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

I have an old Ariens snowblower that is in good shape but with a tired engine. I've been looking into a new replacement. The logical candidates seem to be the Tecumseh OHSK70, the B&S Intek 7.5, and the Honda GX200. 

The Honda seems to have the most torque (10 ft lbs) but is also by far the most expensive - $500 versus around $300 for the other two.

I have never seen a torque figure quoted for the Tecumseh, but it seems like the Intek 7.5 is around 7 ft  lbs?

Another engine that I came across was the Robin Subaru EX series, a 7hp OHC engine that has a lot of advanced features but isn't much more than the B&S or Tecumseh. They all have the same crankshaft (3/4") and height (about 4.17").
B&S sent me data sheets on the replacement: the Honda dealer has an employee who did one; and Tecumseh gave me all the dimensions and concerns (mostly about fitting the chute crank under the engine) but they all seem like they'll work.

I live in Boston MA and the current unit is a Tecumseh H50 on a 1970 Ariens. I checked the compression and it's 65 psi on the first pull and 75 psi after 2 or 3 (by hand pull). I do the sidewalks up and down the street for  some older (or lazier) neighbors so the kids can walk to school without walking in the road. The blower is great because it compacts the snow a bit and the biggest problem here after a snowstorm is finding a place to put it. I've used the unit 8 times so far this season.