hustle with the SS machine, I can get the driveway done much easier and usually quicker than wrestling with a big two stage machine. 

I don't think that buying a single stage for 600, and borrowing a neighbors 2 stage when the going gets tough is a sensible idea at all! Especially when he can get a 2 stage Ariens or Toro for 6 to 8 hundred. What if neighbor is away? Or what if it's an emergency and you need to clear your driveway at 3 o'clock in the morning? To me, it doesn't make sense to buy a single stage where there is a real good probability that a 2 stage will be needed.

Edit to add:

This is the first time I have ever seen one of these!! Have any of you ever seen this??!!

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/arctic-wolf-wheeled-snow-shovel/807150

I also would have suggested a single stage machine but it sounds like the OP often gets a good dumping of heavy wet snow that may be a bit much for a SS machine, especially at the EOD area. It's a tough call whether a SS or 2 stage would be the better fit based on the small snowfall amounts but the heavy dumpings that happen from time to time. This is the classic "got to have one of each" to handle anything that may come your way....

FrankMA wrote:

Or..just one machine that can handle anything that may come your way! ;)
such as a small two-stage, like the two Ariens machines that Edge is considering..
IMO, one of those should work fine..
I wouldnt get a single-stage for this situation, because what if he does get that
rare "big snowstorm" that is too much for the single-stage to handle?
what is the sense in having a snowblower that you cant use when you need it the most? ;)

definately get the small 2-stage..

Scot

I see that you have somewhat of a dilema because you do have  limited storage space.  I have a similar driveway as yours that is shared with the house next door.  I have to be able to park behind my house or inside the garage in the winter months.  The first few years in the house I shoveled which became to labor intensive. I bought a used MTD and refurbished it. Had it 5 years but the 26 inch 8 hp setup was $#%*bersome to steer and the shute operation required extra labor. I bought the Ariens deluxe 28 inch with the USA made Briggs 250 cc motor.  This machine works well for me as I'm able to lay waste to heavy snow and send to another area. No one in my area has a blower that blows the snow as far as this machine.  There is a reason why Ariens has the patent on a two belt impeller drive. There is also a reason why Ariens uses a 14 inch impellar instead of a 12 inch. I paid $1050.00 for my machine which included delivery and setup. It has been worth every nickel.

edge10 wrote:
Last year, I got 19 inches of snow for the whole winter.  This was not a typical snowfall, but a low one.  My single stage Toro 421QE did all the work, the big 2 stage didn't even see any action.  No need to bring out the big gun when I can zip around with the Toro SS.  The most snowfall at one time was 8 inches, which I was able to handle with just the single stage and a shovel.

With a SS, one has to be diligent and go out and take care of the snow before it overwhelms the machine.  Pretty simple and not a bad practice.  My neighbor only has the Toro SS and he does fine with it.  We typically get 50 inches of snow per year.  One or two times, we get blizzard that dumps 12-20 inches.  He does what he can with his driveway and I come over and help dig out the EOD with my large 2 stage.

Sounds like a single stage would work for you.  25 inches isn't a whole lot of snow.  An occasional 1 footer isn't a strong reason to get a big machine.  You'd be surprised what a good SS and a shovel can handle, provided that you are physically fit.  Just break down the big pile into small pieces that the machine and you can handle. 

Now that's the practical advice.  I myself have 4 snowblowers, not that I need all four.  I'm just a gearhead, likes OPE and power, and I have room to store them.  :)  But my advice to you is still applies, in a pragmatic sense.  If you're an OPE fanatic, then I recommend the Ariens Pro 28.  No faults on that machine except the price of $2000. 

But let's not forget that 25 inches isn't a whole lot of snow.  No need to get an elephant rifle to hunt rabbits.