2017 Husqvarna Snow Blower Review – What’s New – Which One Is Best For You?

What’s New For 2017 Husqvarna Snow Blowers?

Husqvarna has made no incremental changes for 2017. But that is not a bad thing.

1. The current ST224P is one of the highest rated snow blowers on Amazon!
2. Husqvarna completely rebuilt their snow blower line three years ago. Just remember, Husqvarna was the first to introduce the long lasting LCT engines, quiet mufflers, adjustable height handles, two easy to understand grades of residential snow blowers, and heavy-duty tracked snow blowers. They were also the first to introduce cast iron impellers on the heavy duty models. When they rebuilt the line they also fixed some of the long standing bugs like sticky power steering on the old Crown series. The improvements in the snow blowers listed here made the rest of the industry take a “step up” and they still continue to lead the pack.

How this article is laid out:

This is a very comprehensive article so it will take you a while to read through it. I’m going to start with the single stage, then the 200 series residential and finally the 300 series landowner.

Reading Husqvarna Snow Blower Reviews:

1. When you read snow blower reviews you are going to find reviews that state “the engine would not start,” “the engine won’t stay running.” and “the engine runs rough.” You will find these reviews for all brands and sizes of snow blowers. 98% of the time engine problems with name brand snow blowers are either fuel or operator related. Snow engines run/operate differently than your lawn mower engine and because of that I suggest educating yourself on how to store fuel, how to keep your fuel clean and how/why your snow blower engine runs the way it does. This will go a long way to liking your new snow blower. Please read this article to learn more: Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS – Read This For The Truth
2. By the way: The Husqvarna snowblowers sold at a dealer are the exact same snow blower as sold at the retail stores like The Home Depot and Acme Tools.
3. My Husqvarna snow blower won’t throw snow. I have read a few reviews where the Husqvarna snow blower won’t throw snow or it plugs constantly. Three reasons I can see. 1. A new owner may not be aware that snow blowers will not throw all types of snow well. Slush or snow that is more water than snow won’t go through your snow blower well. That’s the type of snow where you stomp your foot in the snow an it just splatters. You see this snow at the end of your driveway or/and the day after when the temperatures are above freezing. 2. It won’t throw snow at all. Over the last ten years I have seen this only once or twice but it’s still listed on the reviews. When brand new this is usually an assembly error at the factory. If the new owner has used the machine it’s usually due to something the snow blower picked up in the snow and that object is plugged in the snow blower. 3. The new owner hit something and sheared one of the front auger shear pins. If your snow blower is not blowing snow, it pushes snow in front of the snow blower, or the front end wants to ride up instead of cut into the snow drift the most likely cause is one or both front shear pins are broke. Frozen newspapers, a can of soda, chunks of solid ice, landscape bricks, your kids toys are examples of stuff that will shear those pins. It’s not a fun task when you forget to pick up your garden hose and you find it with the snow blower. The Husqvarna snow blowers are designed to break those pins so you don’t wreck much more expensive components.
4. Don’t bother to read Husqvarna reviews that are negative and more than 2 years old. The two complaints you will read were fixed in 2014 and 2015. Those two items were: 1. When the 200 series first came out in 2014 the ST230P was immediately breaking belts. This unfortunately happened to many people during the Boston Blizzard that year.  The problem was a root cause of a drive pulley that was too rough, the very wet, heavy snow Boston received and that the 200 series is designed for areas that get typical 10-14 inch snowfalls – not the 24-30 inches Boston received all at once.  The problem was identified and fixed for the 2015 machines. The was also a service bulletin sent to all Husqvarna dealers identifying the problem.  2. You will read articles and posts on snow blower forums that state the power steering is sticky. That problem was with snow blowers made before 2014 (the old Crown series.) The power steering was completely re-engineered when the 300 series came out in 2014 and they have had no problems since.
5. The snow blowers are shipped in a crate. When you buy from Amazon, Acme Tools and Northern Tool the snow blower is shipped to you in a crate. You will have to attach the discharge chute, the handle and adjust the skid shoes.  Read the directions before you take the unit out of the crate and the process will go quickly and smoothly. Over the last 3 year we have had very, very few problems but if the shipping broke, bent or lost a part call the phone number in the assembly instructions and Husqvarna will quickly get the new part to you.

By The Way – All Opinions are Mine.

Keeping up with snow blowers is almost a full time job. The U.S. manufactures currently sell about 140 different models made here in the U.S. alone. In addition, there are always another dozen or so foreign manufactures trying to wedge their way into your pocketbook. By the way – a quality $500 two-stage snow blower no longer exists. The base regular price is now $649-$699.

I normally spend most of July and August talking to the different snow blower manufactures about the new models they have coming for the fall. Usually, in September the manufactures are shipping the new models to the dealers and I spend the time I need to inspect the new models as local dealers put them out on the sales floor. Sometimes that also involves traveling to the manufactures assembly plants or corporate offices to look at, demo and talk to the snow product managers. In October, I travel to the GIE-EXPO in Louisville, KY. GIE-EXPO is the largest lawn and garden equipment dealer show. There I get a chance to demo machines plus talk to the engineers and company management about all the features, fixes and new rumors. In addition, I keep 12-15 of the current snow blowers at my home for testing and answering your questions. I use these snow blowers when it snows and post those videos on YouTube.

I also spend a lot of time reading reviews from owners, reading and watching video YouTube reviews from other websites and of course keeping up with Consumer Reports latest test and reviews. Over the last ten years I’ve become pretty good at sorting out honest reviews from the biased/paid/only here to make money/only here to complain ones.

I want to caution you about one type of review in particular. There are dozens if not hundreds of sites that are only interested in making money through Amazon. If you read an article or watch on YouTube a “Top 10” review or a “2017 Best” review and the ONLY place they send you is Amazon assume they did no research and are only trying to get you to buy something on Amazon through their affiliate link. Don’t get me wrong, Amazon is actually a great place to buy certain snow blowers but don’t believe the sites that only send you to Amazon. 

So – Relax, grab some hot chocolate and let’s get started on the 2017 Toro Snow Blowers.  You know how long-winded I can get.

Why Buy A Husqvarna Snow Blower This Year?

Why The Brand: Husqvarna is the world’s largest Outdoor Power Equipment brand.  HusqvarnaGroup is an easy to understand organization because it is publicly traded and they spend a lot of time explaining what their market is and who they build products for. Here is their take on the U.S. Market  “The retail landscape is highly consolidated in North America and competition in the mass consumer segment is fierce with a strong emphasis on price.” 

Their snow blowers are designed and made here in the U.S. They are sold worldwide. Husqvarna focuses on residential gas snow blowers and offers a complete and very easy to understand line. They only make 12 walk behind snow blowers. Three single stage, four economy residential models, three heavy duty residential models and two heavy-duty tracked snow blowers. Even though the current models have been around for three years they are still “state-of-the-art” and have proven very reliable. In fact the Husqvarna ST224 and ST224P are the two highest rated snow blowers on Amazon. (2-stage gas Snow Blowers with more than 10 reviews.)

Where to Buy: Please note, I will only send you to online retailers that I trust and that have a good relationship with the Husqvarna dealers.  Click on the link to read more. Husqvarna has a large dealer network. In addition the snow blowers are sold through Husqvarna Snow Blowers at Amazon.com, Acme Tools, acmetools.com and Husqvarna at Northern Tool. When you buy through the links on this page I make a small commission from the sale. That helps keep this website up and running.

Acme Tools has been offering mail-order/online since 1999 and is one of the most well-respected companies for Rural Lifestyle and Small Business. Acme Tools and Amazon are intent on becoming two of the best online stores. I trust both companies to deliver you a great product and an even greater buying experience.  acmetools.com

Northern Tool is also farm supply and tool company I trust.  They make many of their own products under the North Star brand. I’ve been buying from them since 1988 and have always been happy with the products and service. Husqvarna at Northern Tool

Lowes tends to sell the most popular/least expensive machines while Acme Tools and Amazon carry the complete line.

Overall, the Husqvarna residential and heavy-duty residential lines are good value gas-powered residential snow blowers.  That means they are not the cheapest or the heaviest-duty on the market. As a homeowner they will give you your money’s worth and with a little maintenance last years. The fact that many are the top rated snow blowers on Amazon says a lot about the quality.

FYI: Husqvarna Group also sells these snow blowers under the Poulan Pro brand. But: The brand usually has fewer features than the Husqvarna branded snow blowers.

When sized to the amount of snow you get and the area you have to clear you can always feel good that you made the right decision in purchasing a Husqvarna. They do not make a commercial snow blower though the 300 series tracked machines are as heavy-duty as they come.  They do not have electric snow throwers listed on their website at this time but Husqvarna is heavily invested in electric technology for the landscape market. I expect to see something from them soon.

Parts – Service: Husqvarna has a well established parts and repair network.  You can quickly set up service or get parts through the support tab on Husqvarna.com.  Acme Tools, Northern Tool and Amazon are very easy to work with if you have a problem with your new machine.

Owner Reviews: Depending on the model, Husqvarna Snow Blowers averages 4 out of 5 stars or better at Lowes.com and Amazon.com. In fact, the two 24 inch models are the best reviewed 2-stage gas snow blowers on Amazon.  Again: If you read any reviews about an auger belt breaking.  That problem was only in the first year of production and has been fixed.

All Husqvarna gas engine snow throwers have a 4-cycle engine.  All 2-stage machines have a fuel shut-off valve. Please use a fuel stabilizer when storing the snow blower with fuel in it.

The Complete 2017 Husqvarna Snow Thrower List:

My goal is to help you find the right snow blower for you. You can get the best deal but if it is on the wrong snow blower it’s a lose/lose for both you and the company you purchased it from.  Before I get to the list I would like to remind you about the snow blower facts article that will help you decide on the right type and size snow blower for you. The article will answer most of your questions about what size or type of snow blower you need for your property. Check out the FAQS page for questions like “How large of snow blower do I need?”

Please Note: If a snow thrower is listed on Lowes.com I will try to note it here but I have no relationship with Lowes.com (U.S.) so I will not insert a link to Lowes.  I do have a relationship with lowes.ca (Canada) Acme Tools  Northern Tool and Amazon where I make a small commission if you buy through this site.  My readers and I have had great luck buying through ACME, Northern Tool and Amazon but it is up to you to find the best place for you to purchase your snow thrower. 

2nd Note: Amazon carries 10 of the Husqvarna snow throwers and offers free shipping through Amazon Prime BUT There are also private sellers who also sell on Amazon.  Those private sellers may not have free shipping and the snow blowers may not have the Amazon A-Z guarantee. (this issue is not exclusive to Amazon. Many other websites use what the industry calls “endless aisle” where they stock certain items but also list similar products from other companies. Please be a savvy shopper and check twice where you are buying from retailers I don’t list here.) If you have any questions please ask.

Yes, I do recommend the 2-Year Lawn & Garden Extended Protection Plan on Amazon if offered.

So, here is the list of the 2016 Husqvarna snow blowers. You may ask any questions about these models in the comments section at the end.

2017 Single Stage Husqvarna Snow Throwers:

Husqvarna offers three single stage gas snow throwers this year.  Remember, single stage snow throwers only work on hard surfaces like a black top driveway or cement sidewalk. They do work well if you have people who walk on the snow before you clean because the front rubber auger actually touches the ground. No matter what the manufacture states a single paddle snow thrower will only handle about 6 inches of snow at a time. If you get more snow than that you will have to go out in the middle of the storm and clear snow.  They also don’t work well on that frozen pile of snow the snow plow truck left you about 10 pm last night. It will clear it OK if the pile has not frozen but if it has frozen solid take a snow shovel with you to break up the snow so the snow thrower can move it for you.

The Husqvarna single stage snow throwers are good machines but they are no my first choice for a single stage unit.  Why? They clean the pavement well, they are easy to use,etc., but they use a scraper under the snow blower to clean all the snow off the driveway. This scraper is about 2 inches behind the paddles and always leaves a small pile of snow 2 inches wide and about 1/2 inch tall. This means that if you are a fanatic for having a perfectly clean driveway you will have to go back out with a shovel or broom to clean up a few inside corners where the snow thrower left this small strip of snow.

Husqvarna ST111