..... Honda $nowblowers?

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by VitaBene

I have a 15 year old Toro 824, works great. It only does the walkways so it should last forever. The Kubota tractor does the hard work.

I have a guy that plows and shovels my walk for $30. Then I just push everything back with my Kubota. I have a plow truck but at that price it's not worth doing myself when I get there on a Friday night.
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[fatlazyless]

You know there's a shade tree, backyard, small engine guy on Parade Rd/Rt 106 who leaves about 3-4 snowblowers/lawnmowers in his driveway, close to the road in Laconia selling for about $200.

Last time I stopped to look, there was a 28" Craftsman snowblower that looked like it was almost brand new for $250 ....... such a deal ...... unfortunately my six year old $549 Troy-bilt continues to run like the greatest snowblower ever made in the world history of snow and I couldn't justify the upgrade? C'est la vie.

Husqvana, or however it is spelled, is the biggest snowblower maker in the world, and is made in Sweden, and just by looking at it, you can tell it is built to better design/quality than all the others. Rand's Hardware in Plymouth has Husqvana 24" for $749 which seems like a steal of a deal. It must weigh 250-lb which is very heavy.

If Harley Davidson made snowblowers, it would be identical to Husqvana, except it would have to be black and sound like a Harley.

[CaptT820]

I actually talked to a commercial dealer near me about Husqvarnas and Hondas (all he sells) and the price differential. His explanation of why the Husqvarnas were ~$700 less than a Honda, "The Husqvarna is great for 5-7 years, the Honda is great for 20".
Looking at the two side by side you can obviously see that the new Hondas use much thicker steel in the frame construction.

I personally use a 2011 Ariens Pro 28 with tank tracks. It'll go through anything and handles my 400-ft driveway in under an hour.

As others have said, get what works for you and maintain it. Everything else is just personal preference.

[fatlazyless]

What destroys any snowblower is when storing it away, after use, on a concrete floor, with the steel front end resting on the concrete, which will make it get rusty.

There are three contact points with the floor, the two rubber tires, and the front steel edge. Is good to rest the steel edge up on a small wood block, so's the wet will drain down and off from the steel.

[Merrymeeting]

One of the best investments I ever made was ~$900 for a 33", 12HP NOMA snowblower with a Tecumseh engine. Purchased in 1986, it finally died last winter. It still ran fine but the frame had become so rusted and fragile it was ready to fall apart.

Our private driveway was about 700' with very steep hill portion. For 30+ years, that beast would clear the heaviest snow on our driveway, and often the neighbors too. Never needed any maintenance other than routine oil changes, fuel stabilizer, belts, etc.

At the time, NOMA was the OEM for Murray, Craftsman, and a few others. I saw essentially the same machine at Sears for $1200 a month after buying mine at Home Depot. HD sold Noma's for about 5 or six years. You can still find a few on eBay and parts are still available. https://www.snowblowers.net/brands/noma.html

[DickR]

For anyone who hasn't yet seen this forum-format site (https://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...er-forums-main), it covers all sorts of things pertaining to snowblowers, including reviews, repairs, and mfg-specific questions.

[VitaBene]

When looking at snowblowers, avoid one with a plastic chute. They feel nice and flexible in the store, but on 5 degree temperature they can easily shatter!

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by VitaBene

When looking at snowblowers, avoid one with a plastic chute. They feel nice and flexible in the store, but on 5 degree temperature they can easily shatter!

While I generally agree, I've got an 11-year-old Craftsman, as do my brother, father, and good friend, that have had 0 issues. We spray them with silicone each fall, though, to prevent sticking.

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[Descant]

TIC: Lots of good info here. I'll be thinking of all you guys when I hear the "thunk" of my plow guy and I pour another cup of coffee.
7 storms a year at $40, 2 at $75. It would take me 2-3 hours to snowblow my driveway. My coffee maker lasts ~6 years and my plow guy gets a new truck about the same schedule. I don't pay for gas, oil,, tune ups, or original purchase price. The value of my own time: priceless. (I think my wife would re-phrase that, but that's only speculation and I don't want to get her started. She starts easy, on the first pull.)

[Lakesailor]

Great thread on snowblowers. It is definitely easier to just wait for the plow guy. But if you must get out when you need to get out, the plow guy could be hours away. I've also seen them do damage to the blacktop, the lawn, the shrubs. etc. One guy actually plowed into the neighbor's cherry tree and took off a large piece of bark, eventually killing the tree. (He disavowed all knowledge of that of course). Honda is expensive for sure, and not really worth it unless you plan on having it for 20+ years, and take reasonable care of it also. I bought a brand new Honda HS 524 in 1986 ( won't tell you what I paid for it). Do the math, it is now 32 years old. Two winters ago, the original auger belt snapped on the last pass on the last storm. I changed both belts myself the next spring and it is still going strong. It is a beast for a small blower, everything is metal, no plastic at all. Parts still available. For me, it was worth it, but I probably wouldn't do it again. Today's philosophy is use till it breaks, then through out.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

What destroys any snowblower is when storing it away, after use, on a concrete floor, with the steel front end resting on the concrete, which will make it get rusty.

There are three contact points with the floor, the two rubber tires, and the front steel edge. Is good to rest the steel edge up on a small wood block, so's the wet will drain down and off from the steel.

With the Honda track drive it has 3 height adjustments. The highest will put the blade about 2 inches off the ground. When I store mine I use this setting to keep the blade off the floor.
Also this height setting is good when going thru banks of snow. Just step on a lever and use the handles to set the height.
I have a HS1132tas that I paid over 3K for but it was well worth it.

[loony]

My 46 year old Ariens is still going strong on the 2nd engine. It will go through anything! I just wish it were safer. Its got a single belt for the impeller and transmission. Its actuated by a lever half way up the handle. It does have a dead-man style clutch for the drive wheels unlike earlier models.
I inherited an old MTD which didn't throw the snow and always clogged until I installed rubber impeller paddles. The gap between the impeller and housing was so wide I could stick my fingers through it. Those paddles really work and can make a lousy snowblower work better!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHCEacrKeJM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XLOCtrAYZc