# Is 24" 2-stage snowblower sufficient for a 170-feet slope gravel driveway?



## davidliu (Dec 30, 2015)

I am thinking to buy a snowblower. From what I read, I need a 2-stage for gravel driveway.

I am thinking to buy from Canadiantire for convenient repairs if I need it. They sell these brands:
Arnold
Atlas
Greenworks
Husqvarna
MotoMaster
MTD
Troy-Bilt
Yard Machines
Yardworks

People here suggest to get a Toro or Ariens. Husqvarna can be an option, so I may go for that brand.

My question is if 24" is sufficient for my 170-feet slope gravel driveway?


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## fake_usa (Oct 24, 2014)

That's a long driveway, unless you have plenty of time every time it snows I'd go larger. 28" min.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to the forum David


Yes it is and no it isn't. 24" will get the job done. I have a 24" Troy that I use on a mostly flat 400' gravel driveway but it goes much quicker with the 32". Nice thing about the 24" is much smaller footprint for storage and it makes it through doors and between cars and stuff the bigger blowers can't.


Troy is made by MTD so the label and paint are the only real differences. They aren't heavy duty but they get the job done for a homeowner.
IMHO of the blowers listed the Husqvarna would be my choice for a good machine that will last.
I don't know the Arnold or the Atlas and I think the greenworks is the blower made in Vietnam.
I'd go with the MTD or Troy before the Yardworks or Yard Machines.

Is it sloped enough you're considering tracks ??

.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Photos of the slope would be helpful to see how much of a slope it is.


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## Stuofsci02 (Feb 16, 2015)

I would steer clear of all of those CT blower you mentioned. They are pretty much all MTD machines including the yard works and yard machines. If you want to buy from a box store then I would suggest Home Depot in Canada as they carry Ariens and Toro, which are both good machines.

24" could be more than enough if you get it with a big engine. For example, Ariens has the Deluxe 24" with at 254cc motor that is about 8.5 HP and they also have a Platinum 24" SHO which has a 369cc motor that makes about 11.5 HP. You would be able to go quicker with these machines then a 24" with a 208cc motor (a lot of 24" machines have this size motor) which is about 6.5 HP.

Based on where you live I would look for something with a high HP per inch so that the machine does not ever feel under powered


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## AL- (Oct 27, 2014)

davidliu said:


> I am thinking to buy a snowblower. From what I read, I need a 2-stage for gravel driveway.
> 
> I am thinking to buy from Canadiantire for convenient repairs if I need it. They sell these brands:
> Arnold
> ...


Husqvarna has a heavier duty 300 series with a 5 yr. warranty - larger engines in all widths - from a dealer. I would double check to make sure CT actually services snow blowers they sell. Maybe not the same as with cars?


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

Be careful snowblowing a gravel driveway.

I was a good doooby and did my neighbor's driveway one year and damned near destroyed my machine. Stones got wedged between the augurs and the outer casing which actually broke some of the welds. Not pretty.

And if I had a 170' driveway I would look for 36" machine or a TRUCK with a plow attachment.........JMHO


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## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

Depends on the size of the rock - but you will want to adjust your shoes such that the scraper blade isn't digging in. On my driveway after I have ah a good snow or 2 then stuff gets frozen down and you can do well with them. I would avoid teh MTD products where your at. If you want to spend less get a good used name brand Like Honda, Toro, Ariens, Husqvarna, etc. make sure they have nice aggressive wheel tread also...... might want to get chains if you have to battle much of an incline


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## davidliu (Dec 30, 2015)

Thank you all for the replies. The slope is about 7 degrees I think. Here is the picture. I have only single garage and I put my car in the garage. I have space for 27" wide to store. Are most snowblowers foldable?


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Newer ones will usually have a pivot point so the handle can be folded but when folded the control cables can become undone so it's kind of a pain to be out in the cold trying to get them reattached. My Troy is like that. When I folded them to fit into my pickup I had to flip it up when I got it home as one of the cables slipped off from all the slack. Not a big deal but I wouldn't want to do it each time I had to use it.

I love my big old heavy metal blowers and I understand some of "us" trying to recommend Honda, Yamaha, Ariens, Toro, ... to you but from what you said about bringing it someplace for service you might be better off with the Husky or MTD.

Before everyone runs over and slaps me I'm saying that because there are a number of us that are handy and will pull a carb off and tear it down for cleaning and there are others that have a hard time figuring out how the extension cord connects to the starter.

IF, you are not that Red/Green handy kind of guy and getting someone else to service your machine is important and CanadianTire is close then choosing from their offerings is a better choice. Like I say, I have a Troy 2410 (MTD) and it works well and I've got twice the gravel driveway you do. I haven't broken an auger pin (yet). I set the skids lower and I'm careful not to straddle the hump in the middle.

"WE" tend to dislike MTD because it's a light duty machine. It's built strong enough to get the job done but it likely won't be something that lasts long enough you can pass down to your kids. From the forum you can see a lot of us have machines 25, 30, 40, + years old and we love them.
If you accidentally ran into my old Ariens, Craftsman or Snapper I'd be worried about your car and you'd likely need a bumper or fender. If you ran into my Murray, Estate or Troy I'd be looking for a new machine or at least handles and the bucket.

You need to do what makes the best sense for you.


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## TooTall9957 (Dec 14, 2013)

All things being equal, you won't see much labor difference between a 24" and a 28" if the width is the only difference in the machines.


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## 2point2 (Sep 20, 2014)

Not sure how canadian tire operates in NS, but around here they don't fix snowblowers. CT will likely point you towards a local small engine shop.

MTD claims that the "3X" (3 stage) machines by troy and cub cadet are "Up to 50% faster". With a smaller width and a long driveway you want to be able to walk quickly. The 3rd stage feature coupled with a large engine should make a big difference. 

If you're willing to pay more for a heavier duty machine I would suggest that you check out the 24" 3X heavy-duty version at a cub cadet dealer. The Canadian model comes with a 357CC engine which is very large for a 24" machine.

http://www.cubcadet.ca/equipment/en...s/3x-three-stage-power/3x-24hd-snow-thrower-1


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## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

The Pro edition of Poulan's are pretty durable also - it's a glorified MTD but much more robust and less expensive than the big name brands......


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## davidliu (Dec 30, 2015)

Are any of these good?

CRAFTSMAN®/MD 27" 11.5 TP Gas Dual Stage Snowblower | Sears Canada

http://www.sears.ca/product/craftsm...c-bs-ez-steer-snow-blower/671-000927525-52541

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/h... Thu 2016-01-07 - 301 (preview dec 17)-B3Z1E2


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

IMHO . . . . I'm liking the bigger engine and the EZ steer.

CRAFTSMAN®/MD 24" Dual Stage 305cc B&S EZ-Steer Snow Blower | Sears Canada

It looks like an MTD product but still with responsible maintenance it's going to get the job done, save your back and no reason it's not still starting easy and blowing snow 10 years from now.


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

Long driveway + gravel + cleaning up and widening plow banks = TRACKS! Tracks save a lot of work. Yes, harder to turn -- but much better traction, directional stability, less tendency to climb.


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## Frost (Dec 29, 2015)

I too prefer tracks and most newer model machines (including Honda) have steering triggers which make the tracks much more easier to turn than the models of yesteryear. I have been clearing a 225' driveway with a 26" blower for years and it worked very well, so I can't see you having an issue with a 24". I would suggest not going cheap just to be cheap, buy what you can afford and know it is an investment that you will have for many years. I justify purchases like that based on what I save by not paying someone else to do it. Besides, you will probably do a better job and can clean it when you need it done, versus waiting for the plow guy to show up, just so you can go to work. Happy shopping and whatever you select will beat the heck out of a shovel.


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## boraz (Jan 13, 2016)

i got a 700' gravel driveway, down across a bridge, then up again

4 passes with my 32" snowblower does the job fine

the 700' gets the cars to the garage...another 300' to the house, most of the time I do it, sometimes I get lazy

first snowfall the gravel is an issue, after that stays snowcovered for the season


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## Koolmoose (Jul 11, 2013)

I see you live in Halifax, N S. What kind of snow do you usually get? Is it dry and light or heavy and wet? On Cape Cod last winter I had a chance to compare my Airens Pro with an 11 hp motor and a 24 inch bucket with an Airens Pro 13 hp with a 36 inch bucket (that I had bought for my son) on both heavy and somewhat dry snow. The 24 inch bucket machine was surprisingly more efficient in blowing deep heavy snow and EOD issues. The 1336 did best on stuff to about 10 - 12 inches and lighter. I could have kept the 1336 and given him my 1124, but based on my experiences I kept my 1124. 
+1 on the recommendation of a big motor and narrower bucket if you have maritime wet snow like us on the Cape.
Also, I use to have a gravel driveway and had no problem blowing the driveway b/c I set the skids and scraper bar about 5/8" high. 
I have always been a Snowblower Snob about brands. When I look at the new MTD family machines and compare them to Airens, Toro, Husky, and Honda there is a marked difference in ? (Quality, thickness, bearings etc.) That being said, I have several friends with Craftsman and MTD machines and they are doing OK with them. Good luck with your choice.
Steve


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## greatwhitebuffalo (Feb 11, 2014)

davidliu said:


> I am thinking to buy a snowblower. From what I read, I need a 2-stage for gravel driveway.
> 
> My question is if 24" is sufficient for my 170-feet slope gravel driveway?



24" is too small for a driveway that long. you'll be out there forever.
I'd get a 32" for that driveway. less passes to get done.


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## Flexin (Oct 24, 2015)

I'm pretty sure Canadian Tire doesn't do any repairs on snowblowers at all. If repair work is an issue I would ask where the service center is. 

I just bought a Toro 826OXE from CanMac. They have been great to deal with so far. 

James


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## Darkwoods (Dec 25, 2020)

You can have access for repairs for an Ariens at a dealer or a small engine repair shop as well. Where do you live? 

I owned a mastercraft/mtd and have checked out Canadian tire offerings for blowers. For a 170 foot driveway that is sloped and gravel, I highly suggest finding a dealer for a heavier duty blower. Home depot will even get you set up better than what you get from Canadian tire, and yes, I recommend Toro and Ariens for sure over MTD. The heavier duty Husky as well are a step up. 

A 24” will do the job, but just takes a bit longer, and look to the more powerful options. Ariens platinum 24” for an example. I also suggest tracked models as well. This all takes you to a higher price point and it’s not that mtd won’t work, bur you really want a heavier duty machine for that much clearing on gravel.


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Not likely to get a response since this thread is 6 years old


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## Darkwoods (Dec 25, 2020)

CO Snow said:


> Not likely to get a response since this thread is 6 years old


Weird. These threads keep popping up at the top of my feed, it looks recent. Need to look ar dates lol.


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## BullFrog (Oct 14, 2015)

Darkwoods said:


> Weird. These threads keep popping up at the top of my feed, it looks recent. Need to look ar dates lol.


I know. Weird is right. It has caught me a few times as well so welcome to the club.


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