Snow Blowers... The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

Yes, we have MTD here. It's cheap stuff, generally. Does it work, yeah, but like you've seen there are clearly shortcuts taken.

MTD makes stuff for a lot of companies. Different paint typically differentiates them. Yes, they are available here,. And made in the USA and.

Tecumseh was bought out by Briggs and Stratton, then shuttered. It's not that they just stopped making them. It was a calculated business decision by Briggs.

 

I'm an ATV and plow person. We don't typically get enough snow for this combo not to work - Northeast Ohio. If it gets too deep, then I get the tractor out.

That being said, I would maybe look at an old gravely walk behind. They are easy to find and can be had rather cheap. Plus you can use it in the summer for a million and one other uses. I have a few of these units and a snowblower but never blow snow - I just mow and till. These units will last generations and are STRONG!

 

ATV plows and a snow blower make a great combination. My cousin has a large gravel yard and driveway. He always drives over to pack the first snow fall or two in the drive to get a good base that hopefully freezes. Any snow after that he uses the ATV to push up wind row s of snow. Once the rows are too big or to the edge of the driveway, he gets to blower out and blows it back. This is fast and you have no big banks at the edge of the drive. You really need to pack down that base layer so that you don't lose your gravel. Being in Canada I am sure that it is easier to keep the frozen base layer than in other places. No worries if your drive is paved.

 

Blowers and Gravel don't mix , Plows - weight of the equipment is the key. Too light and ya just start running over the top or constantly tripping the plow if it has that ability. I vote for Ariens or Toro in the blower dept. Ran a plow service for 15 years. All trucks carried the toro single stage 6hp units ( 2 stroke), for door way / sidewalk use. Once in a blue moon I would have to fire up the Big old Simplicity 2 stage( hard to tell it apart from the Ariens of the same generation ( this unit is some 25 years old.) I still have 2 of the single stage units. Ethanol has pretty much wiped the carb on the Simplicity - Briggs eng. not sure if I can get a new carb as a lot of parts of that era are no longer available. Toro parts are a bit pricy, but still around OEM and after market. I do not know whose eng. Ariens is using now. Used to be Briggs or Tecumseh depending on hp. Ariens Co is not real far from my home here in WI but like everything else no idea how much is made here or from overseas. For awhile Toro went to all plastic carbs- dang things would warp, they have since retreated back to metallic. A couple years ago Toro came out with a new style Single stage ( 4 stroke ) that rivals the 2 stage units in its size class. Long throw and as it dosen't weight a ton much easier to maneuver. ( single stage will out preform a 2 stage in wet sticky or sloppy snow). I went with small Skid Steer over Atv's and a blower on its front for sidewalks when things got deep or real tight areas not conducive for the trucks, switch out to a plow on same for gravel. Plus we could dig the piles out and move them back with SS.

 

I don't know why so many people have issues with gravel and blowers. I have been blowing a gravel drive for about 20 years.. Once ground is frozen its a rock til then lift front edge a little.
Granted every few years you clean and re paint chute.. In spring you rake gravel back in driveway..

My drive is long and narrow, I plowed for 4 years.. But before rain and freeze, you had to blow banks back or big problems.. Read equipment and $$$$.

Last year in the 40 plus inch storm.. On my 1 mile road helping out neighbors.. I opened 5 driveways so plow trucks could get out.. My 70 plus neighbor with ATV and plow.. He tried.. I told him stay inside Chet.. Ill be buy in an hour.. His wonderful bride makes pies for me!!

 

My area only gets enough for a four wheeler and plow. I love watching YouTube videos of snowblowers, I think I live in the wrong area.

 

Fortunately, the only snow blower I've owned (10 yrs) is a used Ariens, never had any problems. I would strongly reccomend looking at a quality used machine, especially if it comes from a shop you can trust. Since you are looking now, you will have plenty of time to look around.

 

Yes lots of good used ones out there, around here at least.

I got mine used. And also have gravel. Just drop the shoes some for the first storm or two. Then can raise them back up and it should glide right along. I was a bit leery of the plastic chute - but I have shot some pretty decent sized stones & ice chunks off & thru it and it is still 100%. I don't show it any mercy either, it sits under plastic all off-season, and when the snow hits I just drag it out fire it up and go at it full honk. Mine has a B&S engine. I really should show it some off-season attention but just can't get around to it year after year.

 

I agree.
I've used many methods. The best is a heated cab of a pickup with a v-plow.
If you get any type of significant snowfall plan on a headache (shoveling) with an ATV.
It's cute for a few inches, but impracticle for heavy snow.

 

Yes x4
Our heavy wet snows here in Pa(mid atlantic/northeast) are terrible to plow. And snowblowers are not particularly effective.
We hardly ever get a light fluffy snow like the upper midwest and the mountain regions of the west. A two stage blower is probably better there.
A single stage snow blower is usually better in our area.

I do like the idea of looking for a good used blower from a major manufacturer

 

Even a cheapo blower from a box store will live for a while. They are usually occasional used machines. Generally oversized.....in my opinion...

I use a single stage on my jd gt245. It works....It throws about 20 feet usually and is far enough in most cases. It's great for the yard or hard to reach spots plowing.
I got a two stage set up for my parents on a x500 series on a gravel driveway for backup-play to the pickup and plow...it throws 60 ish feet. Big difference.
I know there are Western NY people on here who get REAL snow. I'd like to seen their equipment/ideas.

 

Big difference between a walk behind and your 3PH model...walk behind sucks when you live in an area like here in NEO where the snow comes and goes. If you can get a base of snow pack down at the beginning of the winter then that's a different deal.

Yeah, amazing how much different the weather is between southern and northern Ohio...and even here, a 10-15 minute drive to the north can yield a totally different scene. We are just a few miles south of the secondary snow belt.

 

brenndatomu I agree did it for 6 years with Honda track push 724.. Paid myself 50 bucks a time.. When got enough bought 76" meteor and chains.. Much faster..

 

Look at your needs and then get the next larger 2 stage blower. If you pay attention to wind direction while you are using it, a 2 stage will dump the snow far enough away that it will never bother you again. I rarely need to move a lot of snow at one time but when I do my blower is more than capable at 5 HP and a 24 inch swath. I have been known to blow out my driveway and then just walk down the street blowing any that look like they could use the help. My own driveway is 30 feet long and 20 feet wide and can take me all of 30 minutes to clear.
Nice to have features include an easily steered discharge chute and an electric start. Mine does not have the electric start but sometimes it is hsrd to start when it is cold out.

 

Tim Allens?

 

Oh, look at the youtube stuff "V8 snowblowers"

 

vid

 

Ariens use either Briggs ohv, or lct engines now. I had a choice between the lct and the new style Briggs snow force. I chose the Briggs, and it's been good. That was 4 or 5 years ago.

 

I picked this MTD up from beside the road. Lots of motor parts missing and tires weather checked and flat.



Other than what you see it was great shape. I bought a Harbor Freight Predator 6.5 HP 212 cc's for it. Hooked perfect to the blower impeller. I drilled holes in the impeller vanes and installed semi mud flap chunks of rubber to them. Put a pair of TSC tires on it and I have one fine blower I leave at Mother in laws. It will blow slush a goot 15 feet and dry fluffy stuff a good 4o feet.

I bought a new end of the season Snow Tec by Ariens for here at home. does a fine job on the gravel drive. You adjust the skid plate so the wear bar runs about two inches off the gravel. I also use the lawn roller on the drive in the fall when it is wet to push any thing above 2 inches down.

It has a plastic chute same as the MTD and they work fine. If the snow is slushy I do coat the chute with dallor store cooking spray.

A friend bought a 13 HP Habour Freight engine and hooked it to a 48 inch lawn tractor blower. Mounted it with custom mount he built to his Polaris 500 sportsman ATV and can he ever blow snow and it is a single stage.

Al