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machXS1

Name Jeff S.
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Date Joined Sep 27, 2005
Date Last Access Dec 1, 2006 4:01 pm
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Re: Ariens 522 or Toro 2450
#1   Nov 18, 2006 1:24 pm
The performance specs of the LB more closely match the 6.5hp Toro 3650.
Re: Need Advice on a Snowblower
#2   Oct 10, 2006 8:53 pm
If indeed you have a 45 deg slope, then a single stage may not be the best choice. The reason being that the single stage is not self propelled (except from the auger) via any drive mechanism.
Re: Need snow blower info
#3   Sep 9, 2006 4:15 pm
Best Advice: Use the search function of this and other similar forums. You'll get loads of advice & opinion surely to keep you going round and round :). You may also want to ask your neighbors & even take a trip to that big box home store to browse their literature.

I bought a Toro CCR 3650 single stage last year for my driveway which is about the same dimensions as you state. I'm a little north of Chicago and last winter we got several 4"-6" snow falls with one 11 inch-er (this was a 3-4 year record snowfall for our area). The 3650 was able to handle it all, but in the 11" snowfall, I let the EOD pile ice overnight, so I had to do that by hand. Had I  gone out at night when it stopped falling, i would have been OK. You live & learn.

So, you'll need to know what your typical  snowfall is and to some extent the worst case snowfall you would want to deal with. A singe stage loses a lot of effectiveness above 12". One point to keep in mind is you get what you pay for. There are dual stage units that sell for less than what I paid for my Toro single stage, but those may require more maintenance then good Toro or Ariens, for example.

FWIW, I don't regret buying Toro, but I probably would seriously consider the 4 cycle Honda single stage, if nothing else then for the smoother engine.

To recap, the points I considered when making my decision for the Toro 3650:

- Most snowfall's do not exceed 6" in my area
- The 3650 is light & easy to maneuver
- Simpler design of single stage vs dual stage
- Small footprint in my 2 car garage
- Quality unit for the price point

Good Luck!
Re: Toro on TV!
#4   Dec 31, 2005 10:42 am
Thanks! Just scheduled it on my Tivo.
Re: Ariens 520
#5   Dec 4, 2005 12:59 pm
I'm in the NW Chicago burbs (Lake Co.) and my Toro 3650 worked like a champ on last night's 3" snowfall. The advice that folks tend to dish out is to buy the high end for what your budget allows. In other words, don't buy a 2nd tier dual stage in lieu of a high end single stage. Dual stage units are more complex, so you want a quality brand. Remember that the low end dual stage units do not have the steering capabilities of the high so you will be stuck trying to maneuver a 150+ lb unit.

For a graph of annual snowfall in Chicago check out this site: http://home.att.net/~chicago_climo/CHISOW.gif

Note that the last time we had more than 40" of snow was back in '99!

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