Hi Marty, The paragraph in this article is my words – not B&S’s. “2018 Briggs & Stratton Snow Shredder Single Stage
B&S Snow Shredder single stage snow blowers are unique because they have metal paddles and metal teeth in the front rotor. These teeth are designed to rip up hard-packed and frozen snow. If you usually wait until the next day after a snow the snow shredder can help to clear that foot tall frozen snow plow drift at the end of your driveway.”

If you want to compare it to other models – I can do that also. By the way, check out this article to see the snow blowers I recommend. The Twenty Best Snow Blowers – September 2018 – Which Snow Blower Is Best For You?

Hi Donna, It is unrateable because it’s a one-off machine made specifically for COSTCO. We no longer measure snow blower engine by horsepower but this one will have about 8hp.

Here is why I don’t recommend the CostCo snow blower: I didn’t write a specific article on the Costco/Sam’s Club “Specials.” But I’ll give you the answer I gave someone else last week.

Jonsered is one of the brand names owned by Husqvarna. The other name they use on inexpensive snow blowers is Poulan Pro. That said,

Every year Costco talks a manufacturer into selling them a snow blower they can sell cheap – yet make tons of money on. It’s usually a brand you recognize but there is always something weird about it. In this case, it’s a standard snowblower – very much like your normal Craftsman or Cub Cadet – with an oversized engine. In addition, it’s an engine brand that the manufacturer normally doesn’t use on snow blowers sold in the U.S. The “real” Jonsered snow blowers all have the good LCT overhead valve snow engine, not a standard Briggs & Stratton like this one has. I have a feeling someone had a few thousand of these engines lying in a warehouse somewhere and needed to get rid of them.

It does not have power Steering.

So, if you buy it you will get a snow blower that will blow snow farther than your old machine but it will have no more capacity. You may also have more problems with breaking belts on that machine because the engine has much more power than what the snow blower was designed for. Since you bought it at Costco it will have no support. If it breaks you will have to find a Jonsered snow blower dealer to get parts or have it repaired. Costco may have a great warranty but does that warranty cover gas powered equipment? Will the replace it if it doesn’t start? Will, they repair it or is it farmed out to someplace that will let your snow blower sit out back for 6 months before it gets fixed?

Good Luck with that.