# Which gas-powered brands/models are easiest to repair and safest to buy used?



## snowballah (Sep 8, 2020)

I've had it. My long driveway and old knees are making me throw in the towel. Last year I spent 3-4 hours hand shovelling my driveway after each heavy snow fall. Screw everything about that. I'm joining the loyal legion of snowblower owners.

But I'm also a bit short on cash. So I'm scouring local classifieds to buy a used gasoline-powered two-stage snow blower. I'm handy and willing to service/fix my own snowblower, or if the repair is beyond my capabilities take it somewhere to have it serviced. So my question is: *which snowblower brands and models are easiest to service and safest to buy used?*

I've heard that a lot of new models contain a lot more plastic, which makes them less durable and harder to service when broken (like a BMW's plastic fasteners. **** repairing BMWers). From what I understand Ariens big oranges age nicely and stand up to repair well.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Look for an older Honda HS model if you can find one. Most people who have them, keep them because they are still running without problems.
They were built more rugged and reliable than the newer HSS models were, plus the older genuine Honda built Hydro transmission was a far better unit than the new Hydro-Gear unit on the steerable HSS models. Other manufacturers are using the Hydro-Gear transmissions now, and they are no-where near as good as the old Honda built transmissions were, but they are a tiny fraction of the cost of the Honda built units, which isn't bad when you end up replacing them yearly or more often due to them not being serviceable when they wear out,slow down and fail.
The HS models had very little plastic built into them, and they were very reliable and didn't need much work to keep them going, unlike the new HSS models that are constantly having failures and needing constant upgrades to keep them operating, unlike the old HS that didn't have the clogging issues that the newer HSS models have.
The old HS models required very little maintenance work as long as they were stored properly for the "Off Season". The Honda built Hydro-static transmission was a very rugged reliable drive-train unit that lasted for decades without any issues, even under "Commercial" usage. You did not have to constantly replace friction drive wheels on them like all other friction drive machines due to normal wear, plus Honda snowblowers hold their "Value" better than any other manufacturer out there, that is another reason they are expensive, even used models. There are many 25-30 plus year old Honda's out there still working like new.
Rebuilding and cleaning a Honda carburetor is about the easiest carburetor there is to work on and extremely simple to remove from the engine. The Honda "GX" series engine was one of the best most reliable, longest lasting engines that were ever manufactured.
The older Honda HS models were extremely easy to service. Back when they were built, Honda's "Slogan" was "We Make It Simple". That Slogan held for years until after Mr Honda died and the new management took over and decided to make everything cheap and not as reliable as the old products were, so they could make more money for the CEO's and didn't care about the consumer as much.
Once in a while you can find a good used older Honda snowblower for sale at a low cost, usually by someone who doesn't have any idea of their value or needs to get rid of it quick or is hard up for money.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

nothing wrong with a ariens or a toro, yet being in Canada i'm sure the brothers from up north will give you some rock solid Canadian advise 
welcome to the site


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

captchas said:


> nothing wrong with a ariens or a toro, yet being in Canada i'm sure the brothers from up north will give you some rock solid Canadian advise
> welcome to the site


He could possibly find a good used Yamaha up there in Canada.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i think it depends on your budget. these style machine are pretty cheap and readily available. since they are so common they are usually easy to get part for. they are also just as reliable as most other snowblowers. i would say make sure the impeller bearings are in good shape and if the tire axle bushings are worn since they are just plastic. the condition you find these things in vary depending on how they were taken care of.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

I'm in agreement with crazzywolfie, Honda makes a nice blower but if you want cheap and easy to maintain find one in the style of the ones he posted. You can find late 90s models with all metal chutes and horizontal as well as vertical controls. Parts are easy to find, cheap to get, and pretty simple to install. I have a 9hp late 90s Noma that is an absolute beast, picked it up for like $60 bucks, put about $40 into it and it's run the last few years with no issue.
My recommendation is to keep it simple so you can beat the hell out of it and either repair it when it breaks, or toss it and get another one. Just my opinion.


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## snowballah (Sep 8, 2020)

ST1100A said:


> [info]


This is incredibly detailed and helpful, thank you. And yeah as a former Honda vehicle owner I was leaning towards Honda but goddamn are they expensive. They def hold their value, like you were saying.

There are a few single stage Hondas for sale in my area including an HS520, and an HS521. Are these among the models worth considering and fixing used? I live in an area where we get some naaassty winters (southeast Ontario). Is it even worthwhile considering a single stage Honda, like are they a cut above two stage lesser brands? I'd really like a two stage Honda but no one is selling theirs. Lots of sellers even telling me they're selling their single stage Honda BECAUSE they bought a two stage Honda.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Welcome Snowballah, some questions to help narrow the choices:

Where in Canada do you live? Do you know your annual snowfall? Do you get many large (10 inch plus) snow falls a year? Do you get a lot of wet snow?
How much are you budgeting for the purchase?


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## jerryvvv (Apr 23, 2020)

i agree with crazywolf,

look for a used MTD or Murray 28-30 inch with a tecumseh 10HP or 10.5HP those engines last forever,

the snowblower in his left picture is the exact same one i purchased this summer,

they are built solid, yet simple to repair,

i took the entire drive train, gears, axles, and everything out of mine to lubricate them, and had it all back together in an hour.

parts for these machines are also easy to find,

with the amount of snow you get in southern ontario i wouldn't get anything smaller than 10HP engine


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Hello snowballah,

Welcome to the forum. The old saying goes keep your dealer close and your snow blower closer.

Ask your neighbors that have snow blowers and see who they buy snow blowers from and where they get them repaired that is really the first step in your decision.
A large dealer that stocks parts can do repairs fairly quickly or get parts overnight if needed.

The older snow blowers have basic operating systems with the larger drive pulley that the rubber drive tire contacts for propulsion and is also connected to the driven pulley for the impeller and worm gear system used to provide torque to spin the worm gear and final drive spur gear that spins the two cross augers that cut and push the snow to the center of the cross auger housing.

Two stage snow blowers depend on the machines ability to drive forward and push the snow into the cross auger housing where the snow is either cut into tiny pieces or sheared into longer pieces and forced into the housing and then ejected by the impeller which may have three or four impeller paddles that lift the snow up and out of the impeller housing and into the chute and out past the spout. 

For what its worth do not discount a new Toro 8 horse or 10 horse snow mule.
Do not discount the new Toro single stages with the 4 cycle engines as they will work well the issue is their weight if you are forced to deal with weight restrictions like I am which is why I am buying a 2 stage unit after using my single stage units for 42 years.

I would still have all 4 of my single stage Toro Snow Pup snow blowers but the first two died in the middle of snow storms and had to be replaced; and I wish I had had them repaired anyway as you cannot have enough snow removal machinery as many of us will attest to as we have developed the twin diseases-snow bloweritus and snowblower collectoritus.

I have a JD JUNK 44 inch two stage snow blower from 2011 that came with my lawn mower(that no one willl steal either) and I will not use it any longer as it is poorly made (BY RAD) and costs large sums of money for JD only Metric V Belts-the drive belt is $50.00 and the driven belt is $150,00 AND the chute which is all one assembly costs $150.00 and is all light plastic and does not last if you have ice to deal with. 

You get heavy wet snows like a lot of us near water and the key is patience and preparation whether its a single stage or 2 stage. A new small 2 stage Toro 824 is not something to sneeze at as it is well built. They are on sale now and you can purchase them through the Toro web page and have it shipped to the nearest dealer at no charge to you.

The easiest method to keep snow from sticking on a snow blower is to coat everything that contacts snow with several coats of non toxic Fluid Film and letting it dry between coats and you will be able to double you casting distance. Don't bother coating your shovels with Fluid Film as you will end up not having any snow stay on the shovel long enough to toss it aside.

If you have time, tools and ability a used snowblower can become a work of art like Gino's Frankestein blower with its 22 horsepower V twin snow blower and adjustable skillie skids.

We have no idea what you conditions are so if you would like more help we need to know what you have to deal with and how much time you "REALLY" have to clear snow.

You obviously have snow berms to shovel A.K.A. END OF DRIVEWAY MONSTERS.
Do they use a lot of Canadian Rock Salt to melt snow and Ice in your township/municipality?
Can you easily buy ethanol free gas or fuel treatments like sea foam or stabil?
Is your driveway asphalt or dirt or does it have 2 strips of concrete for the wheels of an automobile?
Do you have a sidewalk to shovel if the municipality does not clear it of snow?


One final word of friendly advice to you; If a dealer says "you get what you pay for" keep your wallet in your pocket and your checkbook closed as you do not want to spend your money there.


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## snowballah (Sep 8, 2020)

leonz said:


> Ask your neighbors that have snow blowers and see who they buy snow blowers from and where they get them repaired that is really the first step in your decision.
> A large dealer that stocks parts can do repairs fairly quickly or get parts overnight if needed.


I live next to a lot of renters so they don't really give a **** about snow removal. They just force their vehicles over it and compress it into a hard, horrible crust.



> For what its worth do not discount a new Toro 8 horse or 10 horse snow mule.
> Do not discount the new Toro single stages with the 4 cycle engines as they will work well the issue is their weight if you are forced to deal with weight restrictions like I am which is why I am buying a 2 stage unit after using my single stage units for 42 years.


Just to clarify- what weight restrictions do you mean? Like Are Toro single-stage 4 cycles heavier and more cumbersome than 2-stagers? I'm eyeing 24" because our garage storage area is pretty cramped.



> I have a JD JUNK 44 inch two stage snow blower from 2011 that came with my lawn mower(that no one willl steal either) and I will not use it any longer as it is poorly made (BY RAD) and costs large sums of money for JD only Metric V Belts-the drive belt is $50.00 and the driven belt is $150,00 AND the chute which is all one assembly costs $150.00 and is all light plastic and does not last if you have ice to deal with.


Serviceability is one of my concerns. Can't stand it when parts are expensive and hard to find! So thank you for warning me about this



leonz said:


> You obviously have snow berms to shovel A.K.A. END OF DRIVEWAY MONSTERS.
> Do they use a lot of Canadian Rock Salt to melt snow and Ice in your township/municipality?
> Can you easily buy ethanol free gas or fuel treatments like sea foam or stabil?
> Is your driveway asphalt or dirt or does it have 2 strips of concrete for the wheels of an automobile?
> Do you have a sidewalk to shovel if the municipality does not clear it of snow?


Yep we get berms. Icy, heavy, rock-like ones. Had to use a pick axe to remove last year's. Our city uses that liquid salt that burns through vehicle undercarriage.

Not sure about local availability of ethanol free gas, but plenty of places to buy Sea Foam. Driveway is bumpy old asphalt (I'LL FIX IT GODDAMMIT). And yes have a sidewalk that is city owned but homeowner sucker must shovel.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

I'm a Ariens man. My father's early 73 unit ran till 30 years in New England winters, and moved on to a second owner. I run ariens pro machines. They very easy to service. Parts are plentiful and affordable. I rebuilt a Platinum 30 last year with belts and a friction disk, and new cutting edge for bit over $100. A simple YouTube video showed how to do it. 
Honda is a good machine, but expensive, and parts aren't cheap eith6. My father in laws has had hydro issues, seals blowing out. Never a cheap fix. But engines run forever.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

snowballah said:


> Not sure about local availability of ethanol free gas, but plenty of places to buy Sea Foam. .


as far as i know all shell 91 octane gas in canada is ethanol free. that is all i run in my carburetors. i will even pump a few litres into my vehicle first before putting any in a jerry can. 

they make snowblowers like i posted in 24". i am building 24" one for my nephew. that picture i posted is before and after of a machine i was swapping parts with to build my nephew a nicer machine. if you can buy one with the deflector control i would highly recommend it. it is a nice option to have. if you can find a machine with the long steel skids it is a bonus since they help strengthen the bucket so it stays straights but seems like the smaller cheap skids were way more popular. also if i was looking i would probably go for a OHV engine but that is just my opinion. the Tecumseh do ok and can be reliable but i really just dislike how much more work it is to adjust the exhaust valve clearance when needed on a flat head


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

The new Toro single stage units are heavier than the old 2 cycle single stage machines but you can still tilt them up in a tight space. If you can afford an 824 2 stage buy one and make sure you order the light kit.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Below are some examples of decent blowers currently for sale with pricing from free to $1400.00. 
Not sure how close to you they are, but price levels should be the same in your area. Don't wait until winter to pull the trigger, from what I have read on the forum lately new blowers may be harder to come by this year, so the used market may thin out faster.
As with any used purchase, buyer be ware. 
Good luck with your search.

These two are in the Kawarthas 

10 year old blower that looks brand new $500.00








Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds


Visit Kijiji Classifieds to buy, sell, or trade almost anything! New and used items, cars, real estate, jobs, services, vacation rentals and more virtually anywhere.




www.kijiji.ca





Free- 10 HP these old Craftsman were well built and used parts are readily available








Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds


Visit Kijiji Classifieds to buy, sell, or trade almost anything! New and used items, cars, real estate, jobs, services, vacation rentals and more virtually anywhere.




www.kijiji.ca






Guelph area- 10 HP Ariens these are well built old blowers $200.00








Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds


Visit Kijiji Classifieds to buy, sell, or trade almost anything! New and used items, cars, real estate, jobs, services, vacation rentals and more virtually anywhere.




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Ottawa area -828 Yamaha are fantastic blowers, and hold their value, this one looks to have been refurbished $1450.00








Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds


Visit Kijiji Classifieds to buy, sell, or trade almost anything! New and used items, cars, real estate, jobs, services, vacation rentals and more virtually anywhere.




www.kijiji.ca


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## firedudetl1 (Jan 26, 2016)

snowballah said:


> I've had it. My long driveway and old knees are making me throw in the towel. Last year I spent 3-4 hours hand shovelling my driveway after each heavy snow fall. Screw everything about that. I'm joining the loyal legion of snowblower owners.
> 
> But I'm also a bit short on cash. So I'm scouring local classifieds to buy a used gasoline-powered two-stage snow blower. I'm handy and willing to service/fix my own snowblower, or if the repair is beyond my capabilities take it somewhere to have it serviced. So my question is: *which snowblower brands and models are easiest to service and safest to buy used?*
> 
> I've heard that a lot of new models contain a lot more plastic, which makes them less durable and harder to service when broken (like a BMW's plastic fasteners. **** repairing BMWers). From what I understand Ariens big oranges age nicely and stand up to repair well.


My quick 2 cents - I have 3 Ariens - 1968 - 1973 and a 198something and now 2 toros - both from the 1990s- either brand will work for you, however, looking at that ad for the 10 hp for $200, I'd get that and you should be all set - check the oil in the transmission (or just change it), chains since those look like turf treads, fresh oil & gas and let it snow
good luck


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## snowballah (Sep 8, 2020)

Ziggy65 said:


> details


Hey I really appreciate this. I hear you on the buyer beware. Big risk with buying used anything, which is why I'm hoping that if I do get a lemon I can get parts semi-easily. That list you put together is a bit out of my geographic area (Hamilton Ontario) but it does tell me what I should be looking for. I'll hit the classifieds.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Personally, i feel that snowblowers are a pretty simple, basic piece of equipment. I can't speak for a hydromatic transmission, since i never owned one, but the driven disc transmission, is pretty simple.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

that is part of why i suggest the machine type i did. they are super common which usually makes used parts easy to find because new parts are not cheap. i think i paid $75 for my main machine and if i had to buy new parts it would have likely cost me about $200 or so by the time it was ready to move snow. luckily i had a parts machine that was completely wore out. the most common issue you find is rims stuck to the axle when you got to replace the axle bushings. you could always replace those plastic bushings with bearing if you wanted. i also like how they used the same bodies/tractors for as long as they did so it is fairly easy to upgrade your machine. i haven't done it yet but i did get all the parts needed to put the taller chute on my machine. only thing that had held me back is i want to use the whole tractor it is coming off since the tractor has trigger steering. only parts of my original machine would be the engine and bucket/auger assembly.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

We retired several years ago and moved to the Ontario snow belt on the shores of lake Huron, included with the house purchase was an eight year old MTD 24" snow blower. We had spent the previous 30 years living in Cambridge (2.5 hours south/east and much less snow), we had a 4 car driveway and my old 1967 Ariens was up to the task of clearing both my driveway and my neighbours.

The MTD had been stored indoors all it's life, which was a bonus, wow it even had electric start, heated hand grips and trigger steering. The blower had seen some use but I know the previous owner had a neighbour with a large tractor and blower do the long U shaped drive way and parking pads for several years. 
The blower would not start ( bad gas), so flushed the fuel system, cleaned carb, changed the oil and installed new spark plug. Removed belly pan and lubed chains and shafts and axles then tried to grease the augers, but no zerks on the shaft?

One of the plastic trigger steering handles was broken off (ordered new one from MTD as well as a set of belts MTD has great replacement parts service). 
The joy stick chute control would not work properly, repaired with some shims and lubrication and finicky adjustment.
The bucket sides were bent out and several augers were also bent, however you can easily bend them back with your hands. I could't believe how thin and flimsy the metal was as I was used to the 50 year old Ariens.

Now I was ready, bring on the snow. The MTD handled 6 inches fine but blowing distance was poor. Checked impeller gap and it has huge, read online about impeller seal kits. Made some out of old truck mudflap and it and fluid film really improved the performance.
By February I realized this blower had to go. It struggled in more than 6 inches and was useless tackling EOD pile (I would usually get the old Ariens out to do the EOD). The chute controls constantly froze up and required adjustment, even though it was stored in a heated garage. The machine just seemed to require constant tinkering.

I replaced it with an Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO and am very happy. Everything is more robust, better built and designed than the MTD.

To be fair, I am not comparing apples to apples with these machines. The MTD is less expensive, smaller, less powerful and was eight years older, it would probably perform fine with a smaller driveway and less snow in southern Ontario. However, the better built machines will out last the cheaper flimsy machines.

Sorry for the long post, this was my experience with one of the cheaper brand of snow blowers, others may have had better experiences and different opinions.

I have always believed you usually get what you pay for and you should buy the best quality that you can afford.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

snowballah said:


> Hey I really appreciate this. I hear you on the buyer beware. Big risk with buying used anything, which is why I'm hoping that if I do get a lemon I can get parts semi-easily. That list you put together is a bit out of my geographic area (Hamilton Ontario) but it does tell me what I should be looking for. I'll hit the classifieds.


A couple of older machines in your area









Ariens ST8-28 snowblower Areins | Snowblowers | Hamilton | Kijiji


Areins ST8-28 snowblower,electric start,starts fairly easily,reliable,dependable,still works well, it's an Ariens, $320.00 thanks!




www.kijiji.ca













Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds


Visit Kijiji Classifieds to buy, sell, or trade almost anything! New and used items, cars, real estate, jobs, services, vacation rentals and more virtually anywhere.




www.kijiji.ca


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

There should be a required reading sticky on this question and answers for this question from new members because it comes up at least once a week. 

using the search function would help.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

Ziggy65 said:


> Now I was ready, bring on the snow. The MTD handled 6 inches fine but blowing distance was poor. Checked impeller gap and it has huge, read online about impeller seal kits. Made some out of old truck mudflap and it and fluid film really improved the performance.
> By February I realized this blower had to go. It struggled in more than 6 inches and was useless tackling EOD pile (I would usually get the old Ariens out to do the EOD). The chute controls constantly froze up and required adjustment, even though it was stored in a heated garage. The machine just seemed to require constant tinkering.


i am surprised yours didn't perform that good. i got the more plain version 26" and found it performed just fine stock. it just performed a lot better with the impeller mod. i can almost throw snow from my driveway 50ft into my neighbors driveway. i really haven't had too many issue with the chute control freezing up. only thing i have had an issue with is the cable that pull the chute up not being adjusted properly so if i want the deflector all the way i got to manually move it the last little bit. yes the buckets are pretty cheap and bend but if you get the good steel skid for them it helps a lot. my machine has the long steel skid and bucket is still straight. also just bought a 30" machine as parts that you can tell it had the same long steel skids since it was clean and straight. the poly ones are better than the small ones but plastic still bends/flexes a bit. better off with the steel ones. the only real tinkering i do on my machine is upgrades. otherwise it is use and abuse


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## snowballah (Sep 8, 2020)

Ziggy65 said:


> A couple of older machines in your area
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That ST824 looks terrific. Simple no nonsense snow blower. Looks like it's from the 1980s- is there any such thing as an Ariens that's "too old" where parts are no longer in production? I'm all for buying old machines but just don't want to find myself in a situation where a certain model year is no longer supported. Otherwise I am considering it



orangputeh said:


> There should be a required reading sticky on this question and answers for this question from new members because it comes up at least once a week.
> 
> using the search function would help.


Agreeing with this. I would offer to help with that that but my knowledge on this topic is too novice.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

if you do check that one out make sure to look it over good. only reason i say that is because it looks like someone painted part of the bucket but not the whole thing. they could have possibly done this so it looks pretty just so it will sell


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I restored my 1967 Ariens the end of last winter, all wear parts (bearings, bushings, belts, friction disc, carb and muffler) are readily available and reasonably priced. The older machines are really quite simple and easy to work on.

I would stay away from machines that have been stored outside for a considerable length of time (covered with rust and very faded paint), as they may have many seized parts, mice damage etc. 

Ask seller about what maintenance is routinely carried out. Look for signs of grease on the auger zerk fittings and axles. Are there any stress cracks on the handle bars and bucket? 
Ensure the machine is complete, starts and runs well and that all forward and reverse gears work and impeller and augers spin when engaged.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

For Safety - go 1984 (ish) and newer in that they will have the quick release auger and drive levers on the handle bars . . .

For older/used machines - Toro and Ariens are the best of the bunch IMO. Toro machines of the mid-1980's - Mid-1990's are better snow throwers than the Ariens machines of the same vintage (just ask my neighbors with the Ariens machines  )

I'd avoid most, if not all, of the garden variety brands, sold at department & big-box stores.

All of the newish machines have become 'cheaper' Toro & Ariens included.


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