Paul, thanks for your prompt input and pointer to local dealers. Again, great web site!

Hi Al, The four snow blowers you have listed are all good snow blower but I normally suggest them for homeowners that get 40 inches of snow a year. Most of them do a good job with 10-12 inch snowfalls but really wimp out when you get the 15-20 inch’ers.

I suggest that you spend $100-150 more than the Ariens Compact and buy the Ariens Deluxe 24. It is a heavy-duty snow blower that will handle your 100 inches well. It’s also very good at the deeper 15-20 inch snows. Finally it still does a good job or clearing those 2-6 inch snows. You will be very glad you spent the extra money. The Deluxe 24 uses the larger “Deluxe” skids and you may not have to buy special ones for your gravel.

You can check your local Home Depot but most of them are out of the Deluxe 24 for the year. I checked your area and it looks like you have at least 3 dealers. Dennis Equipment looks to be a full service dealer I would check first.

DENNIS EQUIPMENT
970 ROUTE 134
SOUTH DENNIS, MA 02660 Phone: 508-385-3275

Here is a short article that explains the difference between the Ariens Compact and Deluxe models: Ariens Compact – Deluxe – Platinum – Professional | What’s The Difference?

Thank you for a very informative and impartial web site!

Would you consider the Ariens Compact 24 a viable choice for clearing a stone driveway located on Cape Cod consisting of about 1″ loose stones about 2″ deep? The driveway is one car width, 60 feet long, flat with a 90 degree turn. The previous winter we experienced a total winter snowfall over 100 inches from storms that sometimes dropped over 18″ at a time. Since we’ve had large snowfalls the past two seasons, I’ve concluded that hand shoveling is no longer practical for someone over 65. I would have the driveway plowed but the snowplows would just tear up the loose stones, creating a mess.

I’ve read the reviews and comments for the Ariens Compact 24, Club Cadet 524 SWE, Craftsman 88173 and the Toro SnowMaster. Based on the reviews and comments, it looks like I need a two stage snow blower in order to avoid throwing stones. I read that the Ariens Compact 24 can use special skids that are 12″ long with 2″ front and rear lips, available through SnowBlowerSkids.com, that would allow me to raise the snow blower several inches above the stones, thereby avoiding stones being thrown. I’ve tentatively eliminated the Toro SnowMaster as it appears it cannot be raised high enough to avoid throwing stones.

Based on your knowledge, would you consider the Ariens the best choice for this application or some other model?

Thank you for your inputs.