| Name |
Dave Cloyd |
| Email Address |
private |
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Normal user |
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| Points |
7 |
| Number of Posts |
7 |
| Number of Reviews |
0 |
| Date Joined |
Sep 15, 2008 |
| Date Last Access |
Sep 18, 2008 1:41 pm |
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Re: Ariens or Crafstman
#1 Sep 17, 2008 12:04 pm |
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I'd always go Ariens myself.
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Re: best brand
#2 Sep 16, 2008 12:39 pm |
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there are only a handfull of manufacturers. alot of people use these mans and put there name on the unit. example sears craftsman snowblowers......... depending on the exact unit they are made by M.T.D or MURRAY. husqvarna by poulan. toro by toro. lawnboy by lawnboy. MTD by MTD MURRAY by MURRAY ARIENS by ARIENS. Thanks for pointing that out & I am aware of that. The quote was "domestic brand" & Husqvarna is not a "domestic brand" despite being manufactured by Poulan. The brand is Swedish regardless of who actually makes it as was pointed-out that Honda is a Japanese brand even though their OPE is domestically-produced.
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Re: best brand
#3 Sep 16, 2008 4:50 am |
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"What is the best brand?" is a very general term. There is best brand at no cost consideration. Then there is best value. If money is not a concern, I'd say Honda is likely the best you can buy. However, if value is important to you, Honda is NOT a good deal. There is no way that a Honda will last two or three times longer than say a Simplicity. Nor will maintenance be two or three times less. Any decent domestic brand (Ariens, Toro, Simplicity, Husqvarna, even some high end Craftsman machines will do most everything the Honda will for around one third the cost if properly maintained. To me, value is more important than ultimate best. The best value I have found has been Simplicity. Very well built, overhead B&S engine, trigger controlled two wheel drive engagement, strong controls and cast iron gear case. Lots of quality components at a very decent price. Check one out. Husqvarna is actually a Swedish brand rather than an American one.
This aside, I agree with the best value analysis. In my experience with Ariens, Toro, & Craftsman I have found the Ariens to be the best value bar none. The lack of service with a Craftsman negates any upfront savings & the Ariens has a broader, better designed line compared to Toro although I wouldn't say Toro is junk but snowthrowers do not seem to be the priority to Toro that it is to Ariens. I'd make the opposite statement for mowers...
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Re: 2008 Toro 20092 Smoking on Warm Start-up/ Every Shut-down
#4 Sep 16, 2008 4:36 am |
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Thanks for your response & here is mine: Has this mower ever been tipped on it's side? - Yes to change the oil but it smoked prior to doing this & it was not tipped on the air cleaner side. Also if the engine overfilled with oil (most briggs engines of that series use only 20 or 22 ozs) which can cause a misting of oil through the breather line from the engine.. - Checked this on multiple occasions, no dice. Briggs a few years ago had a service letter stating that multi-weight oils were not advised due to increased engine oil consumption, no harm just uses more oil.. They recommened straight 30 weight oil. - I have also read this but my consumption seems to fine. I would take your air cleaner off and check for oil saturation... if so check oil level and replace filter...
- There is a tiny amount in the corner. |
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Re: Ariens or Crafstman
#5 Sep 15, 2008 3:41 pm |
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Hi Chris,
My old man bought a 5hp Craftsman in the early 90's & used it about 3 times before breaking the shear pin. A tiny, cheap part but he couldn't get it easily because they didn't sell it in the stores. The next year he bought a 7hp Ariens & has never had an issue but bad gas (which the dealer came to the house & diagnosed, Sears doesn't do that). I'd recommend an Ariens from a dealer that offers excellent service because when you need it, they'll be there. As far as which model, I have no experience using any large Ariens blower so I can't really comment. I'd test both & see if you can handle both without beating yourself up.
As for the Troy, they don't personally impress me.
Dave
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