Snowvan

Thanks for the advice.  As I mentioned in my post, I don't mind spending the extra money on the Simplicity as long as there is a benefit.  I forgot to mention that we live in central Pennsylvania and we have a flat concrete driveway.  The biggest problem is the end of drive wet stuff in a typical suburban development street.  We are looking for a basic machine that will last, with proper maintenance of course.  Any other advice will be greatly appreciated.

Hello,

I am new to the two stage snow blower world.  I have a single stage MTD that is on its last leg and probably won't last another season.  I am looking to upgrade to a two stage mid size snow blower.  I have done some research and came down to two models:  Ariens Compact 24" (9200014) and Simplicity 1924E. 

Based on the information available, these two models are very similar in that they both use the B&S 205cc engine and weight about 175 lb.  I like the compact size of these two snow blowers because my wife uses the machine occasionally for our typical two-car driveway.  The Simplicity is about $200 more than the Ariens so I am leaning toward the Ariens.  I don't mind paying the extra money if someone with experience with these two machines could point out the benefits of the Simplicity that I might have overlooked from my research.  Both snow blowers are offered through a local dealer so service after sales is not an issue.  I would also like your opinion on the strength of these models to ensure which ever I choose is able to handle the EOD stuff.

Thank you in advance for your help.