# steep driveway, unsure which model to purchase (solved w/update)



## serith (Aug 15, 2018)

hi all. i live in upstate ny where we regularly see 100-200" of snowfall per year (thank you great lakes). my driveway is 10' wide, and from the street to the garage is about 120'. normally i just park by the house in the winter which cuts the amount of shoveling in half, but i'd like to get a snowblower before the snow flies again. there is a big elevation drop from the house to the garage--the driveway is quite steep (20 degree grade if i had to guess?). i'm thinking i need a track drive unit to get it up and down the driveway? i saw lowes has a troy bilt 2690xp for a fair price, but i'm concerned that the engine is undersized for the amount of snow we get. i work from home frequently so i don't need to worry about being able to clear the driveway expediently when we have heavy snows--i just want to know that the blower will make it up & down the driveway and get the job done. i have asthma so shoveling this stuff is a nightmare.

if anyone has recommendations i'm all ears. thanks!


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

avoid the troy, look at ariens or honda.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

.

If it was 1992 and the Troy Bilt factory was still down the Thruway from you in Troy, NY I'd say buy one. Their blowers were actually really good back then. 

For almost the same price as the 2690XP you can buy an Ariens Deluxe 28 or Deluxe 28 SHO instead. 

I prefer Toro's myself but these models are world class snow throwing machines

.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Hello Serith,

As your sixty five miles north of me and you get as much of the white crap that I do and your city fathers love salt just like the NYSDOT does down here I am going to suggest that you look at the Yamaha 1028 track drive unit 10 horse power 28 inch cut electric start(the spouse will love that part) and steering brakes. 
The 1028 and the 1332 have a slick lined chute and impeller housing to help prevent clogging. 

Larry Kellys Yamaha store is in Hamilton, Ontario so he is only 4 hours or less away. With the Canadian dollar being weak it would be a good time to invest in one as you will get a sales discount with the currency exchange and all of your Ontario Province sales tax being 8%, refunded to you at the Niagara Falls, Ontario border crossing check point.

Larry ships his snow blowers across the border as well so keep that in mind as an option.


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

I would look at a tracked blower from either Honda or ariens and no other brand.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

I believe a tracked blower is the way to go. 

Honda , Yamaha , Ariens 

what is your budget? now is a good time to find a used blower for a good price if you are mechanically inclined or know an honest mechanic. 

the people here at Snowblower forums can help you with any service or repair question.


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Oh yes if you can get your hands on a Yamaha then that would also be good. But. If something goes wrong with the Yamaha, it could take longer to get repaired.


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## serith (Aug 15, 2018)

orangputeh said:


> I believe a tracked blower is the way to go.
> 
> Honda , Yamaha , Ariens
> 
> ...


i'm definitely open to purchasing used and fixing/tinkering. like anything else the moment you buy something new it loses half or more of its value and is extremely hard to sell. been looking at craigslist in my & nearby cities although rarely ever see tracked models.

i'd like to stay under $2k if i buy new, and that stinks regarding the troy bilt (would have been nice as i get the 10% military discount at lowes and they have one in stock (the 2690xp)).

i don't think i need a 400cc monster to clear my driveway, but i'd prefer if i spend money that the blower lasts. seems like you have to spend $3k to achieve that unless i'm mistaken. i'm thinking about tearing up the driveway going from the house to the garage and having it regarded so it's not as steep, but even then i think a track blower will still be better as i don't want a wheeled blower rolling away from me.

my homedepot has a 24" 2 stage 223cc tracked blower for a little more than what lowes wants for the troy bilt. i wonder if that's the right one for me?


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

serith said:


> i'm definitely open to purchasing used and fixing/tinkering. like anything else the moment you buy something new it loses half or more of its value and is extremely hard to sell. been looking at craigslist in my & nearby cities although rarely ever see tracked models.
> 
> i'd like to stay under $2k if i buy new, and that stinks regarding the troy bilt (would have been nice as i get the 10% military discount at lowes and they have one in stock (the 2690xp)).
> 
> ...


you have gotten some good advice from members here who have your best interests in mind. a dealer is only interested in the sale. You can't go wrong with a well maintained used Yamaha , Ariens , or Honda That is tracked.

my neighbor got a brand new Ariens shipped free to his house with no taxes for way less than 2k and he loves it. you are smart to look now before everyone does which starts happening in the next couple months. people are still selling used machines at a good price and if you are mechanically inclined you can find a good one.

or you can watch a You-tube video on what to look for in a good used snowblower by donyboy73

hope you check back in.


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## TomHodge (Dec 19, 2017)

With your heavy(wet) snow I would NOT get a Honda HSS928 tracked machine, all mine does is clog at the wet snow. I have heard that he 13 HP unit is better. Yamaha could be a good choice but I think that the Ariens would do you well.


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

Toro is releasing some new PowerMax HD blowers this year. 



 Worth looking into if you're not chomping at the bit to get something.


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## sewman (Aug 12, 2018)

*Impeller kit*



TomHodge said:


> With your heavy(wet) snow I would NOT get a Honda HSS928 tracked machine, all mine does is clog at the wet snow. I have heard that he 13 HP unit is better. Yamaha could be a good choice but I think that the Ariens would do you well.


Every try the Impeller kit? Most blowers will w/o one.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

It's been talked around, but not stated: Yamaha is no longer sold in the US, and hasn't been for a while, maybe 10(?) years. Their blowers are supposed to be excellent, but getting support, and parts, in the US can be tougher than for other brands. 

That's a lot of snow! What kind of storms, and snow, do you get? The person getting 4" fluffy-snow storms needs a different machine than the guy getting 12-18" of wet, heavy stuff. 

Ariens, Honda, and Toro would be my preferred brands. Personally, I wouldn't be looking at Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, or Troy Bilt. 

I have a 24" Ariens with a 10hp 318cc OHV engine. It's a nice machine, solid & reliable, and rarely lacking for power. Very few people have ever complained about their snowblowers being *too* powerful. 

Tracks sound great for inclines, etc, though I've only used wheels. I add chains, and get up my inclined driveway OK, but I'd like to try tracks. You may want to look for features to help make turning easier. Honda's current HSS models have trigger steering, but their older HS machines did not. I understand that turning tracked machines can be tougher than wheeled versions. 

This is Ariens' snowblowers page. They do have a Compact 24" with tracks. In addition to larger tracked models. 

https://www.ariens.com/en-us/snow-products

You could keep an eye on Craigslist for a bit, you might find someone selling a nice tracked machine. And I assume you'd still have time to buy from a dealer. Note that you *can* buy some brands online, Ariens being one of them. And you'll get the warranty coverage. But note that when you go to your dealer with a problem, you may go to the back of their line, and they might prioritize the people that bought from them. That can be a problem when the snow is piling up in the driveway. This kind of doesn't seem right to me, but it's been stated often enough that I believe it. So just something to think about, when deciding where to buy.


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## E350 (Apr 21, 2015)

Look for a pristine used Honda HS1132 TA or a HS1332 TA tracked machine. I have an inclined dirt and granite driveway and an old Ariens ST1032 with V-bar chains would have wheel slip blowing uphill although it would blow downhill ok. 

I would suggest the new model Honda HSS1332 with the auger protection (sheer pins don't break as often) but I read here that there can be some chute clogging problems on the new Honda models (at least the new HSS928 model).


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## serith (Aug 15, 2018)

just thought i'd share some pictures of what i'm up against if anyone wants to take a look. i've continued to do research on blowers and i'm still not sure what to do. there is probably ~12' of elevation difference between my house & the garage and the portion of driveway that connects them is about 60' long (the hill). i've asked some friends for their opinions and some think they'd be able to snowblow it with their wheeled blowers (i'd love if this were true). i really don't want to spend $3k+ on a tracked blower. i wonder if running chains on the wheels would be enough to manage the hill. additionally i'm hesitant to buy a blower now because i won't be able to try it out for another couple of months. if i buy from hd or lowes you get 90 days to return, so i'll probably buy closer to when the white stuff starts falling.

here's a photo album with some pictures i just took to give you an idea. it's probably a 20 degree slope.

https://imgur.com/a/JSzI2gK

i am seriously considering building some type of covering over the driveway where it's steep to help keep snow off of it but it's a bit late in the year to take on a project like that right now. maybe next year. if the hill is too steep for the blower and i'm going up, i'm assuming it'll just slip and not move forward. going down is what scares me, if i can't keep control of it and it keeps going without me??? not sure how that would shake out, not good i'm sure.

paying someone to plow my driveway is out as the driveway is mated to a 6x6 retaining wall and i know without a question of a doubt that any plow driver would damage the wall because they're all in a hurry.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

if your not concerned about marks on your driveway, chains will do the job . even most modern snowblower tires would work if there wasnt a layer of ice on the asphalt.


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## serith (Aug 15, 2018)

nwcove said:


> if your not concerned about marks on your driveway, chains will do the job . even most modern snowblower tires would work if there wasnt a layer of ice on the asphalt.


yeah the driveway definitely ices up which is a bummer. i believe it happens because the ground is warmer and cold air blows through the 6x6 retaining wall and melts/freezes the snow touching the asphalt (just a theory). i've read that both wheeled & tracked snowblowers don't work well on ice, is that true?

maybe the only thing i can do is cover the portion of my driveway going down to the garage to keep snow off of it.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Your drive way is not all that steep. All you need is a heavy tracked blower or a snow blower with ladder chains and good tires will work as long as you remember to raise the cross auger housing to prevent throwing gravel when you clear it.


Your going to get a lot of blowing drifting snow if you cover the driveway and when it melts it will make it worse.

Snow chains for the snow blower, load the tires with windshield washer fluid and having a supply of sand and salt for traction are the only way your going to manage this.

I was gong to suggest a lawn tractor but they are all junk nowadays unless you get into the sub compact size and even some of them are expensive dogs.


If you are not interested in a yamaha then find a used honda 1132 as that machine will have the weight you need to climb and also deal with the gravel base below the asphalt.

Next year when you coat the driveway and spread sand over the coating to gain traction in the coming winter, do not buy the crap that has sand in it already.


You may get lucky and find a used BCS 732 2-wheel tractor that you can mount a Berta snow blower on.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

unless the snow always falls straight down where your at.......covering the driveway would be a high cost/low impact solution. you would also loose the sun on pavement melt factor as the area would be shaded. 
i run my both my blowers, one with chains, one without up the side of the roadway from my bottom drive to the top drive, its about a 7 foot rise over 50 feet......never an issue with traction with either set up. there is another issue with wheeled blowers going up steep inclines......the bucket tends to want to ride up, a weight kit helps solve that.


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## serith (Aug 15, 2018)

leonz said:


> If you are not interested in a yamaha then find a used honda 1132 as that machine will have the weight you need to climb and also deal with the gravel base below the asphalt.


i just finished building the garage (it's a pole barn), so right now there's no asphalt in front of the garage because it was all fill. i was waiting to have a concrete pad poured in the garage and then i'll dump asphalt in front of the garage and connect to the driveway.

it does seem like yahama & honda are the way to go, it just stinks that they're so pricey.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

serith said:


> i just finished building the garage (it's a pole barn), so right now there's no asphalt in front of the garage because it was all fill. i was waiting to have a concrete pad poured in the garage and then i'll dump asphalt in front of the garage and connect to the driveway.
> 
> it does seem like yahama & honda are the way to go, it just stinks that they're so pricey.


i personally dont think you need a high end machine like a tracked honda or yamaha........but if i could afford a honda.....id buy a yamaha. as mentioned, a wheeled machine with chains will do the job.....will it be perfect?.. no,.... but neither will a tracked machine. jmho


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Check with the local BCS dealer in Onondaga and Oswego counties to see if they have a used BCS 732 for sale.
The Berta 2 stage snow thrower will never ride up as its heavy and gear driven like the 732.

There are three BCS dealers near Syracuse; Auburn Chainsaw, Auburn, NY; Don Hull & Son Sales, Verona NY; Martins Small Engine, Clyde, NY.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

This week just picked up a Honda tracked 1132 for less than a grand in excellent condition. Deals , even at end of summer , may still be out there. Check estate and moving sales.

I saw a used Yamaha yesterday . Have no experience with them but it looked pretty solid, well built. Parts availability may be a problem. Honda parts are pricey but you can get them at nearly wholesale at places like Boats.net , and some other online places. .........mentioned here.


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## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

I have a smaller (but new design) 724 Honda tracked up here in Calgary. I like it. But I have seen the tracks slip on my inclined driveway. Granted I have seen chained models with wheels do the same, a little more often though. The other big advantages for tracked is you can use them in grass to blow a path if needed, they are a dream climbing stairs such as on decks, simple to walk up ramps in the back of a truck for transport, and excel at climbing over ploughed EOD hills if you need to cross a street to help your neighbour. On the flip side they aren't as maneuverable.

I've had no chute clogging issues, but the problem seems to be mostly in the New England "wet" snow areas on the east coast.

Yami make a great tracked machine as well. They would be in my top two picks with Honda.


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## E350 (Apr 21, 2015)

Wheels with chains would slip on my inclined driveway. Honda HS1132TA with tracks works fine. So I suggest tracks. Hydrostatic drive is also recommended.


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

Take a look at the Ariens Platinum RapidTrak 28 SHO (28") 369cc 2-Stage Snow Blower. While it's not a hydro trans, it does come in at a lower price. Like others have said the exchange rate is good now to make a purchase in Canada. The Yamaha YT624EJ is an awesome machine and after looking at your pics, it's more than enough machine to handle it.


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## serith (Aug 15, 2018)

i know this is an old thread but i wanted to update it in case someone finds it and wonders what i ended up doing. i found a great deal on a used tracked blower on craigslist--a 26" storm tracker for $200. it's a 1 owner machine with full service records & original manual. guy was moving out of state and didn't want to take it with him. blower starts up 1 pull every time, and it literally pulls me up my driveway. in very slick conditions the tracks will slip/spin a bit so i know a tracked model was the right decision. going up is effortless but going down is where traction matters as i don't want the blower to get away from me and it does a great job of staying planted. my driveway measures 10' x 130' with a flare-out at the mouth of the garage and would normally take me at least an hour to clear it all by hand (with the blower it takes about 10 minutes and can help the neighbors too). not only is this like cheating, but wow it's fun to use! i did do some maintenance though as a couple of the gears weren't engaging and i changed the oils/fluids. i hope this thing lasts for some time to come!


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

THANK YOU for the update


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## AL- (Oct 27, 2014)

serith said:


> hi all. i live in upstate ny where we regularly see 100-200" of snowfall per year (thank you great lakes). my driveway is 10' wide, and from the street to the garage is about 120'. normally i just park by the house in the winter which cuts the amount of shoveling in half, but i'd like to get a snowblower before the snow flies again. there is a big elevation drop from the house to the garage--the driveway is quite steep (20 degree grade if i had to guess?). i'm thinking i need a track drive unit to get it up and down the driveway? i saw lowes has a troy bilt 2690xp for a fair price, but i'm concerned that the engine is undersized for the amount of snow we get. i work from home frequently so i don't need to worry about being able to clear the driveway expediently when we have heavy snows--i just want to know that the blower will make it up & down the driveway and get the job done. i have asthma so shoveling this stuff is a nightmare.
> 
> if anyone has recommendations i'm all ears. thanks!


I have friend with a Yamaha track drive and on a slippery surface he has to push his machine up a small grade to put it away behind his garage.


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## jonnied12 (Jan 14, 2017)

serith said:


> i know this is an old thread but i wanted to update it in case someone finds it and wonders what i ended up doing. i found a great deal on a used tracked blower on craigslist--a 26" storm tracker for $200. it's a 1 owner machine with full service records & original manual. guy was moving out of state and didn't want to take it with him. blower starts up 1 pull every time, and it literally pulls me up my driveway. in very slick conditions the tracks will slip/spin a bit so i know a tracked model was the right decision. going up is effortless but going down is where traction matters as i don't want the blower to get away from me and it does a great job of staying planted. my driveway measures 10' x 130' with a flare-out at the mouth of the garage and would normally take me at least an hour to clear it all by hand (with the blower it takes about 10 minutes and can help the neighbors too). not only is this like cheating, but wow it's fun to use! i did do some maintenance though as a couple of the gears weren't engaging and i changed the oils/fluids. i hope this thing lasts for some time to come!
> 
> View attachment 175797
> 
> ...


Great machines. I have a later, larger version of this blower and it serves me well on my steep driveway.


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