I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda. Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the price. Are Hondas worth it? Both brands have great local dealers. Which brand do you recommend?
What're Ariens using for their engine?
How much do you actually have need to use it and how seriously when do?
Is storage area heated even partially or not to judge starting ease. The Kawasaki are also very good starters, B&S "not so much" ime...
price. Are Hondas worth it?
interesting info to decide re snowblower..
single stage or two stage metal or plastic impeller what is the gap between the impeller vanes and the housing diameter and speed of the impeller
google "impeller kit" and watch the you tubes
there seems to be big variations in how far they throw and how easily they clog.
mark
price. Are Hondas worth it?
IDK about Honda snowblowers, but I can tell you about Honda mowers. I bought one at HomeDepot when it was end of season, got a great deal, think it was ~$350, about half price. In terms of the finish of the cut it did on the grass, it was the best mower I ever had. It used a double blade, one on top of the other, mulched very fine and was quiet too. But it only lasted about 7 years, just using it on my lawn, which is ~6000 sq ft. The transmission wore out where the shaft enters it. A new tranny was $135 plus shipping at the time. Even worse, this was a real mess to take apart, dozens of small parts, bushings, etc. I had two egg cartons full of stuff and while I'm experienced working on a lot of things, I wondered if I would get it back together right again.
I wound up buying a new Craftsman on Ebay locally for $160. It has more power, more noise and doesn't cut as nice. About 5 years in, it too stopped moving. Unlike the Honda, it doesn't have a tranny, it uses a slipping belt for variable speed drive, the Honda had 3 speeds. I took two screws out, removed a cover from the top of the deck, found the belt underneath. The end of the tension spring had broken. A zip tie and I was back in business. That was at least 5 years ago, it's still working fine.
So, my opinion of Honda lawn eqpt is very mixed. No reason a tranny should fail like that. Also the variable speed is better thatn the
3 speed. Once in awhile I slow it down momentarily by partially releasing the handle. The 3 speed Honda, all I ever used was speed 3. And the tranny shouldn't fail on a $700 mower in just 7 years of light use.For snowblower I also have a Craftsman that I bought 23 years ago. It's been fine, except the carb is sensitive to getting fouled by the ethanol gas crap. I've had to take it apart to clean or rebuild it a couple times, but otherwise it's been rock solid. But it doesn't get a whole lot of use here either.
Depends on how much you will be doing. After many different lawnmowers I finally bought a Honda and over the years, would have been the cheapest way long term.
Snow twice a year, no big deal, anything will work but 18" every week, get the Honda.
Good advice. I went the same direction and got a Honda mower. My Troy Bilt snow thrower works fine but sometimes only gets one use a year.
Never owned any Honda small engine that didn't start easily, run strong, and last next to forever. The device it was powering is usually what died.
For two of them, I pulled the engines and sold them used for a lot more than I thought was reasonable!
The professional grade Ariens stuff has always been excellent. The big box store models are CHEAP.(and I do NOT mean just inexpensive)
Honda Hydrostatics and Yamaha hydrostatics are EXPENSIVE, but at least in the case of my Yammy - worth every penny.
My Yammy will throw snow over 50 feet - the impeller clearance is quite tight. For heavy snow use you want 2 stage and metal vanes.
For light accumulations a single stage rubber vane unit works well.
They even have "3 stage" unis now, with a "screw" on the end of the inpeller shaft - - - . look at Troy-Bilt as an example.
Simplicity is another EXCELLENT quality brand (not saying Troy is, or isn't)
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