Saw the snowblower at the link below and wonder if anyone has one and what is your opinion of it? Would imagine getting parts could be a challenge however these machines use LCT engines that seem pretty common now.. My Cub Cadet self propelled walk behind mower has a Chinese engine which runs great and literally ran the wheels off the thing but the engine still runs well.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/PowRkraft-2...10v-ElectricStart-2YearWarranty-/391010529636
It's big and huge and screaming 'CHINA!' all over it. Save yourself some headaches and $ (in the long run) and buy a nice Honda.
Honda while good is way too expensive.. I'd buy an Ariens as i know they are well made and parts readily available.. I am looking for feedback on the E-bay snowblower out of curiosity.. I have an Ariens rider made by Husky and a model 7524 snow thrower and they are well made.. I really do like Ariens products.. Plus there is an Ariens dealer a couple miles from me so parts easy to get if needed..
Look around for a used Toro, Ariens John Deere, or Simplicity 7 to 8 hp unit. Be aware that Tecumseh engines were the main source of "Winterized" engines and are no longer being manufactured. Any of these machines listed are superior to the knock off machines.
I am fully aware.. My Ariens has an OHV 7.5HP Tecumseh engine and they were great engines in my opinion.. Bought this snowblower on CL for $350.00 around 6-7 years ago
When it comes to power equipment I rely on MasterMech and highly value his opinion on anything gas powered.. All I am asking is has anyone used this particular snow machine and how do they like it?
The engine is the best thing on it. I see they copied Toro's quick stick chute control. That's not a bad thing if it holds together. The front end of that one looks awfully light duty too, likely a hollow axle for the auger flights. Also a long, all metal discharge chute which is gonna be lousy in wet, sticky snow. Not a screaming deal for the money and certainly not what I'd be looking to replace an older, better built unit with.
Not thinking of buying it just wondered what people thought of it.. If I were to replace this Ariens it would probably be by another Ariens.. The metal chute on my Ariens is thick metal and sticking isn't too much of a problem.. Slush well that's another story..
Get your chute dry and spray it with a cooking spray. It kind of works the same as Clarks sled in Christmas Vacation. He may have invented it idk?
I have used silicone spray and it doesn't last.. Really doesn't need it.. Slush is a problem for any snowblower..
That works even better if the paint is in good condition. Which brings up another point, paint. A machine from Ariens, Toro, maybe a few others is going to have a much better paint process applied to it for a finish that will last as long as you are not running rocks through the machine. Most of the economy grade units are simply sprayed red, black, yellow, or whatever color. No primer coat and I doubt the paint is all that great either. It doesn't take long before it starts flaking off in big chunks. Toro is one manufacturer that has had great success in using high quality composites (plastics) to eliminate many of the shortcomings traditional metal components have.
I hear that.. This machine has seen its share of rocks.. The chute as well as the auger bucket has paint removed in a few places and I tried touching it up but that didn't last long.. Still does a decent job through brute force..
I swear by my MTD 24" 2 stage self propelled w/8HP Tecumseh.5 forward speeds,2 reverse,bought it at Home Depot in around 1999-2000.If I remember,there was a blizzard forecast just a couple days afterwards,sure saved me arse. Sure its a heavy beast,but will go through most anything.Big storm here overnight - 33 now with 8-10 inches of heavy wet stuff in metro area,still snowing,wind picking up again & we've already hit the high for the day.Supposed to stop by 4-5 PM,may see 12-13" before it quits. Will be getting the beast out then,but not doing anything until it stops.I got 2-3 days of wood in the garage/shop,a week's worth outside the garage door & a year's worth or more 50 feet to my east in backyard once I clear a few paths. Not to mention plenty of food & beer in the house
If you use 'em, it's hard to keep perfect paint on the business end of these things. Nothing wrong with scratching them up. But I hate seeing palm sized chunks of paint falling off the outside of the housings, chassis, and belly pans on the cheaper built machines.
I recall you liking the Toro's for how well they handle snow.. Not aware of any Toro dealers around me.. Cub Cadet seems trouble prone.. Not thinking of buying at the moment but may in the future.. Going to run blower right after breakfast and keeping fingers crossed!
10 or 12 years ago I was at a garage sale in the spring and there was a 5 horse 24" MTD snoblower sitting there, the tag said $80, there was no paint gone from it and the chains looked like new. It had several forward speeds and 2 reverse and elect. start. The guy saw me looking at it and said, I'll take $50 for that, so I asked about it, he said his brother had rental property and former tenants had left it, I went back home and got my truck. This thing has a B&S engine and is the best starting small engine I have ever owned, I got busted up 5 years ago and now blow snow with my Husky tractor, but last fall I went out to the shed and put gas in the MTD which has been sitting for 4 years and it started on the first pull.
Update: Just finished cleaning up from yesterday which caused some good drifts here.. Snowblower started on 1st pull and NO fuel leak Ran great too.. I don't think this Tecumseh engine is as common as it's an OHV SnoKing design rather than conventional.. Pulls much easier than a 8HP Yard King with conventional Tecumseh engine I sold plus machine is much lighter to throw around and why I kept this one..
You are correct that the OHV Tecumsehs are far less common than the flat-head engines. They are pretty good little runners and do pull/start easier.
Seems like a better more efficient engine too.. Pulls very easy and starts easy too provided your carb bowl gasket is sealed That 8HP flat head was hard to pull and start by comparison! This particular model is rarer from what I have heard.. The 724 was far more common and Ariens made a batch of 7524's. The OHV engines seem more efficient to me or am I imagining this?
They will make much more power for a given displacement as the compression ratio is much higher and the combustion chamber itself is shaped to allow for more efficient burns. It's actually getting hard to find new L-head or flathead motors these days.
