Thinking about a snowblower

Less cost for one of these than a bercomac blower alone. 3k will buy a mint one with blower, 48" or 60" mower deck, a hard or a soft cab, and maybe a rototiller or other implements.

 

yeah, I know some Briggs are still made here, but I believe the ones which are are their larger displacement higher end stuff. I am pretty sure there is not a snowblower on the market today which has a Made in the US engine....Briggs or otherwise. I recall a big thing being made of it on the Snowblower forum a year or so after I bought my Pro 32. I believe Toro was the first manufacturer to go all Chinese made engines starting in MY 2012. My AYP/Husky had a USA made Briggs on it though..probably the same motor you have on yours.

Here's a thread discussing this topic, the guy who posted it has been tracking the country of manufacture for awhile. It's older, so things may have changed since then, but typically once they get moved to China they don't often come back to the states.
"Made in the USA" versus "Made in China"

 

Drive way is 1275 feet to garage; down and back 2x got wife out at 6 took 2 hours..with foot of snow down and back again with kids to school bus drive was 12 feet wide.. The real PITA between house and garage about 1/2 acre

 

It looks like a Roper to me but if you have the numbers it can be found easily enough.

 

I have an Ariens platinum 28 SHO that is about 3 years old. It is track drive and it handles clearing a path to my wood shed across the yard and up hill with no problems. I even go behind my house and blow the snow I shovel off my deck to get it away from the house before it all melts.

 

Unless it's for touch ups Once you drive a blower down your driveway the walk behind ones will gather dust.
Also most every 2 stage blower will use a commodity engine, nothing special. Hard to kill a blower unless you abuse it or let it sit outside. Blowers of excellent quality are often up for sale because it doesn't run. If you price in a replacement engine of any brand you like you can find some great deals. Then if you can get it running your even farther ahead.

 

AMF/Murray. I was just curious. I’ll tell ya, I’d not hesitate to buy another from the same manufacturer, in that time, lol. They don’t make em like they used to these days so I defer to those with more modern experiences.

 

Ariens is using LCT engines these days. Liquid Combustion Technologies from you guessed it... The big C....

 

Holy wormhole! In a good way

Mine is older than I thought. Bought in 2013. Briggs US made engine on mine. Sounds like I got the last year of the made in USA engines. It also appears that all new snowblowers are powered by Chinese made engines. I can't say anything bad on how the Chinese engines I've seen and use perform, and honestly longevity too. I just don't like the whole $ to Chinese companies. At least the ariens machine is made in the us, sounds like they are pretty much the last ones to be able to say that.

 

Interrupting the serious talk with a little eye candy!

Cleaning up with a roast in the oven and the game on DVR

 

Hopefully all this don't buy China talk thwarts any plans to move overseas.

 

Sweet machine! I always look like frosty the snowman when I'm done.

 

Craftsman OEM List | VintageMachinery.org The first 3 didgits of the serial number will tell you who made it. That said I would bet it is an MTD.

 

i got the cab in year two! I live on hill with a 6 mile fetch to next hill. The snow can do a 180 and pack my ear in no time with out that.
Actually gets to be tee shirt weather in that on a sun day after a snow.

 

I have the Cub Cadet 36” from Tractor supply or Home Depot.

It’s been good for its second season for me over a 50x100 packed gravel driveway, sidewalk and a couple of “trails” across the yard to the chicken coop.
36” means one pass up the sidewalk.
Heated grips, 110 electric start but it pull starts easily enough I never use it.
Manual chute control.
The blower handle will latch on while the drive handle is held allowing one hand to turn the chute or raise and lower the output angle.
The only one I’ve ever had experience with so I can’t compare it to any others. Been good for me and has never seemed to lack power or to be hard to start.


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If you buy this, I'd be interested to hear how the track hybrid works for you. I've had my eye on them since they came out. I have a gravel drive, and have heard that tracked is easier to operate on soft surfaces.

 

I'm giving it some serious thought Joe.... Both sizes are in my cart right now and all I have to do is remove one and click submit... What to do, what to do....

 

Decisions Decisions

 

The old owner of the company I work for always used to say that, in the end, the most efficient machine to own was the largest one that would fit practically on the jobsite.

(This is definitely not because I've been looking at the bigger one, and an hoping you review that one.) LOL

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I have a toro single stage. Out laws got it for me a few years back for Christmas. Works very well, especially on concrete. We rarely get more than a couple inches at a time it seems, so I don’t use it that often to be honest. I shovel my sidewalks and 20 foot approach on my house every time it snows and most of the time, my approach to my barn. If we get more than a few inches, I’ll get the snowblower out and snowblow everything. If I don’t have a good frozen base, that thing will be throwing rocks and grass like nobodies business!