Snow Throwers

[Tom Godley]

After reading about possible bad weather conditions in the North East USA this winter and the need to have surgery on my shoulder -- I am thinking that a snow thrower maybe needed.

My house is located on a corner lot so I have a lot of sidewalk and the driveway while not that big - 2.5 car wide and 2.5 car deep - is a bit of a pain because of walls and flower beds on both sides. I have no place for the snow other than to pile it into the street.

So I am looking for suggestions. Sears has a very good price on a 26" unit that comes with power steering - model #88691. I see that the 24" model is the most popular size purchased but a quick search shows this size to be a bit inadequate. So It looks like the 26" is a minimum size for what I want. Not sure what I get with the 28" or even 30" other than it being bigger - this is not an area that gets feet of snow.

I have no problem making two passes to clear the sidewalk or to make additional passes on the driveway -- I just want to get one large enough to do the job without having to live with something too big for the rest of the year.


The 24" unit that was not well reviewed was made for Sears by MTD - not sure who makes the other units they sell. I am not set on one from Sears - I have a $200.00 credit at Lowes that I could use.

Thanks for any assistance

[David G Baker]

Tom,
If you are going to have shoulder surgery a walk behind snowblower probably may ease your pain a little but it will still work you hard depending on how large an area you need to clear. If you have serious shoulder problems you may want to research a lawn tractor with an attached snowblower so the only strain on your shoulder will be turning the steering wheel. The riding unit can also be used as a riding lawn mower and used to pull a garden cart. The riders aren't cheap but neither is surgery and pain pills.
My driveway is 300 feet long and the concrete slab in front of my garage is at least 16'x20'. The slab frequently needs to be cleared by hand.

[Lee Schierer]

MTD makes a bunch of different brands off the same basic design. I don't know how much snow Bucks county gets (We average 80"+ per year), but my Simplicity has cleared my 300' drive and turn around area flawlessly for two years now. It is a two stage, has electric start and will throw snow 30 feet if needed. It is all metal construction, no plastic and is made in USA. I find that the wider width units are less efficient than the 24-26" widths as they can't handle the snow they pull in as well, plus they are heavier and harder to store.

You may also want to look at a Honda snow thrower. My mother has had a 5 Hp track type for several years she's 80+ and it is easy enough for her to start an handle. It works well and starts on the first easy pull every time.

A tip for you no matter which snow blower you get, buy a couple of cans of WD-40 and spray the augers and chute each time before you use the snow thrower. It will prevent the snow from sticking and clogging.

[James Jaragosky]

MTD makes a bunch of different brands off the same basic design. I don't know how much snow Bucks county gets, but my Simplicity has cleared my 300' drive and turn around area flawlessly for two years now. It is a two stage, has electric start and will throw snow 30 feet if needed. It is all metal construction, no plastic and is made in USA. I find that the wider width units are less efficient than the 24-26" widths as they can't handle the snow they pull in as well, plus they are heavier and harder to store.

You may also want to look at a Honda snow thrower. My mother has had a 5 Hp track type for several years she's 80+ and it is easy enough for her to start an handle. It works well and starts on the first easy pull every time.

A tip for you no matter which snow blower you get, buy a couple of cans of WD-40 and spray the augers and chute each time before you use the snow thrower. It will prevent the snow from sticking and clogging.
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[Tom Godley]

I actually need this in New Jersey - so even less snow than Bucks County PA.

I normally just shovel a trail and wait for my lawn guy to come do the driveway -- but I will not be able to shovel that much this year.

If I had a long driveway a tractor would be the ticket -- but this is not a large enough area - i would have trouble turning it around.

[Dan Mitchell]

I had 2 snow throwers when I lived in central Ohio, 1st a Toro & later a John Deere. The area didn't get large amounts of snow on a regular basis, but storms delivering 1 foot+ with pretty decent drifting did occur on occasion. The John Deere single stage with electric start was a fine machine which handled anything I threw at it (you'll pardon the pun). Not the cheapest machine on the market, but I can recommend it without reservation. I actually found it fun to operate! Here's the model I had http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/servlet/com.deere.u90785.cce.productcatalog.view.servlets. ProdCatProduct?pNbr=LP1695445&tM=HO (http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/servlet/com.deere.u90785.cce.productcatalog.view.servlets. ProdCatProduct?pNbr=LP1695445&tM=HO)
I also found that with its folding handles, the machine didn't take up too much room in the garage.

[Tom Godley]

Dan - I looked at the Toro version of that unit a few years ago. They get great reviews and would handle almost any storm we get in this area. My only concern is the distance of the throw of the snow - I have to move the driveway snow to the street.

[Pat Germain]

I bought a Troy-Bilt snow thrower a few years ago. It has electric start and I can "drive" it with one hand once the blades are engaged. It's self-propelled with multiple speeds and has nice, large tires which grip well. Chains are available for serious traction. It will throw snow from the sidewalk almost across the street if I point it that way. I typically have to push down the nozzle deflector to keep it from doing so.

My snow thrower was about $800. It was a lot more than I wanted to spend. But I bought it right after a blizzard and everything else was sold out. It was that or nothing. And, had I waited only a few minutes more, nothing would have been available.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Tom - my experience is that you shouldn't worry about the size (24" versus 26") as much as you should worry about HP. A 24" with a 8HP engine would IMO do a better job than a 26" with with the same engine - simply because the 26" moves in more snow to be thrown.

Definitely go for a 2-stage.

Other goodies to have:
- Console-mounted levers/controls for the chute direction & elevation (some would consider these must-have).
- Electric start is a big plus
- Headlight
- Chains. My driveway is only abouot 50' but it's 2 cars wide, and it's pretty steep - without chains, I just slide back down...
- good steering. I have both wheels engaged on mine (due to the hill), but it makes it hard to turn.

+1 on the comment about it being a lot of work. I feel like I've had a pretty good workout after doing the driveway and all the sidewalks (like you - I'm on a corner...). I also tend to do paths in the yards for the kids, so maybe that's my own fault...

Also +1 on the maintenance suggestions. Lube the chute and auger (silicone, Pam, WD40 - whatever works for you) and any cables/linkages (especially cables - any water that gets inside a sheathed cable *will* cause it to sieze at the worst possible time).

FWIW, I have a 27" MTD/Murray (not sure - I bought it at BJ's, of all places). It has an 8HP (Tecumseh SnowKing engine) with electric and pull start. I added chains and an aftermarket headlight. It does not have a remote (console-mounted) elevation control for the chute, just a crank to move it left/right (a knob @ the chute loosens to change elevation). For a thrower this size, I'd like to have a 10HP instead of the 8 since it does get bogged down some in the heavy/wet snow. I used my F-I-L's Ariens at one point last winter, and it was a great machine (better than mine), but we had to sell it.

[Chris Damm]

If you plan on blowing the snow into the street you are going to be in for a rude awaking. At least here that is a big no-no. $100 fine first offence, $500 fine second offence and they do enforce it. I can't even plow snow across the street because idiots have done it in the past and didn't clean up their windrows, so they passed a new law.
You have to have someplace to pile the snow or you're going to have a problem.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Tom - I live less than 1/2 mile from the south shore of Lake Superior and when we get lake effect snows it is not uncommon to wake up to 4' drifts across our double wide drive. The drive is only about 60' long but can still be a challenge to clear when you are fighting high winds at the same time - which happens a lot up here!

We have a Toro 824 and it is a workhorse! It is a heavy machine - which is a good thing as lighter machines tend to walk up over a drift instead of cutting into it. With 8 hp I have never had anything slow it down - even heavy wet snow. With wet snow, the only problem is clogging the chute and that happens when you push the machine to fast.

One of the things that I wish my blower had is a serrated auger. Many times I have to break out a shovel to cut into snowbanks because a smooth auger won't bite. I do think most - if not all - machines now come with serrated augers - just make sure you get one.

Other thing - these machines are heavy and I have a tendency to horse the machine around when clearing the drive and street area in front of the house (plowing side roads are not high on the county's agenda around here) with the result being that you get really sore - once you get back inside and warm up! So, get a machine that you can control and let the machine do the work for you!

Best of luck on your decision! Around here - they are not a convenience - they are a necessities!

[Jim Becker]

Bite your tongue, Tom...we don't want no sinkin' snow!! (That said, Elvis already has a good bit of his winter coat in, so that doesn't bode well for a mild winter...)

[Dave Wagner]

A good walk behind works well. 24-26" in the 8-12HP.

I Got three here in WNY.
- A Toro Single Stage, good for the light stuff,
- an OLD 70's Toro Dual Stage (5hp) (model 524 - A bit under powered).
- my neighbors 42" blower on a John Deere Rider (18HP) (They go to Florida for the winter). That really does the job. I normally do all the neighbors with the big one, since they are retired and don't like to come outside in the winter (go figure!). I enjoy it and make a couple bucks. It bit hard to maneuver, but when we get a lot (over 8") that's the ticket!

Good luck.

[Marty Barron]

I have had a Honda HS624 for 16 years and it runs great. It starts on the first pull every time and can throw the snow very easily. Last year I replaced the belts and bearings but during the winter the transmission was replaced. I guess I am good for another 16 years. We frequently get large amounts of snow that quickly change to rain creating heavy wet snow and the Honda makes short work of the snow. It also easily handles what the plow will dump on the end of your driveway. The new machines are HS724 and can throw snow 46ft and the hydrostatic track system makes the snowblower very easy to use. With the tracks you can even climb stairs to clear a patio, elevated walkway, etc.

hope this helps

Marty

[Rob Russell]

I've used an Ariens for years. The first one I had was a used 10 HP, 32" monster. A couple of years ago I decided to get a new machine and went with this machine (http://www.ariens.com/products_snow/s_professional_group/s_professional_28/Pages/default.aspx). It's a 28", 13HP and is much easier to handle than my old machine. All the controls are on the console, including the tip deflector adjustment which controls how far the snow is thrown. I thought the handwarmers were a gimmick, but on some really cold and blowy days they've been nice to have. Electric start is also standard, although I've never needed it. The Briggs O/H valve engine is quieter than the Tecumseh Snow King. It can throw the snow a country mile - I can literally throw snow from my driveway uphill to my neighbor's driveway and there's got to be 40' between us. There is also a track version if you really want that, although I've never needed the traction of the tracks and our driveway is pretty steep.