Snow Blowers

[StaticCling]

Well, the winter season is almost over, but next year I really need to acquire a decent Snow Blower for the Cabin. Paying 40 bucks to have the driveway plowed is gonna get old fast...

I have a Gas Stihl Hedge Trimmer that I barely use (I've used it 2 times in 5 years), so I think I am gonna sell that and parlay it into a blower.

I don't wanna spend more than 1k. I have seen Craigslist deals locally for around 500 for Craftsman, Ariens etc. My shed is small up there, so I can't get anything too big.

What should I be looking for? Never had to buy one of these?

[m and t's77]

Need to find out how much snow you get,how much are you going to clear out.Just driveway or decks,pathways...etc.
What dealers are in your area when you need parts like shear pins,drive belts...

[lander]

[CertInsaneC5]

A single stage blower is good for about 6" at the max. It will only throw snow about 3-4 feet if your lucky.

A two stage blower I have no experience with yet. I will be shopping this year for one.

I have been able to use my little Toro 5hp less than a shovel for the past two years. My shoulder cannot handle it anymore. Deals on 2 stage blowers around here can be found it the 500-750$ range. I will be getting one this year.

And the 40$ per clearing is pretty fair. I pay 50$ for what amounts to a 15 minute job.

[StaticCling]

Originally Posted by m and t's77

Need to find out how much snow you get,how much are you going to clear out.Just driveway or decks,pathways...etc.
What dealers are in your area when you need parts like shear pins,drive belts...

Typical storm will dump at least a Foot, and up to Five Feet on rarer occasions. Max snowfall per storm up to 7 feet. So averaging, lets say 2-3 feet per storm.

Mostly driveway work and snow berms.

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by chinaski

Typical storm will dump at least a Foot, and up to Five Feet on rarer occasions. Max snowfall per storm up to 7 feet. So averaging, lets say 2-3 feet per storm.

Mostly driveway work and snow berms.

Get a GOOD name brand 2 stage thrower. The wider the unit the better. A electric start is nice. Not a battery but you use a lead to run the starter motor. That’s good for your first cold start after its been running a while a restart by pull cord is not too bad. I prefer Toro if you can find one.

My snow is too much with my 1/4 mile long driveway and I graduated to a plow on my 4x4 pick up!

[VatorMan]

I bought my 2 stage from Costco 7 years ago. I agree with electric start. Dont waste money getting anythin less that a 2 stage.

[m and t's77]

Originally Posted by 6spdC6

Get a GOOD name brand 2 stage thrower. The wider the unit the better. A electric start is nice. Not a battery but you use a lead to run the starter motor. That’s good for your first cold start after its been running a while a restart by pull cord is not too bad. I prefer Toro if you can find one.

My snow is too much with my 1/4 mile long driveway and I graduated to a plow on my 4x4 pick up!

Originally Posted by VatorMan

I bought my 2 stage from Costco 7 years ago. I agree with electric start. Dont waste money getting anythin less that a 2 stage.

A 26"-28" wide model.I'll like to get a Honda but they are near the 3k range.Going to shop around for deals in the off season.

[Kerrmudgeon]

I got a hand-me-down 8hp Craftsman about 2 years ago from a friend who was moving up. Got it for nothing. It's about 10 years old I think, maybe older. I had it cleaned and tuned for 100$ and put a couple of tubes in the tires and it was good to go. The older ones are better built than the new ones. .....my buddy wants his old one back!

Check out Kijiji or Craigs for similar ones, or some folks are moving to apartments and need to get rid of them. Expect to pay anywhere from 100$-400$ depending on condition and if they have lights and electric starts (that work) Just make sure they don't blow smoke when they run.

Electric starts are an option you WANT. Pulling over an 8hp motor when it's feezing cold also gets old really fast.

Something else to consider is that a lot of people don't have a truck or ramps to move them around and pay service people to pick them up. Ask Red. If you have access to a truck it saves a lot.

[StaticCling]

Originally Posted by Kerrmudgeon

I got a hand-me-down 8hp Craftsman about 2 years ago from a friend who was moving up. Got it for nothing. It's about 10 years old I think, maybe older. I had it cleaned and tuned for 100$ and put a couple of tubes in the tires and it was good to go. The older ones are better built than the new ones. .....my buddy wants his old one back!

Check out Kijiji or Craigs for similar ones, or some folks are moving to apartments and need to get rid of them. Expect to pay anywhere from 100$-400$ depending on condition and if they have lights and electric starts (that work) Just make sure they don't blow smoke when they run.

Electric starts are an option you WANT. Pulling over an 8hp motor when it's feezing cold also gets old really fast.

Something else to consider is that a lot of people don't have a truck or ramps to move them around and pay service people to pick them up. Ask Red. If you have access to a truck it saves a lot.

My daily is a 4x4 Tacoma, so I am good.

[Cybercowboy]

If you have access to a 4x4 truck, then just drive on it.

[island14]

Originally Posted by lander

I thought this thread was gonna be about Canadian girls

[99 pewtercoupe]

Originally Posted by island14

I thought this thread was gonna be about Canadian girls

[Black94lt1]

Ariens

[Mike Mercury]

over the past 25 years, I'm now on my third one. Bought this 3 years; best one by far of the previous ones:



bought it at Lowes.

28", dual stage, electric start (no battery.... uses 120vac to run the starter)
heated grips, headlight (no battery for them either; the engine has a small generator to run these).

Even the cheap ones hold up well if you run the gasoline dry at the end of the season.

[Admiral Blue]

I am VERY happy with my single stage Toro 621QZR. I wanted to get a two stage but was afraid of potentially damaging my brick driveway.

I tried to find one of the most powerful single stage blowers because my driveway is 3 cars wide and one side is lined with arbor vitae...so all the snow has to be thrown to the other side.

The Toro *advertised* that it could throw snow 35 feet. In the right conditions, it might come close, but I wouldn't count on it. It does, however, handle heavy snow with ease. I have used it in 12"++...there were times when the snow was as tall as the blower.

[VITE1]

At 40.00 per plow that's 20 snow storms just to cover buying a 800.00 machine.

Add in your time, gas and maintenance it does not sound like that good a a deal to me.

[CertInsaneC5]

Originally Posted by VITE1

At 40.00 per plow that's 20 snow storms just to cover buying a 800.00 machine.

Add in your time, gas and maintenance it does not sound like that good a a deal to me.

Except for the fact that they are never there when you need them.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by Admiral Blue

I am VERY happy with my single stage Toro 621QZR. I wanted to get a two stage but was afraid of potentially damaging my brick driveway.

The second stage is in the chute.

[ZipZap]

OP-

Even with a good two-stage, 3 feet of snow is a bitch unless you're living high enough for it to be dry snow. While I normally never want to use the blower until the snow is finished, because then you typically end up with an ice layer on your second pass, you may need to think about a multi-pass approach. I have a 26" Craftsman that I really like. Once you get into the 200cc range, electric start is a must for the first start unless you can store in a reasonably warm (40 deg +) garage.

The new snowblowers are way better as far as features. I got one with zero turn. It has levers on each handle that disengage a single drive wheel and it just pivots. The chute control on the handles is a huge advantage for speed.

Name brands (Troy-Built, Snapper) in this range are typically $1000 and up, but I got mine on sale (end of year) for about $700. I have had a number of blowers over the years. If you can replace cables, belts, and an occasional carburetor due to the crappy ethanol, they tend to last a very long time. I have never had a mechanical failure other than shear pins.