Dave

I would stay away from track drive unless you really need it, such as with a steep incline. Track drive hard to manuver, which will make it more work to use. It's also more complex and expensive to fix if it breaks. Wheel drive is the way to go, and there are various options available.

Hi, for the money your talking about I would consider the Honda single stage or Toro 3650 single stage. These are both great machines. If you go with a 2 stage, 5.5HP is not enough... look for something around 8HP. Let us know what you decide on!

I would look at a snowblower with the OHV engine. These are all good machines that you are considering, but OHV is the future and L-head will soon be phased out. Also look at the other features, such as the easy steering feature that OC mentioned. I would lean toward the Ariens 7524E, The 7.5HP is adequate power for most situations and the machine is light enough to turn and manuver easily. The Ariens 2 turn crank  chute is nice. Electric start is nice. I would stay away from too many gadgets such as power chute control.

As MM stated, snowblowers are engineered to start in below zero weather. Factors such as maintenance and oil make a big difference. Synthetic oil is better in very cold weather for a 2 stage due to the improved viscosity, which allows the engine to turn over easier.  Also, electric start is a big help in cold weather.  Single stage machines such as Toro GTS and Honda have good reputations for cold weather starting. For a decent single stage I would look at the Toro 3650 which has a 20 inch clearing width, 6.5 HP R-Tek engine and electric start, for around $700.

Rob, I use a 2 stage snow blower and when I am done I use a wide scoop shovel to clean up. I keep the scapper bar about 1/16th of an inch above the surface, and there is a little snow left behind. This is no big deal for me since it only takes another 5 minutes to clean up with the shovel, and the 2 stage handles the EOD with ease. With that being said, I would not trade in the single stage Toro, since that is a really decent machine. You will probably find that it is much less work to use the Toro with the new paddles installed. When the paddles wear out on a single stage you have to use more effort to push the snow thrower. If you want the best of both worlds, keep the Toro and get a 2 stage for the bigger snow falls.