Snow blower/thrower shopping - What ya got? (1 Viewer)

[Fat Nick]

I used the snowblowers reddit a few years ago when I bought one. Honda, Ariens, and Toro were the consensus for most reliable. I went Toro because my dad has had his since the 90s and still runs well. of course he took good care of it.

Literally didn't know Toro sold snowblowers...I'll take a look. I know their commercial Zero-Turn mowers are awesome.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Big Toro fan

 

[Buckna]

I can’t afford one this season but definitely thinking about getting one for next fall/winter. Got a new house with a sizeable driveway and lengthy sidewalks and its been a massive pain shoveling this season with well above average snowfall.

 

[mr. furley]

I can’t afford one this season but definitely thinking about getting one for next fall/winter. Got a new house with a sizeable driveway and lengthy sidewalks and its been a massive pain shoveling this season with well above average snowfall.

save your pennies. snowblower is worth every dollar.

 

[Gally]

I can’t afford one this season but definitely thinking about getting one for next fall/winter. Got a new house with a sizeable driveway and lengthy sidewalks and its been a massive pain shoveling this season with well above average snowfall.

Maybe you should hit up the shovel expert as you may be using an un-ideal shovel for the snow application. Paging @ChiefD

 

[ChiefD]

I can’t afford one this season but definitely thinking about getting one for next fall/winter. Got a new house with a sizeable driveway and lengthy sidewalks and its been a massive pain shoveling this season with well above average snowfall.

Maybe you should hit up the shovel expert as you may be using an un-ideal shovel for the snow application. Paging @ChiefD

A man really needs 3 shovels for snow:

1. Standard 18" shovel
2. 24" snow pusher
3. Square/Rectangle metal shovel to slide under packed snow or ice

Also helpful:

4. Large scoop shovel
5. Ice chisel to break up ice

 

[Buckna]

I can’t afford one this season but definitely thinking about getting one for next fall/winter. Got a new house with a sizeable driveway and lengthy sidewalks and its been a massive pain shoveling this season with well above average snowfall.

Maybe you should hit up the shovel expert as you may be using an un-ideal shovel for the snow application. Paging @ChiefD

A mean really needs 3 shovels for snow:

1. Standard 18" shovel
2. 24" snow pusher
3. Square/Rectangle metal shovel to slide under packed snow or ice

Also helpful:

4. Large scoop shovel
5. Ice chisel to break up ice

I actually have 1, 2 & 4 already!

 

[mr. furley]

salt. don't forget the salt.

 

[Kanil]

I bought a tiny little electric for $75 from a guy who was moving. Handles the light, fluffy, Colorado snow with no problem, but if you don't get it done quickly and the snow has time to heat up and start to melt a bit and turn into that ****ty wet east coast snow, you're shoveling.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Bumping this for some advice - My 14+ year-old Craftsmonster Frankenstein blower is on its last legs. It's not any one thing - it's just generally wearing out. Springs are rusting through, bolts are falling out of random spots from all the vibration. I thought I could get it back to a good place replacing the belts and adjusting some tension on the control cables, but it didn't help. The last 2 times I've tried to clear larger snowfalls, it's thrown a belt or had some other issue that has required me to disassemble it a bit to fix. I'm too old for that at this point and want to get something new and more reliable.

My current blower is a 28" wheeled blower. I'm looking for reliability, so I've ended up likely paying the premium for a Honda. Two main question - Do Honda retailers give discounts or end-of-season sales or are they basically MSRP or bust? Also - I'm strongly considering a tracked machine. Would love to hear pro's and con's on them.

Re. tracked - I have a pretty large driveway. There is a 65' or so drive section from the road that is on an incline. Nothing insane, but it's a clear hill the entire way. The top section is ~2,000 sq. feet and largely flat and square. I also have ~275' of sidewalk. I live on a rural cul-de-sac, so it's not connected to anything or a through-way for anyone, but we are the 1st house on the street and where the kids wait for the bus, so I tend to clear it. I'd really like something my now 10-year old son could start to use in the next few years and/or something my wife can manage if I happen to be traveling when it snows. I'm just not sure of the weight/cost of a tracked machine outweighs the simple walk-behind ease.

That much to add, but Hondas are no longer the Hondas you remember. Regulations and cheap parts make them not much better than everyone else.

 

[Fat Nick]

I bought a tiny little electric for $75 from a guy who was moving. Handles the light, fluffy, Colorado snow with no problem, but if you don't get it done quickly and the snow has time to heat up and start to melt a bit and turn into that ****ty wet east coast snow, you're shoveling.

When we get the light dusty stuff, I just get out my leaf blower. Anything heavier than that and I'm getting the snowblower. I'm basically done shoveling for the rest of my life.

I will say the leaf blower works WAY better than I would've ever expected. the only negative is you have to use it on a pristine, unwalked/undriven surface or else you'll have some clean-up via shovel to do, and of course it doesn't work on the plow remnants at the bottom of the driveway.

 

[WDIK2]

I live in northeast Nebraska and had to use a shovel today for the first time this winter. Was really hoping to make it all the way through.

I've debated getting a snow blower for years, but we just don't seem to get the snow like we used to. <knocks on wood>. Last year there was 1 week when it would have been nice. I think we got 18" and I had to shovel 3 or 4 times, but that was pretty much it for the season.

 

[snellman]

I live in northeast Nebraska and had to use a shovel today for the first time this winter. Was really hoping to make it all the way through.

I've debated getting a snow blower for years, but we just don't seem to get the snow like we used to. <knocks on wood>. Last year there was 1 week when it would have been nice. I think we got 18" and I had to shovel 3 or 4 times, but that was pretty much it for the season.

I live in NW IA and had to move less than an inch of snow today and yes I used my snowblower to do it. Could I have scooped? Yes, but I am 53 years old and it is a lot easier to start the snowblower and walk behind it instead of scooping a double driveway and corner lot sidewalks. I have a Toro Snowmaster that is bigger than a single stage but not as big as a 2 stage. I used to be able to lift it in the back of my truck to go do my Mother in law's driveway, but that is becoming I little more difficult. It is a smaller snow blower but will handle the heavy stuff better than a single stage paddle.

 

[WDIK2]

I live in northeast Nebraska and had to use a shovel today for the first time this winter. Was really hoping to make it all the way through.

I've debated getting a snow blower for years, but we just don't seem to get the snow like we used to. <knocks on wood>. Last year there was 1 week when it would have been nice. I think we got 18" and I had to shovel 3 or 4 times, but that was pretty much it for the season.

I live in NW IA and had to move less than an inch of snow today and yes I used my snowblower to do it. Could I have scooped? Yes, but I am 53 years old and it is a lot easier to start the snowblower and walk behind it instead of scooping a double driveway and corner lot sidewalks. I have a Toro Snowmaster that is bigger than a single stage but not as big as a 2 stage. I used to be able to lift it in the back of my truck to go do my Mother in law's driveway, but that is becoming I little more difficult. It is a smaller snow blower but will handle the heavy stuff better than a single stage paddle.

I know you are from Iowa because you said "scooped". I got made fun of here a while ago for that.

 

[Mookie]

I live in snow country and it's either buy a snowblower or hire a plow guy. After using underpowered and heavily used machines for two decades, I finally bit the bullet and bought an Ariens 254cc last spring on a huge discount ($600). I had one issue with it this winter and it required a brief stint in the shop but it was all under warranty (10 year residential warranty). The thing is a beast and it does everything I need. We haven't had anything more than 14" in one storm, but I know it wouldn't have a problem throwing it into the side of my jerk neighbor's front porch.

 

[Hawks64]

I went Ego two years ago and have zero regrets. Got the 24" with two 10ah batteries, which works better than my old 24" Sno Tek (which was made by Ariens).

 

[WDIK2]

Boy did I jinx this. Have had 2 x ~6" snowfalls since my post on Wednesday. GB living in a small town and having retired friends with tractors and side-by-sides with plows. I think they have a competition going to see how many driveways they can push out. I usually have to send a few texts to find out which one did it. Need to know which ones I owe a few beers to.

 

[odin33]

Anyone had to clean out there carburetor? Got a real bad habit of leaving it with gas in it over the summer. Well it finally caught up to me.

Have a 24" Toro, about 5 years old
Took forever to get it to turn over when we got 6+" in Jan (GB electric starts), and it'd go for a couple minutes then stall out. Try again, and again, flood the engine, cuss up a storm, shovel the driveway by hand, cuss some more...

picked up some carb cleaner and watched a video on a similar model. Seems fairly straight forward, but didn't know if anyone had any tricks, or be sure you don't... callouts.

TIA