# Honda vs Toro, worth the extra $1500?



## Jason_Van_Biezen

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and need some advice in buying my first snow blower. I moved from sea level in Southern California to 6,300 feet near salt lake City and the last storm we got stranded us at home until a neighbor with a snowblower could rescue us. 

I've asked around and the consensus here seems to be that Honda is the king of snow blowers with Toro coming in second. However the cheapest Honda 2 stage I can find is $2,200 while a similarly sized Toro is around $700. I'm willing to invest in the Honda, but seeing as I could buy 3 Toros for the price of one Honda, I'm leaning heavily to the Toro. Would this be a mistake?

Also, do snowblowers go on sale toward the end of winter? Would it be a good idea to weather the rest of winter with just a snow shovel and ask neighbors for favors to snag a deal? 

Thanks.

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## vinnycom

with that kind of snow, the ones that get u stranded, buy both as it would be nice to have a backup in your situation and/or have both machines running simultaneously, budget wise not much more to buy the toro after buying the honda.
then u can inform the rest of us which one is the better deal/worth the money


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## Jatoxico

Shooting from the hip; If you are planning to stay in the home for any length of time I say it makes sense to buy a dependable quality machine. Problem is you don't really know your needs not having been there very long.

I'm a Toro fan and one should serve you well. Can you see your way to buying the Toro and using it for at least a year giving you time to really understand your needs? For instance wheels vs. tracks, cut width and power, controls etc? Is there gravel, do you have sidewalks and patios and on and on.

If the Toro isn't cutting it or you want to invest in more bells and whistles you could likely sell the Toro for close to what you bought it for. My concern would be spending >$2K and finding out it's not what I needed.


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## Kiss4aFrog

:welcome: to SBF Jason

Wish I had the $$ to get a Honda so I could give you actual user info on them. But . . . Considering how long a Toro should last you I would personally find it hard to spend the extra money on a Honda unless I was in a very heavy snow fall area where it would get plenty of use and the extra money didn't really matter. Honda owners seem to really love their machines with the exception of the newer HSS models possibly having a problem with clogging. There are threads on this in the Honda section.

You might want to post in the Honda section asking when those guys found the best buys on their new machines.


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## Cardo111

I would also look at Ariens machines despite what the locals are using, unless you are concerned about a servicing dealer and there is none around your area. It all depends on your budget and what conditions you regularly face as to your question is it really worth the extra money. As other members mentioned the more info you can provide us with the better direction we can point you in. Size of driveway/area, surface type and budget all help. Best of luck on your search.


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## RedOctobyr

Agreed with everything so far. Well, except the thought of buying the Toro *and* the Honda. If you wanted 2 machines, and wanted a backup, a far cheaper solution would be 2 Toros, of course. 

One consideration is that the Hondas appear to hold their value exceptionally well. So if you *did* decide to pony up for one, you may not lose a lot if you decided to sell it later. Now, my preference is to buy a good used machine, and let someone else take the depreciation, but that's admittedly not for everyone. 

But I think more details about your snow-clearing situation would help people make more-informed suggestions. I don't think a Toro would be a bad machine, and they're certainly much more affordable. Just make sure that what you buy is suited to your situation. A 24" Honda could be a worse choice than a 32" (insert more-budget-oriented brand here) if you really needed the wide bucket.


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## Jason_Van_Biezen

Thank for replying so quickly everyone. 

I haven't seen anyone using a tracked snow blower up here, but most people have a two stage blower. 

I've heard the winters vary widely, where some years snow blowers aren't necessary, and other years 4-5 foot dumps are a regular occurrence. I have a two car driveway and a small, trapezoidal driveway (tapers to a car width due to street curvature) and only a small amount of sidewalk to clear. I do have a back patio that may need clearing from time to time, but I don't see the need since the dog has a blast in the snow. 

I'm leery of buying a used snow blower as the neighbors across the street bought a used one (don't know the brand) and they had issues trying to use it the first time they fired it up during the storm. Luckily for them, the wind tends to blow the snow away from their driveway. Unfortunately for me, that snow tends to accumulate in my driveway lol 

I do not plan on buying a backup. Our neighbors have been very kind and have helped us clear the biggest drifts, they seem to be each other's backup and I'm cool with that. 

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## Lunta

I recently had to make a similar decision (although mine was between a 3500€ Yamaha hydrostatic and a 1900€ Ariens friction wheel).

I chose the hydrostatic mainly for the ease of adjusting speed whilst on the go - I also thought that the friction wheel system was a little antiquated. There's no doubt it's a proven system and reasonably easy to work on, but then again, so is a Mk II Ford Escort, but I wouldn't want to drive one in 2018. So if changing speeds quickly and easily is important for you, you might want to add the transmission to your list of criteria.

You might also want to touch, see and feel both machines. For me there is definitely a difference in the "quality feel" between the Yamaha and the Ariens.


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## nwcove

heres all you will need for your situation.......priced in the middle of your picks so far......big power for the big snow events, but compact enough to keep in the garage ! 
https://www.ariens.com/en-us/snow-products/snow-blowers/platinum/platinum-24-sho


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## chargin

Aren't there special carb issues at that elevation ?

So you would want to buy from a dealer who handles that whatever blower you choose.


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## RedOctobyr

Lunta said:


> I recently had to make a similar decision (although mine was between a 3500€ Yamaha hydrostatic and a 1900€ Ariens friction wheel).
> 
> I chose the hydrostatic mainly for the ease of adjusting speed whilst on the go - I also thought that the friction wheel system was a little antiquated. There's no doubt it's a proven system and reasonably easy to work on, but then again, so is a Mk II Ford Escort, but I wouldn't want to drive one in 2018. So if changing speeds quickly and easily is important for you, you might want to add the transmission to your list of criteria.


I'd love to try a hydrostatic machine, they sound great. The ability to just creep into a dense snowbank would be cool, as well as having "in-between" ground speeds available. It also sounds helpful if you have a lot of back-and-forth work. Though the friction disk drives in my 2 Ariens have worked better than the friction setup on my MTD, these ones push harder, spinning the wheels, rather than just "stalling" like the MTD. 



nwcove said:


> heres all you will need for your situation.......priced in the middle of your picks so far......big power for the big snow events, but compact enough to keep in the garage !
> https://www.ariens.com/en-us/snow-products/snow-blowers/platinum/platinum-24-sho


That must be a beast. Mine is 24" with a 318cc OHV, and it's no slouch. So upping the powerplant to 369cc for the same bucket size, that is not messing around! I think the SHO uses a higher impeller speed than mine, which is good. I'd like to up my impeller speed, to make better use of the available power. More throwing distance, but it would also eat the snow faster, allowing a faster ground speed.


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## cranman

Hydrostatic is really cool...until they break. A rubber disc and aluminum wheel is not as tecno savvy...but you can diagnose and fix any problem with no training and really cheap and quick. If I have to go to Honda school to fix a snowblower...I pass. Are Hondas well built and super cool??? yep......do they make economic sense for me at least?.....nope. The great thing about Hondas that I see.....the few times I get one to flip...I make a bundle on it and it sells fast.


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## ZTMAN

I think the Toro would suit you well based on your description. I just got a Honda track drive but the comments that say you don't need a Honda are spot on in most circumstances. Kind of like buying a Raptor when an f150 would do. 
Over the years I had non Honda machines, MTD, Troy Bilt and Toro. If you maintain them they will serve you well and get the job done. May not blow snow 50 feet like the Honda, but it will get the snow out of your driveway and off your walks.


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## Jason_Van_Biezen

ZTMAN said:


> I think the Toro would suit you well based on your description. I just got a Honda track drive but the comments that say you don't need a Honda are spot on in most circumstances. Kind of like buying a Raptor when an f150 would do.
> Over the years I had non Honda machines, MTD, Troy Bilt and Toro. If you maintain them they will serve you well and get the job done. May not blow snow 50 feet like the Honda, but it will get the snow out of your driveway and off your walks.


Hahaha I think my neighbors might not appreciate me throwing snow 50 feet 

Thanks for your input everyone. I'll be getting the Toro. The Honda is such a nice machine, but I can't justify spending triple the price of the Toro to get it. 

Thank you all for your input 

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## tpenfield

People don't need to spend $2K on a snow blower . . . only if they want to.

My advice is to get the Toro for $700 ish and and buy beer with the $1500 you saved vs. the Honda. :grin:


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## orangputeh

are you talking about buying new or used?

are you handy? actually you don't need to be too handy. when i joined here last year i had very little experience with Honda's but they are not hard too work on if you follow the advice from this forum or watch you-tube videos.

right now the prices are high because it is winter. in the spring and summer you can pick up some fantastic deals when people get fed up and move away. you may be able to pick up a fairly new blower for half price.

last summer i picked up a couple great deals on Honda's 928's for 300 and 500. all they needed was servicing which i did. people were moving and sometimes they buy new and don't want to keep the old one.

if you have the patience you can find a good deal in the off season.


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## Jason_Van_Biezen

tpenfield said:


> People don't need to spend $2K on a snow blower . . . only if they want to.
> 
> My advice is to get the Toro for $700 ish and and buy beer with the $1500 you saved vs. the Honda. :grin:


$1500 can buy a lot of coffee indeed 

And I'm planning to buy new as several of my neighbors have had their newly purchased, used, snow blowers crap out on them during the last storm. 

I'd rather buy a new machine and do my best to keep it in top condition. 

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## Lunta

RedOctobyr said:


> I'd love to try a hydrostatic machine, they sound great. The ability to just creep into a dense snowbank would be cool, as well as having "in-between" ground speeds available. It also sounds helpful if you have a lot of back-and-forth work.


I'm pleased with it, for the reasons you mention. Still, I might be on this forum at some point, crying because the hydrostatic transmission has gone kaput, and I can't mend it with an oversized O-ring and a Swiss Army Knife. :smile2:


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## izualangel

Snowblowers go on sale at the end of the season quite a bit here. Especially with as little snow as we've gotten lately.


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## JLawrence08648

Your not looking at a 2 stage Toro for $700? At that price, it seems it would be a single stage. You can't compare a $2,200 Honda to any $700 snowblower. No way it can be a fair comparison, there has to be a BIG difference somewhere.


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## jsup

JLawrence08648 said:


> Your not looking at a 2 stage Toro for $700? At that price, it seems it would be a single stage. You can't compare a $2,200 Honda to any $700 snowblower. No way it can be a fair comparison, there has to be a BIG difference somewhere.


I was just out in Hampton Bays and the True Value store out there had a Toro 2 stage for $700.


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## Cyrus

chargin said:


> Aren't there special carb issues at that elevation ?
> 
> So you would want to buy from a dealer who handles that whatever blower you choose.


Really good point and I do not think that anyone mentioned this. I would definitely check this out with a local dealer.


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## GustoGuy

Honda is a premium brand and demands a premium price and often a Toro or Ariens is plenty good unless you have extra money to burn. It's all about how you maintain your equipment as to how long it will last. Heck I have a Predator 212cc re-powered MTD 5/22 with an impeller kit and it throws 40+ feet. My Frankenblower works very well and I upgraded my gutless 5hp Tecumseh to a 6.5Hp OHV Predator 212cc which throws snow clear over into the neighbors yard as seen on my video.


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## GustoGuy

jsup said:


> I was just out in Hampton Bays and the True Value store out there had a Toro 2 stage for $700.


Toro's are now unfortunately built in Mexico with Loncin (Chinese) engines . They used to build them here in Minnesota but that changed in 2010 or so. Ariens snowblower bodies are still built in Wisconsin except for the engine which is made in China.


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## orangputeh

GustoGuy said:


> Honda is a premium brand and demands a premium price and often a Toro or Ariens is plenty good unless you have extra money to burn. It's all about how you maintain your equipment as to how long it will last. Heck I have a Predator 212cc re-powered MTD 5/22 with an impeller kit and it throws 40+ feet. My Frankenblower works very well and I upgraded my gutless 5hp Tecumseh to a 6.5Hp OHV Predator 212cc which throws snow clear over into the neighbors yard as seen on my video.


so true.

i'm a Honda guy. will never buy new. have 30 and 35 year old Honda's that i can keep going forever. even when i'm dead , I'll advise my son thru dreams, haha

otherwise , I find out what a person's budget is and maybe suggest an Ariens for our area and stress the point if you take care of your equipment , it will take care of you. it's probably true about any snowblower. people put down craftsman blowers in our area and call them "********"

however, I know a couple owners that love their craftsman's blowers and keep them up. heck, if you put an impeller kit on one , it would probably throw snow pretty well. A lot has to do with the owner/operator. Perhaps up to 80%.


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## leonz

If you purchase the Toro HD 1428 OHXE commercial you will have plenty for power for what you need and the added power that the machine has will be able to clear the snow with little trouble and the engine will always have plenty of power to make quick work of the snow and also have the power to clear the deep snows.

Its better to buy much more power than you need to be able to manage any snow fall at any time. 

The toro anti clog system makes the load on the impeller even at all times as any excess snow that cannot be fed into the impeller is pushed back out in to the cross augers to be fed back into the impeller.

It would also be good PR for you as the neighbors will need help sometime if their machines are broken and you have deep snows to deal with. I am sure they would be glad to fill your tank for the work and offer cookie bribes too.


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## 1132le

How about is the toro1428 worth 600 more then the ariens 30 inch sho with the 20 ft lbs engine
I dont see how it could be never mind the honda
I did not really like the quick chute when i played with one
The 1428 is a killer machine but over priced in my mind


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## leonz

My thought was simply that if he has little time to clear snow the 1428 would be the best way to go and as it has steering brakes his wife could also use it with some practice. They could always add chains to increase traction.


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## leonz

Jason_Van_Biezen said:


> Hey everyone,
> I'm new to the forum and need some advice in buying my first snow blower. I moved from sea level in Southern California to 6,300 feet near salt lake City and the last storm we got stranded us at home until a neighbor with a snowblower could rescue us.
> 
> I've asked around and the consensus here seems to be that Honda is the king of snow blowers with Toro coming in second. However the cheapest Honda 2 stage I can find is $2,200 while a similarly sized Toro is around $700. I'm willing to invest in the Honda, but seeing as I could buy 3 Toros for the price of one Honda, I'm leaning heavily to the Toro. Would this be a mistake?
> 
> Also, do snowblowers go on sale toward the end of winter? Would it be a good idea to weather the rest of winter with just a snow shovel and ask neighbors for favors to snag a deal?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk


=====================================================================



With snow blowers like hurricanes its a case of supply and demand and the first severe snow storm sells a lot of snow blowers. 

If you can afford to buy a new toro 1428 or 1432 do that as you will have a warranty steering brakes and power steering and a three 3 limited warranty to fall back on if the snow mule has a hissy fit and stops working. 

For the money a new Toro 1428 or 1432 OXE commercial unit would be money well spent with your snow falls.
The other thing is the motor should have, actually must have a high altitude carburator before you buy it.


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## Hawk

Honda is the king of snow? I don’t think that’s true. I think Honda owners will say that. God bless um.
Newer Honda’s of the past few years seem to have problems clogging on wet heavy snow. I picked up a Toro commercial grade and it seems to be invulnerable to clogging, no matter how bad the snow conditions. It will also throw snow beyond 60 feet. It doesn’t use shear pins because the gears are strong enough not to need them. If something truly obstructs the auger it will shut down the engine, but damage is not a concern. This think will chew ice and fire it out without hesitation. I invested over $2500 on it, but I know a Honda with a less powerful engine would cost even more. What can I say, I’ve seen plenty of 30+ year old Toros out there still running strong. Honda is a well made machine, but if it clogs on wet snow it won’t do me any good.


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## Nanook12

I went from a Yamaha to a Honda, they are both good brands. Spent two days chewing through 18” of heavy compacted (wind) snow. The Honda (HSS928A TA) never clogged once and neither has the Yamaha in 10 years. The Honda is definitely needing a re-jet, but at 6500’ probably not. The Honda engine will run for 20 years, if you take care of it. The Toro will be lucky to still be serviceable in 5 years. You get what you pay for, certainly applies here...


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## dbert

Welcome to Utah Jason. You must be on the backside of the Wasatch if you're at that elevation. If so I would go with the best machine you can get. We can go winters with light snow in the valley, but the lake effect and downwind mountains are why our ski resorts are so popular.
My son sells Toros in SLC. He sent me these before and after photos related to the storm we had over Thanksgiving. Just letting you know you're not picking the best time for selection and bargaining. He was supposed to get 20 more today but I haven't talked to him yet.


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## 2.137269

did any of you late posters check the ops opening date?? try 01-23-2018, 11:17 AM guess he's got his machine a long time by now


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## dbert

87powershiftx2 said:


> did any of you late posters check the ops opening date?? try 01-23-2018, 11:17 AM guess he's got his machine a long time by now


Doh. I missed that for sure.


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## cranman

I've got a few Toro's...love them, but they are from 1970's to 1990's.....recently I inspected a more modern one at the local OPE place I frequent...and was talking to the head mechanic about the used machine I saw him fixing...fairly modern. He ( although in his past life was a Toro dealer) wasn't a fan of the modern Toro's. From what I saw ,I wasn't either....quality was on par with MTD...IMHO. I would look to Ariens for a quality machine to compete with Honda...but at a reduced price. But seriously...I'd take a twenty or thirty year old Ariens over any blower made today.....924 series.....they rock...minimal up keep and keep on blowing. Get a gem for less then $400.


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## Fat City

If your new to snow blowers, you might not realize that they ice up . The compressed snow melts, than re-freezes, turning your auger into a block of ice . Parking the just used snow blower in a warm place is preferred, let augers clear before next use .


At my old place, I always had a spare snow blower, when one began to clog, I'd grab the warm, dry, one, and let the other warm and drain .


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## penna stogey

tpenfield said:


> People don't need to spend $2K on a snow blower . . . only if they want to.
> 
> My advice is to get the Toro for $700 ish and and buy beer with the $1500 you saved vs. the Honda. :grin:


Smart advice right there!!!


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## Arktic447

Honda has stopped utilizing cast iron cylinder liners in some of their snowblowers and lawn mowers. Remember the Chevrolet Vega?


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## LouC

It is a hard choice but my concern with modern Toros is the spotty quality noted by some here and also a general concern about the quality of China built engines. If you wanted a made in US small snowblower guess what, the only choice last I checked was Honda because the whole machine is made here. With the larger machines I don't know where Honda builds their engines. I have hung on to my old power equipment because all the 4 strokes are US built Briggs engines (not one has failed or needed anything but a carb cleaning) except for the newest (2011) which is a made in Japan Briggs engine (also reliable). If I were going with a single stage I might make the switch to Honda due to these concerns. For now I am sticking with my old '98 3000 GTS Toro/Suzuki. 

One thing we all have to consider is the fact that in '98 I paid $750 for this blower with electric start. Now I can get Toro's top of the line single stage with a much bigger engine, electric start for approx. the same money. Nearly 22 years of inflation but same price. Something has gotta give and that something is quality. What else has stayed the same price over that time span?
Hate to say it but the big box marketing model is partly to blame here. 

So if the Honda costs more but gives you a made in US or Japan engine, then yes there is more value there to justify the cost.


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## orangputeh

most people usually go for price but I don't think anyone but one person mentioned a good USED blower.I don't know anything about Ariens but what I have read here the older ones in excellent condition can't be beat. I'd look for a great used older Ariens in that case. Parts are plentiful and they were built to last.

For a little more money the older Honda's are good also. Have worked on hundreds of them and the most impressive Honda I have worked on is the 2014 HS928 K model. Very solid and you can get one in the off season from $1000-1500.

I got one for $1000 in August and it is by far the best Honda I have ever used. Unfortunately I sold it because it is really too big for my needs and it would just sit while I use my 30 year old 80's which are built like tanks and will last almost forever. I get 80's all the time for $100-300. Have 3 really showroom condition 80's and about 4-5 HS80's for parts machine that I got for free or maybe $50.

anyways , how about a good used blower?the mechanic said the new Toro's are not that impressive and the same can be said about the new Honda's. They are not built to last anymore.


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## RedOctobyr

Arktic447 said:


> Honda has stopped utilizing cast iron cylinder liners in some of their snowblowers and lawn mowers. Remember the Chevrolet Vega?


I'm not saying it's my first choice, but Honda uses hard-anodized aluminum cylinders in their EU2000i generators. Perhaps also in the new 2200i, I don't know. 

The 2000i's have a reputation for several thousand hours of life before needing a rebuild, and are a common choice for commercial use (like food carts, etc). 

It seems that it can be a durable solution, even if cast iron might be preferable.


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## minnesotaman82

I’ve had old Toro snowblowers and I’ve had new Toro snowblowers. The new ones are pretty darn reliable and easy to use, especially compared to the old ones. I’ve had new Ariens blowers too. Toro and Ariens new stuff is pretty comparable to each other pretty darn good overall. Sure you get some bad ones that come off the line, that happened in the “old” days too. My current Toro 826 OAE has been rock solid and I wouldn’t hesitate recommending Toro to anyone.


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## RC20

There are no simple answers, you have to make a list of points and not all the advice applies.


First and foremost how long do you think you will be where you are at? We bought our house in 1998 and knew we would never be able to afford another one and my career was locked in. 

Ergo, my situation was not going to change so it was both we are here forever ( until I push up dirt) and the load was going to be high (specific to the whole roof needing shoveling after ANY snowfall (huge icicles) though I finally solved that issue somewhat accidentally , do good work and sometimes you get a lucky affect you had not planned on!) 



Next is, just how much is there to do? Yours sounds like a fairly small job, so you arn't going to wear a machine out very fast. 



I had a third hand Toro I loved. Downside at the time was the chute discharge was by hand and they took years and year to add that feature. Ok, Toro simply felll apart and it was off the list for that and 



Tracks: I had a lot of backyard work to do as half the snow went there and it was going to bury the back of the house so it had to be blown back (you don't want piled up snow against your house!) 



Toro was hopeless in the back yard on the grass, ergo, tracks needed. There are other reasons for tracks, so that is another decision. 



So it was pretty simple as only two tracked machines in town at the time, Honda and Yamaha. 



So, given the two choices (both wheeled?) I would go with the best I could afford that did the job.


Honda will last forever, Toro maybe not (ours was 25 years old when it fell apart so it returned a heck of a lot of service). No issues for what I paid for it even if I had bought it new. It moved a **** of a lot of snow for 3 owners. I don't know how good the new ones are, I loved that drum auger as it would pump slushy snow like a pump. 



Honda will have parts until the Universe collapses. But for a smaller job? I think I would go with the Toro though I would look at Ariens if available. You could not give me an MTD.


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## toofastforyou

Jason_Van_Biezen said:


> d us at home until a neighbor with a snowblower could rescue us.
> 
> I've asked around and the consensus here seems to be that Honda is the king of snow blowers with Toro coming in second. However the cheapest Honda 2 stage I can find is $2,200 while a similarly sized Toro is around $700. I'm willing to invest in the Honda, but seeing as I could buy 3 Toros for the price of one Honda, I'm leaning heavily to the Toro. Would this be a mistake?
> 
> Also, do snowblowers go on sale toward the end of winter? Would it be a good idea to weather the rest of winter with just a snow shovel and ask neighbors for favors to snag a deal?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk


Honda is way overpriced and Toro is just as good.:thumbsup: I live in Canada and we get a lot of snow and just about everyone on my street has a snowblower and none of them are Hondas or Yamahas… Their outrageous price speaks for itself…  …not saying they're bad, just way too expensive.

Claude.


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## Hanky

I am a Toro man and have had mine since Fall of 2014 and the best thing is it has not plugged up once since I got it. This last weekend we got 2 ft of wet snow at about 12 in the first morning had not problems same the next morning then went and blew out doggie trail for the neighbour bucket is 23 in high and snow settled to 22 in and first gear engine did not struggle and just worked perfect.


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## Lunta

Hanky said:


> This last weekend we got 2 ft of wet snow at about 12 in the first morning had not problems same the next morning then went and blew out doggie trail for the neighbour bucket is 23 in high and snow settled to 22 in and first gear engine did not struggle and just worked perfect.


Sorry, I read this four times and am still not sure I got the gist. Apologies if English isn’t your first language, and none of us are perfect, but could you have another stab at it? A very Merry Christmas :smile2:


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## RC20

> Honda is way overpriced and Toro is just as good.:thumbsup: I live in Canada and we get a lot of snow and just about everyone on my street has a snowblower and none of them are Hondas or Yamahas… Their outrageous price speaks for itself…  …not saying they're bad, just way too expensive.



I think the term over priced is wrong, expensive, yes.


But, it may be worth it if that is what does the job and or you plan on long term use. I would guess at this point the Yamaha has cost less than $3 a snow blow out. A latte cost more than that and where does the coffee go? Now that is pricey, you can't use it again (at least in the same form without a lot of equipment!) 



Toro offers no tracked model so it was not even a consideration (and I loved the Toro we had, great reliable machine but at the end it fell to pieces - certainly had a right to - and it was under powered (5 x 25, now they are 7 x 24). Given the right setup I would buy one again (not at that time as the discharge chute was by hand and it took them years to change that - go figure - some places not an issue but some a serious one if you are needing to adjust discharge a lot) 



So for what I needed it the high cost was the price of the equipment to do it when nothing else would. 



Others with just a driveway, no, a wheeled machine and if it falls apart in years and you have moved to Vegas? Even an MTD will do a simple non packed snow ok. 



When we got our place we wound up stacking it really deep at times so the high loft and 35 feet throw was needed, before, not at all. It got so bad one winter I was out of room (partly because I had not stacked high where I should have) 



And the forwarded weight shift to dig into the snow where it came off the roof, damned right I needed that big time. Toro was not setup for it (nor any wheeled machine at the time) - what I did with the Toro was dig a slot by hand, then shave edges, not any fun. 



And that is not to pick on Toro, no wheeled machine would do what I needed. Not cheap for sure but it did the job and has done so for 22 years, so over priced, no, I don't think so.


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## RC20

> Sorry, I read this four times and am still not sure I got the gist. Apologies if English isn’t your first language, and none of us are perfect, but could you have another stab at it? A very Merry Christmas :smile2:




He got 2 feet of snow twice in very short time period. The machine handled it great. 



Snow was wet.


Chute is 23 inches high and he blew trail for dog with no problem using first gear 



He is happy with as it was seriously challenged and did the job he needed.


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## Nanook12

This is an interesting if not a bit disjointed thread. I bought a used tracked Yamaha maybe ten years ago. I totally went through the unit, except for the engine. I maybe had $600 US into it and got 10 years out of it. The Yamaha was still running this year but was getting hard to shift and the chute was binding. So I bought a tracked Honda HSS928A, put a #92 jet in, along with an engine heat pad and an hour/tach meter. Looking at some beefed up skids and then I’m done with the modifications. If I get 10 years out of the Honda it will have cost $250 a year, if she goes for 20 it’s down to $125 a year. Our winters can last 6-7 months this far North. You just have to keep digging out and life goes on. How much money and time you want to spend moving snow, is up to you. The Honda is a pleasure to work with as is the Honda 4X4 ATV with a 60”plow. I really don’t have to spend much time moving snow and what time I do spend is enjoyable...


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## Fat City

If I had to buy new, I would go for the Troy Bilt Storm Simple, reasonable weight, nice price . Durability ? A good first snowblower, time will tell . Road Salt will kill any snowblower . Run in clean snow for a minute, after tackling E O D [ end of driveway ] Check Oil , belt , and cable adjustment


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## tadawson

. . . at least if your EOD gets salt. Some places (such as our location in MI) almost never do.

Between not salting anything other than hills (and more often just using sand), and the general ineffectiveness of salt here the bulk of the season, salt induced rust and corrosion on a blower is almost unheard of.


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## reader2580

I looked at Toro, Honda, and Ariens for new units. All were right about the $2,300 mark. I was not impressed by the Honda. Maybe it will last forever, but the overall unit was smaller and the engine is only 198cc. The Toro and Ariens at the same price are 28" with an engine over 400cc. Either the 24" or the 28" still had a chute that wasn't open all the way to bottom. Maybe not as bad as chutegate, but still not the same as most other brands. Honda does have hydrostatic going for it.

I would have liked an Ariens Professional 28, but none available within 150 miles so I settled for the Toro Commercial 28. My Toro throws snow like crazy.


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## RC20

Nanook12 said:


> This is an interesting if not a bit disjointed thread. I bought a used tracked Yamaha maybe ten years ago. I totally went through the unit, except for the engine. I maybe had $600 US into it and got 10 years out of it. The Yamaha was still running this year but was getting hard to shift and the chute was binding. So I bought a tracked Honda HSS928A, put a #92 jet in, along with an engine heat pad and an hour/tach meter. Looking at some beefed up skids and then I’m done with the modifications. If I get 10 years out of the Honda it will have cost $250 a year, if she goes for 20 it’s down to $125 a year. Our winters can last 6-7 months this far North. You just have to keep digging out and life goes on. How much money and time you want to spend moving snow, is up to you. The Honda is a pleasure to work with as is the Honda 4X4 ATV with a 60”plow. I really don’t have to spend much time moving snow and what time I do spend is enjoyable...



Yamaha is likely easily fixed, let me know if you ever want to let it go, spare parts for mine would be great. 



I wish I could justify a Honda, all the good features there now (the original track 24 inch were under powered, too low a chute and control (turn of the discharge) ls poorly located). I looked hard at one but it did not impress for what I needed.


Now? 7 hp, chute higher right up there, controls where they should be, trigger control, yipee Skippy!


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## Nanook12

RC20 said:


> Yamaha is likely easily fixed, let me know if you ever want to let it go, spare parts for mine would be great.
> I wish I could justify a Honda, all the good features there now (the original track 24 inch were under powered, too low a chute and control (turn of the discharge) ls poorly located). I looked hard at one but it did not impress for what I needed.
> Now? 7 hp, chute higher right up there, controls where they should be, trigger control, yipee Skippy!


Yeah RC, I haven’t given up on the Yamaha. I’m waiting for skids to show up for the Honda, then there should be some room in the shop. Bottom is dropping out on the temps up here and you guys are finally getting some snow.


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## RC20

We had like 15 inches before and it all rained off, ungh.


Another 15 inches with the last two storms, seriously dry stuff, like the movies. I get to blow one neighbors berm if she shovels before I get to her driveway, that is good stuff for the YS624T. 



-10 this am which is the coldest I can remember in 3 -4 years, but going back up. 



More snow on the way, yipeee.


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## snowy_maine

I have had a Toro 724 PowerMax for 4 years, and for one of those used it both at home and at my camp. You can get through a lot with it. I once cleared 200 feet after 30 inches fell, and while it was not made to do that and I really should have had a bigger machine, it clearly can handle a lot given the time. Don't be afraid to buy a larger Toro. Look at the size of machines your neighbors run regardless of brand to get a sense for what makes sense where you are. As others have noted, Ariens is also another great option (I own one as well). They tend to be heavier than Toro with more steel, but Toro's plastics are very good.


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