# Please help recommend/choose a blower for a newbie!



## LKS (Sep 29, 2016)

Hello,

I would appreciate recommendations on which snow blower to buy as I've never owned (or used) one before. I don't want a 'monster' but no point in spending $1000 to find it is underpowered. 

Female, 5'6, athletic but a lightweight  Live in Annapolis MD. Paved driveway, gently sloped, maybe 100' long, widens from 1.5 car width to 3 car width. Also paved walkway, about 3 feet wide by maybe 100-150'. 

I was thinking maybe the Toro snowmaster 24" 824 QXE, or the Craftsman 26" Quiet 88694 or the Craftsman 28" Quiet 88394. I chose those because they sound easy to use/steer. I also thought maybe the Ariens 24" deluxe since so many people have positive things to say about Ariens, but somehow reviews made it sound harder to steer and I don't have the strength to muscle a machine in the direction I want to go.

What width is recommended? Of the machines listed above, which would you recommend? Are there any I should really be looking at that I have overlooked? Am I in the right range as far as power?

Thanks for any advice you can offer!


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

would stay with your thought of a 24" bucket. depending on your budget ....avoid craftsman, mtd , yard machines etc. go to a dealership that sells and services .....do a test drive! the machines will behave differently in snow, but you will get a feel for what to expect. in all honesty, a modern snow blower is as easy to operate as a lawn mower. its more about the little things like making sure there are no objects laying around that could get eaten by the blower causing damage to the machine or a car or a window in your home.


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## LKS (Sep 29, 2016)

Thank for the reply nwcove. If I should avoid craftsman, mtd, yard machines etc... what brands do you recommend? Is the toro ok? Knowing which dealer (brand) to start with would be helpful - this area is so populated I'm sure we pretty much have all brands represented relatively near by.


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

Welcome. I'm going to speak in generalities not specific models or brands. Unless you do your own service, I'd recommend you deal with a local shop that can pick up and deliver for service. You will find such shops who will provide service even if you buy from big box stores, but you'll likely get favored treatment if you buy from them. That's good when you're in a bind and need service now, not next week. These machines often sit without use for months at a time, and today's ethanol fuel goes bad quickly. You can avoid many service issues by using non-ethanol stablized fuel, so look for threads about that to learn more. 

Where you live you might get one or two big storms a year, but mostly smaller accumulations of wet heavy snow or maybe not so much at all. Based on size of your driveway, a 28" would be ideal, but you could do just fine with a smaller cut and a lighter machine if you don't mind doing more passes. A smaller machine would also take less space to store. 

A single stage machine is lighter and easier to maneuver if the snow isn't deep, and it cleans better down to the pavement, but it doesn't do as well in heavy deep snow or EOD (end of driveway) banks left by the plow. Owners of such machines often deal with this by going out multiple times in a heavy storm so it doesn't build up. In the end you might be happier with a 2stage machine that can handle the heavy stuff better. 

As with anything else, there are pros and cons. Others may be able to offer additional advice to help with your decision.


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

Just to add another thought... I recommend 2-stage because it will handle it all. A single stage machine would be better in shallower and lighter accumulations but I'd rather have that as a second machine.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

LKS said:


> Thank for the reply nwcove. If I should avoid craftsman, mtd, yard machines etc... what brands do you recommend? Is the toro ok? Knowing which dealer (brand) to start with would be helpful - this area is so populated I'm sure we pretty much have all brands represented relatively near by.


ariens. toro , honda and yamaha are the big 4, the other brands are not bad, but just dont compare for reliability and longevity. of course...thats jmo


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## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

*Wellcome Aboard!*

My stepson lives down in your area. Here's my recommendation for any area with a moderate amount of snow.

The Toro Snowmaster is what I call "a stage and a half", it's a single stage when looking at the auger, no impeller, but has a tall bucket (18") that easily swallows 12-16" high snow. It has (The Personal Pace System) drive wheels like a two stage so you don't have to push it like a single stage. It's 24" wide like a lot of 2 stage machines and it has the Toro Quick Stick for chute adjustment. If most of your snow comes 6-8" at a time with occasional 10-12" it should be perfect. It may be a little bit of a struggle if Ms. Snowplow piles it up at the end of driveway higher than 18" but that's the only drawback I can think of.

By all means go to the Toro store and the Ariens store and notice the physical size difference between the Toro Snowmaster series and everything else. At my age, 68, I'd have one in a heartbeat if I didn't get 150" of snow a year!

You might also want to read some more about this and other machines on the website movingsnow.com

:white^_^arial^_^0^_

PS: My sources tell me these are selling out fast!


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

nwcove said:


> ariens. toro , honda and yamaha are the big 4, the other brands are not bad, but just dont compare for reliability and longevity. of course...thats jmo


Yamaha isn't distributed in the US.


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

stromr said:


> My stepson lives down in your area. Here's my recommendation for any area with a moderate amount of snow.
> 
> The Toro Snowmaster is what I call "a stage and a half", it's a single stage when looking at the auger, no impeller, but has a tall bucket (18") that easily swallows 12-16" high snow. It has (The Personal Pace System) drive wheels like a two stage so you don't have to push it like a single stage. It's 24" wide like a lot of 2 stage machines and it has the Toro Quick Stick for chute adjustment. If most of your snow comes 6-8" at a time with occasional 10-12" it should be perfect. It may be a little bit of a struggle if Ms. Snowplow piles it up at the end of driveway higher than 18" but that's the only drawback I can think of.
> 
> ...


I haven't used the Snowmaster, but from looking at those puny wheels and auger style I would not expect that would be a good choice for handling EOD, especially if it is wet/packable snow.


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## Eafoxjr (Feb 24, 2016)

Actually the Snowmaster 824 does quite well on EOD piles as long as they aren't monsters and you get to them early. It's balanced well, and the quick stick so easy to use.


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

:welcome: aboard!

Some good advice here. You do have some large areas to clear. If you always have some cars on your drive the 24" machines are very maneuverable. I own one and have a vid of it attached below.

Personally I would stick with Ariens their customer support is excellent and so is their mix of quality and value. I would take a good look at the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (offered only through local dealers not the big boxes) $1200. In my area where my dealer offers "online pricing" this machine offers Good bang for your buck. Additionally the Platinum 24 SHO also dealer only, a very powerful machine especially for its size a lot of power per inch of auger size. It would also give you heated grips and an easier to use Quick-Turn chute about $1499. 

Best of luck on your search!


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## LKS (Sep 29, 2016)

Thank you all for your suggestions! Is Craftsman (made by MTD I read) such a bad brand if I only want 5 or 10 years out of it? I can get the 28" quiet for about $700 delivered which seems a pretty good value compared to others. I don't need it to last forever - in 5 yrs +/- I hope to live where there is no snow! I would say it wouldn't even see that much use, but in recent years our snow in MD definitely seems to have increased in frequency and quantity.

I have an approx 10 yr old push mower by craftsman that has never had maintenance, not even an oil change, just keeps chugging along... and I live somewhat in the woods so its been driven over sticks, roots, acorns, sweet gum balls, etc


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## Miles (Sep 16, 2016)

Where will you be starting this engine? Is it inside a warm place or in a cold one? You want an engine that will start and the best brands for that are Honda, Ariens and Toro. Make sure you get an electric start, either from an extension cord one or a battery one. The Toro snowmaster 824 gets high marks from the website MovingSnow. Google "moving snow toro snowmaster 824" and you will see what the snowmaster can do. This is a much lighter snowblower that you can move around. Considering you just need it for 5 years, it might be the right choice. If we do get a huge snow again, you will have to go out there several times during the storm to keep it from getting too deep. The plow pile at the End of Driveway(EOD) may take a lot longer than the 2 stage machines. The Ariens Platinum 24 will go right through the End of Driveway pile left by the snowplow. This costs more and is a lot heavier,but has a much bigger engine with a lot more power. If you get the Ariens, make sure that it is the newest model since they have made some recent changes to improve their machines.


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

I had an MTD that I bought in the mid 90's that served me well for nearly 20 years, the quality of their newer machines is not quite what it was then. However for your needs as outlined in your last post, the Craftsman would be perfect. I would buy it and you should get back about half your money when you sell it in 5 or 6 years.

All the best.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Home Depot has a 24" SnoTek for $650. That probably would be a better choice than MTD. I know we aren't keen on Home Depot and their ability to assemble/adjust a machine....can it be purchased elsewhere?


Personally, if I were in Annapolis, I'd have a robust single stage machine and make due. I guess I'd add electric start as needed. I suspect that the machine would be collecting dust the majority of "winters".


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## Miles (Sep 16, 2016)

Looking weight-wise at these machines; the Toro Snowmaster 824qxe is 131 lbs, the Ariens SnoTek is 180 lbs, the Ariens Platinum 24 is 286 lbs. 
You might go into Home Depot and get a feel for the size of these machines. Roll them around a bit and you will see what the different weights feel like. Of course, they are under power when running and you won't be moving the weight by yourself. If you had to, I think you could probably wheel the Toro around without power. Try it and get a feel for it. I was just in Home Depot looking at the Snowmaster. They don't mind if you test the machines in the store and they might come over and help you if you asked. I bought from a dealer, not a big store, because they set it up and they will fix it if it breaks. The price was the same. Listening to the majority here, a two stage machine will clear the end of the driveway best and Ariens is a well-respected brand with great service from it's dealers.


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## Sam K (Oct 16, 2016)

Hi LKS, I was also considering the Craftsman 28" 88394 so that's how I stumbled across your thread.  While researching on movingsnow.com I discovered a similar model from Troy-Bilt, the Storm 2890 (2016 version), model #31AM59P4766. It also has a quiet engine like the Craftsman which Troy-Bilt calls the noise guard engine. The specs are basically identical to the Craftsman 88394 except the Troy-Bilt has airless tires. I'm not sure if the airless tires offer any advantages other than they'll never go flat and you don't have to refill them. It's also the same price as the Craftsman. I can't post links yet so I can't post a link to it.


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

I would look at a Husqvarna ST 224P, having used one last year with 10 to 12 hrs. on it I was impressed with it for its price easy to use and very user friendly.


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## LKS (Sep 29, 2016)

Hi Sam,

I did end up getting the Craftsman 28" quiet model #88394. At the time, Sears had it on sale, as well as free delivery, I had a great coupon from ShopYourWay, and Sears was also giving 10% back in points which, when all was said and done, made the price pretty impossible for anything comparable to come even close to. 

I like it - it is not as big as I had feared, the chute controls are intuitive, and it is easy to steer using the little levers under each handle even for someone petite like me. I'm sure it is overkill for my neck of the woods most of the time which is why I decided against spending more money for the dependability/longevity of an Ariens/honda/etc since it will not get used too often, and will spend that money instead most likely on some little battery powered blower for our more common and frequent 2-6" storms - really liking the Ego right now.


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## Sam K (Oct 16, 2016)

LKS said:


> Hi Sam,
> 
> I did end up getting the Craftsman 28" quiet model #88394. At the time, Sears had it on sale, as well as free delivery, I had a great coupon from ShopYourWay, and Sears was also giving 10% back in points which, when all was said and done, made the price pretty impossible for anything comparable to come even close to.
> 
> I like it - it is not as big as I had feared, the chute controls are intuitive, and it is easy to steer using the little levers under each handle even for someone petite like me. I'm sure it is overkill for my neck of the woods most of the time which is why I decided against spending more money for the dependability/longevity of an Ariens/honda/etc since it will not get used too often, and will spend that money instead most likely on some little battery powered blower for our more common and frequent 2-6" storms - really liking the Ego right now.


Thanks LKS. Do you mind me asking the sale price of the Craftsman 88394 and what discount you got from the ShopYourWay coupon so I know what to look out for? Thanks in advance.

(Moderators, I checked the forum rules and I didn't see any rules that prevent me from asking this so I hope I didn't violate the forum rules.)


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## LKS (Sep 29, 2016)

Hi Sam,

It was on sale for $799.99. I had a shop your way coupon for $200 off any purchase $1000 or more. Sears is funny, and you never know what coupons will apply despite the small print, and it seems like every time you click through to your cart it will give you a different total. Frustrating, but can also result in some good deals. I added a filler item (keychain) for 79 cents since it showed the sale price as $999.99 on the item page, and it was only in my cart that the lower price appeared. Sure enough, that put me in 'Sears' mind' over the $1000 requirement and it took off another $200 for my coupon. Then they also had 10% back in points as one of the offers on the item page, and I was given some surprise points as well. Some people may not like the SYW points, but they are as good as cash to me since I buy a lot of Christmas gifts from Sears so I was happy with that additional bonus. 

I have only seen the 88394 at the price of $799 one other day about 2 weeks after I bought it, but I guess it comes and goes for brief periods. The everyday sale price seems to be $999.99, today it is decent at $899.99 which is a price point I would be comfortable buying at (utilizing coupons and free delivery), and it occasionally and only briefly dips lower.

Kudos to their delivery department - they were very courteous, in constant communication, and would have been on time had they not delivered the snow blower in to the open garage of a house 1 street over with the same house number. Fortunately, the same thing has happened with deliveries before (from other companies) so when they called me and said it was in the garage and could I please come out and sign for delivery - and I replied that I was standing in my empty garage and therefore it was not delivered, the issue was quickly figured out and remedied. 

I will add, I really like the Toro snowmaster, and could I have gotten it for the same price that would have been my first choice as I think it would be plenty of snowblower for the majority of our snowfalls in Annapolis, and since this is my first snowblower the Toro just appears less intimidating and a bit more maneuverable. I particularly like that it will go as fast as you can walk because I expect my main complaint with the Craftsman 88394 is that it will force me to go slower than I would prefer.

Hope this helps!


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

I am sure that you will get used to it and manage well with it. I had a craftsman for 18 years and it never let me down.


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## CrashMcWipeout (Oct 24, 2016)

Craftsman makes good stuff


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## Sam K (Oct 16, 2016)

LKS said:


> Hi Sam,
> 
> It was on sale for $799.99. I had a shop your way coupon for $200 off any purchase $1000 or more. Sears is funny, and you never know what coupons will apply despite the small print, and it seems like every time you click through to your cart it will give you a different total. Frustrating, but can also result in some good deals. I added a filler item (keychain) for 79 cents since it showed the sale price as $999.99 on the item page, and it was only in my cart that the lower price appeared. Sure enough, that put me in 'Sears' mind' over the $1000 requirement and it took off another $200 for my coupon. Then they also had 10% back in points as one of the offers on the item page, and I was given some surprise points as well. Some people may not like the SYW points, but they are as good as cash to me since I buy a lot of Christmas gifts from Sears so I was happy with that additional bonus.
> 
> ...



Thanks again LKS. I just want to confirm what you said because you mentioned the sale price was $799 and you were able to use a $200 off $1000 coupon so did you get it for $599? Basically I'm wondering if the system didn't detect the sale price and allowed you to apply the $200 coupon on top of the sale price of $799 after adding in the keychain to bring the total over $1000.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Actually others make good stuff for Crafrtsman. Craftsman/Sears doesn't make anything anymore. Hasn't for a long long time.


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## Slinger (Oct 9, 2014)

Sorry to hear you passed on the Snowmaster...it is so much faster and more maneuverable than a 2 stage for most all but the heaviest of snows. And if you're in that situation you can still make it work...you just take a little smaller "bite" with each pass. Same with EOD. I have a nice 2 stage Ariens Platinum 24" and an 824 Toro Snowmaster and I can tell you that for anything shy of a blizzard, the Snowmaster is plenty and MUCH faster than the 2 stage. Just so easy to handle...not quite as easy as a typical 21" SS but darn near it. So easy because you control the pace of the machine with your walking speed. No changing gears or moving levers. You intuitively maintain the perfect speed for your conditions. It throws everything (at least so far) off of my 3 car wide drive too. In my opinion, if you don't get lots of heavy snow and you have a smooth, not too sloped driveway, the smaller machines (single stage) are much more suited to the 95% of snows you are likely to get, faster at clearing them, clean to the pavement, and easier to use.


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