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

For me yes.  I bought a Honda HS520A in January this year but I knew I was going to flip it as soon as I saw a better deal.  I was able to sell HS520A (2004 model with minor rusts) and buy a prestine HS520AS (2012 electric start model with a receipt) for an upgrade price of $10. I paid $220 for HS520A and sold it for $350.  The seller had to go back to India. The body, rubber and scraper bar looked new so I could not pass that one up.  This one will be a keeper unless I decide to trade up for a new Canadian HS621 but $1300 (before crazy Canadian taxes) is just too crazy for a SS.  I am just not inclined to buy an used HS621 as the prices are very high ($350-$500) with major work (worn out scraper bar, rubber peddles, rusting bucket).  If it was not for this Abbysguide, I would have bought HS520A and that would have been it but this forum sublinimally encouraged me to buy HS724 then I quickly upgraded to HS928.  After seeing AA335 and borat in SS action, I had to consider a SS .  I got a HS35 and that was a piece of work; definitely more than I can chew (perhaps jrtrebor is working on this already). I was just relieved to get that antique out my garage.  In March/April, a SS is my new best friend.  Thanks guys!

Well, it won't be me encouraging anyone to buy big 2 stage snowblowers for sure.

When I joined abbysguide, I also bought a big 2 stage, thinking this is the only one I need, a do-it-all machine.  The machine that will handle anything that winter can throw at me.  I live on a corner lot with a sloped driveway, so having the right machine for the big storm was necessary. Three to four times a year, I'm glad I have a 2 stage snowblower.  Those times usually involves 12 plus inches of snow, or 4 inches of wet heavy slush.  My beastly 2 stage was a snow cannon and a slush pump. 

I had a SS before, but forgotten how well it worked for most of the snow we get here.  It wasn't until I saw the neighbor with a Toro SS quickly and easily clear snow with little effort while I'm wresting a 350 lb snowblower.  I didn't really want to have just one big machine to take on smaller snowfalls.  250 feet of sidewalks and walkways is a lot to shovel, but a SS is perfect for those sub 6 inch snowfalls.

I'm glad I have two machines, each matched to what it's supposed to do.  I'm a bit OCD, so I even have different shovels for different purposes.  :) 

To MN_Runner, a brand new Honda HS621 is ridiculously expensive.  It's a good machine, solid built and should last a long time if not neglected and abused.  My Toro 421QE (now called 621QZE) does everything just as well, throws snow further, at half the cost.  For the price of one HS621 ($1300), I rather have two of the Toro SS, one 4 stroke, the other 2 stroke machine. 

No subliminal messages here that isn't present in other forums. There will always be forums of people that have a few extra pieces of equipment, more than they need.   It's like purses, shoes, watches, pens, cameras, or BICYCLES  (  ), some people have a lot of. 

The site helped educate me about SS machines, and how they can be useful, even in New England. So last year I got a used Ariens SS322 (3hp 2-stroke, 22"), and then an MTD (5hp 2-stroke, 21"). We didn't get much snow, but I got to try them a few times. The first storm, with the Ariens, was a big success. We had maybe 1-2" of light fluffy snow, the SS cleared it fast and easily. Quicker than my 8hp 26" 2-stage, easier to maneuver, and it clears all the way down to the pavement. I was thrilled, and bought the 5hp MTD. But in a few subsequent storms, even only 3-4" or so (though it was heavier snow these times, I think), I was kind of disappointed. The 5hp MTD had more power, and would go deeper before bogging, vs the 3hp Ariens. But the few times I tried it, I found that I'd eventually reach kind of an impasse. My driveway has a section wide enough that I can't throw to the edge, so it lands in the driveway, and I have to move the snow a 2nd time. When I'd get to that double-depth area, I'd have to slow to a crawl, and they still had trouble really making headway, vs just churning it around. I'd even raised the RPM on the 5hp already. Again, the snow was kind of heavy, and probably not ideal. I gave up and grabbed my 2-stage, and it just churned through it with no problem. I've since sold both of them. I liked the Ariens much better than the cheap MTD, but it lacked power. I could see the 5hp version of the Ariens being a better solution. And the Toros are supposed to be great. But my examples seemed best suited to pretty light storms. And I can just put the 2-stage in 6th gear for those. A more powerful Ariens, or just a better machine (eg- Toro, vs MTD) probably makes them work a lot better. Too bad, I had high hopes for mine, based on the experiences I'd seen here. My current thought is to have just a good quality 2-stage machine. One aspect I hadn't considered, with their being 2-strokes, is that after clearing the driveway in the morning, I'd go to work smelling like 2-stroke exhaust :) I don't have to worry about that with a 4-stroke machine. Just sharing my experiences.