Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire School Me on Snowblowers

KYHillChick operates her medical massage business out of the house, and we have a steep driveway. That justified a good blow-snower as a business expense. A couple of years ago, I got her a Cub Cadet 24 inch- 2 stager and we could not be happier.


Cincinnati weather is such that we may go 2 years without a snow requiring such hardware. However, when we do, we REALLY NEED IT!!! We'll get sometimes a foot of wet snow and then the weather goes haywire and dips down into the single digits. You've got a short time to get the snow removed before it freezes into a solid block, and the snow is that heavy mushy stuff. I've literally burned up a smaller blow snower on that crap

So far the Cub Cadet has gone through the worst with hardly a hiccup. I think I've blocked it up once since we got it. The good news is that despite it being a heavy mofo, KYHillChick can operate it when I'm not around with ease.

Late into this one aalf, but as another Wisconsinite to another you probably can't go too much wrong with a higher end Ariens because they are made just north of you in Brillion and dealers and parts are everywhere. I don't know how much hp is a 254cc engine, but more hp blows snow farther than less. Equally important is a tall chute to get snow up over what the city plow puts at the end of the driveway. What put me off of Ariens was the holes in the cowling from blowing snow on gravel and the cowling rusted through on a unit I saw. The neighbor bought a cheaper Ariens and it looks like it only drives off one wheel and he needs to push on it. Never get a single stage blower because they don't blow snow far enough. I seized the 4 hp two stage Toro. My 8 hp Toro threw snow farther than my buddies 8 hp Ariens head to head on the same driveway. I have an old electric start John Deere 8 hp at one place and another 8 hp Simplicity at another both with the Tecumseh engine. Great motors, but discontinued. The pick of the litter here at the house is my HS928 Honda with the wheels. Starts first pull even after sitting all summer. Hydrostatic drive puts any friction disc, gear box model to shame. I've never needed the electric start and the gas gauge is superfluous. That Honda will blow water and never clogs up because that second stage is geared up so much. Throws snow an honest 50' and doesn't need chains like my old Toro. Honda makes a 7 hp that might be worth a look. Otherwise maybe a farm auction nice used one. People die every day and nice stuff comes up for sale. The neighbor bought a 10 or 12 hp Toro that was like new at a poorly attended farm auction during the off season for $300.00!!!

I was looking at that too. The 14" auger is considered to be a worthy upgrade by many folks. The 28" Deluxe SHO looks very nice

As to Toro vs Ariens, I saw one piece of advice that said under $1k go Toro, over $1k go Ariens.

I looked at the Toro line up, but went with a Ariens Deluxe 24. Love the "Auto Turn Steering" for tight corners and turn on a dime. I trailer it between farms to get to plaes I can't get a tractor or skid steer to.

Wayne, how long have you had yours?

I’d use a plow on an atv for something that wide. If not, go big. You need a machine that can throw the snow a good distance.

Had an Ariens and sold it. They don't honor their warranty. The Toro I had was ok, but pricey for what it offered. Husqvarna is what I use now.

Al, there are a few Toro's on Madison Craiglist if you want the risk of used...
https://madison.craigslist.org/for/d/tyro-toro-26-2-stage-snowblower/7011813634.html

The competitive market is heated up right now! Two-stage, electric start, at least 24" width, non-oxy fuel, and Seafoam. Get one with about 5 speeds forward and 2 in reverse. Put in a new sparkplug every season. Get an extra set of skid plates to have on hand and set them to keep the scraper 1/4 - 3/8 inch above the pavement. Summerize every spring and it will give you many years of service.

I've been checking those out a couple three times a day, also on Facebook Market Place, but not sure if I have to sign up there to respond.

I'll let ya know if I need a hand with that.

I know the local dealer, so I hope that gives me some leverage. Kind of why I have the Ariens in 1st place.

Two years.

aalf, if you get a used Toro, make sure it's one of the newer models that has the chute control up top. It's a real bish to constantly bend over, and reach underneath the handles to crank on it to switch throw direction..... Been there, never again.

Two winters ago was a record setter around these parts. Hundreds of barns collapsed in three counties. I spent ALL my spare time shoveling. I finally broke down and started researching snow blowers and decided on Ariens. Luckily a dealer was less than an hour away. I bought a top tier model with a strong power/swath ratio so I could tackle dense snow that’s either wet or packed by the local Special Olympics crew sponsored by my property taxes.

Mine has a 17ft/lb OHV engine with a 24” bucket. It’s absolutely met all of my expectations so far, and I’ve been going out of my way to look for big snow (aka playing). Assuming longevity, I’ll have no regrets with the purchase. Only time will tell.

I have a JD 10/28 Commercial Grade snowblower. It's 10 years old. It's a beast and laughs at snow. I can fill my neighbors driveway full if I want to and it's 50-60 feet away. That said, it's a beast to move around. It's almost 300 pounds. I think you'd be just fine with an 8hp model. I like the features on the Toro's a lot. If you can, look into heated had grips.

The perfect snowblower is two snowblowers. The large majority of the snowfalls here are less than 6", or it snows lightly for hours and hours like this weekend. Life is too short to haul around a just-in-case Big Heavy snowblower when most often it isn't needed. The Big Heavy also does a crappy job in tight places - sidewalks, decks, corners, etc. However, when the city plow leaves a 5 ft. brick wall at the end of the driveway the Big Heavy is indispensable. A Light Weight single stage is a much better all-around snowblower. They are much more maneuverable and despite the narrower path can clear snow faster. We get snow for 6 months - go for it.

The Big Heavy is an Ariens 24", The Lightweight is a Honda HS720.

My Troy Bilt Storm started right up yesterday. It's never given me any trouble in 12 years and throws snow like a champ.

I think I'm changing focus.......

Rather than drop a grand plus on a new blower, or buy someone else's used problem child, I think I'm going to get a new plow for the Honda Foreman.

I have enough Cabelas points to get a free new Warn winch for the front, and since Cabelas only has one flimsy model of Kolpin snow blades for sale, I can get a 54" Warn blade, mounting brackets, etc for around $550 shipped.

I’m 66, I can honestly say that I have never laid eyes on a snow blower.

Smart Man......