Crap to Quality - BEST & WORST Snow Blowers Ever Made!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.พ. 2022
- In this thorough video, Taryl and Uncle Andy go over A LOT of the many different kinds of snow blowers that have been produced from back in the day to now. There's been a lot of crappy ones as well as some sturdy and reliable ones too. Here's what we consider to be the BEST and WORST snow blowers ever made!
Do you have any of these snow blowers shown? Are you having any of the issues shown here? Let us know in the comments below! And as always... There's Your Dinner!!
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I scored a coffee mug.
Taryl With All Of The Nonsence Going On In These Times. I Really Enjoy Your Comedy Skits. Keep The Videos Coming. Thank You And The Crew
Hey there’s a bot commenter on here pretending to be you just so you know.
i also got a scammer with a whatsapp number saying im a winner in a give away
Taryl i see someone looking like you trying to scam folks they commented on my comment
One of the things that I like about the Ariens company is that they protect their little mom and pop dealers.
When I was shopping for a snowblower, it was the same exact price at the local dealer as Homer Depot. They have across the board dealer pricing.
When you buy at Homer Depot and you try to get warranty work done, they'll send you to the local mom and pop, so you might as well buy there to begin with.
I send people to the local Ariens dealer when they ask me what to buy for a snowblower, they don't sell Ariens at Home depot here in my part of Canada anymore, I like it that way. They get the best service from a dealership.
Except for selling in Lowes and every website, they do
You guys are great by the way you gotta love the b+s snow series engine that you have to loosen carb to replace pull rope .what a joke I'd love to know who designs this garbage
That's the same way Speed Queens washers & dryers are done. Speed Queen sets the price on them, not the dealer.
I purchased my MTD Power Pro 22" Two Stage Snowthrower back in 1997. It was made specifically for Kmart. I was desperate for a snowblower so I bought it. I never regret buying it. I live in Northeast Pennsylvania where we get a decent amount of snow. It has the SNOW KING 5 hp Tecumseh. No valve jobs no major issues of any kind. Today it still runs like new. If you take care of it it'll take care of you. I will not buy today's made in China junk.
Northeast/central pa here too bud...weeather can be shitty...luckily this year has been decent
Also from Pennsylvania, we have been really lucky weather wise. I remember back in the early 90s we use to get pounded with blizzard storms, I kinda miss those storms. Use to have a ton of fun
Same here rckolc. I have the 90's Tecumseh SnowKing engine. Mine runs 2-3 hours hard every time it snows, every since it was new and no valve jobs. I'm in Upstate NY. I guess it is possible the 5 horse engines with valve issues could be due to they don't get run enough to keep the valves clean. Dunno. All I know is I have 3 of these engines and all of them run fine. The other 2 blowers are for backup only. So they get run maybe 1-2 hours a season to keep the fluids flowing.
Mine didn't come with a fuel filter, which if yours doesn't have one I recommend adding one. I've had to blow out the jets 3 times a year without the filter. Now with the B&S pancake filter installed, problem solved.
I have several older snow blowers from the 80's: Honda, John Deere, Ariens, Craftsman. They all run great. I have had no problem with the older Tecumseh engines, with the exception that they vibrate a lot. The Hondas are smoother. I also will not buy any of that cheap Chinese crap.
I miss Kmart...👍
Can you please do this with mowers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers? Maybe make it a series? I would love to see more of this!!
When I shopped for my snowblower back twenty years ago, I did a ton of research.
What I found was there were three brands that stood out. Ariens, Honda and Simplicity.
Hondas were really expensive, Simplicity had very few dealers and the nearest was 35 miles away, so I went with Ariens.
I bought an 824 Classic. It was more than the regular model. The reason being that it was balanced rather than weighted. Because I have a bad back, I can turn the machine around with one hand instead of having to wrangle it.
Even though it's twenty years old, there isn't one part that I can't get for it, not that I have needed any.
Btw, it has a plastic gas tank. Other than oil changes and regular adjustments, I really haven't had to do anything with it as far as repairs.
Is Uncle Andy from Philly or Joysey ?
A little off-topic, but my Ariens lawn mower (YT12H) is 30 years old, and I can get enough parts for it that I could almost build one from scratch. Original mower deck and transmission, never serviced, in near-mint condition. Ariens also makes the parts, service, and operator's manuals available online for anyone, not just dealers as is the case with Stihl.
Funny you mention Simplicity.... I was just a kid, but my GrandFather had a big Simplicity walk behind 2 stage... Even had like a plastic 3-sided "tent" sort of thing to protect the operator.... Bad ass machine.... Unstoppable... that thing disappeared instantaneously at the inevitable estate sale... My Dad was steamed about that for years, he wanted it.... And we had a Simplicity lawn tractor. Just a little guy... Broadmoor??? 8 horse??? Something like that. Acre yard, week after week, year after year... That thing was really nice.
@@patrickmorrissey2271 Hello Patrick that plastic hood was the poor mans cab. When your Grandpa had that unit most vehicles had 2 wheel drive (one wheel peel) on top of having bigger accumulations back then. The ole timer was a clear thinker. No body knows who ended up with the rascal? REALLY!!?
This is one of the best video's that you both have ever done on the channel, hands down! The quality research that Andy has done, coupled with Taryl's real life experience working on them, made for the best duo in getting the information out to us consumers. This was so well done, I wouldn't mind it if you guys did these for mowers for the spring buy season.
Have had very good luck with my Simplicity 32" Pro series w/ 12HP Briggs. This thing attacks snowbanks! Bought new in '04 for a 140' driveway and parking area. Granted it was kept in a warm garage, but is was trouble free for about 15 years here in the NE. When I downsized I had to put it in an unheated garage, and that's when I had the normal fuel issues you'll see on this great channel. Last year when trying to fire up the cylinder was seized. I panicked, but then sprayed some lube in the combustion chamber and an hour later it freed up and has run fine since. Now I'll do this at the end of every season. Have no complaints with the Nikki carb, except I wish it was easier to drop the bowl to drain- if you need to replace the bowl gasket you have to replace the whole gasket assembly meaning pulling the carb. Not a big deal after you do it once. Mechanically everything has held up well, it's built solid. Will replace the belts at the end of this season and check the friction disk. Also primer bulb and hose. Hope to have it another 10 years. Thanks to Taryl and crew for these great videos, informative and funny. It's not the Space Shuttle!
I got a pair of Toros, 524 and 824, bought both new at the same time in 1980. Both have Tecumseh engines. Amazingly strong built machines. Axle bearings which are bushings needed to be replaced a few years ago, carb rebuild kits and regular maintenance it pretty much all I have done to both machines. Keeping everything lubed up is vital for long life. Also changing the engine oil after every season with 5w30 full synthetic. When it's extremely cold, synthetic starts much easier. Just bought a new Toro Power Max HD 1232 for this upcoming winter season. Also picked up a used 2017 Cub Cadet 1X single stage snow blower to clear the deck. It wasn't overly used. Needed a new shoot control cable and low speed jet needed cleaned. New rubber paddles and scraper bar also needed changed. A new one is around 700.00. I think that is absolutely crazy for a single stage. I am now ready for anything mother nature throws at me this coming winter. Great video Taryl. Lots of informative information. There is no doubt you help many of us do it yourselfers. "Grass Rats"
It is nice how this channel helps people out who don't have a Nascar garage full of tools. A gentleman came to my door who had just bought a John Deer 212. He was in scrubs, a nurse, and looking for the guy down the street that had fixed small engines and moved. I said you can do it yourself and he said no no. I asked if he had $300 in tools and he said yes. I showed him the light and had him write down Taryl Fixes All. I hope I sent you a new subscriber. You may not be perfect, but you are perfect for us fans of the Gas Rats Garage. Stay well.
I have a Poulan Pro, 10hp, 30" that I've been running here in the snowy Northeast for 7 years now. Always starts right up and runs flawlessly. Blows through everything Mother Nature dumps on me whether dry or heavy & wet. Had 14" snowfall yesterday, never clogged up and throws 30+ feet. Haven't had to replace any belts in 7 years. Store it inside garage and do regular maintenance every year keeps it running great. One thing though, I have had to replace discharge chute cable that controls discharge angle twice so far because it rusted and broke at chute but I just leave chute pointedl at maximum up angle now and all is good. Overall, great machine. ANY snowblower can suck if you don't take care of it, regardless of brand but I stand by my Poulan Pro!
I've got one of those 8 horse MTD blowers. Been going strong for 22 years now. Replaced belts, cables, carb and the starter. Starts up every time. Only gets used 3-4 times a year really. Can't complain.
I finally have a tip for you Taryl. To quickly replace rubber augers that are riveted on you can use an air hammer with a straight/tapered shaft you may need to grind down the tip a little to punch the rivets out from the side that is dished inward. Thanks for all of your great insights and tips/tricks I watch all of your videos and have fixed many machines using them.
Very comprehensive video! Your doing the lords work Taryl!
Man I love this channel. I hope you guys never stop filming. Great vlog…👍👍👍
Great video, we need more like that. My fav. snowblowers are the old Toro machine, I have an old 832 dating from 1976 and a 826 dating from 1989. I just want to keep these tanks going.
1971 Ariens Sno Thro, replaced the engine with a newer HSK70, replaced some worn bearings here and there. Best feature is let the clutch out and it goes on its own. It will chew up and spit out golf ball sized rocks no problem.
I have the same one. Mine has the original 6hp Tecumseh. Doesn't burn oil. I figure it'll outlive me. If the engine blows I have a NOS 5hp Tecumseh to replace it or just buy one of those Predator engines for $150. I have lots of parts too and an old 1968 Sno Thro without an engine so hope to get that going when I retire someday as a fun project. Surprised more people don't grab these for cheap and fix them up since they'll outlast a new one. Most people don't care I guess...
I have a Toro CCR Powerlite-E single stage snow blower that use talked about this is the first winter that I used it and I was impressed with it for what it is it has done a decent job so far and I just bought a Troy Bilt storm 2410 24 inch path. Thank you Taryl and uncle Andy for sharing your knowledge on this video with us.
Bought a Toro Power Clear when they first came out with electric start and the R tek Briggs engine. Has always ran great. Can't be in a hurry to change paddles, they have to go a certain way. Other than that, it's been really good! Would recommend!
I found a 2 stroke single stage white outdoor snow blower thrown out with the trash a couple summers ago, cleaned the carburetor and replaced the drive belt.... It worked well last winter and this winter, granted the rubber on the auger is worn to the point of making a 1 inch gap between the rubber paddle and the housing but still works surprisingly well👍
39:13 My Spirit is a hand-me-down from my father in-law. I love this thing as it starts in mostly 1 pull. Only trouble I had was the first winter, the worm housing of the chute swivel, broke but I fabbed up a sturdy metal replacement. Thanks, Taryl, for showing us how to service similar drive components !
Great video guys. Here in Michigan, I've found through the years it's good have both a two stage blower for heavy, deep snow, and a good, two stroke, single stage blower for lighter stuff. I completely restored a late 90s Craftsman 11hp 30" two stage unit i bought for $50. It's a beast! I also have the Toro ccr 3650 6.5hp single stage (like you showed in this video), which I completely restored, that absolutely rips! I've been buying, restoring to new, and flipping single and two stage blowers for about 4 years now. Can't tell you how many times Taryl's helped me out while working on these things. Thanks!
Michigan Guy here too, I also have two machines, one two stage and one single stage which is a Toro CCR 2450 that I got for $40 and restored it, for 5 hp that really throws the snow, also just picked up a 3650 for $60 that I plan on restoring. The little Toro’s really are about the best.
I've got one of those craftsman 2stroke single stage. Love it. Loud as hell but took me 17 bucks to get it running after 10 years of sitting. Changing the rivited paddles sucked but luckily I found a small company around me that still makes the paddles. Love the ole Tecumseh.
What's name of that company? I need paddle rubber.
You guys should take a snow thrower and remove the auger and put on a old skewl spiral reel type grass blade! That would be kewl! Love your videos Taryl!
Good old Ariens 8524 here, it’s a snow eatin’ monster that never lets me down. You really can’t go wrong with an Ariens powered by an 8.5hp Tecumseh Snow King engine, fantastic quality! I used to have a crappy “Yard King” snowblower that was a real tin can. The sheet metal was so thin the sides would bend and get pushed into the auger. I think it was made by Murray but I’m not sure, I could never find any parts or info on it.
I had a Toro snow pup my dad got used from a neighbor in the 1970s. I'm not sure of the actual date on it but you could not kill it. It got a lot of use after the Northeast Blizzard of 1978. It was used to clear a roof off of a car dealership and took a beating.
Last year I bought the toro battery snow blower. It has handled 4 major snow storms of over 10" and a dozen of over 3". Under that I just use shovel. I can do my drive and sidewalks and my neighbors on a single charge with 12" wet snow. Toro is simple. Not all bells and whistles. The handle to turn shoot is a little low so I cut and threaded and added more rod so I don't have to bend down. The ryobi and ego both look nice but I just see so many potential breaks with the fancy options. As Steven Lavimoniere says, Keep it simple stupid. Enjoyed this video!
I absolutely love the Ariens SnoThro from the late 60s through the late 70s. Awesome machines especially with a modern engine swapped in.
Yup, same thing I said
I have one of those Honda HS621 units and that thing will throw some deep heavy show! I love it. Bought it not working from a guy and I took it apart, cleaned up the carb, but the correct auger belt on it and it kicks butt now♥
I've never owned a snowblower and have rarely needed one. I gave this video a thumbsup because I watch and like all of your videos. Thanks Taryl Fixes All.
Hi I use the Honda HS35 snow blower and it works like a charm, I got it and all it needed was a carb cleaned and it fired right up no issuses throws snow far. Sometimes the older snow blowers are better than the new ones but it depends on how it was looked after as well maintnece.
Another "groovy" and informative video. Thanks guys for your input.
I've got a 2 stroke Toro CCR 2450 snowblower that my dad has had since I was born, love that little machine! I also have a Craftsman 2 stage 26" snowblower, bought it for those heavy snow days but haven't had one this winter, but it is a beast and I like it alot as well
Best I've ever used (and I own) is a GIL-35210-B which is a neat old Montgomery Ward Vertical shaft 3.5hp single stage self propelled. It's completely different than anything on the market now as it's extremely powerful and works better than you'd ever believe even in the deepest and wet snow. It has some strange inner workings, I'm actually working on it right now giving it a refresher. Excellent videos by the way, never miss them and always like them.
Made by Gilson. I used to sell at Monkey Warts in the 70's. Tillers were Gioson-made , too.
@@MazichMusic They don't make them like that anymore, all metal and a little rubber-no plastic. It's actually a decent machine, but maybe I just like it for the novelty
I have owned Ariens snowblowers for 48 years. I still have my original 5hp 20". No problems with any of them. I sold Ariens and Toro in semi retirement. I agree whole hearted about Power Smart. I tried to steer people away from them when I heard of warranty, parts and repair issues.
Hey wait a minute!... I have one of those Craftsman units just like Uncle Andy's and it's worked great for me over the years. The only issue I had with it was once in a while the drive belt would pop off. Sometimes it would be hard starting when cold, but it has electric start and that would fire it right up. I got a tractor with a snowblower now, so it doesn't get used anymore. I did notice that the paddles were starting to wear the last time I used it, but it did the job. Good for small jobs or a sidewalk.
I have an old Toro S200 in very nice shape. Dad bought it new in the early 80s and gave it to me about 12 years ago when he upgraded after retirement. He took good care of it. I used it many years when I was a teen and in my early 20s - so I guess I took good care of it too.
Great video, very informative! Happy birthday Taryl!
have a Honda 9-28 with wheels instead of tracks, 12 yrs old and still starts on 1 crank and sip fuel and throws snow like a much bigger machine. Love it!
Until my dad bought that Toro S-200 with electric start no less, we as a family had always shoveled our 2-car wide driveway by hand. I don't know what possessed my father to buy that snowblower that particular year, but it was an absolute lifesaver because the snowfall that year and next in SE Wisconsin was next level.
Thanks guys! Weirdly enough I have the large green Craftsman with the big 9hp Tecumish engine... And the Craftsman 2-stroke that Andy had. My Craftsman 2-stroke runs great though, got if for free and fixed the carb then good to go!
We have an old Ariens 2 stage snowblower from the 90's. It's got a 9-11 horse Tecumseh single cyl. Bullet proof. Another very nice video Taryl. Keep up the great work.
I've never needed or used a snowblower but I still watched the video from start to finish lol! If the boys make it....I'm gonna watch it!
Bought a Honda HS 50 back in 82 0r 83 that still starts on the second pull and throws a bunch of snow with the only repair needed was to replace the impeller belt. So when I decided I needed a bigger more powerful blower, I went with a Honda HS928 TAS in 2003 and depending on the depth of snow, I decide which one to use. I try to keep up on maintenance as I know repair parts are quite expensive.
I have a 1965 Ariens Snow Throw. Same year I was born (it was my Grandpa's). An amazing tank of a machine. Engine replaced in the early 90's with a Briggs Snow King. Starts quick. I did that trick on the impellor where you install a small piece of a rubber on the edges of the impellor blades to eliminate the gaps around the impellor & the chute. Not the thing can do any kind of snow... almost throws a mud puddle. There are no safety gizmo's of any kind. If you put it in gear and let go there's nothing to stop it. It has wheel chains which makes this even less stoppable. Love that thing.
1971 Sno Thro here. Older than me and in great condition. I put a newer HSK70 on it and replaced a few bearings here and there. Starts first pull at half choke.
@@timb7775 Nice. Mines a full choke two pull. Sorta sounds like me 😜
I just got an early 70's Ariens "Sno-Thro" 24" for $60 bucks and while the old Tecumseh on it does start, it's pretty tired. Thinking of swapping it out for a Predator 212 or a Honda GX200. The rest of the unit is in great shape and built like a Sherman tank! The chute control is a steel rod crank style, no cable, turns easy and you can even aim it backwards which is good if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, lol. The auger has grease zerks on it making it much easier to lubricate and what I love, put it in gear, let out the clutch and it drives itself, even if I let go of it, LOL! Yeah, it only has 3 forward speeds and 1 reverse but I can live with that just fine.
I have the credence clearwater revival Toro 2000, 4.5 hp after nine years of use last summer I change the blade and scraper; the belt was in good condition didn't need to be changed, I like that I got my money's out of it. Happy belated birthday Taryl.
was extremely impressed with all the work uncle andy put into this video to teach us grass rats about snowblowers...........and taryl , was also impressed with your use of the word acronym in the video..........there is NOTHING second rate about your videos,,,,,,,,,,,,thanks much.....keep up the good work
Another great video! Having back problems today. I look like Uncle Andy, hunched over and slow to move.
I've got an old Grey craftsman 2 stage from the mid 90s. It's a 24in with the hm80 8hp tecumseh. Was using that snow blower when I was a little kid. My dad gave it to me this year. It's been sitting with gas in it for about 5 years.
New carb, guide shoes, oil, spark plug, and some pb blaster, and it's as good as new. It put in some work this year.
About $100 in parts beats paying $1000 for a new one.
Shear pins: I broke one once so I bought a bag of them so I'd always have a spare and guess what?
That's right...never broke another one since!😅😅😅
LOL! I bought a 10 pack myself and have yet to have to use one! But I'm ready if I ever do!
Rebuilt a 1983 tracked Honda hs50 , Built up the scraper mount, new edge from an old shovel, one new bearing, cleaned and painted all the red and put belting rubber on second stage paddles. It works like a dream, starts first pull!
Thank you guys for the great reviews
Good stuff Taryl and Uncle Andy.
I remember I being at my uncles house in the mid sixties and we got 5 inches of snow, fortunately he had a little Toro snow pup brand new. When I ran that thing I was hooked. It was fast light and strong. I later bought an S200 and really liked it. Been with it for 35 years. Yes they are a pain to work on but I really like the light weight and that’s why I like it to this day.
I've got an old Craftsman 8/26 26" 2 stage snowblower with track drive which was given to me for free which I fixed up and has been a great beast of a snowblower, powered by an 8 HP Tecumseh with cast iron sleeve.
When I bought my snowblower in '96, I had two requirements. It had to be track drive, and it had to be powerful enough to blow out a long driveway. So I got a Yardman. It has a 9.9hp Tecumseh that's easy to work on. My only complaint is that the distance control on the top of the shoot tends to go fully open on its own, even after tightening the two bolts of it's hinge.
I received a Troybilt single stage as a gift about 6 years ago. Wasn't sure what to think. It hasn't failed me yet and I have a sizeable driveway. Always starts and throws snow as it should. Oh, I always run non-ethanol gas in my small engines.
Awesome episode!! A Garden Scratcher episode if possible for the Spring coming up would be much appreciated.
Honda tracked model and
Gravely Sno cannon dog catcher strong but expensive.
We had a huge ministorage complex 5 acres 300 etx doors in NYS wet snow long island.
We bought aa MTD gold 10hp blower.
It never broke still running since 1998.
Entertaining and informative video. I have a Poulan Pro PR621 (208cc single stage), that's around 10 years old. It's been a fantastic blower, and puts most of my neighbors 2 stages to shame as far as throwing snow. It was NOT difficult getting parts up until the last couple years, which now the model is old enough parts are running out of stock. As far as replacement part prices, I agree they were $$$ but probably not really any more than Toro or Honda comparatively. I've replaced the paddles, scraper, and engine as the LCT burnt a valve or something. I just retrofitted a Predator from Harbor Freight (swapped the parts off/on) and she's running like a beast again.
But I wouldn't recommend buying one at this point, simply because of parts availability is going to dry up. For example, the clutch cable is out of stock and I could use a new one.
Yeah I have a McCullouch version I got for 20$ it’s awesome
I have a 30-year old Ariens snowblower, works like a champ! 8HP 24 inch width 2-stage, very little trouble at all! We get almost 200 inches of snow a year, so it gets lots of work...
There not much snow where I' live but not going to miss you show they make feel happy!
I was hoping to see a snow away 8 by Simplicity. Those were snowblasting beasts
This is a awesome video! You should do more like these. There's your dinner!
Ive always used toro and those old ccr's were old reliable picked up the newer power clears when they first came out with them the only maintenance it's ever had is 3 sets of cutting edge and paddles and the belt and it still starts with 2 pulls every time
Hard to go wrong with any Ariens 2 stage with a Tecumseh on it. Especially the SnowKing engines. Built like a tank and easy to work on.
This is a great video, lots of information. One thing to help your mechanics out is to remove the wheels and put anti seize on the axles right away.
I tell you what, I'm loving my Snapper/Briggs 28" 2 stage with the Briggs 1150. Very nice. Seems solid
Hey Taryl . I am a subscriber of yours and watch your TH-cam channel often ,. and I see that you are a very good mechanic , and that is why I watch your channel , because when it comes to power equipment you know the business very well .
I am an older gentleman such as your self , and I too have worked on and seen lots of crap pile snow blowers and lawn mowers as such .
But I must say that I am in a pretty great disagreement with you about those old Jacobsen snow blowers .
those little machines were actually built pretty tuff for their size , I own several of them and have had them for years and they have really worked hard and done very well .
I don't know if have actually really used one of them very much , but I run mine cleaning snow though many of Wisconsin snow storms and can't complain .
Like you said in your video , most of the stuff you work probably comes in to your shop after being abused in a manner that the machine was never intended for .
And I am one of the more rare people that actually try to maintain
the things that I have and treat it proper .
My oldest Jacobsen Snow Burst is 1978 model with points ignition and it runs and operates fine .
Thank you for the videos .
Tim from Wisconsin .
My Father did small engine repair as a job and the old Toros were great back in the day, especially liked the front wheel drive models. I still have some of those 19 and 21 inch models around
No mention of Yamaha. I used a 24” track model with great results for many years in Fairbanks, Alaska in the late 90’s.
I absolutely love my Ariens Deluxe 28! It's an animal! Nothing, not even the most heavy, wet, chunky plow burms can stop it! It's almost entirely made out of metal. Very few plastic components except on lever handles, knobs and switches. I grew up with a little Toro S200 two stroke. That lil sum bish did the job and was far better than shoveling. Then my folks finally bought a Toro 824 two stage in the early 90's they still have today. I thought I died and went to heaven. But my dad is also a maintenance fanatic which definitely rubbed off on me. Hell he even has the Honda lawnmower he's had since the early 90's as well. When I buy yard equipment I spend the time to review them and spend the money on good, reliable equipment.
I own two snowblowers that I use for different situations. I have an old Toro CCR 2000 and it is the most reliable snowblower I have ever owned. Never ever had a problem with the engine. Starts every year and it’s fairly powerful and lightweight. Super easy to use. The only repairs I’ve ever done were replacing the paddles, skid and belt after 30 years of use. Fantastic for snow up to 6 inches, but it has enough balls to chuck deeper snow if it’s light and fluffy.
When the snow is deep or wet and heavy, I bring out the Ariens Deluxe 28 2-stage snowblower. It works great if there’s a lot of snow on the ground. The engine that was on mine was a 250cc LCT engine which worked fine under most conditions but was a bit underpowered with deep heavy snow drifts and ice. I’ve stalled that engine a couple times and I have to go slower. That LCT engine developed a rod knock after 3 years, right when the warranty expired. I decided to go nuts and repower it with a 16 HP Vanguard v-twin on the snow blower. This engine in particular has a pull start and electric start, compact exhaust system, and its very reliable and powerful. I increased the auger pulley on the engine to 4.5” to take advantage of the additional horsepower. And boy does it blow snow now. It shoots it like a canon. It’s got good power most of the time but it occasionally struggle with really deep wet snow, however it chucks the snow out faster so it can intake more snow at a faster ground speed, much faster than I would with the LCT engine. The weight increase is noticeable but it isn’t too bad. I only use the Ariens if we get a big blizzard but most of the time I use the little Toro CCR 2000 because it is lighter and much easier to use, and in light snow I can outpace the 2-stagers and it clears down to the pavement really well.
I have a Tracked Honda HS928 had it for 12 years has hydrostatic drive , the machine has been very reliable , is designed for easy service (The auger assembly can be easily removed without having to pull the blower housing off the machine). the only thing I have ever had to service is the main auger bearing and auger belt , used in semi-commercial service for 3 households for all its life , the machine is a beast and can even handle the removal of the piles heavly packed snow after roof snow removal which used to break the drive on friction disk driven machines requiring a lot of service . the hydro-static drive makes moving it a dynamic fluid fingertip operation in both directions , only downfall as with all tracked machines is its slow to transport from one location to another.. the extra traction is a big plus in my case in the removal of packed down heavy snow . never had an issue with with finding parts, and still does not burn a drop of oil to this day. another feature I like is the handle mounted throttle , when blowing very light snow or in a tight area, or an area where there could be chunks ice embedded with the snow that would cause damage , I can lower the engine speed to selectively reduce the force of the thrown snow.
I have a 10 year old Craftsman which has been pretty decent overall. It's moved a lot of snow in it's lifetime. Mostly routine maintenance, as long as I completely drain the gas and empty the carb before storing. It has lots of cables and last year a roll pin backed out of the u-joint for the chute control. Simple fix, but took 3 hours!
I have the sno tek like the one you showed there. 10 years now it’s been amazing, the issues I had is from the carb with a leaky needle and the bowl got rusty. Now I always shut the fuel off before I shut the engine off
Nice job guys. No snow blowers needed here but I sure enjoyed the info.
Have trash picked and sold many of these older models thru the years. Have a 1985 Snapper 5/24 with a briggs and siphon carb, pull choke and always starts on 3 pulls. Has thick and tall poly chute but man it throws the deep stuff, without over revving either! Ariens by far my favorite.
In the past 4 years I've found a Toro 2450 and Toro 3650 in the trash. Both needed paddles and scraper bars (About $40 spent on each one on EBAY) and they now perform like new. I would only recommend a 2450 or 3650 if used. Parts are readily available and they have tons of throwing power! At my old house I had to be careful not to throw snow across the ST into my neighbors drive. His $1,000+ 2 stage couldn't wing snow more than 10' while I'm throwing snow 30+ feet.
And to your note on the belt cover getting worn out from rubbing the ground, That's true. I fixed that on the 3650 with some scrap metal and my $100 harbor freight 110V welder.
Bought a new troybilt 2410 in 2014. I put an impeller kit in it not long after new and with meticulous maintenance and always using stabil in fuel not a single issue! I did adjust valves this season. Looks new still as well! Read alot of bad on the interwebs, but I've never had a single issue.
Pulled a Toro powerlite from the rubbish 5 or 6 yrs ago. Cleaned the the carb, and fresh gas. Best little dependable machine ever. Handles even the heaviest snow, and cleans to the pavement.
Thanks for the great info!
Enjoying your posts,informative entertining, Cheers !
I had a John Deere TRS 21 for many years. It was single stage, two stroke. JD got out of the snowblower business a number of years ago, so now you're lucky to get dealer parts. It was ok, but meant for lighter duty work in the city where driveways tend to be shorter. My only complaint was it clogged easily unless you were dealing with fresh powder. Even the slightest bit of moist snow made it want to clog the chute. I now have a used Toro 824 which I really like. Handles our sloped driveway much better b cause it is self propelled. Starts easily. Keep your power equipment properly maintained and it will serve you faithfully for a very long time.
In 1988 when we bought our house in the Catskills, the seller left us an Ariens 910018 machine.
What a beast !!!. I totally serviced it (so I thought) and then on the first snow, I blew a belt.
So then the next Spring I serviced it TOTALLY ...
It never failed to clean the driveway, despite my frustration , and running it over the hill into the gully.
20 years ago I bought a Honda HS928. I wasted money on the electric start. It always starts on the first pull. This machine thros snow that the neighbor's machines do not. Of course I had to get a loan to buy it. I just changed the scraper blade and that was an ordeal, but I love this machine.
I see so many folks buy a big-box snow blower and a few years they are buying a replacement.
Great video guys! Keep it up.
I bought an MTD 5 horse, 22 inch used about 5 years ago for $50. I had a friction disc and had a cable replaced on it. It still runs and blows snow. Definitely got my money's worth.
This is a great video. I wonder if a video concerning generators might be useful and interesting. Thanks for considering it.
I own a tracked Honda HS828S (built between 1991-1998) and it is an absolute beast! Damn thing blows snow 50+ feet ! All the parts are extremely good quality. The hydrostatic drive works flawless and is easy to service. High quality keihin carb that's easy to service. My machine still has all the original cables, just shoot cable lube in them each year. These machines were $2600-2800 msrp in the 90's ! I picked mine up used for $500. I did a carb job, cleaned the fuel tank and checked valve lash. Runs like a top ! Highly suggest the Honda 2 stage machines. There's a reason good stuff aint cheap and cheap stuff aint good !
Wow, A lot of time went into reviewing so many types. Nice. Thanks.
I love it. Please consider making a similar video on mowers.
This video is gold. I've been waiting for this
I personally have a free MTD 5hp 24" two stage works good. And I have a MTD 10hp 28" 2 stage
In all honesty I prefer the 5hp just for moving around
I had the Toro S200 lasted many years since then I have stuck with Toro single stage and they have never let me down yes changing the paddles is part of the deal but they are very reliable snow blowers
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Picked up one of those Toro 418ze snow blowers at a garage sale for 10 bucks. Sure enough, the carb was gummed up like Taryl mentioned. Somebody tried to take it apart, and lost all the nuts and bolts and tried to put standard nuts on the carb studs, messing up the threads! I had to buy, some metric nuts and bolts, and chase the metric threads on the carb mounting studs. The governor linkage also had to be replaced as well as it was all bent up by this nitwit.
The brass jet in the float bowl has a opening that is TINY! I can see why these gum up so easily. I drilled it out to a bit larger size. That's it, and it didn't affect how it runs at all, still runs great. All in all, I spent 40 bucks and put in some elbow grease and I have a machine that cost $500 new and it's only 10 years old with very little wear!
Thanks guys helpful info.
Thanks fur tha vids man. They make me day...
I had MTD 2 cycle it did good job for me. Only thing I had to do it basic maintance and belt. What save me money I did all the the work myself. I always like working small engines. Big fan of your youtube channel.
I have a craftsman snowblower it’s never let me down in the harshest of Minnesota winters I’ve been through snow drifts taller than the bucket and it just powers its way through 10hp Briggs power
The only snowblower I've missed is a two stroke, all metal, single stage, ward's model I got at a yard sale. It was the bare minimum. But it always started and ran. I used it to clear the way to my big snowblower. Didn't make the last move to the city but it would be handy.
Please make more videos. Bough your calendar and will buy more to support your great work Keep it up! Thank you.
Some good tips there guys. There’s no substitute for experience. Love this channel. 👍😂🇬🇧🔧