# Best new snow blower in $800 price range?



## Brian Sargent (Sep 27, 2017)

After missing out on a Honda near me I've started looking at new models in the general price range of $800 or less. The members of this forum seem to have a wealth of knowledge so after several mind-numbing hours of reading reviews I thought I would tap into snowblowerforum.com as a snow blower picking resource! 

If it was your $800 to spend on a new snow blower what would you choose and why?

GO!


----------



## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

I'd Look for a High End Used Machine, Ariens, Honda, Toro. $800 Doesn't get You Very Much For Something New. Post a "Wanted" ad on Your Local CL. Someone Moving or Downsizing Might See the Ad. GL.


----------



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I wouldn't spend $800 on a new machine. I'd throw that towards a used Honda or a good used machine that's been attended to.


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

For $800 you could get a Snow-Tek. They are made by Ariens, but they are a cheaper version than their orange machines. The reviews seem decent so far as being better then an MTD or other cheap machine, but they lack some of the features of the true Ariens.


----------



## Brian Sargent (Sep 27, 2017)

What about something like this? It's a bit more than $800 but, has been marked down due to it being a 2016. Would something like this be worthy of New England winters and a flat driveway?

https://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-920021-Snow-Thrower/p12180.html


----------



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Many of the new machines lack the capability to install a fuel drain shut off on the gas tank. It's non-accessible. You have to drain the fuel from the fuel bowl on the carburetor also on some of the machines they've changed the drive cable and it wraps around the side and it wears out real fast because it has too many turns and it's weak.


----------



## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

I'd say with $800 keep looking for a good used Honda HS828, HS928, HS624 or HS724.


----------



## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Jackmels said:


> Post a "Wanted" ad on Your Local CL. Someone Moving or Downsizing Might See the Ad. GL.


I like this idea. 
I've heard of a few successful stories using this method, one was a $20000-25000 car that was purchased for $3500 (it's all the sellers wanted for it....!)


----------



## Brian Sargent (Sep 27, 2017)

Unfortunately the majority of the Honda snowblowers I see on CL are too expensive ($1900 range) for my budget or too far away. I'll keep looking though.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Brian Sargent said:


> What about something like this? It's a bit more than $800 but, has been marked down due to it being a 2016. Would something like this be worthy of New England winters and a flat driveway?
> 
> https://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-920021-Snow-Thrower/p12180.html


yes.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Brian Sargent said:


> Unfortunately the majority of the Honda snowblowers I see on CL are too expensive ($1900 range) for my budget or too far away. I'll keep looking though.


with winter right around the corner the prices are going up. should have looked in may, june, july. but deals are still out there if you have patience.


----------



## Brian Sargent (Sep 27, 2017)

A local Ariens dealer has a last year leftover Ariens Deluxe 24 - 921024 - for $899. I might go take a look.


----------



## Sled (Sep 10, 2017)

orangputeh said:


> with winter right around the corner the prices are going up. should have looked in may, june, july. but deals are still out there if you have patience.



i saw some pretty good price drops on camel camel camel right around late october when i was looking at new blowers. a member here posted the sight and it is well worth looking at if you are trying to save 300-600 dollars on a purchase.


----------



## Brian Sargent (Sep 27, 2017)

So I think unless it gets sold out from under me I'm going to go with the leftover Ariens Compact 24 from a local dealer. They've marked it down to $749.

https://worcester.craigslist.org/grq/d/authorized-ariens-snow-blower/6327060533.html


----------



## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

for a bit more i would go with the deluxe 24 you get a lot more machine for your money


----------



## Gotsnow (Sep 17, 2017)

Check this out. Just listed. https://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/d/ariens-deluxe-28-snowblower/6329609850.html


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Gotsnow said:


> Check this out. Just listed. https://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/d/ariens-deluxe-28-snowblower/6329609850.html


Nice find. I'd be on that like white on rice. Much better value than leftover Compact 24.


----------



## Brian Sargent (Sep 27, 2017)

Gotsnow said:


> Check this out. Just listed. https://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/d/ariens-deluxe-28-snowblower/6329609850.html


I probably would have jumped on that if I hadn't taken delivery of the Compact 24 this morning. :icon-doh:

I've sent that one to a coworker in the market for a new blower too so hopefully it's not already sold.

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful advice! :smile2:


----------



## Brian Sargent (Sep 27, 2017)

I'm 3 storms in now and the Compact 24 has been awesome! Plenty of power and just the right size.


----------



## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

I'd buy a used Ariens......for 800 you can get one that is newer and clean.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Awesome, I'm glad it's working well for you! Enjoy it!


----------



## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Good machine, I'm messing around with a SnoTek Which is actually a stripped down Ariens compact. I'm turning it into a compact and it does throw snow well.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

To the OP: I love these threads. The question should be which Ariens or Honda should I get (duck).....

Look, there's a lot of brands out there that are just fine for the money. Some "better" than others depending on your definition of "better". Figure out what you need, consider everything. There's Husqvarna, Poulan Pro, MTD, Simplicity, Cub Cadet, etc... People buy them and have no problems with them. I had an MTD which is not well thought of, paid $600, used it 20 years, sold it for $300, worked just fine. A little tough at the end of the driveway, but most of the time did the job pretty well. Just focus on what YOU want out of it. 

It's your money, figure out what you want, come back and ask about the weaknesses in what you like, and judge their validity on the merits. 

The online store Snow Blowers Direct has a lot of information on various models, go to the company websites, and do your homework. Generally, there isn't all that much difference from one to the other in a given price range. GENERALLY.


----------



## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

he already got it, Cran


----------



## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

After reading many posts I'm beginning to believe it's not what you buy but how you take care of it.


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

barney said:


> After reading many posts I'm beginning to believe it's not what you buy but how you take care of it.


to a degree that is true..maintenance will have a huge impact on longevity and reliability.
but its also true that brands do not start out equal in terms of initial build quality.

Scot


----------



## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

no question a Toro Snowmaster. You will be able to out speed, out maneuver and will love it over a traditional 2 stage machine. TRUST me.. I will not buy anything else if mine ever dies. 

https://www.toro.com/snowmaster/


----------



## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Um again, He already purchased the blower.


----------



## Snowbelt_subie (Dec 20, 2016)

NJHonda said:


> no question a Toro Snowmaster. You will be able to out speed, out maneuver and will love it over a traditional 2 stage machine. TRUST me.. I will not buy anything else if mine ever dies.
> 
> https://www.toro.com/snowmaster/


i was looking at these at home depot and man i was surprised on how small and cheap looking they were.

i guess everything looks cheap now a days.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

barney said:


> After reading many posts I'm beginning to believe it's not what you buy but how you take care of it.


To a large extent, yes. the real differences, I believe, come with wet, heavy snow, and end of driveway.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

sscotsman said:


> to a degree that is true..maintenance will have a huge impact on longevity and reliability.
> but its also true that brands do not start out equal in terms of initial build quality.
> 
> Scot


Exactly. A good example is my MTD had a plastic chute that would never stay where I put it. It would pretty much go full up and stay there. Wasn't a huge deal for me, it still moved snow when and where I needed it, but still, I can see that being a problem for someone.


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

NJHonda said:


> no question a Toro Snowmaster. You will be able to out speed, out maneuver and will love it over a traditional 2 stage machine. TRUST me.. I will not buy anything else if mine ever dies.
> 
> https://www.toro.com/snowmaster/


I just took a look at this link and video....I love new and innovative ideas.
..My first impressions are that it is much better than other single stage blowers. However it can't out perform a 2 stage 24" wide snow blower on the end of the drive way after a decent storm.
On lighter snow falls with no significant EOD wall I am sure it is great.

I am very familiar with the Toro Personal Pace system on lawn mowers. I have owned a few, have worked on more than a few..... and I like it.
However I see some flaws having that system on a snow blower. When you are on some heavy and or deep snow and you are getting stuck. You will naturall push to help it out. This is not when you want the wheels to be at top speed. You usually want a slow steady high torque wheel speed. These are much heavier than a lawn mower and the drive belt will certainly wear out faster. Also, it looks like it does not have a reverse. It is nice to have a reverse when dealing with tight spaces which this is targeted for.

Questions for the OP: Do you still really like it over a 2 stage? How is the power steering and how do you fair on the end of the drive way with 3 feet of icy snow? Have you experienced that yet? 

Single stage blowers have there place and this one looks like a nice one.

This thread reminds me of the John Deer TV ad saying it is not how fast you mow.....it is how well you mow fast!
Sorta The same idea for a snow blower.....It is not how fast you remove the snow...It is how good of a job you do fast....and I will add, how tired are you afterwards? In some situations I could see this machine winning that test.


----------



## jonnied12 (Jan 14, 2017)

barney said:


> After reading many posts I'm beginning to believe it's not what you buy but how you take care of it.


 That's correct.


----------



## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

Ive owned 3 different 2 stages on my life and this stupid snowmaster will blow all of them away on anything except the deepest snowstorms. You don't need reverse, its pulls backwards like any other single stage. Easy. Its so maneuverable it will make you laugh.. Every neighbor who sees is clear are amazed. The personal pace is intuitive and once you get used to it. (5 minutes) its works wonderfully.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

That's cool. It is a machine that I'd really like to try. 

I don't think I'd be comfortable relying on one *instead* of my 2-stage. We get storms & EOD that can make even the 2-stage really work hard. 

But it would definitely be really nice as a secondary machine. The same hope I had for my single stage machines, except in this case quite a bit more capable, apparently. That's really nice!


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

nevermind


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

NJHonda said:


> Ive owned 3 different 2 stages on my life and this stupid snowmaster will blow all of them away on anything except the deepest snowstorms. You don't need reverse, its pulls backwards like any other single stage. Easy. Its so maneuverable it will make you laugh.. Every neighbor who sees is clear are amazed. The personal pace is intuitive and once you get used to it. (5 minutes) its works wonderfully.



I am intrigued! What do you consider to be the deepest snow storm. Thanks


----------



## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

Toro-8-2-4 said:


> I am intrigued! What do you consider to be the deepest snow storm. Thanks


Everything that feel around us for the last two years including the end of driveway plow piles. My snowmaster had no problem with em all


----------

