# reliable 2 stage?



## s002wjh (Sep 15, 2015)

other than arien snowblower, what other brand has reliable 2 stage? Toro? Briggs & Stratton? Cub Cadet 2X? looking for 1 under $1k, but dont want spend so much timer try to get it start up in winter or fixing it. thanks


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

I'm partial to Ariens having always been happy with their two stage machines but others speak highly of Toro, Simplicity, and Honda. Cub Cadet is made by MTD, not known for high quality, and I don't know enough about Briggs and Stratton to say anything about those.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I would look at Toro, if you're trying to stay under 1k (Honda is out). MTD/Cub Cadet or Craftsman would not be my first choice, for the reasons mentioned. This is in addition to Ariens.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Simplicity, Toro, Ariens


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## s002wjh (Sep 15, 2015)

what about Troy build snow blower?

also is the power steering/auto turn any good?


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

I really like that new 24 inch 824 Toro Powermax. That hits the sweet spot for me. Comes with the bigger wheels this year. I wanted to buy an Ariens seeing how many old timey snowblower dudes swear by them but they cost a fortune here in Newfoundland if you want to buy one from a local dealer, which was one of my prerequisites, ...so got the Toro 826 PowerMax from a local dealer and so far am chuffed as the Brits say.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I think Troy-Bilt is made by MTD now. Auto Turn can be a bit finicky, at least if you have an uneven driveway. Trigger steering seems to work pretty well, from what I've read.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

s002wjh said:


> what about Troy build snow blower?
> 
> also is the power steering/auto turn any good?


Personally I don't know what all the hoopla is about steering...I guess if you're either old/out of shape and/or have to run an obstacle course to clear your driveway, steering would be good. I'm an old, out of shape geezer and have no trouble clearing an uneven 140 ft. gravel driveway with a 26 inch machine without steering.
I suspect for a lot of guys they just like having all the bells and whistles which is probably no bad thing.


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

Husqvarna 


——————————————
Noma 10/29
Cub cadet 5/26 conv to 8/26
Toro 8/24
Husqvarna st230p


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

barney said:


> Personally I don't know what all the hoopla is about steering...I guess if you're either old/out of shape and/or have to run an obstacle course to clear your driveway, steering would be good. I'm an old, out of shape geezer and have no trouble clearing an uneven 140 ft. gravel driveway with a 26 inch machine without steering.
> I suspect for a lot of guys they just like having all the bells and whistles which is probably no bad thing.



I've had a 26" MTD, with chains, and a solid axle. And 2 Ariens 24" machines, with chains, but with differentials. Both are heavier than the MTD. 



Now I'm not a big guy, admittedly. But the differential makes them so easy to just swing around at the end of a run. And, as a bonus, the chains don't drag on the driveway. It makes clearing the driveway less tiring. 



I haven't gotten to use Auto Turn or triggers yet, though I hope to. But if you haven't tried some sort of steering system, I'd suggest that it's worth trying, before assuming they must not be a big deal.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

s002wjh said:


> other than arien snowblower, what other brand has reliable 2 stage? Toro? Briggs & Stratton? Cub Cadet 2X? looking for 1 under $1k, but dont want spend so much timer try to get it start up in winter or fixing it. thanks


Remember this... *Maintenance* is everything. The very best blower, if treated poorly, left outside under a tarp and pushed under your deck, will be scrap metal in a very short time. The very best thing you can do for your snowblower (and all OPE) is to use non-E gas if available in your area. Read your manual, especially the operating safety and maintenance sections and for the love of Mike *never ever* stick your hand in that machine if it has a jam in it even when it is turned off. 
Happy snow removal!


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

RedOctobyr said:


> I've had a 26" MTD, with chains, and a solid axle. And 2 Ariens 24" machines, with chains, but with differentials. Both are heavier than the MTD.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I already find it "easy to swing around at the end of the run" as intimated, but could see how that might be a problem if using chains and/or have a heavy machine. Carry on. :smile2:


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## zandor (Dec 15, 2017)

WVguy said:


> I'm partial to Ariens having always been happy with their two stage machines but others speak highly of Toro, Simplicity, and Honda. Cub Cadet is made by MTD, not known for high quality, and I don't know enough about Briggs and Stratton to say anything about those.


I wonder if Simplicity is involved with some/all of the Briggs & Stratton machines. They both have single stage models with "Snow Shredder Augers" - bet that's trademarked. Those machines also look similar in the auger, chute, and handlebars. Simplicity gets a console the cheaper Briggs machines don't have and a different housing, but they sure look like they share a bunch of parts.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Briggs-...er-with-Snow-Shredder-Auger-1696506/300434295
https://www.simplicitymfg.com/na/en...ge-snow-blowers-with-snowshredder--auger.html

The two stage machines look to have similar buckets, chutes and handle bars too.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Simplicity is a Briggs brand now. So similarities are probably more than just a coincidence.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

zandor said:


> I wonder if Simplicity is involved with some/all of the Briggs & Stratton machines.


Yes, but thats actually backwards. Its more accurate to say that Briggs & Stratton is involved with all Simplicity machines.  Briggs is the parent company, they own Simplicity. Since 2004.

Scot


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## Snegvezde (Mar 6, 2020)

Oh-h I started looking for a snowblower recently and I've found lots of useful sources. I think, this review is a perfect one for your problem. Here are 2 stage snowblowers which are under $1k. I hope, I could help this thread.


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## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

Perfect time to find good deal on used machines as the season is coming to an end. 



I'd vote for a nice late model Honda, not sure about your area but here in NE you can find a nice HS928 wheel model for sub $1k. Its dependable, potent and will last you decades with minor upkeep.


Dont know if you are looking for a big machine but this one is a very good deal on a late model HS1132, seem to be in excellent condition for $1200, no harm in seeing if the owner will sell it for sub $1k. 



https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/425998911658069/


this one is a bit of a hike from dayton but is well worth the price, smaller unit i.e. HS724


https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1016056292109638/


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## Shovel (Mar 26, 2019)

barney said:


> Personally I don't know what all the hoopla is about steering...I guess if you're either old/out of shape and/or have to run an obstacle course to clear your driveway, steering would be good. I'm an old, out of shape geezer and have no trouble clearing an uneven 140 ft. gravel driveway with a 26 inch machine without steering.
> I suspect for a lot of guys they just like having all the bells and whistles which is probably no bad thing.


There are times I could use it...wet snow on grass..tears up the yard turning around.



Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

Shovel said:


> There are times I could use it...wet snow on grass..tears up the yard turning around.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


Good point.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

barney said:


> Personally I don't know what all the hoopla is about steering...


 Sounds like:
Carriage driver re: Model T
Carbed auto owner re: EFI
Drum brake owner re: Anti-Lock Discs
etc...

Try it; you might like it!


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

micah68kj said:


> Remember this... *Maintenance* is everything. The very best blower, if treated poorly, left outside under a tarp and pushed under your deck, will be scrap metal in a very short time. The very best thing you can do for your snowblower (and all OPE) is to use non-E gas if available in your area. Read your manual, especially the operating safety and maintenance sections and for the love of Mike *never ever* stick your hand in that machine if it has a jam in it even when it is turned off.
> Happy snow removal!


Firm believer in maintenance. It's always best to start out with a good machine like a Toro or Ariens but even if you get a MTD or one of it's many different re-brands (Troy, Cub, ...) maintenance is what you need to do to make it last and be reliable.
I'm fairly sure the engines available on all the machines presently are based on the Honda OHV designs and so far they have proven to be very easy to start and reliable. There are some exceptions where parts are hard to find or NLA.

.


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