Which Snowblower?
#31
All of the above!
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#32
I have an Ariens which has been a very good machine. Is budget an issue?

IMHO, Buy the widest and most horsepower within your budget. Horsepower throws snow. Run it dry at the end of each season and change the oil every couple years or more if you deal with a lot of snow..
Neil Summers Home Inspections




I came to a stop sign and a skanky tweaker chick in a tube top climbed out of the brush and propositioned me.  She looked like she didn't have any teeth so I counted that as a plus.


... Kizar Sosay





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#33
Would like to stay under 1k.
Looks like the ariens gets good reviews from most the sites.
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#34
(01-09-2018, 07:00 AM)Snipe Hunter Wrote: I have an Ariens which has been a very good machine. Is budget an issue?

IMHO, Buy the widest and most horsepower within your budget. Horsepower throws snow. Run it dry at the end of each season and change the oil every couple years or more if you deal with a lot of snow..

If you want the most removing power get the most horsepower with the narrowest width.  More HP per inch.

I think you should be able to find some deals at this time of the year.  I would purchase at a place that services, try a couple where I am we haven't had any snow, and the sales/service place had about 8 used ones out front for sale.  Might be a way to get something reasonable.  You can usually look at a snow blower and see if it has had a lot of use.
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#35
Ariens here also.
I've had it about 8 years, I paid for it easily the first year. I take care of my driveway plus 3 others in my neighborhood- it's easy, I like the snow, and it gives me a chance to give back.
I lube it every fall, change the oil every other year, keep stabil in the gas and run some sea foam through it near the end of every season. And every winter it starts up immediately. I purchased it from a power supply company, as opposed to a BORG. This spring I'll have them come and pick it up and change out all of the belts and give it a good tune up. After 9 seasons, I think it deserves a professional look-see. 2 years ago that thing must have blown 120" of snow all season. It owes me nothing. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
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#36
Currently I'm looking at the Ariens Compact 24----233CC engine - cast iron gear box - 15" tires and the Classic 24 208cc engine -- aluminum gear box--13" tires
We have 2 car garage cement, 30' slight sloped drive, gravel driveway out back. I am the chief scooper as hubby has bad heart, and I have bad back and arm......so I'm leaning toward the Compact, I can't have anything very big or I will not be able to handle it. If snow gets too deep a guy from the country "usually" comes in and cleans it out, but I have to be a work 15 miles away by 7-7:30 so I have been using a Craftsman rubber bladed 5 hp one for years and it as got me out most of the time except huge drifts but it is wearing out and so am I having to push the bugger.

Any thoughts on either one of these?

Vicki
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#37
(01-12-2018, 11:05 AM)wwwife Wrote: Currently I'm looking at the Ariens Compact 24----233CC engine - cast iron gear box - 15" tires and the Classic 24 208cc engine -- aluminum gear box--13" tires
We have 2 car garage cement, 30' slight sloped drive, gravel driveway out back.  I am the chief scooper as hubby has bad heart, and I have bad back and arm......so I'm leaning toward the Compact, I can't have anything very big or I will not be able to handle it.  If snow gets too deep a guy from the country "usually" comes in and cleans it out, but I have to be a work 15 miles away by 7-7:30 so I have been using a Craftsman rubber bladed 5 hp one for years and it as got me out most of the time except huge drifts but it is wearing out and so am I having to push the bugger.

Any thoughts on either one of these?

Vicki

With what you present, I would go with the compact unit.  The smaller Craftsman has worked for years, so the compact one should be fine.  I have never used a rubber bladed snow blower, but I did have a gravel driveway.  Occasionally I would get a stone jammed between the auger and it's housing.  I would have to shut down the snowblower and muscle it out.

Personally I would buy the cast iron gear box, but then again, in my area of the country a 5HP rubber bladed snowblower would not get through most of the time.  This morning I cut through about 14" of relatively wet and heavy snow and made the much bigger 265CC snowblower grunt.

You should be OK with the aluminum gear box.  From what I see, only the box is aluminum,  The gears are a steel alloy.
I tried not believing.  That did not work, so now I just believe
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#38
(01-12-2018, 11:05 AM)wwwife Wrote: Currently I'm looking at the Ariens Compact 24----233CC engine - cast iron gear box - 15" tires and the Classic 24 208cc engine -- aluminum gear box--13" tires
We have 2 car garage cement, 30' slight sloped drive, gravel driveway out back.  I am the chief scooper as hubby has bad heart, and I have bad back and arm......so I'm leaning toward the Compact, I can't have anything very big or I will not be able to handle it.  If snow gets too deep a guy from the country "usually" comes in and cleans it out, but I have to be a work 15 miles away by 7-7:30 so I have been using a Craftsman rubber bladed 5 hp one for years and it as got me out most of the time except huge drifts but it is wearing out and so am I having to push the bugger.

Any thoughts on either one of these?

Vicki

One thing I've learned from driving my 24" 5 hp two-stage cheap-o for the last 24 years, and on my 18th season in an area that averages 100" of snow per year, is that cheap-o is ok, but lack of power is a drag.  I would take the Compact over the Classic simply for the higher hp engine.  9.5 lb-ft of torque @ 3060 rpm is about 5.8 hp, and 10 lb-ft at 3060 is about 6.1 hp.  That's based on the new SAE specs on small engine torque rating.  HP may actually be higher.

My old one is rated 5 hp, but that was back when the hp rating was allowed to be within 85% of actual, so it could be as little as 4.3 hp.  It's way underpowered.

Mine has a 12" impeller like those two you're considering, which can toss it onto my neighbor's house, but it really needs a larger engine - should have been 8 hp for its size.  I suspect either of those engines have more power, but I'd err on the side of 'the most I can get'.  The smaller 20" compact has the same dia. auger and impeller and the same engine, so it costs a little less but otherwise doesn't do anything for you.  Just take smaller slices if it's very heavy snow.

Do try to horse it around in the store.  You mentioned a bad arm - if you can't turn it around at almost 200 lb machine weight, you have a problem.  You CAN, however, remove the drive pin (like a tractor pin) from one wheel and reinsert it into the end of the axle for one-wheel drive, and that will make it waaay easier to turn.  No horsing it around.  Try that in the store.  If the driveway is fairly flat and you get adequate traction with one wheel driving, that may be the way to go.

More expensive ones have power steering, but I've never used one, and I would imagine they're much more money.

With an average of 36" of snow per season, I would think either of them would do the job just fine.  They're both more machine than mine and I get three times as much snow.  You'll just have to take small bites if it's wet and heavy.  Or get out there earlier, before rain can wet it down.  

The Compact units also have 'one hand interlock', which is really nice for keeping it moving while you steer the chute during a turn.  

Can't think of anything else off hand, and without actually playing with one.
Tom

“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
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#39
I just went out and started my 92 yardman blower first pull it started but I stalled it by shutting the chock off to soon second pull kept running.
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#40
(01-06-2018, 10:21 AM)johndi Wrote: So I think I'm ready to admit that I'm not as young as I used to be and I'm going to buy a snowblower .
I live in a townhouse but this will be used for mine and the 2 adjoining houses as one neighbor is elderly and the other is battling cancer.
I'd appreciate any feedback from those of you that have one.
Thanks

I inherited an MTD snow blower from my father back in '99 and it finally shot craps last winter.  I did my research and ended up buying a Troy Built 28", 345cc snow blower.  It's a beast!!!!!  I love the heated handles, electric start, directional throwing adjustments, etc.  It was on sale for $900 at Lowes, they offer 10% off for military members.  I live in MN and we get plenty of snow.  TORO is built here in Mpls. and I wouldn't give you a bent nickel for one.  My aunt owned a single stage and even after careful summer storage she'd have to take it to the local store for a tuneup.
Gary

Living under the radar, heading for "off the grid."

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