# New to snow blowers: What are your favorite makes and why?



## RickDangerous (Mar 27, 2017)

Hello! First time owner here (Snapper 5/22.) I am planning to baby and upgrade this thing like I do with all my machines, but as I have snow blower fever right now I can't help but think about the next one i'm going to acquire down the road.

Like snowmobiles, cars, lawn mowers, motorcycles, boats, and any machine really, various brands must have their pros and cons. What makes do you like and why do you like them in particular? Is it the tough gear box, the way they toss snow like no other, the paint scheme, the angle of the grips? There are hundreds of potential reasons you like your machine, and I want to hear about it! I never realized there are 20 odd companies making snow blowers and i'd like to hear more about them.

Just from reading the threads (and knowing nothing else) the brands that seem very impressive so far are Ariens (have been at it forever,) Honda (that Japanese engineering,) and Husqvarna (well reviewed.) It does seem like a lot of the Craftsman/Yard boy/Snapper stuff is also well-made/solid and positively reviewed so maybe it's really hard to go wrong these days.

Thanks, and looking forward to hearing from you on why you like your brand in particular. There is no right answer :wink:


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

You might find it more productive to read the past threads under each of the major makes rather than expecting their proponents to write something repetitious of what has been said many times before.

Many participants won't be visiting here again until late next Fall.


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## RickDangerous (Mar 27, 2017)

Vermont007 said:


> You might find it more productive to read the past threads under each of the major makes rather than expecting their proponents to write something repetitious of what has been said many times before.
> 
> Many participants won't be visiting here again until late next Fall.


Noted! There are always some "newbie" mistakes to be made for any given forum. I figured this might be fun for people to talk about certain features for multiple brands they like or own.

At the very least.....I'm no stranger to the search feature. So redundant threads should be at a minimum with me :laugh:


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

go buy one of each , test them, and then report back.

you could be our Consumer reports guy.

only kidding. what Vermont said. you are only going to get biased views from each group of fanatics.

BTW..I'm a Honda guy. It's the machine of choice for about 90% of the people here in the Sierras. People here don't mind the price.

Ariens is pretty good and much better priced for economy minded people.

just my 2 cents.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I am fairly loyal to Ariens and the 1980s John Deere's. That being said, I also respect Honda & Toro. But when I buy a new machine it will always be an Ariens as long as they continue to make great reliable products. I like them because they are family owned and have been around for a very long time, and their customer service is top notch.


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## Saewoody (Nov 7, 2013)

I've owned a few different Ariens. They are good machines. Recently got a 10 y/o Simplicity 8hp 24" bucket and absolutely love running it. I don't think it's as easy to service as an Ariens though. And for single stages you can not go wrong with a Toro. I've got a ccr2000 and the only thing I've ever had to do to it was change a spark plug this past fall. I've owned it for 12-13 years and it may have been that old when I got it. I just bought a ccr3650 to replace it because it was too good a deal to pass up. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Snow Joe baby! :wink:


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## RickDangerous (Mar 27, 2017)

GoBlowSnow said:


> I am fairly loyal to Ariens and the 1980s John Deere's. That being said, I also respect Honda & Toro. But when I buy a new machine it will always be an Ariens as long as they continue to make great reliable products. I like them because they are family owned and have been around for a very long time, and their customer service is top notch.


This is exactly the type of subjective opinion i love reading. It's interesting to hear peoples takes on various brands/machines and why they like them or don't.

Are there any companies that made snow blowers for years that no longer do that you wish were still on the market?


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

RickDangerous said:


> Are there any companies that made snow blowers for years that no longer do that you wish were still on the market?


Some of the "Big names" that I can think of, that no longer make snowblowers:

*Snowbird:* was a big name in the 1960's and 70;s..was bought out by MTD in the 70's, who still made a few snowbirds for a few years..line was then dropped in the mid-80's.

*John Deere:* made their own snowblowers in the 1970's and 80's, contracted out JD snowblowers to Ariens and Murray in the 1990's, JD snowblower line was bought by Briggs & Stratton in 2005, last JD snowblower was made in 2012.

*Bolens* is also gone..absorbed by MTD, and the name is no longer being used for snowblowers.

Scot


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## RickDangerous (Mar 27, 2017)

sscotsman said:


> Some of the "Big names" that I can think of, that no longer make snowblowers:
> 
> *Snowbird:* was a big name in the 1960's and 70;s..was bought out by MTD in the 70's, who still made a few snowbirds for a few years..line was then dropped in the mid-80's.
> 
> ...


Very interesting, thanks for the blower history lesson! It makes sense that in todays business climate smaller companies would get swallowed up and integrated into larger ones, but can't believe a top tier brand like John Deere doesn't have a snow blower offering...


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

> Are there any companies that made snow blowers for years that no longer do that you wish were still on the market?


Personally, one big frustration is what happens to a dominate name in the industry after that company is purchased by another. 

Take for example John Deere, simplicity and snapper. Briggs and Stratton took the names and produced homogenized average machines. 

Same with cub cadet and Troybilt. I'd say MTD is the worst offender. Shadows of the former quality those names once represented.

At least simplicity still has their signature pro model. Two years ago I was sorting out the arguments for track vs wheel machines. The simplicity pro and Ariens pro models were top contenders on the wheel side. 

I ended up leaning towards tracks. And frankly, there isn't much competition for the Hondas. Without Yamaha in the US, Honda is in a league of their own.

Im currently looking to replace my MTD with an older Snapper or Ariens.


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## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Another loyal Honda guy. Honda engines are just super..super... reliable. Never had a situation where the machine let me down. Hard pack, slush, fluff...doesn't really matter. Honda eats it all then ejects it 45' in any direction. Very tight impeller to housing clearance on Honda's to maximize throw distance. Also, a fan of Ariens (Platinum and Pro models). Would like to own a new Yamaha YS1028 Snow Blower some day when/if Yamaha returns to the U.S. market.


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## colin.p (Dec 14, 2016)

The only walk-behind snow blower I have ever used, let alone owned, is the one I currently have. I like it because, for the past 4 winters, it has never failed to start and will blow anything winter has thrown at me. It happens to be a Toro but I really couldn't care less what brand I have, as long as it works when needed and there is local servicing if/when needed as well. However, we appear to getting ANOTHER storm tomorrow so the little beggar won't be put away quite yet....


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## wow08816 (Feb 2, 2017)

This is a very vague question that will create non-consensus responses because not everybody's snow removal needs are the same. The large/commercial user will naturally recommend professional type equipment (often purchased at the independent dealer). While the light/occasional user will usually respond with consumer quality units (often bought at a big box store). You will find that the most recommended model may not necessarily be the best. It is simply the model that suits most users' needs.


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## RickDangerous (Mar 27, 2017)

wow08816 said:


> This is a very vague question that will create non-consensus responses because not everybody's snow removal needs are the same. The large/commercial user will naturally recommend professional type equipment (often purchased at the independent dealer). While the light/occasional user will usually respond with consumer quality units (often bought at a big box store). You will find that the most recommended model may not necessarily be the best. It is simply the model that suits most users' needs.


No consensus required! As you said a very subjective question. I always find it interesting to see what people like in particular about their machine, even if they haven't necessarily used a number of others. There is no right or wrong answer here, just opinions and stories, which are all good in my book


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## Bluejoe (Nov 29, 2016)

If my tried and true power throw broke down I would get a Ariens. I like that they moved the wheels closer to the auger housing giving it better maneuverability/stability along with differential guidance.


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

You live so close to Canada that you should go and check out the Yamaha's. They are a premium brand snowblower with a cult following on the forum. On a recent trip to Toronto I looked at them first hand and was very impressed at the build quality.


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

The snowblower brand I like best, for single stage machines is Toro, I've had my 1995 Toro CCR1000 for years, would never sell it, keep it full of non-ethanol gas and Belray H1R synthetic oil, only thing I've ever replaced are the paddles, belt and sparkplug numerous times. It gets a lot of use as I don't get out my two stage for less than 10".
When it comes to a two stage, my favorite is the one that costs me the least. Currently I'm running a 2007 Cub Cadet 524SWE, paid $100 for it. Needed some TLC and lots of grease and oil, very simple to work on, friction wheel and belts are original, rusty and paint peeling off it but runs fine, throws dry snow 25', wet snow and slush 10'. We'll see how long I can keep it running.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

As is evident by my avatar I favor Toro but at the moment I don't even own one. I now have 2 Ariens blowers. A ST724 and a 522 ss. I really am not very happy with the 522. It let me down once and it really shouldn't have happened. I have owned 5 Toro ss blowers and they were all wonderful machines. I'll have another one, I hope. The ST 724 is a fine, no frills machine. It served me well in last winter's 36" storm. I can't complain. But, it may be gone as well if I can find another comparable Toro. 
My very favorite blower is the one I'm using at the moment and doing its job the way it's supposed to. 
There are some brands I absolutely will not own but I'll keep their names to myself.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

micah68kj said:


> As is evident by my avatar I favor Ariens but at the moment I don't even own one. I now have 2 Ariens blowers. A ST724 and a 522 ss. I really am not very happy with the 522. It let me down once and it really shouldn't have happened. I have owned 5 Toro ss blowers and they were all wonderful machines. I'll have another one, I hope. The ST 724 is a fine, no frills machine. It served me well in last winter's 36" storm. I can't complain. But, it may be gone as well if I can find another comparable Toro.
> My very favorite blower is the one I'm using at the moment and doing its job the way it's supposed to.
> There are some brands I absolutely will not own but I'll keep their names to myself.


* HEY' OLD JOE you say you favor Erin's but you have a TORO LOGO for your avatar. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT:funnypost: why don't you pull the trigger on that 8-28 POWERSHIFT it is the same size as that Powermax you were looking at????????????*


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Yeh. I'm geezing. That's what happens when you get older. 
Thanks for catching my slip up, Todd.:icon-embarrassed:


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