Let's talk snow blowers... (Bangor, Ellsworth: sale, 2015, Home Depot)

[UpTheCreek]

Timely thread as we are purchasing our first snowblower this afternoon. Our driveway is approx. 100' long with a slight grade, with a wide area in front of our 2 car garage. Additionally, we have 2 spaces off the side. Also need to clear portion of backyard for the dogs. Decided on the new Ariens 28 SHO that comes with a 306cc engine. I think it'll do fine with tire chains. The Honda tracked 28" is almost 3 times the price! Sure, it's a nicer machine but not 3x nicer!

We sure are loving it here so far! The foliage is sure spectacular!

[Ted Bear]

Don't overthink this.

Go get an Ariens 24" from a reputable dealer. Chains are not necessary. Spray the auger and chute with silicone a couple of times each season. Thoroughly clean and lubricate the entire machine each spring before you put it away. New spark plug each spring. Add Stabil to the gas. You'll easily get 20 years of reliable service.

(My Ariens is 15 years old. Worn from a LOT of use, but by no means ready for the junk pile. And I get multiples of the amount of snow which you get there in Maine)

[LloydinMaine]

Originally Posted by karen_in_nh_2012

You can laugh, but I have an electric snowblower and it works great here in New Hampshire. Maine mileage may vary, of course.

My driveway is for a 3-car garage, so it's probably 30-35' wide by 50-60' deep. I had used an electric snowblower at my last house, but that house is now a rental so I left the snowblower for the tenants. I bought this snowblower for the new house (VERY similar to the one I had at the previous house): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FIQKYO?psc=1 .

Takes me maybe 30-45 minutes to snow-blow my driveway and the walkways to my side and front doors. If we're getting hammered, I may need to go out twice OR make 2 passes, since it handles only about 6-8" of snow at a time. But it is reliable and, dare I say, kind of fun to use. (Then again, I like snow, don't mind being out in it ... unless we have a winter like last year's, when I was pretty sick of it by the end!)

OP, just how big is your driveway?

It isn't that big. About 120' long x 20' plus an additional area off to the side for 2 vehicles. Mostly flat except at the entrance where there is a slight grade.

[LloydinMaine]

Originally Posted by UpTheCreek

Timely thread as we are purchasing our first snowblower this afternoon. Our driveway is approx. 100' long with a slight grade, with a wide area in front of our 2 car garage. Additionally, we have 2 spaces off the side. Also need to clear portion of backyard for the dogs. Decided on the new Ariens 28 SHO that comes with a 306cc engine. I think it'll do fine with tire chains. The Honda tracked 28" is almost 3 times the price! Sure, it's a nicer machine but not 3x nicer!

We sure are loving it here so far! The foliage is sure spectacular!

Our driveways sound very similar and I'm going to keep an area in the backyard clear as well. Did you purchase yours from Home Depot or a dealer? My thoughts as well on the Honda. I really wanted a new Honda but I cannot justify spending over $3k for a snow blower. I'm going to stop at the Ariens dealer this afternoon and take a look at them again.

[slyfox2]

I paid $750 for a used one. Best thing to do is take your trailer down to Virginia and buy it there. They tend to be pretty cheap in places where they are rarely used. On second thought, if it take $350 in gas to get there, it may not be cost effective.

[kellysmith]

Originally Posted by Ted Bear

Don't overthink this.

Go get an Ariens 24" from a reputable dealer. Chains are not necessary. Spray the auger and chute with silicone a couple of times each season. Thoroughly clean and lubricate the entire machine each spring before you put it away. New spark plug each spring. Add Stabil to the gas. You'll easily get 20 years of reliable service.

(My Ariens is 15 years old. Worn from a LOT of use, but by no means ready for the junk pile. And I get multiples of the amount of snow which you get there in Maine)

Ariens engines are now made in China. An old model would be different. Even though Husqvana is a Swedish company, they have a manufacturing plant in North Carolina. I disagree about the need for chains. We get a lot of wet snow and with a little ice build up, wheels simply spin and don't push the blower into the snow. A dry snow is easy enough to move without chains, but not a wet snow.

[UpTheCreek]

Originally Posted by LloydinMaine

Our driveways sound very similar and I'm going to keep an area in the backyard clear as well. Did you purchase yours from Home Depot or a dealer? My thoughts as well on the Honda. I really wanted a new Honda but I cannot justify spending over $3k for a snow blower. I'm going to stop at the Ariens dealer this afternoon and take a look at them again.

I actually bid on a lightly used Honda for sale on ebay just before our move up here. Didn't win, would've been a nice deal.

I'm being a real hypocrite because I always preach to buy from the local guy, but I bought it online. With the price on the machine and no tax, the savings was just too much. This model is not sold at Home Depot. So it'll come and I'll have to do some assembly. Just fine with me, I'd have to go over it completely from Home Depot anyway. I've experienced that before!

I see Ted recommended the 24", which makes good sense, but it's too late. I didn't see any point in the 30" for my size area, but figured the 28 would be a happy medium. After researching a bit, the 28" SHO model has a bit faster impeller speed than the others, figure that might be a good thing. It does NOT have heated hand grips, don't know if I'll miss them or not. Haven't had to use a snowblower in 35 years and we certainly didn't have them back then! I also learned the AX engine is made by LCT, apparently taking over the Tecumseh line. Here's some info on it if you're interested: Who Makes Ariens AX Engine? - movingsnow.com

Anyway, good luck shopping!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I bought a John Deere 726 in 1974. The numbers stand for 7 horsepower and 26 inches wide. The Tecumsh engine lasted 10 years. I replaced the engine with an 8 horse which bolted right in. That ran about 10 or 12 years and I finally went to a tractor mounted blower. If you can justify owning a mid-size 32 horse tractor, I highly recommend it. I chose the old Deere over the Ariens because it had tall tires. Tall tires climb out of ruts better.

By the way, Before the ground freezes, rake and hoe your driveway to smooth it. Walk it and pick up any stones bigger than your thumb. You would be amazed at how far a snow blower can throw a stone.

[inthetrees]

We have a Ariens Deluxe 28 that we bought new a few years ago, it has been working perfectly. It can handle about 15" of fresh soft snow, or 12" of harder wet snow. By handle; I mean easily, in 1st "gear" for lack of a better term....

During the bigger snow events I will clear the snow 2 times. Try to do it once about half way thru. Only really an issue at the end of the driveway where the plows push up, and the mailbox.

If you do not want to go out multiple times during a big storm (few times a season), I would suggest that 396cc professional model Ariens.

Also, dont bother with silicone spray for the shoot and blades, just use plain old spray vegtable oil, you will want to keep this can inside though, unless you have a heated garage. Spray the shoot and blades thoroughly before each use. Makes it so the snow never sticks, and cleanup is much easier (quicker).

[Submariner]

I have a 24 Hp Massey-Ferguson compact tractor with a front PTO that runs a 4' wide snow-blower.

It works like a dream