Time to Purchase a New Snowblower

So the 20 year old Toro I picked up lastyear cheap on Craigslist needs like 300 worth of work. I've decided to buy a brand new snowblower and maintain it it meticulously.


I don't have much experience with snowblowers but have been looking at the Ariens and Smplicity 26-28 models.

I keep hearing how none of them are made like they used to make them but what do you think? What's the best bang for the buck out there today.

My driveway is about 120 feet long by 8 feet wide or wider in some spots. Pretty sure it's asphalt and it's pretty common to get a foot or more of snow here in one storm.

 

If you are serious about keeping it up then go and look @ the Ariens Commercial Grade blower. Ariens builds them in 2 grades and the commercial one used @ home should certainly do everything you want and last as well. More $$$$$ but worth it in the long run.

 

I don't want to spend too much though.

The Ariens dealer I called has a 9.75 hp 28" cut unit from the Deluxe line for $1200. That's right around what I'm looking to spend.

 

I do not own one. But Ariens makes a good snow blower. My father owns a Honda and they are also excellent. (But more expensive.) I own a Simplicity riding mower (Broadmoor) and it is excellent. So I would not hesitate to buy a Simplicity snow blower either.

Here is the one I would like some day.
http://powerequipment.honda.com/snowblowers/models/hs1336ias Only $7999.

 

Simplicity blowers are not built the way they used to be. Ariens are really the only good blowers made now. There's Honda, but overpriced, and difficult to find..

The old simplicity were built about 5 miles from me, ariens a few more away in brillion, WI. After Briggs and Stratton bought out all the competition, (pretty much all but Honda and ariens). They cheapened them out. Cub cadet, simplicity, mtd, etc are all the same minus paint color.

My driveway is perhaps a little bigger than Dana's. My new last fall ariens compact 24 with a us made motor does the job admirably. Last winter was a ton of snow where I live. My new ariens did the job without a hiccup.

 

I bought a small Ariens from Home Depot a few years ago. Paid about $1200 in Canada (so about $900 US ) and it's been an absolute great unit. When I bought they had a deal where if I used a HD credit card, I got about $400 off and 12 months interest free as long as I paid it off in within the 12 months. A good deal on a Made in America product I thought. Another reason for going with Ariens is they had a metal chute (plastic ones will crack and break in the cold) and the ariens throws the snow the farthest. I can easily throw the snow from the end of my driveway across the road

I also posted in one of the ethanol threads how I use ethanol free gas and I like to turn off the gas (simple switch on Ariens) and let the motor idle dry when I'm done. I put my ariens away last winter without doing anything but filling the tank with ethanol free gas and when I pulled it out this fall, I turned the fuel on, primed it 3 times and it started on the first pull. These unit are built to last.

 

Xxl, which one did you get? My compact 24 was 850 usd with tax.

Yeah, the plastic chute sounds like a good idea, but its not. Most blowers except ariens have plastic chutes. The other thing is the gearbox. Ariens are much stronger cast iron than the competition's aluminum gearboxes.
Fwiw, these newer motors say right on them that e10 is ok. Even older motors have no issue with e10. It's darn near impossible to get over 10% ethanol unless you were to use e85.

 

Mine is the Deluxe 24 so likely very similar to yours. The one thing I wish mine had would be the remotely adjustable (joy stick and cables) chute. However for the amount I use it, the manual adjustments work fine.

The gas shut off will greatly benefit users of E10. I know the Ariens has it but not sure of other makes. Draining the carb of fuel during storage will not allow the dreaded ethanol fuel gunge build up. Just add some fuel stabilizer to the tank (or preferably to the jerry can when you purchase your fuel).

 

My JD 1130se does a pretty good job...Metal chute, no fuel shut off.

 

I bought a sno-tek by Ariens last winter, I think it's a 24 inch. I've only used it about 6 times, but it's done a great job of throwing the snow so far. I did have trouble starting it on last winter's final snow though and needed to use starting fluid. Checked it out in the spring and the primer pump hose was cracked. Could've been caused by the kid at HD that put it together. I hate getting things preassembled. Rather do it myself and do it right, even though it's a pita. If I'd had the budget for a real Ariens at the time, I probably would have gotten one.

 

Go Ariens or go home.

 

Son bought a used Ariens a few years back and loves it.

 

I didn't read the entire thread, sry. I just wanted to add what I picked up and where.

I had hernia surgery this fall and my wife didn't want me shoveling anymore so she got me
an Ariens model 921030 - Deluxe 28. Got it at HD for $950 + tx. Works great
Not sure of the engine maker or HP off the top of my head. But I will say I just
ran this machine through 22" of snow and drifts with little problem. My only complaint is
that it doesn't have a slower 1st gear. I had to work the clutch to help the machine not
overwork itself. Very happy with it for the money. Not alot of bells and whistles but it
does the job. And I have to say it must be fairly common because I must have seen 3 of
them on my drive to my mothers this morning.

 

When I was working the snowbanks at the end of the driveway I had to easily run the drivetrain to accomodate
the amount of snow it was trying to eat and spit out.

 

That model, and almost all ariens 2 stage have the Briggs made us built motors. The 2014 compact 22 had the LCT engine, which is Chinese. I see the compact 22 for 2015 has the us built motor now. I also see my compact 24 has the heavier duty style brace for the gearcase. This years compact 24 doesn't have that HD brace. Guess I bought mine at the right time. .
Last year's deluxe 24 and the compact 24 were only separated by price, the mega quick no crank chute rotator, and the auto-turn feature, which I didn't feel was necessary.
They don't rate small engines by HP anymore after Briggs got nailed for not delivering the advertised HP. That happened a few years back. No small engine manufacturer rates by hp anymore, just displacement, and sometimes tq.

Yeah, the remote chute height angle and rotation is really nice. My old 1988 simplicity only had remote chute rotation, but not angle for height.

The snowtek has the plastic chute, and no headlight, and I think all snotek models have the LCT Chinese motor. That LCT is not bad, it seems to hold up well, but has a negative perception vs us made motors. You could probably retrofit an ariens metal chute on to the snowtek.

 

Could be a company slogan for them! Change it just a little, though.
"Go Ariens or stay home!"

 

I think that is their slogan. I know they sponsor Lambeau Field.