# Never even used a snowblower, don't want my 1st purchase to be a McSteak



## Squidbert (Sep 12, 2015)

Greetings, fellow SBF members! Being that this is my first post, I'll take a few minutes to introduce myself and hopefully set the stage to receive some really great advice from all of you.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to close on my first home purchase. This past winter was my 1st of many more to come at my new home. I've always loathed shoveling snow. It was enough of a pain at my previous apartment to shovel a single car parking area. Now I find myself with a driveway / parking area large enough for 6 vehicles. Also, as I now have a driveway, I also now contend with EOD snow removal.

A few weeks ago, I started actively researching snowblowers. I found a 2-stage Troy-Bilt at a local big box store that caught my attention. Shortly thereafter, I discovered this forum and started aggressively digesting the info here. I quickly learned that Ariens, Toro and Honda seem to be preferred brands vs MTD blowers (the Troy-Bilt, as example).

Ideally, I'd like to spend in the area of $1000-$1500 on a new snowblower. I could probably go a little higher w/o much problem, if need be. Being that Honda machines seem to be much more expensive than that, I started concentrating on the Ariens and Toro offerings.

I found a dealer at the next town over who sells both brands, so I decided to check them out (I will buy at a dealer, BTW). The Ariens machines appear to be very sturdy, heavy and well built. I prefer the controls on the Toro (joystick chute control vs "ice drill" chute rotation on Ariens Deluxe model). The Ariens machines seemed to require more effort to lift the front end up from the handlebars. I'm not sure if perhaps the Toro is just better balanced, or if the Ariens is really that much more substantial as it seems when attempting to lift the front end. I know Toro uses a plastic chute and elsewhere on the front end, which doesn't bother me aside from the weight reduction from the front end. I'd venture to assume that front heavy would be preferable and likely prevent the blower from climbing over the snow that's being blown? Again I've never operated a snow blower of any kind, ever. These are just my speculations and observations.

I'm guessing that a 24" blower would likely work for me, but am open to going larger. I've noticed that with the Ariens blowers, their Deluxe 24 shares the same engine with the Deluxe 30. I'm thinking that more engine power per inch of front end would be preferable, particularly when dealing with EOD snow. Making a couple extra passes doesn't concern me so much, so long as I'm not busting my back shoveling.

I'd also guess that the size and layout of my driveway may influence the purchasing decision. I was able to capture and upload a couple overhead views from Google Maps to illustrate. My actual driveway is concrete, however a previous homeowner took out half of the front yard and laid down asphalt in its place (probably for boat / RV parking). Not only did this increase the parking area, but it also created somewhat of an odd layout for snow removal.

At this point, I have a very short list of snowblowers that I'm considering. They are:

Ariens Deluxe 24"
Ariens Deluxe SHO 28"
Ariens Platinum SHO 24"
Toro 926 OXE
Toro 828 OXE
And the oddball...
Toro SnowMaster 824 QXE

I'm iffy on the SnowMaster. I questions its ability to tackle EOD deposits, but I think it may handle lighter accumulations better than a 2-stage? I also like the fact that it can clear down to the pavement. Last winter we received ~45" of snowfall, and obviously not all at once. It was a rather mild winter. They have been mild the past few years for some reason, although I do reside in a snow belt and have seen crazy amounts of snow accumulation at times. I wouldn't like to purchase more than 1 machine due to storage and financial constraints. That being said, total accumulation seems to be able to vary widely from year to year / snow event to snow event and I'm unsure how this should affect snowblower selection.

Anyways, I'm totally open to any advice or suggestions regarding a purchase decision. I've skimmed over 30+ pages of the main forum, and 10-15 pages each of the Ariens and Toro subforums in an attempt to educate myself on these machines. I think I've learned quite a bit, however I have absolutely no experience with these machines and would very much appreciate any suggestions or advice from those with more expertise.

Thank you very much in advance for any advice!


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:sigh:


Welcome to the forum Squidbert









I love that you even have photos of the driveway :goodjob:

Still trying to pick out a favorite but I'm sure there's going to be some discussion on which is best for you. :icon_whistling:


AND ... nice house !!


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## Squidbert (Sep 12, 2015)

Thank you for the warm welcome and compliments! I've noticed that the membership here seems to appreciate visual aid and i suspect my situation may warrant it (in regards to throw distance).


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I'm not sure if the visual aids help us in being specific or we're just challenged by abstract thinking and need to "see" it to figure it out.
Well at least me. :icon_whistling:


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Wow!

I'll leave the recommendation of models to others as I'm not really up on what's currently available in the market. I will say I'm an Ariens fan, have owned (and still own) several older ones, and love them.

But I'll throw out a couple of things:
1) To a degree this is a matter of opinion, but personally I would not necessarily consider a snowblower where the front can be lifted very easily "better". Due to the rotation of the auger, the front of a snowblower tends to lift on its own when going through heavy snow. With pretty much every snowblower I've owned, at some time or other, I've wished the front were heavier. Obviously there's a tradeoff as a heavier front makes the machine harder to move when you need to lift the front, but the alternative is having to lift up on the handles to keep the front down when removing snow, and that can get old really fast.

2) Do you intend to clear the entire paved area? One thing that comes to mind looking at the images you posted is you have a very large ratio of area to be cleared vs. area available to put the snow. You're going to need a machine that can throw the snow a pretty good distance, and convenient chute control will be important.


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## cbnsoul (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm considering most of the same machines that you are. I have been researching for months after selling both our Simplicity SS and Compact 24 last year. Our dealers FINALLY started putting inventory out this week. I completely agree on the weighting of the Toro vs Ariens. I too looked at the SnowMaster, hoping I could get one blower rather than two, as our snow totals vary significantly, although our yearly total is probably half what you experience. Considering I think I'd have a hard time moving the Ariens (anything above a Compact) around easily, I'm going with a Toro. Looked at the 826 OXE (regular and HD - there is no 828 OXE, it's a typo on their mobile site) and the weighting is just so much better, as you pointed out. My 5'1" wife has to be able to use it at times and I just don't see her being sble to use the Ariens. That said, I still may buy another SS as well since a 2 stage is so much slower during our frequent light snows.


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

Hello and welcome to SBF Squidbert. Since the black top area appears to go to your property line, and you don't wish to anger your neighbor, most of your snow will have to be re handled numerous times and redirected to your back yard. Ariens, Honda and Toro are all very capable machines and I would recommend you get the largest engine and bucket width you can afford. Ideally, a single stage machine would be great addition to which ever two stage you choose for doing the smaller accumulations and general clean up of the two stage.

Being a new snow blower owner, I would highly recommend you read "ALL" the safety and operational literature included with the snow blower(s) you purchase. Like any machines, they can be lethal if not operated with care and common sense. Good luck with your new home and snow blower choice(s).


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Squid,
do you need to use the blacktop area for parking?
if not, just pile the snow there! 
and on the lawn in front of the house..
(If you dont need it at all, I would consider ripping out the blacktop and returning it to lawn..im a fan of less driveway, not more.)

Scot


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

Welcome to the snowblower forum.

Congrats on your house purchase & the pics you posted are helpful for sure. Your right on about the Ariens being a heavier machine. They are
well built and don't have any plastic crap on them.
My vote if your going to buy new would be the Ariens 28" sho.
If someday you end up moving to a bigger property that Ariens beast
will handle all you can throw at it. 

That machine should last you a life time doing proper maintenance ect..
Since your buying from a dealer see if he can throw in some 
non abrasive skid shoes ( won't leave marks on your driveway )

Ariens 72600300 Non-Abrasive Reversible Skid Shoes

Ariens 921044 Deluxe 28 SHO 28" 306cc Two-Stage Snow Blower

Good luck with your snowblower shopping.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Grunt said:


> Hello and welcome to SBF Squidbert. Since the black top area appears to go to your property line,


This is the first thing I noticed when looking at the picture.
In my town you would not have been able to do that, it has to be at least 10 foot from the property line.
I wonder if it is legal?

Welcome to the site Squidbert.
I won't add Craftsman to the list, they might beat me up.

Yes, use common sense when using the blower, it can take a hand or few fingers off very quickly. If it jams use a stick to clear, even then you will have to watch for kick back.
Make sure your blowing area is clear of debris, newspaper, rocks, fallen tree limbs etc.
If you plan on blowing off some of the grass (some do, I do) make a map now of all the obstacles that will be buried by the snow. After a while you know where they are. But a little hand drawn map comes in handy to review before you blow and after the snow falls and covers it up.

Maintain the blower right and regardless of the brand it should serve you well for many years, if maintained right. Well I guess I should add that some brands are better then others, I will agree to that.
If you are mechanically inclined, have you considered an older blower? 
A lot just might need a carb cleaning or something simple. A lot of people will buy something and use it till it quits then buy another new one. Their old one might have just needed a spark plug or something simple. But in today's world the mentality is to just get rid of it and buy a new one.
There are deals to be found on a used machine.
But new is nice.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

Have you driven a TORO lately???????????* ALOHA from the paradise city.*


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## Squidbert (Sep 12, 2015)

Thanks for the input, everyone! I think I may have been misunderstood regarding my comments on snowblower weight. After comparing the Ariens and Toro units at the dealer, I saw the lack of front end weight on the Toro models as being undesirable. As a result, I've since been focusing in on the Ariens models, due to their perceived weight advantage. I perceived the added weight of the Ariens blowers to be an advantage, not a disadvantage.

Regarding the black top area, most of it is unused by me at this point. Perhaps down the road it may be used more. I just figured it'd be worth providing pictures of as I wasn't quite sure how to describe the odd layout in words and didn't want to be misunderstood. Last winter, I just shoveled a 2 car wide path from the street up towards the house and was fine with that  Regarding the legality of said blacktop, all I can say is that the home / property passed inspection prior to purchase. Perhaps some of our laws are more lax in northern Idaho?

Also, thanks for the safety warnings. I definitely don't plan on losing any hands or fingers due to a mishap with an auger or impeller.

I guess the biggest remaining concern for me at this point is how well a 2-stage blower may handle smaller snow fall events (say, 2-4"). As stated, the past couple winters have been relatively mild, and I know full well what sorts of winters we're capable of getting here in the Pacific northwest. If every dumping of snow was substantial, I wouldn't have such a concern but the severity of snowfall can vary by quite a bit.

Also, regarding a used blower, yes I have considered the option. I've kept an eye on CL lately however nothing has come up that has caught my eye. I understand it can be a great way to save some money, which is great. There are also obvious benefits from buying new (proper set up, warranty, etc). I'm not completely opposed to the idea of purchasing used but with nothing really appealing coming up on my searches, I'm not counting on that as an option. With my luck I'd find myself in the middle of a harsh winter without a blower and contending with a snow blower shortage at the dealer.

Edit: I did just run across an older Toro locally on CL. Seems it needs some carb work. I must say that most things I've ever owned with a carb have given me nothing but grief. I wish I knew more about troubleshooting them.

Toro snow blower

Thanks again everyone for your thoughtful input!


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

There are some good deals on craigslist for sure. I have personally bought all my snowblowing machine's from that site ( kijji Toronto ) here in Ontario with my newest being a 2011 model deluxe 28. I've had good luck with them but I also do my own maintenance so that makes a huge difference.
Here are the three machines I have bought.
The oldest machine I am restoring.
927 le
deluxe 28
922003 1975


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

AWESOME "ARIENS" SNO-THRO (920 SERIES)

not too far away.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Squidbert said:


> Thanks for the input, everyone! I think I may have been misunderstood regarding my comments on snowblower weight. After comparing the Ariens and Toro units at the dealer, I saw the lack of front end weight on the Toro models as being undesirable. As a result, I've since been focusing in on the Ariens models, due to their perceived weight advantage. I perceived the added weight of the Ariens blowers to be an advantage, not a disadvantage.
> 
> Regarding the black top area, most of it is unused by me at this point. Perhaps down the road it may be used more. I just figured it'd be worth providing pictures of as I wasn't quite sure how to describe the odd layout in words and didn't want to be misunderstood. Last winter, I just shoveled a 2 car wide path from the street up towards the house and was fine with that  Regarding the legality of said blacktop, all I can say is that the home / property passed inspection prior to purchase. Perhaps some of our laws are more lax in northern Idaho?
> 
> ...


Well, if carbs are your kyrptonite, then you have found your antidote. Some on this board would suggest a new carb, simply bolt and play, but folks like mewill suggest using an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and change out the parts needed.

The carb should not run you more than $50, and the cleaner $35+parts needed. You be the judge, and do not fear, we all here to help you with what ever decision you make.


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

actually an aftermarket carb for an old briggs like that was 30 something bucks on amazon the last time i checked


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## rlb (Jan 5, 2015)

What about getting both a 2 stage for around $1000 and a single stage for around $5-600? The Toro Powermax 826 and the Ariens Deluxe 24 are both around $900-1000. The Toro Power clear 721 single stage is around $600. You can have the best of both worlds for about $1500.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

That little Subaru Ariens is a nice machine if they kept the gas fresh and drained off season. People run into problems with it if they need parts as the carb and related parts are expensive. The ironic part is if it's kept clean, people never sell them and most people never knew they came with a Subaru. 
IMO, I'd stay far from that Toro unless you have a good set of tools, time and general skill. No idea how long the fuel cap has been off, half the head bolts are just sitting in their spots, belt cover is not mounted, it has the old flow-jet carb, and it has the direct engage wheel locks. The carb can be problematic if not serviced correctly prior. The wheel hubs are notorious for rusting if not serviced prior. You'll never get the throwing distance or precision you need for your setup with that machine, IMO.


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

Your subject line had me salivating. :drool:

Have you considered a garden tractor and plow? You can push snow off to the paved side area where you don't park anything. No worries about tossing snow onto sensitive neighbors. I have a neighbor who does this even though they have plenty of room to blow snow. If there is a downside it is that he needs to go plow multiple times during heavy snows because his plow rig won't move much more than about 4" depth at one time.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

On that Toro it also looks like the transmission cover is missing too. For someone who rebuilds or restores them it might not be bad but that's a lot of stuff wrong with it if you're expecting to have it up and running and be the snowblower you have to rely on this winter. That could easily turn into a McNightmare !!


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

It sounds like you know exactly what you want.

You have already said that you don't have the space for 2 snow blowers and you know winters where you live can be tough, so you know you only can consider a 2-stage. Also, you prefer Ariens over Toro because of the heavier weight, I don't blame you. In addition, you already made a great deduction about the overall power of a machine and the size of the bucket. The better that ratio is, the easier the machine will clear the snow and the less work it will do. As a result, it will last a bit longer with all things being equal. Plus, you don't mind making the extra pass which in my opinion is not a big deal at all.

That narrows you list down to 2 options: The Ariens Platinum SHO 24 and the Ariens Deluxe 24". I have the Ariens Deluxe 24". It is a great machine. I have powered through over 2' of snow with little difficulty several times. With that said, I wish I could maneuver the machine a bit easier; it is heavy and tends to get heavier the more time you spend outside in the cold. As a result, if I were you and could spend $1500, I would opt for the Platinum SHO 24". Over the long haul the additional cost will average only a few bucks per year, and the ability to turn on a dime on your nice smooth driveway will be well appreciated.

In addition, as one of the previous posters noted, you are going to have to throw that snow a very long distance to your back yard as to not anger your neighbor on the right. The 369cc engine will take that snow in the smaller bucket and toss it like (insert your favorite quarterback)!

Hope this helps, but like I said, I think you know what you want. You just have to pull the trigger and not look back. Don't over analyze this.


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## Squidbert (Sep 12, 2015)

I know it has been a short while since replying to my thread, but I'd like to provide a brief update. I have not purchased a blower yet. I ran across a 32" pro series Ariens (with onboard battery) for ~$800 on craigslist but unfortunately too late to make the purchase (it was also too large for my needs most likely, but appeared to be a bargain). I visited a local dealer a few weeks ago to look at some models, but they had none in stock at the time. I have since revisited my local dealer and inquired with a salesperson regarding a purchase.

Said dealer had numerous Ariens and Toro models on their sales floor, and 1 Husqvarna model. I can say that my interaction with the salesman was surprising. They had a Platinum 24 SHO on the sales floor for $1500. Naturally I gravitated towards it as, well, I've never seen one in person and the specs look pretty **** amazing. They had various Deluxe models on hand as well. Anyways, he also showed me the Compact 24" model. I had shown him the same overhead view of my property that I posted here and told him the area that I lived in, and he completely threw me for a loop. He recommended the Compact 24 (at $900) over the Platinum 24 ($1500).

I'm hardly much of a salesperson (although I have worked in sales before), but I was taken by surprise when he was actually pointing me towards a lower cost machine to suite my needs. This has really thrown me for a loop - perhaps my more power = better mindset may not be completely practical? I have since been looking into the compact series. Unless the margins on the Compact series are greater than the Platinum series, I would assume that in this gentleman's opinion, a compact model would be more suitable for my needs?

The hand warmers on the Platinum model would probably be nice, but definitely not necessary (I'd obviously wear gloves and not intend on spending hours clearing my driveway). I do prefer the chute controls on the Platinum model, although both system seem reasonably intuitive. Although it has been a somewhat controversial topic, the auto-turn feature (which the Compact lacks) would probably be convenient (providing it works as intended).

Regarding the manual pin operated diff locking feature (which the Compact series seems to have), is it easy to operate? I couldn't find any videos online demonstrating the feature, but as far as I can tell it does have that feature.

Again, I was pretty much caught off guard by this salesperson but, at least in his mind, he seemed to feel I'd be paying more than I'd need to in going with the Platinum 24 vs the Compact model. I was upfront and honest with him regarding my lack of experience with these machines. I'm really trying not to over analyze this situation, however it is a somewhat large purchase. Had the salesman not steered me towards the compact model I likely would have put money down on the platinum model. I'll likely make a purchase soon - I just don't want to regret it.


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## ewhenn (Sep 21, 2015)

I'd vote Ariens 28 SHO as well. You have enough to clear that the extra 4" over a 24" will be worth it. It has plenty of power and as long as you maintain it the machine will last you a long time. If you have your mind set on a 24 I'd also consider the 24 deluxe.

The compact only has the 12" impeller. the 14" impeller is a huge upgrade when it comes to moving lots of snow. The Auto turn on both of the above I listed is a huge upgrade over the locking pin of the compact.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Squidbert said:


> I know it has been a short while since replying to my thread, but I'd like to provide a brief update. I have not purchased a blower yet. I ran across a 32" pro series Ariens (with onboard battery) for ~$800 on craigslist but unfortunately too late to make the purchase (it was also too large for my needs most likely, but appeared to be a bargain). I visited a local dealer a few weeks ago to look at some models, but they had none in stock at the time. I have since revisited my local dealer and inquired with a salesperson regarding a purchase.
> 
> Said dealer had numerous Ariens and Toro models on their sales floor, and 1 Husqvarna model. I can say that my interaction with the salesman was surprising. They had a Platinum 24 SHO on the sales floor for $1500. Naturally I gravitated towards it as, well, I've never seen one in person and the specs look pretty **** amazing. They had various Deluxe models on hand as well. Anyways, he also showed me the Compact 24" model. I had shown him the same overhead view of my property that I posted here and told him the area that I lived in, and he completely threw me for a loop. He recommended the Compact 24 (at $900) over the Platinum 24 ($1500).
> 
> ...


Well, you have to respect the fact that the salesperson was not just trying to up-sell you, but actually trying to meet your potential needs. Personally, I have no experience behind an Ariens, but there seems to be quite a few folks here, that feel strongly about the brand. 

For me, if I did not have the experience, then dealer support and honesty would go a long ways.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Whatever you do......... you ought to do it soon. :biggrin:

Winter is a coming,


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Don't let the light weight of the toro scare you. Some how they suck right in to the snow . I have seen them go threw 30'' of snow with out ridding up.


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