Ariens continues to lead the way for heavy-duty snow blowers and unique, proven designs not found in any other snowblowers on the market.  They have more EFI models than anyone else.  The RapidTrak continues to be the fastest way to clear snow.  This year they added they have added three new snowblowers specifically designed for homeowners. Impact-Site-Verification: -1890224590

So what’s new?

1. Ariens S18: At only 59 lbs and $399 this snowthrower is a great choice if you need a small, lightweight machine to clear sidewalks, patios, decks, and small driveways.
2. Ariens Crossover: This exciting new snowblower is unique in that it will clear snow down to the pavement like a single-stage snowthrower yet will power right through that big drift the city snowplow left you last night. It’s small, lightweight, and still capable of handling 18 inches of snow and throwing it 35 feet!
3. Ariens Compact with AutoTurn!: Ariens quality in a compact snowblower now with AutoTurn!

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 new Crossover, Classic, and Compact Series models. After that, I’ll review the heavy-duty Deluxe and high-performance Platinum models. Then the Professional (Commercial) models including the Professional 21 single stage. I’ll leave the single-stage Path Pro for last.

Reading Ariens 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 will go a long way to liking your new snowblower. Please read this article to learn more: Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS – Read This For The Truth
2.  Aggregate reviews. Many websites scour the web for reviews and then post them on their website. In other cases, one disgruntled owner will write the same or similar review in as many places as they can. So what you end up with is many reviews about one specific issue from only one person. I see this quite a bit on The Home Depot and Ariens sites.  Just remember, for every bad review there are thousands of Ariens snowblowers sold and doing well. Please read the date the review was written and the wording to determine if there is an actual problem.
3. Auto-Turn Problems. The Auto-Turn (DI300 differential) is now used in many snow blowers from many different manufacturers. (They call it automatic steering) All Auto-Turn problems were fixed three years ago. So if you read or hear anyone slamming Ariens because of the Auto-Turn just walk away.
4. Don’t bother to read Ariens reviews that are negative and more than 2 years old.  Just so you know, Ariens is a company that really listens to their dealers, reads reviews, and interacts on Social Media.  So, when there is an issue they identify it quickly, immediately root cause it, and determine if there is a product problem or training issue. Then it gets fixed.

By The Way – All Opinions are Mine.

Keeping up with snow blowers is almost a full-time job. The U.S. manufacturers currently sell hundreds of different models made here in the U.S. alone. In addition, there are always another dozen or so foreign manufacturers trying to wedge their way into your pocketbook. By the way – a quality $500 two-stage snow blower no longer exists. The cheapest 2-stage snowblower I can recommend is now $699.

I normally spend most of July and August talking to the different snow blower manufacturers about the new models they have coming for the fall. Usually, in September the manufacturers 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 a dozen or so of the current snow blowers at my home for testing and answering your questions. I use these snow blowers when it snows. You can find those videos on YouTube. When you go over there please subscribe to my YouTube channel

So Let’s Get Started!

2020 Ariens Crossover/Classic/Compact Series

Ariens Crossover: The new Ariens Crossover 2-stage snowblower will clear down to the pavement like your old single-stage and also handle the heavy/wet drift the snowplow left at the end of your driveway. It’s unique in that the hybrid front auger is designed to touch the pavement. This allows it to clean even hard-packed snow other snowblowers just glide over.

It’s designed for small, hard-surfaced driveways, patios, decks, and sidewalks. At 20 inches it’s very lightweight and with only one control anyone who can use a push lawn mower can also intuitively use this snowblower. No gearshifts or levers to pull to steer, the front auger propels the snowblower and allows you to comfortably move at your own pace.

The large rear wheels make it much easier to use than a typical single-stage. You can push it around your driveway and easily pull it up steps. The all-steel handlebar folds quickly for storage and is height adjustable for shorter operators. The all-steel chute is much taller than a single-stage so you can throw the snow farther and put it where you want it to go.

Who this is for: If a 2-stage is too big for you to use and a single-stage won’t handle the snow you get the Ariens Crossover is a very good choice. With a housing height of 19 inches and a clearing width of 20 inches, it’s a great snowblower for small driveways that get lots of snow. It will clear sidewalks that get lots of foot traffic and throw the snow up to 35 feet so it won’t drift back the next time it snows.

Model Name	Crossover 20
Ariens Model Item #	932050
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	All Types Including Packed On Snow
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX
ENGINE POWER	179 cc (8.3 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	Recoil
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	20 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	19 inch
THROWING DISTANCE	3-35 ft
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	205
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Manual
TIRE SIZE	14 in
TIRE TYPE	Tread Cap
STEERING	NA
DRIVE TYPE	Auger Propelled
SPEEDS	NA
LENGTH	48 in
WIDTH	21 in
HEIGHT	42 in
WEIGHT	129 lbs
GEAR CASE	Top Loaded Aluminum
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	3 yr Cons, 90 day Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	3-blade high speed
IMPELLER DIAMETER	10 inch
AUGER DIAMETER	11 in
AUGER TYPE	Steel with Rubber Cleaning Edge
SKID SHOES	NA
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	Manual
TONS PER HOUR	52 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$699

Ariens Classic: A lot of people want a “cheap” snowblower. The Ariens Classic is one of the cheapest, good, American-made snowblowers that I can recommend. If you are looking for a dependable, inexpensive, quality machine that will clear your 2-car, 60-80 foot driveway, sidewalks, patio, and also go out on the lawn to clear a section for your dogs. The Classic snow blower can easily be adjusted for gravel driveways. I recommend this size for areas of the country like Chicago, Omaha, Detroit, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Long Island that average 40 to 60 inches of snow per year.

The Classic is an all-metal snowblower. The 4-way chute, dash, and all other parts are metal.  That in of itself sets it apart from the other snow blowers in it’s price range. It has a high-speed impeller and according to my calculations will actually move more snow per hour than the $2399 Honda HSS724AW/HSS724AWD. It’s really a good value at $799.

I would compare the Ariens Classic to the Craftsman 24 inch, Toro Powermax 724, Troy-Bilt Storm 2460, Cub Cadet 524 SW, and Husqvarna ST224. All of these snow blowers including the Ariens are solid axle snow blowers and have no power steering.  The Ariens Classic one of the lightest 24 inch 2-stage snow blowers in this group so most people can turn it without an issue.

Ariens Classic Plus: The Ariens Classic + has a larger 223cc engine and larger 15-inch directional snow tread tires.

Ariens Compact 24 with AutoTurn: The Compact series adds a few features including the legendary Ariens cast iron gear case, larger tires, and a larger 223cc engine. This snowblower now features the legendary AutoTurn steering. This makes the Compact 24 the easiest 24-inch snowblower to use. This snow blower compares to the Toro Power Max 826 and Husqvarna ST324P.  If you have watched my videos on YouTube you see that the Classic or Compact will work just fine on my property and I’ll bet they’ll work well for you also. 

Ariens Compact Track: the Compact 24 Track is a solid axle snowblower. If you need a small snowblower to go up steep slopes it has great traction for its size but without power steering, it can be very hard to turn. I don’t recommend it to anyone with a bad back or is not used to moving heavy machinery.

Model Name	Classic	Classic +	Compact 24 with AutoTurn	Compact Track 24
Ariens Model Item #	920025	920030	920029	920028
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow		All Types 50 in per year	All Types 60 in per year	Midwest with steep slope
ENGINE BRAND		Ariens AX208	Ariens AX223	Ariens AX223
ENGINE POWER	208 cc (9.5 ft/lbs)		223cc (10 ft/lbs)	223cc (10 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V/Recoil	120V/Recoil	120V/Recoil	120V/Recoil
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	24 inch	24 inch	24 inch	24 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	20 inch	20 inch	20 inch	20 inch
THROWING DISTANCE	3-40 ft	3-40 ft	3-40 ft	3-40 ft
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	205	223	205	205
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote
TIRE SIZE	13 in x 4 in	15 in x 5 in	15 in x 5 in	15.5 in three-point track
TIRE TYPE	Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Track
STEERING	Solid/Pin Lock	Solid/Pin Lock	AutoTurn	Solid
DRIVE TYPE	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic
SPEEDS	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse
LENGTH	51.9 in	53.9 in	53.9 in	53.9 in
WIDTH	26.4 in	22.4 in	26.4 in	26.4 in
HEIGHT	43.3 in	44 in	44 in	44 in
WEIGHT	180 lbs	183 lbs	187 lbs	220 lbs
GEAR CASE	Top Loaded Aluminum	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	3-blade high speed	Steel 3 blade	Steel 3 blade	Steel 3 blade
IMPELLER DIAMETER	12 inch	12 in	12 in	12 in
AUGER DIAMETER	11 in	11 in	11 in	11 in
AUGER TYPE	Serrated Steel Open	Serrated Steel Open	Serrated Steel Open	Serrated Steel Open
SKID SHOES	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	2.5X Quick Turn	2.5X Quick Turn	2.5X Quick Turn	2.5X Quick Turn
TONS PER HOUR	58 Tons/Hour	59 Tons/Hour	59 Tons/Hour	59 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$799	$899	$999	$1549

2018 Ariens Deluxe Series

Most 2 and 3-stage snow blowers use a 12 inch or smaller impeller. Most have relatively small discharge chutes. The Ariens Deluxe Series is different. If you are always complaining about your current snow blower plugging up I strongly suggest looking at the Deluxe Series with a 14-inch impeller. The Ariens Deluxe is an economical heavy-duty 2-stage snow blower that uses the large impeller and other components to give you an all-metal, high-capacity, heavy-duty snowblower.  If you are willing to spend a thousand dollars or more for a snowblower the Ariens Deluxe Series gives you a lot of bang for the buck.

It’s very, very hard to plug up the Deluxe Series.

These Deluxe Series work very well in areas that get moderate snowfall but the snow is typically heavier, wet snow, and your yearly snowfall is 100 inches or less. Boston, West Virginia, Lake Erie shore, Muskegon, MI, Portage, IN, Alsip, IL, Flagstaff, AZ are areas of the country that get snow like this. This series also works well in places that get lots of drifts like southern Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, and other Plains States. If you average more than 100 inches I suggest moving up to the Ariens Platinum or Professional Series. The Platinum and Pro models have a larger engine and high output impellers to move a lot of snow even faster.

Dual belt auger impeller drive. AutoTurn steering and exceptional balance make these snowblowers very easy to use and gives them excellent traction.

Personally, I like the Auto-Turn feature on the Deluxe, Platinum, and Professional Series a lot. Auto-Turn is power steering simplified. All you do is steer the snowblower with the handles. There are no triggers to pull, no extra cables to fray, and little plastic levers to break.

I have a lot of readers ask, “What’s better – Auto-Turn or the Trigger Style Power Steering?” My answer is always, “It depends ” Auto-Turn works really well if you have a lot of maneuvering to do. Curved driveways, wide driveways, and areas where you need to turn around often are great examples. You don’t have to think about pulling a trigger to steer, the snowblower does it automatically when you move the handles. The AutoTurn is so simple to use you don’t even know it’s there. If your spouse complains that the snow blower you have is too complicated, the Ariens Deluxe is a great alternative. You get the power and capacity you need without extra levers and stuff to mess with.

If you have a long, crowned driveway or need to clear across a longer sloped area the trigger steering is nice because the snowblower continues in a straight line until you tell it to turn by pulling one of the little steering triggers. The Auto Turn works OK in those situations but you will need to have both hands on the handles when walking along those slopes.

Ease of starting and high altitudes: The Deluxe 30 EFI is the perfect choice if you live in higher altitudes or you want a snowblower that starts on the first pull every time.

There were no changes made to the Deluxe Series for 2018.

Model Name	Deluxe 24	Deluxe 28	Deluxe 28 SHO	Deluxe 30	Deluxe 30 EFI
Ariens Model Item #	921045	921046	921048	921047	921049
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	All Types 80 in per year	All Types 80 in per year	All Types 100 in per yr	All Types 80 in per year	All Types 100 in per yr
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX254	Ariens AX254	Ariens AX306	Ariens AX306	Ariens AX306 EFI
ENGINE POWER	254cc (12.5 ft/lbs)	254cc (12.5 ft/lbs)	306cc Gen 3 (15 ft/lbs)	306cc Gen 3 (15 ft/lbs)	306cc EFI/E-Gov (15 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	24 inch	28 inch	28 inch	30 inch	30 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)
THROWING DISTANCE	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	200°	200°	200°	200°	200°
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote
TIRE SIZE	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in
TIRE TYPE	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread
STEERING	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn
DRIVE TYPE	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic
SPEEDS	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse
LENGTH	58 in	58 in	58 in	58 in	58 in
WIDTH	26.4 in	29.9 in	29.9 in	32.4 in	32.4 in
HEIGHT	45 in	45 in	45 in	45 in	45 in
WEIGHT	245 lbs	250 lbs	268 lbs	276 lbs	276 lbs
GEAR CASE	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade
IMPELLER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in
AUGER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in
AUGER TYPE	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated
SKID SHOES	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill
TONS PER HOUR	62 Tons/Hour	65 Tons/Hour	72 Tons/Hour	71 Tons/Hour	71 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$1099.00	$1,199.00	$1,349.00	$1,499.00	$1,799.00

Accessories For Ariens 2-Stage Snow Blower Buy Here:

Ariens Non-Abrasive Skid Shoes

Ariens Shear Pins

Ariens Sno-Thro Deluxe/Platinum Drift Cutters for Snow Blowers

2018 Ariens Platinum Series

The Ariens Platinum Series takes the Deluxe snowblower and adds “creature features”, larger engines, and high output impellers to give you a snowblower that will pretty much take on any type of snow and amount of snow. It’s very, very hard to plug up the Platinum Series. For example, if you need the larger capacity of the Deluxe because your old machine plugs up all the time but also want heated handgrips, Quick Chute control, etc. the Platinum is the snowblower for you. In addition to more features, these snow blowers have over-the-top power and capacity for their size. If you ever get the chance to use one of these snow blowers on 20 inches of “Nore-easter” snow or Lake Tahoe snow you’ll quickly understand what I mean. I recommend these snow blowers for any “snow belt” area like Buffalo, NY, northern Idaho, Boston, Northern Michigan, and so on.

Dual belt auger impeller drive. AutoTurn steering and exceptional balance make these snowblowers very easy to use and gives them excellent traction.

If you see a picture in a newspaper on the Internet of an orange snowblower throwing snow up and over a 15-foot snow blank you can bet it’s one of these Platinum Series snow blowers.

Platinum 28 SHO RapidTrak! This snow blower is arguably the best 28-inch residential snowblower on the market. RapidTrak gives you the speed and maneuverability of a wheeled snow blower with the traction and drift digging power of a tracked machine. If you have large areas that need to be cleared, sidewalks that get snow plowed on them, a sloped driveway, or just want the best snow blower this is the one. It is much faster than any other track drive snowblower on the market! Ariens coupled the RapidTrak with a 369cc Ariens AX engine and the 14-inch SHO Impeller to give you up to 55′ of throwing distance and up to 77 tons per hour clearing capacity. (Compare that to the more expensive Honda HSS928AT / HSS928ATD with a 270cc engine, 12-inch impeller, 57 tons per hour max capacity, and old 2-point track drive)  You can check out more about the RapidTrak here: Ariens RapidTrak

Model Name	Platinum 24 SHO	Platinum 24 SHO EFI	Platinum 30 SHO	Platinum 28 SHO RapidTrak
Ariens Model Item #	921050	921053	921051	921057
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	Snow Belt 80-200 in per yr	Snow Belt 80-200 in per yr	Snow Belt 80-200 in per yr	Snow Belt with extra traction
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX369 EFI	Ariens AX369	Ariens AX414	Ariens AX369
ENGINE POWER	369cc (17 ft/lbs)	369cc EFI/E-Gov (17 ft/lbs)	414cc Gen 3 (17 ft/lbs)	369cc EFI/E-Gov (17 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	24 in	24 in	30 in	28 in
HOUSING HEIGHT	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)
THROWING DISTANCE	3 ft – 55 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 55 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 55 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 55 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	200°	200°	200°	200°
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote
TIRE SIZE	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 inch x 5.5 in RapidTrak
TIRE TYPE	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Track
STEERING	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn
DRIVE TYPE	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic
SPEEDS	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse
LENGTH	58 in	58 in	58 in	58 in
WIDTH	27 in	27 in	32.4 in	29 in
HEIGHT	45 in	45 in	45 in	45 in
WEIGHT	286 lbs	286 lbs	294 lbs	306 lbs
GEAR CASE	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	SHO Steel 3 Blade	SHO Steel 3 Blade	SHO Steel 3 Blade	SHO Steel 3 Blade
IMPELLER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in
AUGER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in
AUGER TYPE	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated
SKID SHOES	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	Quick Turn	Quick Turn	Quick Turn	Quick Turn
TONS PER HOUR	73 Tons/Hour	73 Tons/Hour	83 Tons/Hour	77 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$1,499.00	$1,799.00	$1,799.00	$2,399.00

2018 Ariens Professional Series

Other manufacturers have snowblowers that are named Pro. But these Ariens snow blowers are true Professional/Commercial snow blowers. Square tube, extra-strong handlebars. Largest 16-inch serrated front auger. Dual belt auger impeller drive. AutoTurn steering and exceptional balance make these snowblowers very easy to use and gives them excellent traction. Choice of Hydrostatic or 6-speed Disk-O-Matic Drive. Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) on select models. These snow blowers will clear up to 102 tons of snow per hour and throw snow 60 feet. (That is a higher capacity and throwing distance than the $8000 Honda HS1336iAS.) These are the biggest and baddest walk-behind snow blowers you can get.

Model Name	Professional 28	Professional 28 Hydro EFI	Professional 32	Professional 36 Hydro EFI
Ariens Model Item #	926077	926068	926076	926070
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	Commercial Snow Belt	Commercial Snow Belt	Commercial Snow Belt	Commercial Snow Belt
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX420	Ariens AX420 EFI/E Gov	Ariens AX420	Ariens AX420 EFI/E Gov
ENGINE POWER	420cc (21 ft/lbs)	420cc (21 ft/lbs)	420cc (21 ft/lbs)	420cc (21 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	28 in	28 in	32 in	36 in
HOUSING HEIGHT	23.5 in (59.7 cm)	23.5 in (59.7 cm)	23.5 in (59.7 cm)	23.5 in (59.7 cm)
THROWING DISTANCE	3 ft – 60 ft (.9 – 18.2 m)	3 ft – 60 ft (.9 – 18.2 m)	3 ft – 60 ft (.9 – 18.2 m)	3 ft – 60 ft (.9 – 18.2 m)
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	200°	200°	200°	200°
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote
TIRE SIZE	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 6.5 in	16 in x 6.5 in
TIRE TYPE	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread
STEERING	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn
DRIVE TYPE	Disc-O-Matic	Hydrostatic	Disc-O-Matic	Hydrostatic
SPEEDS	6 forward 2 reverse	Variable	6 forward 2 reverse	Variable
LENGTH	60 in	60 in	60 in	60 in
WIDTH	30.2 in	30.2 in	34.2 in	38.2 in
HEIGHT	47 in	47 in	47 in	47 in
WEIGHT	339 lbs	352 lbs	333 lbs	353 lbs
GEAR CASE	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	5yr Cons, 5yr Comm	5yr Cons, 5yr Comm	5yr Cons, 5yr Comm	5yr Cons, 5yr Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	High-Speed Steel 3 Blade	High-Speed Steel 3 Blade	High-Speed Steel 3 Blade	High-Speed Steel 3 Blade
IMPELLER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in
AUGER DIAMETER	16 in	16 in	16 in	16 in
AUGER TYPE	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated
SKID SHOES	Cast Iron Reversible	Cast Iron Reversible	Cast Iron Reversible	Cast Iron Reversible
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Consumer 1 yr Comm	3 yr Consumer 1 yr Comm	3 yr Consumer 1 yr Comm	3 yr Consumer 1 yr Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	Quick Turn	Quick Turn	Quick Turn	Quick Turn
TONS PER HOUR	79 Tons/Hour	79 Tons/Hour	90 Tons/Hour	102 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$2,299.00	$2,899.00	$2,599.00	$3,599.00

2018 Ariens Professional RapidTrak

The new Ariens RapidTrak system will not only give you the digging traction and flotation of a tracked snowblower but also the speed and ease of turning of a wheeled machine. Combined with a heavy-duty hydrostatic transmission and AutoTurn you can adjust the speed of this snow blower to whatever you need from a slow crawl to a fast walking pace and immediately change direction without stopping the snowblower.

The Ariens Professional RapidTrak is simply the fastest track drive snowblower on the market. If you have miles of sidewalk to clear, deep, heavy snow to move, or simply want the very best the Ariens Professional RapidTrak is the right choice. Yes, there are other high-quality tracked snowblowers out there  – and even one is very, very close to the capacity of this machine – but there are none that compare to the ease of use and the speed at which you can clear snow.

Dual belt auger impeller drive. AutoTurn steering and exceptional balance make these snowblowers very easy to use and gives them excellent traction. The large drive wheel makes this snowblower faster than any other tracked snowblower.

RapidTrak has three positions or modes.

1. In regular mode, the track is flat against the ground for good traction when clearing snow. In this mode, you can clear 12-14 inches of snow as fast as you can walk and throw it up to 60 feet.
2. In “wheel mode”, pull a small metal trigger on the right handle, and the rear of the track is raised giving you the same “footprint” as a regular tire. This allows it to be just as easy to turn as a wheeled unit. The snowblower is very well balanced so it’s very easy for anyone to turn and use.
3. The third position, called “dig-in mode” puts all the weight of the snowblower on the rear portion of the track. This gives you the ultimate in pushing and digging power when working with hard-packed drifts and scraping off driven on snow. In this mode I’m able to clear “old” snow including month-old snowplow drifts.

Read more about the Ariens RapidTrak here: Ariens RapidTrack Series

Model Name	Professional 28 RapidTrak	Professional 32 RapidTrak
Ariens Model Item #	926078	926079
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	Commercial Snow Belt	Commercial Snow Belt
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens Polar Force B&S	Ariens Polar Force B&S
ENGINE POWER	420cc (21 ft/lbs)	420cc (21 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V Electric	120V Electric
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	28 in	28 in
HOUSING HEIGHT	23.5 in (59.7 cm)	23.5 in (59.7 cm)
THROWING DISTANCE	3 ft – 60 ft (.9 – 18.2 m)	3 ft – 60 ft (.9 – 18.2 m)
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	200°	200°
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Remote	Remote
TIRE SIZE	5.5 in wide	5.5 in wide
TIRE TYPE	High-Speed Adjustable	High-Speed Adjustable
STEERING	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn
DRIVE TYPE	Hydrostatic	Hydrostatic
SPEEDS	Variable	Variable
LENGTH	60 in	60 in
WIDTH	30.2 in	34.2 in
HEIGHT	47 in	47 in
WEIGHT	337 lbs	341 lbs
GEAR CASE	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	5yr Cons, 5yr Comm	5yr Cons, 5yr Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	High-Speed Steel 3 Blade	High-Speed Steel 3 Blade
IMPELLER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in
AUGER DIAMETER	16 in	16 in
AUGER TYPE	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated
SKID SHOES	Commercial Reversible	Commercial Reversible
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Consumer 1 yr Comm	3 yr Consumer 1 yr Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	Quick Turn	Quick Turn
TONS PER HOUR	79 Tons/Hour	90 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$3,199.00	$3,499.00

2017 Ariens Professional 21 Single Stage.

This is a special single stage snow thrower that’s built for the commercial snowplow operator or anyone who has to transport their snowthrower to multiple locations. Why do they need a special snow blower?

When I owned snowplow trucks in the Chicago area we always kept a single-stage snow thrower with us in the pickups. We’d clear the driveways and parking lots and then pull the snow thrower out and clean up around the mailboxes, sidewalks, and in front of businesses. It was so much faster than using a snow shovel. We were very hard on these snow blowers – throwing them into the truck and dropping them on the pavement. At the time (mid 90’s) there was only one model that would hold up for more than one season.

To make a long story short, a while back Ariens found that many of the snowplow operators were still clearing snow the same way. Clear the large areas with the truck and then clean up with the single stage. Because of that, they introduced the single-stage Path Pro a few years ago. It has been a good machine at a good price point but the Professional Operators still wanted something more rugged. More metal, longer-lasting paddles, easy service, and easier to get in and out of the truck.

Professional 21 inch Single Stage:  This is a single stage snow thrower that is purpose-built specifically for the snow contractor but it has many features homeowners may like. Since many snow contractors carry a snow thrower in the back of their plow truck for cleaning up corners and sidewalks.  These snow throwers are often just tossed in and out of the truck and don’t last long. Because of that, the Professional 21 was constructed with strength, durability, and lightweight in mind. The new design includes reinforced metal housing sides. Large, high impact wheels and a reinforcing steel rod inside the auger housing to help with the durability. The Smart Lift handle design allows a single person to lift the machine in and out of a truck with ease. One of the features I really like is a heavy-duty spring-loaded scraper bar that adjusts to the contours of the ground. In addition, the Professional 21 snow thrower also features commercial-grade auger paddles. These paddles are twice as thick as residential single-stage snow throwers and you can tilt the machine up so it cleans stuck on snow off the hard surfaces. All this without increasing the weight.

Pro 21 Smart Lift

Reinforced Steel Housing. Not just stampings in the sides for rigidity but also steel rods to give it extra strength. You will be able to wear down the side of the housing and the rod will keep it from wearing too far.

These auger paddles are much thicker than other brands.

Easy to maintain open engine design. Larger wheels than the only other competing commercial snow thrower.

Model Name	Professional 21 SSR	Professional 21 SSRC
Ariens Model Item #	938024	938025
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	Any- Commercial 6 in Homeowner	Any- Commercial 6 in Homeowner
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX208	Ariens AX208
ENGINE POWER	208 cc (9.5 ft/lbs)	208 cc (9.5 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	Recoil	Recoil
STAGE TYPE	Single	Single
CLEARING WIDTH	21 inch	21 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	12.1 inch	12.1 inch
THROWING DISTANCE	3-35 ft	3-35 ft
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	210	210
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Manual	Manual
TIRE SIZE	7.5 in x 2 in	7.5 in x 2 in
TIRE TYPE	Semi-pneumatic	Semi-pneumatic
STEERING	Free Wheel	FreeWheel
DRIVE TYPE	Auger Propelled	Auger Propelled
SPEEDS	NA	NA
LENGTH	50.8	50.8
WIDTH	21.2	21.2
HEIGHT	41.7	41.7
WEIGHT	87 lbs	89 lbs
GEAR CASE	NA	NA
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	NA	NA
IMPELLER PROFILE	NA	NA
IMPELLER DIAMETER	NA	NA
AUGER DIAMETER	8.375 in (21.3 cm)	8.375 in (21.3 cm)
AUGER TYPE	Thick Rubber Paddle	Thick Rubber Paddle
SKID SHOES	NA	NA
SCRAPER BAR	Spring Loaded Floating	Spring Loaded Floating
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 Year Consumer, 1 Year Commercial	3 Year Consumer, 1 Year Commercial
CHUTE ROTATION	Manual	Remote
	Smart Lift Handlebar System, Hour Meter	Smart Lift Handlebar System, Hour Meter
TYPICAL PRICE	$649.00	$699.00

2017 Ariens Path Pro Single Stage Snow Throwers

THE SINGLE-STAGE BLOWER THAT PERFORMS LIKE A TWO-STAGE.

In my opinion, if the Path Pro with the 208ss Ariens AX engine had the same intake height as the Toro SnowMaster 724 you would not be able to tell the difference in snow clearing ability.

It’s lightweight and easy to move. But it’s no lightweight. With a beastly Ariens-built engine, a 12.2” housing height and 8.375” paddles, the Path Pro clears up to 9” of snow all the way to the pavement. Available electric start. Blows snow up to 35 feet and features a clearing width of 21”. Starting at an affordable $399.

Model Name	S18	SS21 208	Path-Pro 208 Electric Start	Path-Pro 208 Electric Start & Remote Chute
Ariens Model Item #	938026	938031	938032	938033
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	6 in Homeowner	6-9 inches Homeowner	6-9 inches Homeowner	6-9 inches Homeowner
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX	Ariens AX208	Ariens AX208	Ariens AX208
ENGINE POWER	99cc (4.1 ft/lbs)	208 cc (9.5 ft/lbs)	208 cc (9.5 ft/lbs)	208 cc (9.5 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	Recoil	Recoil	120V/Recoil	120V/Recoil
STAGE TYPE	Single	Single	Single	Single
CLEARING WIDTH	18 inch	21 inch	21 inch	21 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	12 in (31 cm)	12.2 in (31 cm)	12.2 in (31 cm)	12.2 in (31 cm)
THROWING DISTANCE	3-25 ft	3-35 ft	3-35 ft	3-35 ft
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	210	210	210	210
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Manual	Manual	Manual	Manual
TIRE SIZE	6 in x 1.75 in	7.5 in x 1.75 in	7.5 in x 1.75 in	7.5 in x 1.75 in
TIRE TYPE	Semi-pneumatic	Semi-pneumatic	Semi-pneumatic	Semi-pneumatic
STEERING	Free Wheel	Free Wheel	Free Wheel	Free Wheel
DRIVE TYPE	Auger Propelled	Auger Propelled	Auger Propelled	Auger Propelled
SPEEDS	NA	NA	NA	NA
LENGTH	44 in (90.17 cm)	35.5 in (90.17 cm)	35.5 in (90.17 cm)	35.5 in (90.17 cm)
WIDTH	20 in (59.69 cm)	23.5 in (59.69 cm)	23.5 in (59.69 cm)	23.5 in (59.69 cm)
HEIGHT	37 in (58.42 cm)	23 in (58.42 cm)	23 in (58.42 cm)	23 in (58.42 cm)
WEIGHT	59 lbs	91 lbs	95 lbs	97 lbs
GEAR CASE	NA	NA	NA	NA
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	NA	NA	NA	NA
IMPELLER PROFILE	NA	NA	NA	NA
IMPELLER DIAMETER	NA	NA	NA	NA
AUGER DIAMETER	7 in (17.7 cm)	8.375 in (21.3 cm)	8.375 in (21.3 cm)	8.375 in (21.3 cm)
AUGER TYPE	Reinforced Rubber	Reinforced Rubber	Reinforced Rubber	Reinforced Rubber
SKID SHOES	NA	NA	NA	NA
SCRAPER BAR	Polymer fixed	Polymer Adjustable	Polymer Adjustable	Polymer Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	2 Year Consumer, 90 Year Commercial	3 Year Consumer, 90 Year Commercial	3 Year Consumer, 90 Year Commercial	3 Year Consumer, 90 Year Commercial
CHUTE ROTATION	Manual			Remote
TONS PER HOUR	39	57	57	57
TYPICAL PRICE	$449.00	$519.00	$549.00	$649.00

If you have any questions please ask in the comment section below. Don’t forget to head over to my YouTube Channel Please subscribe to get the latest videos.

The post 2020 Ariens Snow Blower Review – What’s New – Which One Is Best For You? appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

Toro has made significant changes across the entire product line over the last three years. These snowblowers are competitively priced, state-of-the-art machines that are built to last you many years. Best of all they have the most complete selection – from a 12-inch cordless power shovel to a 32-inch track drive beast that’s easy to drive. You will find a snowblower that’s right for you!

New Features:

1. Metal Extended Chutes: All Toro 2-stage snow blowers have a metal chute. The Power Max HD models have a double-jointed extended chute (except the 828) for an increased range. You asked for it – they listened!
2. Metal ACS: The Power Max HD models now have an all-metal ACS. The Anti-Clogging System regulates the snow intake to the impeller allowing the engine to maintain maximum speed for the best performance and throwing distance. The open auger design and all-metal auger housing were also improved. The housing was tipped back slightly so you can push into and clear drifts easier.
3. Redesigned Impeller: The combination of the new impeller, extended chute, and larger engines on the commercial HD models increases the throw distance up to 60 feet.
4. Quick Stick Control and Beveled Gears: The Quick Stick chute control has always been one of the best chute controls on the market but Toro completely redesigned it with beveled gears. It’s almost effortless to use.
5. Top Load Gearbox: The gearbox on the Power Max HD models does not have a vertical seam so it will not leak. All Toro 2-stage gearboxes are so tough they don’t use shear pins!
6. Larger Engines: Up to 14 HP! This extra power allows the Power Max HD and Commercial HD models to throw more snow and throw it farther than ever before.
7. Handwarmers on the Power Max 826. The older Power Max 826 OAE and OXE have been one of Toro’s most popular snowblowers but EVERYONE complained they didn’t have hand warmers. The new Power Max 826 OHAE has them!
8. LED Lights on Power Max and Power Max HD Models: New location and custom-designed lens shine more light where you need it. Because the LED lights take less power than the old Halogen lamps more current is now available to the heated handgrips to make them warmer.
9. Power Max® HD 1428 OHXE and 1432 OHXE Commercial Versions: The Toro Power Max HD snow blowers have been a snowblower of choice for institutions and large businesses for many years. They are easy to operate and will run for years and years without a lot of upkeep. Two new models are specifically for the commercial operator and have a reinforced handle, cast iron skid shoes, drift cutters, large 420cc engines, an all-metal dash, and a commercial warranty.
10. Easy-to-repair Single-Stage snow throwers. New, exposed engine so it’s easy to change the oil, sparkplug, etc.

On top of the new features last year they added:

• A cordless battery power shovel. The new 60 MAX is perfect for people who shouldn’t be using a snow shovel. It works great on sidewalks, decks, and steps. It throws snow up to 25 feet and the lightweight 2.5 AH battery will operate it for up to 45 minutes on one charge!
• Two new Power Max HD models – Power Max HD 828 OAE and 1030 OHAE. The new residential 28 inch and 30-inch models are a great choice for areas that get up to 60 inches or so a year of heavy/wet snow. These models won’t plug like other brands and will throw snow farther than your old model. They are competitively priced and can handle any snowplow drift.
•  Two new TRACK Drive, Hydro models  – Power TRX HD 1428 and 1432. The new tracked snow blowers are serious, over-the-top commercial units with cast iron skid shoes, hydrostatic transmissions, high-speed 3-point tracks, and huge 420cc Toro engines. These snowblowers will be able to handle any terrain, any amount of snow, and throw it over 60 feet.  Yet they are very easy to use!

This year two new models that I am very excited about!

Identical to the Gas Two-Stage in Every Way, Except the Gas. Toro did it right! Toro took their most dependable 24 inch and 26 inch 2-stage gas snowblowers and simply replace the gas motor with an electric powerhead. The 60v Power Max two-stage is built with long-lasting, heavy-duty steel – just like the rest of the Toro two-stage snow blower family. It’s tough and ready to go, with all of the features you love – Quick Stick chute control, hardened gear and auger, an Anti-clogging system, and more. Any doubts about battery-powered snow blowers will be blown across the road. Winter is no match for the Toro 60V* Power Max® two-stage snow blower.

• 24″ (61 cm) 60V MAX* (2 x 6.0 ah) Electric Battery Power Max® e24 Two-Stage Snow Blower (39924)
• 26″ (66 cm) 60V MAX* (2 x 7.5 ah) Electric Battery Power Max® e26 HA Two-Stage Snow Blower (39926)
• 26″ (66 cm) 60V MAX* Electric Battery Power Max® e26 HA Two-Stage Snow Blower Bare Tool (39926T)

How this article is laid out:

This is a very comprehensive article so it will take you a while to read through it. Since Toro is one of the few brands with very popular cordless electrics, single-stage, and 2-stage snowthrowers I will follow the same layout as Toro.com. Or-You can jump to the section of the type of snowblower you like.

1. Cordless 60 MAX
2. Single-stage Power Clear
3. Single-stage SnowMaster
4. 2-Stage Power Max
5. 2-Stage Power Max HD
6. 2-Stage Power Max HD Commercial
7. 2-Stage Power TRX Commercial

When you click on the links in this article they will take you to a retailer I trust. When you buy anything through that link I make a small commission from that sale. I use that commission to maintain this site and purchase equipment to test. Thank you for buying through the links. You can read more about that here: How To Support MovingSnow.com

So – The snow is already falling in Wisconsin. Relax, grab some hot chocolate and let’s get started on the 2020 Toro Snow Blowers.  You know how long-winded I can get.

1. TORO Cordless 60 MAX

The electric Power Shovel and Power Clear are part of the 60 Volt MAX battery line. This growing line of brushless tools includes a leaf blower, string trimmer, hedge trimmer, chain saw, 21-inch SmartStow mower, 22-inch Personal Pace Recycler mower, 21-inch COMMERCIAL mower, Power Shovel, and Power Clear snowblower. The line has 2.5 AH, 6.0AH, and 7.5AH high current, fast-charging batteries that are built to last. The new 60V MAX Li-Ion Battery Quick Charger will charge the batteries quickly, yet protect them so they last a long time. (Expect more additions in 2021!)

2. TORO Single-Stage Power Clear

I first started using the Toro single-stage snow throwers in the early ’90s and I have always liked how well they throw snow, how well they clear right down to the pavement, and how much abuse they will take. In the late 90’s I had one in the back of every snow plow truck and could count on them working when needed.

The Toro Power Clear 721 RC is still the snow thrower of choice for thousands of snow removal companies.

Toro Power Clear single-stage snow throwers have a 12-inch tall intake and will handle all types of snow well. Most other brands don’t like the end of the driveway snow pile but the Toro Power Clear handles it better than most.  All of the Toro’s gas single-stage snowthrowers are auger propelled. That means the front rubber paddle touches the ground and will pull you forward reasonably well. The pivoting, easily replaceable scraper bar glides over cracks in your driveway and clears all the snow off your driveway. If the snow has been driven on just lift the handle a little and the rubber auger clears right down to the pavement.

Since the auger touches the ground single-stage snow throwers will pick up gravel, turf, and frozen dog “treats” and throw it through your glass window so don’t try to use it on unpaved areas.

Toro has eight models of the gas-powered Power Clear. I’ll give you links to Internet retailers I trust or you may purchase them at your local Toro dealer.

3. TORO Single-Stage SnowMaster

The Toro SnowMaster is the first snow thrower I grab when I want to clear 2-8 inches of snow off my cement driveway. It will throw the snow as fast as I can walk and with its floating compression scraper clears down to the pavement without getting stuck on the cement edges sticking up. It also throws normal snow all the way across my 2 car driveway and off into the lawn. It clears the end of driveway snow easily if I get at it right away. It also works well on my brick patio out back. It’s as simple and easy to use a Toro Personal Pace lawn mower in these conditions.

The Toro SnowMaster has changed the topic of “What makes a good snow blower?” forever but I have developed a love/hate relationship with it. Yes, most of the time it is 20-50% faster than a typical 24-26 inch 2-stage snowblower and it’s is so easy to use, but it has a few limitations that keep it from being my number one pick on The Twenty Best Snow Blowers – September 2018 list.

It has three “features” that keep it from being the perfect snow thrower for most people.

Lightweight: I recommend it a lot to people in the Midwest and other areas that typically get good snow but I don’t recommend it in places like Long Island where you get a lot of heavy, wet snowfalls. Why? The Toro SnowMaster is different than a typical single-stage. Instead of using the auger to pull itself through the snow the SnowMaster has a Personal Pace drive with automatic steering. This makes it very fast and easy to use but when the snow gets packed down, is heavy or wet the snowblower does not have enough weight to push itself through more than 10 inches of snow. The Toro SnowMaster weighs about 120 lbs. A typical 24 inch 2-stage weighs about 200 bs.  For example, overnight last winter I received 12 inches of heavy, “let’s make a snowman” snow and after one pass up and down my drive, I put the SnowMaster away and grabbed a 2-stage. The SnowMaster threw the snow well enough but didn’t have the weight to push itself through the snow. I also had the same issue a few times cleaning the end of driveway snow. If this was the only snow thrower I owned I’d learn to deal with it – only take a half pass – don’t get in a hurry, etc.

Free Wheel: This snowthrower has automatic steering so it’s very easy to maneuver but, the transmission does not hold it in place when going downhill. If you have a steep drive it will coast/freewheel down the hill. Yes, you can hold the metal bar under the Personal Pace – but that’s just awkward and a pain for smaller people.

Two-Stage Technology: Toro calls this “Two-Stage Technology.” Actually, this is a single-stage snow blower but the front auger is built differently than Toro’s Power Clear machines. The outer edges of the auger are metal. They chew up the snow and move it to the center section. The center section grabs the snow and throws it out of the machine. It’s also completely open in front so it will take on an 18-inch drift and does not plug up clearing really wet snow like some 2-stage machines will. It even handles slush OK. But, it does not have a second stage impeller that throws the snow long distances.

It is meant to be used on hard surfaces ONLY! The skid shoes are not adjustable so you can’t raise up the scraper bar to clear gravel or turf areas.

So, in summary. Even though this is one of my top choices this snow thrower is for a very specific buyer. Is it for you? It’s for you if you mainly get “normal” snow. It is for you if you get a lot more 2-6 inchers than 12+ wet snowfalls. Because it’s lightweight, you’ll want you to get right out and clean your driveway after a heavy snowfall. If you only need to clear a short path on the grass to the shed or over to the mailbox it will work OK but it’s not meant to go “off-road.” It throws snow as well as most $700-$999 2-stage machines and you can typically get done much faster. It has extremely simple controls. But, it may not be the best for you because it’s so lightweight and it will run out of traction trying to clear 10 inches or more of heavy/wet end of driveway snow.

Toro has three models of the SnowMaster. I’ll give you links to Internet retailers I trust or you can purchase them at your local Toro dealer.

4. TORO 2-Stage Power Max

Capacity-wise the Toro Power Max 2-stage snow blowers are a good choice for most of you reading this. They will handle normal yearly average snowfalls up to 60 inches well. The snow blowers are built very well and will last you a long time. They feature a one-piece frame/auger assembly so they are stronger than the competitors and won’t twist or get out of adjustment over the years. These snow blowers have larger engines and the patented Toro Anti-Clogging System (ACS) so they handle heavy, wet snow better than any other competitor’s 24-26 inch snowblower with the 12-inch impeller.

Toro has two residential models of the Power Max. I’ll give you links to Internet retailers I trust or you can purchase them at your local Toro dealer.

5. TORO 2-Stage Power Max HD

I like the Toro Power Max HD snowblowers a lot. They are premium snow blowers and have long been known as some of the best snow blowers in the industry. They are among the most dependable snow blowers made. The Toro Power Max HD snow blowers will handle all types of snow.

The Toro Power Max HD snow blowers are heavy-duty machines. These snow blowers look big but are actually very easy to use. They are balanced very well and have excellent traction in all conditions. I have no problems recommending them to any person who can walk behind a snowblower and use both hands.

They are very comparable to the Ariens Deluxe and Platinum Series and will easily outperform the more expensive Honda 2-stage snow blowers.  I’ve been using the 928 OAE for a while now and it’s one of my favorite snow blowers. Consumer Reports agrees and currently gives the Power Max HD 928 OAE it’s highest rating. Check out my video of the 928 here: Can the Toro Power Max HD 928 OAE Snow Blower handle deep snow?

Toro has made a few significant changes recently to make a great snowblower even better.

1. New Metal Extended Chutes with double deflector: New for this year all the Toro 2-stage snow blowers have a metal chute. The Power Max HD models have a double-jointed extended chute for increased range over the previous models. You asked for it – they listened!
2. New Quick Stick Control and Beveled Gears: The Quick Stick chute control has always been one of the best chute controls on the market but for this year Toro completely redesigned it with a steel-reinforced handle and beveled gears. It’s almost effortless to use.
3. New Metal ACS: The Power Max HD models now have an all-metal ACS. The Anti-Clogging System regulates the snow intake to the impeller allowing the engine to maintain maximum speed for the best performance and throwing distance. The all-metal auger housing was also improved and was tipped back slightly so you can push into deep snow and clear drifts easier.
4. New Top Load Gearbox: The new gearbox on the Power Max HD models does not have a vertical seam so it will not leak. High-impact, grade 5 steel shear bolts prevent damage to the gearcase. (Grade 5 is so strong you may never have to replace one)
5. Larger Engine: Toro has added a 12 HP (375cc) engine back into the line. This extra power allows the new 32 inch HD model to throw more snow and throw it farther than ever before.
6. New LED Lights on Power Max Models: New location and custom-designed lens shine more light where you need it. Because the LED lights take less power than the old Halogen lamps more current is now available to the heated handgrips to make them warmer.
7. New 32 inch size! Power Max HD 1232 OHXE Residential. A larger width and a larger engine for those of you who want a wider machine.

Why Toro Power Max HD?

1. These snow blowers do not need high horsepower engines to do the work. The design of the Anti-Clog System inside the auger housing allows the impeller to off-load snow if there is too much. That gives the snowblower a consistent output without requiring an excessively large engine. Because of that, they have more capacity than snow blowers from other brands that use closed flight augers. These snow blowers are very fuel-efficient.
2. Like the other good heavy-duty snow blowers on the market, the Power Max HD series use a 14-inch impeller and 14-inch auger to give it more capacity and throwing distance than the compact residential grade snow blowers. They use a unique cupped impeller paddle that really throws the snow a long way – if you want it to.
3. The Anti-Clog System does not plug. It handles all types of snow including heavy, wet slushy snow well.
4. The Toro Power Max HD will throw more snow just as far as the Honda HSS928AW/HSS928AWD and costs almost $1000 less.
5. The Toro Power Max HD 828, 928 OAE, and 1030 OHAE have Triggerless Steering and steers/zero-turns as easily as a shopping cart. The rest of the Power Max HD snowblowers all use a trigger-style power steering system. The trigger steer goes in a straight line until you pull one of the handle mounted triggers to turn. You can pull both triggers to release both wheels at the same time to zero-turn.

Toro has four residential models of the Power Max HD. I’ll give you links to Internet retailers I trust or you may purchase them at your local Toro dealer.

New! Power Max® HD Snow Blower Snow Cab Kit (139-1640) This cab is designed specifically for the Power Max HD series. This cab is not cheap but will last many years longer than the “universal” kits. 

• (Buy From The Home Depot)
• (Buy From ACME Tools) 

Recommended: New! 28″ (71 cm) Power Max HD 828 OAE 252cc Two-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower (38838)MSRP: $1,299.00 USD This is the new “economy” version of the Power Max HD. It will handle just as deep of snow as the other HD models – it just won’t do it as fast. I predict this will be one of Toro’s most popular models! No, it does not have hand warmers and you can’t install them. Will not clog on heavy, wet snow!

• (Buy From The Home Depot)
• (Buy From ACME Tools)

Recommended:  28″ (71 cm) Power Max® HD 928 OAE 28 in. 265cc Two-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower (38840)MSRP: $1,499.00 USD The 928 is quickly becoming the “standard” of heavy-duty snow blowers. Will not clog on heavy, wet snow!

• (Buy From The Home Depot)
• (Buy From ACME Tools)

6. TORO 2-Stage Power Max HD Commercial

The Toro Power Max HD snow blowers have been a snowblower of choice for institutions and large businesses for many years. They are easy to operate and will run for years and years without a lot of upkeep. The two new models listed here are specifically for the commercial operator and have a reinforced handle, cast iron skid shoes, drift cutters, large 420cc engines, an all-metal dash, and a commercial warranty.

NEW Features!

1. All-metal design: Chute, ACS, dash, and reinforced handles are now all metal.
2. Redesigned Impeller: The combination of the new impeller, extended chute, and larger engines increases the throw distance up to 60 feet.
3. Larger Engines: Toro has added 14 HP (420cc) engines back into the line. This extra power allows the 28 and 32-inch Commercial models to throw more snow faster and throw it farther than ever before.
4. New LED Lights on Power Max Models: New location and custom-designed lens shine more light where you need it. Because the LED lights take less power than the old Halogen lamps more current is now available to the heated handgrips to make them warmer.
5. New 32 inch size! Power Max HD 1432 OHXE Commercial. Larger width and engine for those of you who want a wider machine for parking lots and commercial sidewalks. One round trip will clear a 5-foot sidewalk!
6. New Metal Extended Chutes with double deflector: All the Toro 2-stage snow blowers have a metal chute. The Power Max HD Commercial models have a double-jointed extended chute for increased range over the previous models. This allows you to put snow exactly where you want it – whether it’s 60 feet away or right by your side.
7. New Quick Stick Control and Beveled Gears: The Quick Stick chute control has always been one of the best chute controls on the market but for this year Toro completely redesigned it with a steel-reinforced handle and beveled gears. It’s almost effortless to use.
8. New Top Load Gearbox: The new gearbox on the Power Max HD models does not have a vertical seam so it will not leak. High-impact, grade 5 steel shear bolts prevent damage to the gearcase. (Grade 5 is so strong you may never have to replace one)

I’ll give you links to Internet retailers I trust or you can purchase them at your local Toro dealer.

7. TORO 2-Stage Power TRX Commercial

It has been a very long time since Toro has offered a track-drive snowblower. I’m glad they waited because track drives have been historically hard to use, were very slow compared to wheeled units, and required special heavy-duty turning clutches/dogs that notoriously broke down when you needed them most.  Toro took their time and eliminated all of these problems with the new Power TRX.

• Hydrostatic transmission (Hydro-Gear SST) with internal planetary clutches. No worry about having them bind-up.
• Smooth Handling and Low Maintenance – Hydrostatic transmission for self-propelled operation, increased stability, and smoother handling. Total Speed Control – Change your speed on the go with Infinitely Variable Speed.
• The new track drive is only 4 inches wide. This narrow width allows the tracks to dig into the snow giving it better traction than most of the competitors. Unmatched Stability – Track driven allows you to clear snow from the toughest terrain and steepest slopes.
• Large drive wheel on tracks gives this snow blower a faster top-end than most of the competition.
• Toro’s QuickAdjust auger height control is right at your fingertips allowing you to go from transport to float to dig-in mode without stopping. In dig-in mode the 3-point tracks will shift the weight of the snowblower to give you maximum tractions pushing through old snow.
• Powered Precision Moves – Powered with Toro’s king, a 420cc engine, and controlled with power steering for smooth, tight turns.

(I have one of these to use this year. I can’t wait to get it out of the box!)

Reading Toro Snow Blower Reviews:

1. 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 Toro snow blowers are either fuel or operator related. Toro Premium 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. Knowing this will go a long way toward liking your new snowblower. Please read this article to learn more: Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS – Read This For The Truth
   2. By the way: The Toro snow blowers sold at a dealer are the exact same snowblower as sold at the retail stores like The Home Depot and ACME Tools.
   3. Aggregate reviews. Many websites scour the web for reviews and then post them on their website. In other cases, one disgruntled owner will write the same or similar review in as many places as they can. So what you end up with is many reviews about one specific issue from only one person. I see this quite a bit on The Home Depot and Toro sites.  Just remember, for every bad review there are thousands of Toro snow blowers sold and doing well. Please read the date the review was written and the wording to determine if there is an actual problem. If there ever is a recurring problem Toro identifies it and makes the changes so it gets fixed. In other words, negative reviews more than two years old are not worth your time to read.
   4. I want to caution you about one type of review website 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 about a “Top 10” review or a “2018 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. 

By The Way – All Opinions are Mine.

I would like you to find the best snow blower for you but there are over 400 available so it’s an almost impossible task for you to find the right one. So let me help.

By the way – a quality $500 two-stage snow blower no longer exists. The base regular price is now $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 manufacturers 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 videos using them on YouTube.

I also spend a lot of time reading reviews from owners, reading and watching video YouTube reviews from owners 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 otherwise biased, paid, only here to make money, and only here to complain ones.

Feel free to ask questions in the comment section below.

The post 2021 Toro Snow Blowers Review – What’s New – Which One Is Best For You? appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

The post The Best Snowblowers For You! Fall 2020 appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

Cub Cadet has methodically updated their entire snow blower line over the last few years and it now includes a model that just may be the best snow blower for you. They now have track-drive, 2-stage, heavy-duty 2-stage, 3-stage, high output Pro 3-stage, and EFI.

All models now have trigger-style power steering, Dual LED lights that work great, an upgraded chute/deflector control, and all but one a metal chute. Of course, all the 2 and 3-stage models use the Cool Blue skid shoes that last 10 times longer than other poly shoes. Many also come standard with heated handgrips (red handles)

One of the best new “features” of the Cub Cadet line this year is you can now buy your new snowblower directly from CubCadet.com.  An authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Your dealer services your snowblower before bringing it to you. That means:

I’m going to start with the 2-stage and 2-stage heavy-duty models because that is what most of you will want. I’ll cover the 3-stage and single-stage in the next article

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Be sure you read this article on fuel, fuel stabilizer, and storing fuel. Before/when I buy a new gas snow blower what else do I need?

Please Note: Prices are subject to change. With the Pandemic going on prices on the basic materials used to make snowblowers go going up and up. In other words the prices you may pay may be higher than what I list in this article.

Cub Cadet 2X 2-Stage Snow Blowers

Cub Cadet has two types of 2-stage snow blowers. The “regular” HP models and a heavy-duty MAX series. The regular models are what you are used to. Good dependable snow blowers that work well for most of us. I highly recommend these if you live within one hundred miles of Interstate 80 here in the U.S. From North Platte, Nebraska to DesMoines, Chicago, Toledo, Detroit, Pittsburg, and New York City.

If you live north of I-80 or you get a lot of heavy, wet snow look at the heavy-duty MAX models with the larger 14-inch auger/impeller.

The heavy-duty 2-stage series has more capacity, a larger 14-inch impeller, a larger 14-inch front auger, and a higher front intake.

Cub Snow Blower 2X TWO-STAGE SERIES

 2X-24.  243cc Cub Cadet engine. 12-inch impeller, 12-inch auger, 21-inch intake height. This 2-stage snow blower with power steering is one of the best values on the market. It is one of the most popular 24-inch snow blowers. It’s a great price at $899. The basic snowblower has been around for a long time and it’s always my first choice for people who average up to 60 inches a year with a 2 car 60-foot driveway and want an easy-to-use snowblower. This year it has been upgraded with a new dash, LED lights, chute, larger engine, and deflector controls. It works well for gravel, hard surfaces, and turf. It’s balanced well and the handlebars are lower than most other snow blowers so it works very well for shorter people. In fact, if you are under 6 feet tall, can walk and use both hands – you can use this machine. It comes with long-wearing poly skid shoes that won’t scratch your delicate pavers or leave brown rust stains on your concrete. It has all the features of the more expensive machines except hand warmers but they can be installed by your local Cub Cadet dealer.

Yes, it retails for a little more than many of the other 24-inch snow blowers but this is a solid well-built snowblower and will last you a long time.

(This 2-stage snowblower has one of the lowest handlebar heights in the industry. If you are 5’1″ to 5’9″ or have a small frame it is very easy to use. If you are over 6 feet move up to the 2X 26 HP.)

Good For: If you are looking for a snowblower for your smaller single or two-car driveway. If you have pavement and gravel to clear a 2-stage like this one is the correct choice. If you need a snowblower to bust through good-sized snowplow drifts or you get drifting on your driveway. If you average 60 inches or less snow a year (Most of the Midwest) this is a great choice. It has power steering so anyone can use it, a strong 243 cc engine for plenty of power for most snows, great headlights, and easy-to-use chute controls.

If you have space restrictions and need a small snowblower to fit in the garage in front of your car or have small gates to go through this is the best choice for a 2-stage snowblower.

Not Good For: If you live on the east coast or near the Lake Tahoe area and you regularly get a lot of heavy, wet snow. If you average more than 60 inches of snow a year you will want a snowblower with a 14-inch impeller.

$899.00 OR $75/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Click Here: CubCadet.com

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2X 24
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

 2X 26 HP. 243cc Cub Cadet engine. 12-inch impeller, 12-inch auger, 21-inch intake height. There is a lot to like about this new Cub Cadet. I really like the new chute controls and the dash with 2 headlights. One feature most people miss is it now has taller tires so it will have better traction and the handles will be just a little taller than the older models. Power steering, metal chute, long-lasting skid shoes make this a great snow blower for the price.

Good For: It is a great choice for people who average up to 60 inches a year and have about a 100-foot 2-car driveway.  It’s a lightweight snowblower compared to most others on the market so it’s easy for almost everyone to use. If a 24 inch is too small and a 28 inch too for your storage area this 26 is a great choice. This snow blower has plenty of power for its size.

Not Good For: This snow blower handles most types of snow well, including the snow plow drift out at the end of your driveway and I highly recommend it for most areas of the U.S. But if you live in an area of the country that regularly gets heavy/wet snow – Boston for example – this snow blower is not a good choice. With the new metal chute is does not plug very easily but the front auger may get full of snow. (The front wants to ride up in the deep snow)

$999.00 OR $84/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com. Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Click Here: CubCadet.com

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2X 26 HP
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

 2X 28 HP. 272cc Cub Cadet engine. 12-inch impeller, 12-inch auger, 21-inch intake height. This will be one of the more popular snow blowers in the Cub Cadet line. It’s competitively priced and has all the creature features you could want including power steering, hand warmers, LED lights, 16X5 tires, and easy to use chute and deflector controls. In my opinion, this is a great snow blower for 2-3 car driveways up to 150 feet long that get an average of 60-80 inches per year.

Good For: It is a great choice for people who average up to 60 inches a year and have about a 150-foot 2-3 car driveway.  It’s a lightweight snowblower compared to most others on the market so it’s easy for almost everyone to use. The 28-inch width is very popular among all the brands because it can quickly clear a large area compared to the 24-inch machines. The 277 engine has plenty of power for that type of snow clearing.

Not Good For: This snow blower handles most snow well, including the snow plow drift out at the end of your driveway and I highly recommend it for most areas of the U.S. But if you live in an area of the country that regularly gets heavy/wet snow – Boston for example – this snow blower is not a good choice. With the new metal chute is does not plug very easily but the front auger may get full of snow. (The front wants to ride up in the deep snow)

$1099.00 OR $75/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2X 28 HP
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

 2X 30 HP. 357cc Cub Cadet engine. 12-inch impeller, 12-inch auger, 21-inch intake height. Cub Cadet has updated and brought back the 30 inch 2-stage model. New steel chute, twin LED headlights and an updated engine.

Good For: It is a great choice for people who average up to 60 inches a year and have longer driveways.  The 357 engine has plenty of power for that type of snow clearing.

Not Good For: This snowblower only throws snow 20-35 feet so if you have a wide area to clear (like a parking lot) there are other snow blowers that will do a better job.  In addition, this snow blower has a limited capacity to handle heavy/wet snow and heavy snowfalls. The 12-inch impeller and 12-inch closed flight auger severely limit the amount of snow this 30-inch machine can move through it at one time. Almost all of the other 30 inch snowblowers on the market today (including the Cub Cadet 2X 30″ MAX) use a larger 14-inch impeller and front auger which greatly increases the capacity and throwing distance. In heavy/wet snow the new metal chute does not plug very easily but the 6-flight closed front auger may get full of snow and pack into a solid cylinder. Finally, if you are trying to clear more than a 10-inch snowfall the front may want to ride up or it will push the snow like a snowplow. Spend the extra money and buy the 2X 30″ MAX.

(This 30-inch snow blower housing, impeller, auger, and the engine is also marketed as the Troy-Bilt Storm XP 30, Craftsman SB630, Remington 30, Columbia, MTD, and Yard-Man. These snow blowers are popular because of the price but they all have this same issue)

$1199.00 OR $75/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Click Here: CubCadet.com

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2X 30 HP
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

 2X 30″ EFI Snow Blower 357cc Cub Cadet EFI engine. 12-inch impeller, 12-inch auger, 23-inch intake height. If you want EFI this is Cub Cadet’s offering. This snow blower will give you reliable starting in all weather conditions and it can run on regular, E-10, and E-15 fuels. It is similar to the 2X 30 above but it does have the taller intake housing, a 3rd LED light (upfront), and the EFI.

$1699.00 OR $75/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Click Here: CubCadet.com

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2X 30″ EFI
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

 2X 26″ TRAC Snow Blower  272cc Cub Cadet engine. 12-inch impeller, 12-inch auger, 23-inch intake height. At $1499 this is one of the best value tracked snow blowers on the market and I like it a lot! It has the taller intake housing to handle deep drifts, 3-point tracks that will give you the maximum amount of traction for pushing through deep drifts, off-roading, and climbing steeper driveways. The clearance under the scraper bar is adjustable with the side lever so you can lock the front down for maximum cleaning, “float” the front so it rides over rough pavement, and lock it up for cleaning turf areas or transporting (driving) it back to the shed. The 272cc engine has plenty of power to handle any snow you need to clear.

$1499.00 OR $75/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Click Here: CubCadet.com

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2X 26″ TRAC
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

 2X 30″ TRAC Snow Blower 357cc Cub Cadet engine. 12-inch impeller, 12-inch auger, 23-inch intake height. This snow blower is similar to the 2X 26 and is wider to handle larger areas. It also has a bigger engine to handle the extra snow from the 30-inch width.

(I was driving around Lyons, IA yesterday. The town is built on top of the Mississippi River bluff and there are many large homes with long, steep driveways. The homes sit on the top of the hill and their driveways go down to a street below the house. This snow blower would be perfect for those long, steep blacktop driveways.)

$1899.00 OR $75/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Click Here: CubCadet.com

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2X 30″ TRAC
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

Cub Cadet Heavy-Duty 2-Stage Snow Blower

2X 30″ MAX Snow Blower    357cc Cub Cadet engine. 14-inch impeller, 14-inch auger, 23-inch intake height.

This is my favorite Cub Cadet snowblower. At $1499 it is one of the best bargains if you get lots of snow. It will handle any snow you get including heavy/wet snow.  The taller 23-inch intake is great if you get drifts. This is a true heavy-duty snowblower. It features a heavy-duty front gearbox. Large 14-inch auger and impeller. The large tires give you plenty of traction and the Cool Blue skid shoes won’t mar your pavers and will last a lot longer than the other poly shoes. When using this machine the extra bracing on the handles gives this snow blower a solid feel.

(I’ve been using the similar Troy-Bilt Arctic Storm for over 5 years now and it has been a very dependable and capable snowblower. This Cub Cadet has the new LED “wrap-around” lighting so you can see really well at night. It also has an updated engine and the chute/deflector controls work very well.)

Good For: If you live anywhere in the U.S. that gets heavy/wet snow this snow blower is a great choice. The larger diameter impeller and front auger will chew through the heaviest snow and throw it a long way. The extra lighting will be a welcome addition if you have to clear your snow at night.

I highly recommend this if you live on the east coast and get the “Nor’easter” storms, or upstate New York that gets the lake effect snows. It’s also a good choice for Nothern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Salt Lake City, and even Lake Tahoe with it’s “snowcrete.”

Not Good For: I really don’t have anything bad to say about this snow blower other than I wish they also made a 26-inch version. It will handle any snow from 1 inch to 24 inches, heavy snow, wet snow, and of course, light fluffy snow. Be aware you will need a 36-inch minimum door to get it into your shed.

$1499.00 OR $75/mo No interest if paid in full within 12 months at CubCadet.com Note: When you buy through Cub Cadet an authorized dealer will assemble the snowblower, test it, and make sure it is ready to work for you. You can pick it up from the dealer yourself the next day for free or for a set charge they will deliver it to your home. 

Click Here: CubCadet.com

Also available at:

The Home Depot Click Here: Cub Cadet 2x 30 MAX
Tractor Supply Click Here: Cub Cadet Snowblowers
Farm & Fleet Click Here: Cub Cadet SnowBlowers

The post 2021 Cub Cadet Snow Blowers – Which One Is Best For You? appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

I want to start off with a warning. Most of us want a snow blower that will last years, clear the snow well and if it does break be able to quickly get it serviced. We want the best price and understand you get what you pay for in this industry.

So, If the price seems too good to be true – it probably is. Be extremely careful of 2-stage snow throwers selling for less than $699!  Also, be very careful about a retailer or online store selling a “brand name” snow thrower for less than what most other retailers are selling that brand for. Or for that matter any snowblower selling for hundreds less than the brands you recognize. If the price is ‘too” good. If you don’t recognize the brand there is a more than likely chance the snow thrower is made in China. Service, parts, and repairs for it is non-existent or at best weeks away.

If you have any concerns feel free to ask in the comment section below this article. Please give me the specifics and/or link to where the snow blower is offered.

So, what’s new for 2020!

Cub Cadet (MTD)

 Last year Cub Cadet finished upgrading their line to include more engine power on all their 2-stage snow blowers. They also changed their line so all the 2-stage machines have trigger power steering.

New! This year Cub Cadet has added two new snow blowers –

1. the 2X 30″ EFI.  This 12-inch impeller, 2-stage snow blower comes with their 357 cc EFI, Intellipower engine which provides up to 18% more power and can be used with E15 fuels. (all other snow engines require E10 or less fuel) Check it out here: Cub Cadet 2X30 EFI

2. 2X MAX 30 in. 357 cc Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower with Electric Start, Power Steering and Steel Chute. This snow blower will compete directly with the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO and the Toro 1030 OHAE.  14 inch impeller. 14 inch auger. Cub Cadet dependable 357cc engine.  MAX housing and all the extras you come to expect from Cub Cadet. All for $1499. Check it out here: Cub cadet 2X MAX 30 inch.

Cub Cadet snow blowers are available from the following places.

Great news! Besides buying online from The Home Depot, or from your local dealer, you can now order your new Cub Cadet snow blower online directly from Cub Cadet. When you order through the Cub Cadet site it will be uncrated, assembled, and inspected at an authorized Cub Cadet dealer. You may pick the snow blower up at the dealer – ready to work – or they will deliver it to you for a preset fee that is shown when you check out at cubcadet.com.

Cub Cadet Snow Blowers will also be offered through Tractor Supply Co.! Cub Cadet (MTD) was just named Tractor Supply Company’s top vendor partner of the year! You will be able to order your snowblower through tractorsupply.com and pick it up at your local TSC store.

Toro

 With Toro’s 2020 additions to the snowthrower/snowblower product line Toro now offers seven electric and twenty-five gas-powered models of snow blowers!

Six new models!

1. 12 inch, 60 volt MAX FlexForce Power Shovel. Offered with a 2.5 AH battery(39909) and as a bare tool (39909T), this snow thrower is about the size of your string trimmer and will be great for clearing steps, small paved areas, decks, and patios. It uses a 2-speed brushless motor and will run up to 45 minutes on one charge. Of course if you already the larger 6.0 and 7.5 AH batteries they will also fit.
2. 26 inch Toro Power Max 826 OHAE (37802). Replacing last year’s 826 OAE This model now has heated handgrips and LED lighting. Automatic steering ( no levers to pull) this mid-sized snow blower is a great choice for Midwest winters with average (30-50 Inch snowfalls)
3. 28 inch Power Max® HD 828 OAE (38838). Using Toro’s large capacity housing, large 14-inch impeller, and legendary Anti-Clogging System this new snowblower is Toro’s least expensive heavy-duty machine. Automatic – no trigger – steering, large drive tires, and 4-way joystick chute control. (This model does not have hand warmers and you can’t install them.)
4.  30 inch Power Max® HD 1030 OHAE (38830). The 928 OAE was so popular last year that Toro has added a 30-inch version. The 30-inch version is just a little larger, has a little more power, and includes the heavy-duty ACS front auger, 14-inch impeller, automatic steering, and their great 4-way chute control. In addition, because you asked, HAND WARMERS!
5. 28 inch Power TRX HD Commercial 1428 OHXE (38890). Last year Toro introduced the Commercial Power Max HD with the largest engine they have ever put on a snow blower. This year they’ve taken that proven design and added a hydrostatic transmission and 3-point, high-speed track drive. A Toro track drive snow blower has been a long time coming and it really looks like this model has been worth the wait. Trigger steering. Fully adjustable bucket height (transport, float, and dig-in.) Large track area for the most traction. Large track drive wheel for speed much greater than the comparable Honda, Husqvarna, or Cub Cadet snow blowers.
6. 32 inch Power TRX HD Commercial 1432 OHXE (38891). All the features of the 1428 OHXE in a larger 32-inch width. Knowing what I know about the Power Max HD series this snow blower will be the highest capacity, fastest, most versatile, and longest throwing snow blower on the market.

Toro snow blowers are available from the following places.

• Your local Toro Dealer
• The Home Depot
• ACME Tools

Ariens

Ariens is adding three new snow throwers this year including a new single-stage snow thrower, a single/2-stage crossover, and finally – a Compact 24 with Power Steering (Auto Turn). This brings their product line to 25 gas models. This is a complete line of snow throwers and you will be able to find the right model whether you have a small patio, get huge amounts of heavy, wet snow, or have a long, long driveway to clear.

Three new models!

1. I’m really excited about the new Ariens Crossover. The “small” 20-inch snowblower will clean sidewalks, patios, driveways, and other hard surfaces right down to the pavement without damaging it. Plus, it will be able to throw the snow much farther than a conventional single-stage machine. This is a new hybrid type snow blower that uses a rubber front auger/paddle so it will clear right down to the pavement but also leveraging two-stage style snow clearing. It’s a completely different from the Toro SnowMaster, which markets itself as a two-stage, although it’s really a single stage. At only 20 inches it will cut through deep, heavy snow with a lot of power. This snow blower is especially suited for most women for it’s smaller size and easier maneuverability. The price is $699. Here is the website link with more info: https://www.ariens.com/en-us/power-equipment/snow-products/snow-blowers/crossover
2. If you have been looking for a small, lightweight, single-stage snowthrower to clean your deck, patio, sidewalks, or just want to replace your snow shovel with a faster method that eliminates the heavy work of shoveling snow, the new S 18 Ariens single stage is the snowthrower for you. This is the smallest snow thrower in the Ariens line, yet it has all the reliability and long life you expect from Ariens Sno-Thro’s. At only 59lbs, so it’s very lightweight and extremely easy to use. Great for metro and suburban areas with small driveways, or for those of you that don’t see a ton of snow. I really like the looks of the machine itself. The price is $429. https://www.ariens.com/en-us/power-equipment/snow-products/snow-blowers/s18-single-stage
3. Finally, an Ariens Compact 24 with Power Steering! 24 inch clearing width, 20 inch intake, large 223cc Ariens AX engine, Auto Turn clears your driveway quickly, yet is easy to use.

Ariens snow blowers are available from the following places.

Get you new Ariens Here: Ariens Dealer Locator

Select models will also be available at Lowes, Ace Hardware, Fleet Farm, and other retailers.

Troy-Bilt (MTD)

 Troy-Bilt continues to offer a complete line of reasonably priced snow blowers including some models with airless tires. They offer smaller models with hand warmers (that work.) Troy-Bilt has not updated its website at this time but I don’t expect any changes for this year.

Troy-Bilt snow blowers are available from the following places.

Besides buying online from The Home Depot, you can now order your new Troy-Bilt snow blower online at Troybilt.com. When you order through the Troy-Bilt site it will be shipped right to your door from Troy-Bilt’s warehouse. Assembly is easy and the only tools you need are a combination wrench or socket to adjust the skid shoes on the 2/3 stage snow blowers.

Husqvarna

 Last year Husqvarna updated their entire line. They fixed the belt and handwarmer issues with the 200 series and added the wrap-around dash to all the models. They added a mid-range, disk-drive 300 series and moved all the hydro models to the 400 series. Finally, they redesigned the track drive models to eliminate the broken idler wheels and added an infinite bucket height adjustment lever.

For 2020 Husqvarna has done two things:

1. Dropped all single-stage snow blowers from the line.
2. In its place, they have added the 100 series 2-stage. This will be an economical snow blower with a friction-disk drive, 212cc engine, and manual chute. It is designed for light to moderate snows and looks to be directly competitive with the Troy-Bilt Storm 2410 and the Ariens Classic. It will have a $699 retail but I expect it to be heavily discounted to compete with the dozens of Chinese imports including PowerSmart and DR Power.

Husqvarna snow blowers are available from the following places.

Tractor Supply: Tractor Supply Snowblowers

ACME Tool: Snowblowers at ACME tools

Northern Tool Company (includes Tractor Mounted): Northern Tool Snowblowers

You Local Husqvarna Dealer: Husqvarna Dealer Locator

Various other retailers including Lowes.

Honda

 Honda lineup hasn’t changed for the year BUT the 2-stage on-board electric start models are now available from The Home Depot and ACME tool.

Honda snowblowers are available from the following places.

Your local Honda Power Equipment Dealer.

The Home Depot: Honda Snowblowers at The Home Depot

ACME Tool: Snowblowers at ACME tools

Craftsman (Owned by Stanley, Black & Decker) (Built by MTD)

This year Craftsman has added one new snow blower – the 2X 30″ EFI.  This 12-inch impeller, 2-stage snow blower comes with a 357 cc EFI, PowerStart engine.

I’m still warning you to completely understand what you have to do if you have a warranty issue with your Craftsman snow blower before you purchase your new machine. “Proof of purchase is required. Call 888-331-4569 for details.” These snowblowers are the ONLY American made snow blower brand without a local, nationwide service and parts network.

Please don’t misunderstand – I don’t have a problem with SBD or the Craftsman snowblowers. They just need to get a service and parts network that is easy to use.

UPDATE: I just found out from a reliable source that authorized MTD repair centers (Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, etc) are also able to order parts and do warranty work on Craftsman/SBD snow blowers. I still highly recommend that you check with your local repair center before you buy a Craftsman to make sure they will work on it. 

Craftsman snow blowers are available from Menards, Farm & Fleet, ACE Hardware and Lowes.

Briggs & Stratton (B&S, Simplicity, Snapper)

 Briggs & Stratton owns Simplicity, Snapper, and Briggs & Stratton snow blowers. The lines are not changing for their year but there is some major news about the company I have to let you know about before you decide to purchase from B&S this fall.

1. Briggs & Stratton put the Simplicity, Snapper and B&S snowblower, mowers, and riding mowers up for sale in April
2. B&S filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July
3. B&S announced they are moving the lawnmower and snow blower lines back to the east coast.
4. It’s unclear at this point if the snow blower you now own or may purchase this fall will be supported in years to come or if it will fade into the background just like the dozens of other brands that have gone before…

There are plenty of B&S snow blowers available around the country so buying one will not be an issue this fall. I have not had a chance to ask a Simplicity dealer if they were able to order snow blowers for this season or if they will be selling from existing stock.

Briggs & Stratton (B&S, Simplicity, Snapper) snow blowers are available from the following places.

Simplicity Snow Blowers are available from Simplicity Dealers

B&S snow blowers are available from The Home Depot and many other fine retailers nationwide.

EGO Snow Throwers

I will cover EGO and other electric snow blowers in a separate article.

PowerSmart (Amerisun)

PowerSmart has two new snow blowers this year and appears to be getting rid of all the rest. These models are 100% produced in China and are the cheapest snow blowers on the market. These snow blowers are consistently rated as the worst snow blowers on the market but people keep buying them because of the price.

1. PSS2240 24 IN. 212CC 2-STAGE ELECTRIC START GAS SNOW BLOWER. Retail $499. On sale for $399 at The Home Depot.
2. PSS1210M 21 INCH SINGLE STAGE GAS POWERED SNOW BLOWER Retail $399. On Sale for $349 at The Home Depot.

DR Power

 DR Power does not have any new models this year.

DR Power snow blowers are available from the following places.

DR Snow Blowers are available directly from them online and at select DR Power dealers.

The post 2020 Snow Blowers – What’s new! appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

Snow Blower Engines – Who Makes What?

There are five major manufacturers of winterized engines currently being installed on the snowblowers sold in the U.S. Every one of these brands has been around for over 10 years now and all of them have a proven record of reliability.  In fact, in the last five years, all of the motors over 250cc have service records that are the best the industry has ever seen. Parts and service are easy to get from the dealer you purchased it from.  If you purchased your snowblower online from a reputable retailer they will help you get service and parts. Today’s snowblower engines are designed to run on 87 Octane E10 fuels. They don’t require Premium non-ethanol fuels for proper operation. They are designed to run on today’s fuel (Do NOT use E-15 or E-85) When getting fuel please make sure you ARE NOT getting E15 or E20 Fuel!

LCT: LCT is an American-owned company and they own its factories in Vietnam. You will mainly see this brand on Ariens and Husqvarna snowblowers but there are a few smaller brands now using this manufacturer. Storm Force, Ariens AX, and Snow King are LCT engines. LCT engine reliability on the Ariens and Husqvarna snow throwers is becoming legendary. LCT engines on other brands of snow blowers will have LCT on the valve cover.

LCT engines on Ariens and Husqvarna snowblowers are warrantied through the respective Ariens and Husqvarna dealers. LCT engines mounted on Power Smart and other smaller brand snow blowers are warrantied through LCT.

PowerMore OHV Winterized Engines: These engines are made in China and designed specifically for MTD. This motor is usually labeled the same as the snowblower it is mounted on. In other words, if you buy a Cub Cadet snowblower it will be labeled as a Cub Cadet engine. Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Craftsman, and Yard Machines engines are PowerMore.

All PowerMore engines are warrantied through the snowblower brand they are mounted on.

Loncin: Toro’s Premium Engine is made to Toro’s specifications by Loncin, one of China’s largest motorcycle manufacturers. Like LCT and Powermore the reliability is way up compared to your old Tecumseh or Briggs engine. As far as I know, DR Power is also using this engine manufacturer on their snow blowers.

Briggs & Stratton Snow Series: All B&S motors are labeled as such. Simplicity, Snapper, and Brigg & Stratton snowblowers exclusively use B&S engines. If a B&S engine is mounted on another snowblower brand B&S warranties the engine, not the snowblower manufacturer it is mounted on.

Any B&S snow engines that are made in the USA will have the “made in USA” sticker on them. In reality, though, almost all are made overseas. Briggs does own its own plant in China. According to the Briggs & Stratton website, the following engines are NOT made in the U.S.A. 800, 900, 1150, 2100 Snow Series

Honda: No I didn’t forget about Honda. They only install snow motors on their own brand. According to the latest info I have the engines in the single-stage (GC/GCV engines) are made in the U.S.A. and the rest (larger GX engines) are made in Thailand.

Tecumseh: Lawson Power Products (Tecumseh:) quit making engines in 2008. LCT has partnered with them and is now using the technology and brand names from the old Tecumseh OHV product line.

Snow Blowers by Brand: Who Makes What?

Manufacturer: Ariens

 Ariens actually makes nine different series of single and 2-stage snow blowers but for most of us the Ariens Compact, Ariens Deluxe, and Ariens Platinum will be the models we will buy. The Pro, and Track series are high-quality commercial snow blowers designed to last a lifetime.

All of these are made in the U.S.A. (the S18 single-stage is outsourced)

Brand: Craftsman

As you most likely know Stanley, Black & Decker (SBD) purchased the Craftsman name this year – but not the products. What that means for snow blowers is Stanley, Black & Decker will be independently developing their own line of Craftsman snow “throwers”, parts, and repair network. Because of that, I will explain the different Craftsman snow thrower lines available this year.

Craftsman At Sears

Currently, Sears is not selling Craftsman branded snow blowers. But parts and service for the Craftsman you purchased at Sears are still available through searspartsdirect.com

Craftsman At Lowes, ACE. Craftsman.com, etc.

As you most likely know Stanley, Black & Decker (SBD) purchased the Craftsman name – but not the products. What that means for snow blowers is they will be independently developing their own line of Craftsman snowblower, parts, and repair network. SBD recently purchased a large portion of MTD and has the option to buy the entire company in 2021. The Craftsman models currently listed on Lowes.com are made by MTD.

It appears Stanley, Black & Decker (SBD) also purchased Craftsman.com. It currently states,

WHO SHOULD I CALL FOR PARTS & REPAIR?
If you are in need of parts and/or repair for your CRAFTSMAN product, please call our customer service line, 888-331-4569.

WHERE CAN I GET MY TOOLS/EQUIPMENT REPAIRED?
For all repairs, call 888-331-4569 or email us at craftsman@sbdinc.com and we’ll handle all your repair needs.

(Specifically for Snow Throwers:) WARRANTY SERVICE
With proof of sale, call this number to obtain the warranty coverage stated below: 1-888-331-4569.

Manufacturer: MTD

 MTD makes single, 2-stage, and 3-stage snow throwers and sells them with different names. They also make snowblowers to spec for other brands like Craftsman SBD
Cub Cadet is the most extensive line with the best dealer network in the U.S.
Troy Bilt is also a very popular line and has good, affordable snow blowers.

Columbia
Remington
Yard Machines
Yardman, MTD Pro, MTD, MTD Gold

They are a U.S. based manufacturer and the majority of the models are made and assembled in the U.S.

Manufacturer: Honda

 All Honda single-stage machines for the USA and Canada market are manufactured at the Honda plant in Swepsonville, NC. This includes the entire engine, from casting to final machine work and assembly. I believe Honda is the only current USA-market snowblower manufacturer who makes both the engine and snowblower at a USA factory.

Starting in May 2015 all Honda 2-stage snowblowers for the USA and Canada market are manufactured at the Honda plant in Swepsonville, NC. The 2-stage engines are still made overseas.

Manufacturer: Husqvarna

 Husqvarna has both single-stage, 2-stage units.
Husqvarna
Poulan Pro

All of these are made in the U.S.A.

Manufacturer: Toro

Toro has a complete line of single, 2-stage, and heavy-duty 2 stage snow blowers. Toro has quietly developed one of the best snow blower lines.

• PowerMax
• PowerMax HD
• Power Clear
• SnowMaster

Most are made in the U.S.A. but some are made in Mexico.

Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton

 Briggs & Stratton makes 3 basic snow blowers. An economy, a residential and a pro model. They also have single and 2-stage. You will see them under various names like:
Brute
Simplicity
Snapper
Briggs & Stratton

Some of these are made in the U.S.A. but I’m not clear which ones are made overseas.

Brand: DR Power. DR Power is a famous U.S. brand but currently, all their snow blowers are made in China and imported here.

Brand: GENERAC. GENERAC is a famous U.S. brand but currently, all their snow blowers are made in China and imported here.

Brand: Amerisun Inc. The parent company for Power Smart and Snow Devil. This company is coming on strong with its China-built snow blowers. You can call them and get parts. They are currently building a nationwide service network.

Specialty Snow Throwers.

I am calling the rest of this list and any other brand not listed “specialty” snow throwers.  Almost all of them are made in China. At this time I don’t know which of these names are manufactures and which are brands named just for the U.S. market.  These brands either have only one or two models (most are small electrics) or are internet-only companies.

These companies all have the potential to be great, but for the time being be sure you understand the return and repair policies.  In other words, a 2-year warranty is great but if you can’t find a dealer, an address to ship it to, or even to get someone to answer your phone call the warranty is worthless.

Each Order of 50 Or More Comes With Free Shipping Container!

Other names you will see:

• DuroStar
• Aavix
• Beast
• D.E.K.
• Earthwise
• Frontier
• Greenworks
• Powerland
• Powermax
• Power Smart
• Snow Devil
• Snow Joe
• Stanley
• Worx
• YardMax
• Dirty Hand Tools

Other Companies not listed:

One last word of warning. If the price seems too good to be true – it probably is. Be extremely careful of 2-stage snow throwers selling for less than $600!  Or for that matter any snowblower selling for hundreds less than the brands you recognize. If you don’t recognize the brand there is a more than likely chance the snow thrower is made in China and service, parts, and repairs for it is non-existent or at best weeks away.

Used/Vintage Snowblowers:

Be very careful about buying used. Like boat motors, these older engines are very susceptible to problems with today’s fuel. In addition, parts for the actual snowblower may be impossible to find.

Snowblowers have gone through many different design changes in the last 50 years and they still have a ways to go. The designs vary from a simple auger and fan to a “sidewinder.”  There have been many different variations of the 3-stage design and some worked – and some don’t.

Gilson Snow Blower Shop has put together a long list of some of the old vintage machines. Go take a look here:Vintage Machine Showcase

The post 2020 Snow Blowers – Who Makes Each Brand? appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

•  Are Single-stage Snowthrowers good? It depends on how much snow you get at one time, the type of snow you get, and how far you want to throw the snow. Single-stage snowthrowers work best on 2-8 inches of snow. If you regularly get more than that single-stage snow throwers can be hard to use. Good single-stage snowthrowers will work on all types of snow. the better models will throw “normal” snow 15-25 feet so they will throw the snow off your single and two-car driveways. They will not throw heavy/wet snow or slush very far – usually only a few feet. If you normally get drifting you will want a two-stage snow blower to throw the snow farther away from your driveway so you don’t get deeper and deeper drifts as the winter progresses.
• Are single-stage snowthrowers self-propelled? The correct answer is no. Some single-stage snowthrower augers are designed so they will pull the snow thrower through the snow as it clears the snow. This feature is called “auger-assist.” This feature works best if there are 4-6 inches or more snow. On most models with rubber paddles when you lift up on the handles the auger will touch the ground and this will also help to pull the snow thrower through the snow.
• Can I use a single-stage snowthrower on a gravel driveway? Single-stage snowthrowers and designed to clear the snow right down to the pavement so they will pick up rocks and throw them. Since the gravel driveway is rough they are also very hard to push. They also don’t work on grass and dirt for the same reasons. If you want to clear a path out to the shed or clear a patch of lawn for your dogs you really need a two-stage snow blower for the task.
• Can single-stage snowthrowers break ice?  Can single-stage snowthrowers remove ice? Not really. It will not clear a sheet of ice off your driveway. Single-stage snow throwers generally have a plastic scraper behind the auger. This scraper has about the same clearing power as a poly snow shovel. What that means is if you throw salt or sand on the ice and the sun has a chance to melt the ice in places down to the pavement a single-stage snow thrower will be able to bust through the ice layer and scrape some of it up and throw it off your driveway.
• Can you use a single-stage snowthrower on slush? Yes, single-stage snowthrowers grab the slush and in one motion throw it out the chute. The good ones have the auger housing designed like a funnel so the slush doesn’t catch inside and plug the snowthrower. Be Aware – even the best will only throw slush a few feet.
• How much does a single-stage snowthrower weigh? A small 18-inch gas-powered single-stage snowthrower weighs about 60 lbs, a normal size 21-22 inch weighs about 90 lbs., and a larger 24 inch weighs about 130 lbs.
• How much is a decent single-stage snowthrower? Good gas-powered single-stage snowthrower are not cheap. A small 18-inch costs about $450, a normal size 21-22 inch costs about $650, and a larger 24-inch costs about $850.
• Is an electric or gas single-stage snowthrowers better? In general, gas single stage snowthrowers are better than cordless electric and much better than corded electric. There are two cordless electric snow blowers for the fall of 2019 that are better than about half of the single-stage snow blowers on the market. The Best Cordless Electric Snowblower For You! Fall 2019
• What brand makes the best single-stage snowthrowers? It depends on the website reviewing the products, owner reviews, and other factors. In general, Toro has the best overall reputation although Honda, Ariens, Troy-Bilt and Briggs & Stratton all have one or two models that rate well with review sites and owners.

Fuel & Oil Questions About Single-Stage Snowthrowers.

• 

  Do Not Use Fuel From This Pump In Your Snow Blower!

   Can I use regular gas in my single-stage snowthrower? Yes, the engine is designed for regular unleaded 87 Octane fuel with up to 10% E10 ethanol. DO NOT use fuel from a pump labeled E15 or higher ethanol. It will ruin your engine and void your warranty.

• Are single-stage snowthrowers 2 or 4 cycle? All single-stage snow throwers sold in the U.S. in the last 10 years are 4 cycle. No need for a separate gas can.
• Is it bad to run a single-stage snowthrower engine with the choke on? No. Small engines without EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) don’t have carburetors that automatically adjust the fuel ratio for different temperatures and altitudes. So, you need to do this by adjusting the choke lever.
• Why is my single-stage snowthrower sputtering? Adjust the choke lever until the engine smooths out. After the engine warms up you may have to further adjust the choke.  Small engines without EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) don’t have carburetors that automatically adjust the fuel ratio for different temperatures and altitudes. So, you need to do this by adjusting the choke lever.
• Can I use SAE 30 instead of 5w30 in my single-stage snowthrower? SAE 30 engine oil is thicker than 5W30 and it will make the engine hard to pull over and hard to start in cold weather. Rule of thumb: Below 32 degrees use 5W30.
• How many cc is a 5.5 hp engine? Around 208cc. Horsepower ratings are no longer used with small engines in the U.S. There are too many factors that go into determining the actual horsepower of an engine, let alone, the fact we use three different government standards to measure HP for small engines.
• How many horsepower is 208cc? Somewhere around 5 HP. Horsepower ratings are no longer used with small engines in the U.S. There are too many factors that go into determining the actual horsepower of an engine, let alone, the fact we use three different government standards to measure HP for small engines.
• How many horsepower is a single-stage snowthrower CC? 136cc around 3 HP, 179cc around 4 HP, 208cc around 5.5 HP and 250cc around 7-8 HP. Horsepower ratings are no longer used with small engines in the U.S. There are too many factors that go into determining the actual horsepower of an engine, let alone, the fact we use three different government standards to measure HP for small engines.

If you are not quite sure what snow blower you need please check out these articles:

• The Best Snow Blower For 2019
• Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS,
•  What Is The Best Snow Blower For Me? – All Your Questions Answered Here!
•  13 Snow Blower Features And Myths That Matter
• 5 Best Commercial Snow Blowers 2019

By The Way – All Opinions are Mine.

Keeping up with snow blowers is almost a full-time job and I take finding the best snow blower for you very seriously. The U.S. manufactures currently sell about 400 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 $699.

Affiliate Disclaimer: Please assume that if I send you to a retailer to purchase a product that I will make a small commission from that sale. FTC disclosure: **This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

The post 17 Common Questions About Single-Stage Snowthrowers appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

1. 3 stage snow blowers are not better than competing 2-stage snow blowers – they are just different. Every U.S. manufacturer tries to make the best snow blower for the price and or the best snow blower for certain buyers. Because of that, there have been many different designs over the years.
2. Cub Cadet/MTD advertises the 3-stage to be better than a 2-stage but when you read the fine print the claim is against their own 2-stage snow blowers – not other brands. In fact, MTD now offers 2-stage heavy-duty snow blowers with more capacity. So, feel free to ask in the comments below if a 3-stage or 2-stage is the best choice for you.
3. Consumer Reports rates 2-stage and 3-stage snow blowers separately. Just because they list 3-stage snow blowers at the top of the page that does not mean they are better – use the number ratings they post to get an accurate assessment of their viewpoint. In fact, CR now rates six 2-stage snow blowers equal or better to the 3-stage models. One other item to note about CR reviews – Their ratings are based on the models they have tested – not all of the snow blowers on the market.
4. All 3-stage snow blowers currently sold in the U.S. and Canada are made by MTD. MTD sells them under various names including Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Columbia, and other names. 3-stage Craftsman (Sears), Craftsman Professional (Sears) and Craftsman at Lowes (owned by Stanley, Black & Decker) are also made by MTD.
5. Is the 3X snowblower durable? Yes, When maintained properly, kept inside and sized properly for the amount of snow you have to clear and the size of your property a Cub Cadet snowblower will last many years. All Cub Cadet snowblowers are designed to break shear pins instead of tearing up more expensive parts if it hits something that may damage the machine so make sure you have extra on hand. You may break a few until you get used to your machine and the obstructions you have. (The hard one to replace on the 3-stage snow blowers is the shear pin on the back auger flite. (The propeller behind the gearbox.) Before you go out and clear snow the first time please figure out how that hole lines up with the front shear pin so you can easily replace that pin if you break it.

If you are not quite sure what snow blower you need please check out these articles:

• The Best Snow Blower For 2019
• Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS,
•  What Is The Best Snow Blower For Me? – All Your Questions Answered Here!
•  13 Snow Blower Features And Myths That Matter
• 5 Best Commercial Snow Blowers 2019

By The Way – All Opinions are Mine.

Keeping up with snow blowers is almost a full-time job and I take finding the best snow blower for you very seriously. The U.S. manufactures currently sell about 400 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 $699.

The post Are 3 Stage Snow Blowers Better? appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

If you get lake effect snow, Noreaster snow, New England snow, “Snowcrete” or just that spring snowstorm that left you 14 inches of snow that’s almost too wet to make a snowman with, here is a list of the best snowblowers for heavy wet snow.

There are actually quite a few heavy-duty snowblowers that can handle heavy wet snow but you won’t find them on anyone else’s lists. You won’t find these heavy-duty snowblowers on Amazon, at most big-box stores, or your local hardware store. You can get a few through The Home Depot, but most of them are dealer only snow blowers.

Before I list the snow blowers – if you are not quite sure you need a heavy-duty snow blower please check out these articles:

• The Best Snow Blower For 2019
• Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS,
•  What Is The Best Snow Blower For Me? – All Your Questions Answered Here!
•  13 Snow Blower Features And Myths That Matter
• 5 Best Commercial Snow Blowers 2019
• Toro SnowMaster® 824 QXE (36003) Buy Here at The Home Depot. The unique design handles wet snow better than any other single-stage snowthrower. Check out my video on YouTube. lightweight, self-propelled snowblowers that clear snow fast from your hard surfaces. These snow throwers will clear up to 18-inch drifts. Many people are buying these instead of a 2-stage snowblower. If you have a larger hard surface driveway to clear and don’t get more than 8 inches at a time they are a great choice.

If the snowplow leaves you a wet mess or a solid rock wall of snow – these 2-stage snow blowers will power right through it! Good for areas of the country that get 30-120 inches of snow a year!

• Ariens Deluxe 24 Model 921045 Buy Here at The Home Depot. The Ariens Deluxe 24 and it’s bigger brother Ariens Platinum 24 are unique in the 24-26 inch size. They use a larger, 14-inch impeller and discharge chute so it is very, very hard to clog them on heavy, wet snow. I highly recommend the Deluxe 24 to anyone who struggles with the drift the snowplow truck leaves at the end of the driveway. It’s all-metal and pretty much indestructible. It’s also very easy to use because it has automatic steering (AutoTurn) and basic chute and deflector controls.
• Toro Power Max® 826 OXE (37799) Buy Here at The Home Depot.
• Husqvarna ST424? I have not reviewed it at this time but will most likely make this list.
• Ariens Platinum 24 SHO Model 921050 and Ariens Platinum 24 SHO EFI Model 921053.  24 inch, 369cc. Model 921053 with EZ-Launch EFI Engine. These two 24 inch snow blowers have over-the-top power and can handle any type of snow and any driveway including gravel and turf. Yet, they are very easy to use. If you have a small driveway but get a lot of snow this is a great choice. It will clear any amount/type of snow. It will not clog on heavy/wet snow. Because it has a larger engine and more capacity than all other 24 inch machines it works well for 2-3 car wide by 80-120 foot driveways. It has great traction for sloped driveways. This is one of the few snow blowers I recommend for Lake Tahoe and their 200-400 inches of snowfall per year. It’s also the best choice for areas that get lake-effect and the North-East U.S. that gets the “Noreasters.” Some of you will feel the price is too high for the EFI model but this heavy-duty 24-inch snow blower with Electronic Fuel Injection will not have the starting issues carburetor engines have on today’s fuels. Please use the dealer locator at Ariens.com to find a store near you:
• Ariens Deluxe 28 Model 921046 Buy Here at The Home Depot.  
• Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO Model 921048 Dealer Only.  Check out my video on YouTube. More power than the Deluxe 28 and the SHO impeller will throw snow up to 55 feet!  The Deluxe SHO is one of the farthest throwing snow blowers on the market and has a much greater capacity than the Honda Snow Blowers that cost twice as much
• Toro Power Max® HD 928 OAE (265cc Auto Steering), Toro Power Max® HD 1028 OHXE (302cc Trigger Steering) Check out my video on YouTube.  Toro PowerMax HD snow blowers have been good machines for years and they have made some improvements recently including an all-metal double-jointed chute and all-metal impeller housing. 14-inch impeller, no shear pins, and a new stronger gearbox. They are very easy to use. They now have two engine sizes for typical and heavy snowfalls.  Power Max® HD series is also one of the farthest throwing snow blowers on the market and has a much greater capacity than the Honda Snow Blowers that cost much more.
• Ariens Platinum SHO Rapidtrak 28.  Buy Here at The Home Depot This snow blower is a game-changer in the residential snow blower market.  All the traction of a tracked unit and the speed and ease-of-use of a wheeled unit. In addition, it handles heavy/wet snow better than all other 28-inch snow blowers.
• Ariens Platinum SHO Rapidtrak 28. Buy Here at The Home Depot  This snow blower is a game-changer in the residential snow blower market.  All the traction of a tracked unit and the speed and ease-of-use of a wheeled unit. In addition, it handles heavy/wet snow better than all other 28-inch snow blowers.
• HUSQVARNA ST 427T. This new snowblower is their new Pro model. It’s designed for professionals who need a maximum-performance snow blower for commercial applications. Features include electronic fuel injection (EFI) engine, onboard electric starter, all-steel control panel, heated handles, LED headlight, continuous track treads, hydrostatic gearbox, and a cast iron impeller. Working width is 27 inches.
•  Recommended: The Ariens Professional RapidTrak 28 in. Hydro 420cc Model 926060 Buy Here at The Home Depot  is arguably the best snow blower for ALL conditions. With the high-speed RapidTrak, it will clear 15 inches or more as fast as you can walk! It has higher capacity, stronger engine and is considerably faster to use. This is arguably the biggest, baddest snowblower on the market right now. It throws snow farther, has more capacity, is faster, and has better traction than anything else right now.Ariens and Toro both have over-the-top commercial 28-inch snowblowers that outperform anything else on the market. They are designed to handle more snow in a week than the typical residential snowblower handles in a year. If you have large areas to clear and/or get over 100 inches of snow a year seriously consider one of these.
• Ariens Deluxe 30 Model 921047 Buy Here at The Home Depot. Check out my video on YouTube.
• Cub Cadet 2x 30 in. 357cc Fuel Injected (EFI) Model# 2X 30 EFI. Buy Here at The Home Depot.
• Ariens Deluxe 30 EFI 30 in. 2-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower Model# 921049. Buy Here at The Home Depot.
• Troy-Bilt Arctic Storm 30″. Buy Here at The Home Depot. Check out my video of the 34-inch version on YouTube.
• HUSQVARNA ST 430T. This new snowblower is their new Pro model. It’s designed for professionals who need a maximum-performance snowblower. Features include electronic fuel injection (EFI) engine, onboard electric starter, all-steel control panel, heated handles, LED headlight, continuous track treads, hydrostatic gearbox, and a cast iron impeller. Working width is 30 inches.
• Ariens Platinum 30 SHO 921051 Dealer Only.  Check out my video on YouTube.
• Toro Power Max® HD 1232 OHXE (38842) Buy Here at The Home Depot.
• Troy-Bilt Arctic Storm 34 Snow Blower Buy Here at The Home Depot. Check out my video on YouTube.
• Honda 32 inch: The HS series Honda tracked snowblowers were the industry standard for years. The new HSS models have inherited that reputation although there are now other brands with machines that have higher capacity and are faster when clearing large areas. Dealer Only.

Professional/Commercial Dealer Only Snowblowers

Professional: Ariens Professional 28 Available with Briggs & Stratton or Ariens AX engine.

Professional: Toro Power Max® HD 1428 OHXE Commercial (38843)

Professional: Ariens Professional 28 Hydro EFI

Professional: Ariens Professional 28 Hydro RapidTrak Available with Briggs & Stratton or Ariens AX engine.

Professional: Ariens Professional 32 Hydro RapidTrak Available with Briggs & Stratton or Ariens AX engine.

Professional: Ariens Professional 36 Hydro EFI

Professional: Toro Power Max® HD 1432 OHXE Commercial (38844)

The post The Best SnowBlower For Wet Heavy Snow appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

I’m only listing snow blowers here that are proven to work well. There are over 400 snow blowers available today. While there are many good snow blowers offered there are also snow blowers that have poor repair history, a poor service network and a few that are very hard to get parts for. This year the good 2-stage snow blowers with good service networks and good parts availability start around $700.

I’m only listing snow blowers from retailers and dealers that have good service networks. These networks use local servicing dealers to repair your machine under warranty. The models I’ll recommend here will all last you years (with a little preventative maintenance) and you’ll be able to get service and parts locally. I will not recommend retailers and brands that ship your machine off to some faraway location where it may sit for months before the repair is made.

Protection Plans. Protection plans are NOT extended warranties. Extended warranties are offered directly from the manufacturer. Because extended warranties are directly from the manufacturer they are always a good choice. Those warranties are handled by a local servicing dealer. Protection plans, on the other hand, offered by retailers are not always a good choice. If you feel a retailer’s protection plan is a good choice for you be sure you understand what is offered for your gas-powered snowblower and how you go about using the Protection Plan. Many plans will ship your snowblower off to some far away repair center where it can sit for months before it’s even looked at.

Looking for a smaller or larger snow blower? Check out this article: The Best Snow Blowers For You! Fall 2019

24-Inch, 26-Inch 2-Stage Snow Blower

I’m going to start with the best available and then work down to the cheapest snow blower I can recommend.

1. Heavy-Duty Snowmageddon:- Will handle areas that get over 100 inches a year. 

 Ariens Platinum 24 SHO Model 921050 and Ariens Platinum 24 SHO EFI Model 921053.  24 inch, 369cc. Model 921050 and Model 921053 with EZ-Launch EFI Engine. Dealer only: These two snow blowers have over-the-top power and can handle any type of snow and any driveway including gravel and turf. Yet, they are very easy to use. If you have a small driveway but get a lot of snow this is a great choice. It will clear any amount/type of snow. It will not clog on heavy/wet snow. Because it has a larger engine and more capacity than all other 24 inch machines it works well for driveways 2-3 cars wide by 40-80 foot long. It has great traction for sloped driveways. This is one of the few snow blowers I recommend for Lake Tahoe and their 200-400 inches of snowfall per year. It works on pavement, gravel, and turf. It’s also the best choice for smaller driveways in areas that get lake-effect and the North-East U.S. that gets the “Noreasters.” Some of you will feel the price is too high for the EFI model but this heavy-duty 24-inch snow blower with Electronic Fuel Injection will not have the starting issues carbureted engines have on today’s fuels. Either model will last you many years. Please use the dealer locator at Ariens.com to find a store near you:

2. 2-Stage Snow Blowers That Won’t Clog On Heavy/Wet Snow – Good for areas of the country that get 30-100 inches of snow a year! 

If the snowplow leaves you a wet mess or a solid rock wall of snow – these snow blowers will power right through it!

 Recommended:  Ariens Deluxe 24 Model 921045 Buy Here at The Home Depot. The Ariens Deluxe 24 and it’s bigger brother, the Ariens Platinum 24 are unique in the 24-26 inch size. They use a larger, 14-inch impeller and discharge chute so it is very, very hard to clog them on heavy, wet snow. I highly recommend the Deluxe 24 to anyone who struggles with the drift the snowplow truck leaves at the end of the driveway. It’s all-metal and pretty much indestructible. It’s also very easy to use because it has automatic steering (AutoTurn) and basic chute and deflector controls.

Recommended: New Cub Cadet 26 in. 243 cc 2X HP Buy Here at The Home Depot. Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower with Electric Start, Trigger Power Steering and LED Headlights. The large 243cc engine, metal chute and easy to use chute controls make this one of the best snow blowers Cub Cadet has ever made.
Model# 2X 26 HP

 Recommended: Toro Power Max® 826 OXE (37799) Buy Here at The Home Depot. Again, this is one of the better small frame snow blowers on the market. It has Toro’s patented ACS (Anti-Clog System) so it does not need a huge impeller and large motor to do the task. It also has automatic steering so both wheels drive the snowblower giving it excellent traction  – yet it is easy to turn. No extra levers to pull  – it just goes where you point it. I have no problems recommending this for any suburban driveway in the Midwest, Central Atlantic or anywhere that normally gets up to 80 inches a year. If you normally get wet/heavy snow you may want to move up to the Power Max HD models.

 Husqvarna ST324? I have not reviewed it at this time but will most likely make this list.

Husqvarna ST 424 Dealer Only: More power than the ST324. 291cc. Onboard electric start. Hydrostatic Transmission. Adjustable handle height. If you are considering the Honda HSS724AWD this snowblower beats the Honda in every way. (my opinion)

3. Dependable, Long Lasting. Good For Most Areas Of The Country That Get 30-60 Inches Of Snow. 2-Stage Snow Blower

Recommended: Cub Cadet 2X 24. 24 inch, 243cc.  Buy Here at The Home Depot. I’ve been recommending this snow blower for many years. It’s very easy to use and the handles are short enough so even if you are 5″2″ you can use this snowblower. This updated model includes a larger engine, power steering, and updated dash with LED headlights.

 Toro Power Max® 824 OE (37798) Buy Here at The Home Depot. No Power Steering. I normally recommend the Toro Snow Master instead of this model for hard surface driveways. But this snowblower is a better choice if you have a gravel driveway. You can use this snow blower on any surface including gravel, turf, and dirt. This is a very well-built, dependable snowblower.

Ariens Compact 24 Model 920027. Buy Here at The Home Depot. No Power Steering. If you are considering the Ariens Classic this snow blower is a solid step up from it. Larger engine and the same Ariens quality you get with the Deluxe models – just less capacity.

 Recommended: Husqvarna ST224P. Buy Here at ACME Tools. One of the most popular 24-inch snow blowers. It has power steering and for 2019 Husqvarna fixed all the little problems you read about it in reviews. Better v-belts, improved hand warmers, etc. This is an excellent snow blower if you live in the suburbs and need to clean rough areas like a spot on the lawn for your dogs. Don’t confuse this model with the Husqvarna ST224 that you normally see on the sales floor at Lowes and your local hardware store. The St224 does not have power steering like this one does.

 Recommended: Troy-Bilt Storm 2460 Snow Blower Buy Here at The Home Depot. 24 inch, 208 cc. For all types of snow, about 60-inch average snowfall a year, and will clear gravel/turf areas. It does not have power steering but uses the new airless tires that give you great traction yet turn easily.

 Recommended:  Troy-Bilt Storm 2625 XP Snow Blower Buy Here at The Home Depot. My favorite best value snow blower. A little wider than the 2460 above and has a great 243cc engine. For all types of snow, about 60-inch average snowfall a year, and will clear gravel/turf areas. It does not have power steering but uses the new airless tires that give you great traction yet turn easily.

4. 2-Stage Snow Blower – Cheap But Good.

If you have to buy the cheapest snow blower – buy one of these. (There is no reason to buy a Chinese Import that does not have a good service network.)

 Recommended: Ariens Classic 24 Model 920025 Buy Here at The Home Depot. No Power Steering but a lot of features making it a best value snowblower. Good engine, hanging chute, all-steel construction.

 Cheapest: Briggs & Stratton 24 in. Model 1696610. Buy Here at The Home Depot. No Power Steering. This is the cheapest 2-stage snowblower I recommend. One thing you need to know. After you use this snow blower – before you turn off the engine – let the auger/impeller run for 1-2 minutes to make sure ALL the snow is out of the front. If you don’t the auger/impeller will freeze and you will break the impeller belt the next time you go to use it.

 Recommended: Troy-Bilt Storm 24 in. Model# Storm 2460, 208cc with Airless Tires. Buy Here at The Home Depot. No Power Steering. The airless tires make this one of the best 24-inch snowblowers for areas of the country that get 30-60 inches of snow a year. The tires give is more traction and makes the snowblower surprisingly easy to turn. I also like the easy to use hanging chute.

 Cheapest: Troy-Bilt Storm 2410  Buy Here at The Home Depot. Check out my video on YouTube. If you must have the least expensive snowblower, this is the BEST least expensive snow blower available. There is no need to even consider a Chinese made snowblower anymore. You get a good engine, 6 speeds forward, 2 reverse, good tires, poly skids and a machine that will handle your 30-40 inch Midwest winters. It’s simple, easy to operate and has an excellent review rating. It does not have power steering.

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comment section below. I do answer and moderate comments so it may not show up right away.

2-Stage Snow Blowers I do not recommend.

 Honda 2-stage snow blowers. The Honda 24 in. Hydrostatic Wheel Drive 2-Stage Snow Blower with Electric Joystick Chute Control Model# HSS724AW. This Honda sold online for around $2200 is a good snowblower but in reality, it offers no better performance than the $850 Troy-Bilt 2460. The Troy-Bilt is also dependable and has just as extensive of a service/parts network. To get an electric start on the honda you have to purchase the snow blower from a dealer and the cost of the electric start is over $200!

 Poulan Pro/Jonsered. Poulan Pro and Jonsered snow blowers are made by Husqvarna and offer fewer features than the Husqvarna models. Spend the extra $50 and buy the Husqvarna brand. There are very few Poulan Pro and Jonsered dealers and not all Husqvarna dealers will support the equipment.

 PowerSmart, Dirty Hand Tools, YardMax, Aavix, Stark, Worldlawn, Champion Power, Lawn-Boy, Massimo, Power Care, Sportsman. Most of these snow blowers are made in China and lack any type of nationwide service network. A few like PowerSmart, Dirty Hand Tools and Worldlawn do offer online help to order parts but you are responsible for the repairs. I also have the feeling that since the price is so low on many of these that they are older models and were shipped here before the China tariffs were introduced.

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comment section below. I do answer and moderate comments so it may not show up right away.

The post The Best Small 2-stage Snow Blower For You! Fall 2019 appeared first on MovingSnow.com.