Snowblower Questions

[Wildman]

I always tell my customers looking for snowblowers to check craigslist and facebook marketplace for slightly used Toro or Ariens machines. You can find some that were used once or never used for a fraction of the new price, many times from older folks who have stored it in a garage for the entire year and are moving to a warmer climate.

I' been watching Craigslist and Marketplace both so one but haven't come up with any worth going to look at. The ones that ere interesting were 2+ hours away. For that much work I'll just go buy a new one.


Here is the Toro I'm looking at . Home Depot has it for $1099. Home Depot says 2 weeks and they off free home delivery.


Toro | Power Max 826 OHAE (37802) (torodealer.com)

The Ariens model doesn't come with hand warmers stock but it is an option. Both machines are priced the same amount.


Deluxe Series Snow Blower - Ariens

So if I had to choose right now I'd pick the Toro.

 

[Apparition]

I' been watching Craigslist and Marketplace both so one but haven't come up with any worth going to look at. The ones that ere interesting were 2+ hours away. For that much work I'll just go buy a new one.


Here is the Toro I'm looking at . Home Depot has it for $1099. Home Depot says 2 weeks and they off free home delivery.


Toro | Power Max 826 OHAE (37802) (torodealer.com)


View attachment 206024


The Ariens model doesn't come with hand warmers stock but it is an option. Both machines are priced the same amount.


Deluxe Series Snow Blower - Ariens

View attachment 206025

So if I had to choose right now I'd pick the Toro.

Either would be great.

 

[TJ4Jim]

I always tell my customers looking for snowblowers to check craigslist and facebook marketplace for slightly used Toro or Ariens machines. You can find some that were used once or never used for a fraction of the new price, many times from older folks who have stored it in a garage for the entire year and are moving to a warmer climate.

Found my big ass Toro on CL a few days after a big snow, guy got fed up with the lack of performance and dumped it for $200, just needed a new belt and the grease cleaned off the drive pulley.

 

[Wildman]

Found my big ass Toro on CL a few days after a big snow, guy got fed up with the lack of performance and dumped it for $200, just needed a new belt and the grease cleaned off the drive pulley.

Love those kinds of deals. My luck lately has been I'll buy it and get it home to find out it gunna cost more than a new one to fix. But I'll keep looking for a few days before I make a purchase.


Again I really want to say thanks to all of you for the advice and experiance. Makes a huge difference for me and got me pointed in the correct direction. Now for a little more research to figure out between the two brands which is better.

 

[jeepguy03]

I' been watching Craigslist and Marketplace both so one but haven't come up with any worth going to look at. The ones that ere interesting were 2+ hours away. For that much work I'll just go buy a new one.


Here is the Toro I'm looking at . Home Depot has it for $1099. Home Depot says 2 weeks and they off free home delivery.


Toro | Power Max 826 OHAE (37802) (torodealer.com)


View attachment 206024


The Ariens model doesn't come with hand warmers stock but it is an option. Both machines are priced the same amount.


Deluxe Series Snow Blower - Ariens

View attachment 206025

So if I had to choose right now I'd pick the Toro.

Both of those would be great machines, I personally own a Toro in addition to my tractor mounted blower.

 

[Wildman]

Both of those would be great machines, I personally own a Toro in addition to my tractor mounted blower.

Well right now the Toro is winning since it comes with heated hand grips and the Arien it's $90 more for them. But I've still got some over analyzing to do. Plus I'll wait a day or two and see if anything good pops up used.

 

[Apparition]

Well right now the Toro is winning since it comes with heated hand grips and the Arien it's $90 more for them. But I've still got some over analyzing to do. Plus I'll wait a day or two and see if anything good pops up used.

Find some vids and compare throw distance. My toro would throw over the front yard and into my neighbors driveway if I wasn’t careful. Distance is a good thing.

 

[Wildman]

Find some vids and compare throw distance. My toro would throw over the front yard and into my neighbors driveway if I wasn’t careful. Distance is a good thing.

Yes I have been doing that. Some interesting videos and then some BORING ones too.

 

[Apparition]

Yes I have been doing that. Some interesting videos and then some BORING ones too.

Been there, understand

 

[alittleoff]

We bought a new Craftsman in 1990. 8hp, little tires and chains, with extra cold steel handles. And the only two “fixes“ that I’ve done were to mod the exhaust (quieter muffler) and an extra notch between neutral and 1st gear, so it would go slower. We had a very steep driveway in the mountains of SoCal.
The same spark plug too.
But up here in MT. our dw is flat and 118’ long and 25’ at its narrowest.
I’m currently in the thinking stages of making a 40” JD blade (yard sale find) to fit on my Cub Cadet mower that I found on CL.

 

[Wildman]

Yes but that was back when Craftsman was a quality made product. I thought about a blade but I think I'd run into the same issue as with a snowblower on a tractor. I don't have a huge amount of room to maneuver in.

 

[alittleoff]

I hear ya. Towards the back of my garage and the front of the shop, it gets narrow. And with a Moho parked in the way I have to direct the chute away from it and into the wind coming around the shop.
But we are very thankful to have moved to a neighborhood with extremely nice people that welcomed us.
The families that are next door and across the street are gear heads with snow removal toys and have let me play with them.

 

[LukesfirstJeep]

I’m currently in the thinking stages of making a 40” JD blade (yard sale find) to fit on my Cub Cadet mower that I found on CL.

I'm assuming you will get lots of snow through the season. If so, with a blade, push the snow off a few extra feet wider than your driveway. I've seen the edges build up and freeze where you can no longer push it.

 

[alittleoff]

I know about pushing snow back while it’s still soft. I plowed snow for 36 yrs. with pickups, loaders and motor graders. And before that, living in snow country since I was 18.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Do yourself a favor and purchase from an actual dealer vs. the big box stores, it will have a far better chance of being assembled correctly, and you help keep a small local business going that will support it.

Ariens, Toro, Deere, or Honda

 

[Wildman]

While I really really love the snow and when I was younger would have never thought I'd get to a point where I'd rather not live in snow country. But it's okay since I have had a great time living in these places.

A few years ago the snow removal company they'd hired obviously didn't know shit about plowing a road. They road on live on is a private lane and is narrow already with it being narrow enough when there isn't snow that you have to pull off to the side if a UPS or FedEx truck is coming down. Or if another full size truck is coming in some spots. Well it was one of the years where we had a TON of snow and the plow company wasn't pushing it off the road to start, they just pushed it to the edge. So come the end of Feb and the road was now a single lane road. If someone was coming from the other direction you one of you had to pull into someone's driveway and let the other rig go past.

 

[Wildman]

Do yourself a favor and purchase from an actual dealer vs. the big box stores, it will have a far better chance of being assembled correctly, and you help keep a small local business going that will support it.

Ariens, Toro, Deere, or Honda

Yes was planning on supporting a local store. Local for me at least which is about 1 hour away.

 

[Mike_H]

Another vote for Ariens or Toro. I'd personally lean towards Ariens. Where they get "REAL" snow in Michigan Ariens is king. My wife is from Houghton, MI area and they get 250 to 300 inches per season. You own a pickup with a plow or a big ass snowblower, or you pay a princely sum to have it done for you. They also need to shovel their roofs about once a month.

What I've noticed about snowblowers. Bigger blowers are more work. If you only get 6" of snow at a time, I'd look for a smaller blower. I had an old snowking with a 20" cut and 5HP motor. That worked just fine for my drive and walks. Once that died, I borrowed my Dad's Toro (about the same as you posted). Even with steering controls (each wheel is driven separately) I was WORKING that thing to get my drive cleared. They just aren't that maneuverable. Its tough to find something 2-stage and small now, though. The single stages aren't that bad. I've got quite a bit of time behind a snapper single stage and it will throw the snow quite well. Doesn't work as well with the wet heavy stuff when it get a bit warm, but the cold powder goes away in a hurry. I've also found they get down to the concrete or asphalt better than a 2 stage with a scraper blade.

I'm super happy with my tractor now and front mounted single stage. It will throw wet heavy stuff 20 feet, and the lighter powder about 60. The end of the drive, with all the slush from the road salt, is not match. It just chews it up and spits it out. I have a straight drive and the only thing I wish I had was an electric chute control. One of these days, I'll build one...

I don't know how much snow you get. If I were in the market, I'd be looking at something like this. We typically will get 4-6" a night and storms will drop 8-12 inches. 24" cut, 6'ish HP

https://www.ariens.com/en-us/power-equipment/snow-products/snow-blowers/classic

 

[Wildman]

Another vote for Ariens or Toro. I'd personally lean towards Ariens. Where they get "REAL" snow in Michigan Ariens is king. My wife is from Houghton, MI area and they get 250 to 300 inches per season. You own a pickup with a plow or a big ass snowblower, or you pay a princely sum to have it done for you. They also need to shovel their roofs about once a month.

What I've noticed about snowblowers. Bigger blowers are more work. If you only get 6" of snow at a time, I'd look for a smaller blower. I had an old snowking with a 20" cut and 5HP motor. That worked just fine for my drive and walks. Once that died, I borrowed my Dad's Toro (about the same as you posted). Even with steering controls (each wheel is driven separately) I was WORKING that thing to get my drive cleared. They just aren't that maneuverable. Its tough to find something 2-stage and small now, though. The single stages aren't that bad. I've got quite a bit of time behind a snapper single stage and it will throw the snow quite well. Doesn't work as well with the wet heavy stuff when it get a bit warm, but the cold powder goes away in a hurry. I've also found they get down to the concrete or asphalt better than a 2 stage with a scraper blade.

I'm super happy with my tractor now and front mounted single stage. It will throw wet heavy stuff 20 feet, and the lighter powder about 60. The end of the drive, with all the slush from the road salt, is not match. It just chews it up and spits it out. I have a straight drive and the only thing I wish I had was an electric chute control. One of these days, I'll build one...

I don't know how much snow you get. If I were in the market, I'd be looking at something like this. We typically will get 4-6" a night and storms will drop 8-12 inches. 24" cut, 6'ish HP

https://www.ariens.com/en-us/power-equipment/snow-products/snow-blowers/classic

It depends on the year as to how much snow we get. I've lived here 15 years now and there have been 2 years here all we got was a dusting. I was riding my bike in March because the weather was so good. Then other years where it's 6' deep. My driveway is about 35' long before my house and then another 50' to the garage. Most times I only clear back to here I park my truck in front of the house and then a walking path to the garage.

It's part of why I decided getting the tractor mounted wasn't the better idea. A walk behind is the better option for now. I have only used a 24" & a 30" snowblower before so I am no expert by far. I've been looking at the 24 & 28" units and will make a choice from them. I don't need a big unit and don't want to be fighting it that is for sure.

 

[jeepguy03]

It depends on the year as to how much snow we get. I've lived here 15 years now and there have been 2 years here all we got was a dusting. I was riding my bike in March because the weather was so good. Then other years where it's 6' deep. My driveway is about 35' long before my house and then another 50' to the garage. Most times I only clear back to here I park my truck in front of the house and then a walking path to the garage.

It's part of why I decided getting the tractor mounted wasn't the better idea. A walk behind is the better option for now. I have only used a 24" & a 30" snowblower before so I am no expert by far. I've been looking at the 24 & 28" units and will make a choice from them. I don't need a big unit and don't want to be fighting it that is for sure.

I would try both the Toro and the Ariens at the dealer, and see which one you like better and which one is easier to handle. Personally, I love the Toros with the quick stick chute control and no shear pins to break, but the Ariens are great machines also. Find which one you like better, as even similar machines can have different ergonomics.