I'm thinking of getting a 5hp 4 cycle electrostart snow thrower from Sears:
Is there any dissadvantages in getting a 4 cycle engine over a 2 cycle.
Thanks for your advice.
Bruce K
I bought a similar one almost 10 years ago. Track drive. Five HP B&S Engine. First oil change I went to Mobil 1, 5W30,. Never need the electric start. It always starts on first pull. Most important is to drain all gas at the end of season.
Mine does have 6 speeds forward and 2 in reverse. Multiple speeds are not really necessary. The reverse is needed with the track drive as it doesn't "roll".
I think the reason most snow throwers are 2 cycle is because they are easier to start with no cold, thick, crankcase oil. If you are keeping it in an attached garage (or a heated garage) it's probably no issue, and is probably no issue with electric start either.
Other than that, only disadvantage of 4 cycle I can think of is that you have to change the oil periodically.
Paul
I'd suggest an 8hp engine. I have a 5.5 hp 4-cycle and even in the moderate snow here in NJ I often find I needed a thrower with more power.
My 18 HP 4 cycle garden tractor is garaged in a detached non-heated shed. After the last mow of the fall season, I take the mower deck off and mount a 48" snow blower to the front. I use the tractor throughout the year. The only problem I may have in the winter is that the choke cable may freeze up and I can't start the tractor because I can't pull the knob out to choke the engine. A few minutes with a propane torch fixes that. I would hate to think about freezing my butt off, mixing gas and oil, because I ran out of the mixture, or forgot to do it. Worse, I check my shed and find I forgot to buy more 2 cycle oil, and now I have to make a run to the store to get some, in a foot of snow. 2 cycle engines are for the summer.
A 4 cycle engine is just a vastly superior mechanism. It will last longer, pollute less and work better. I have had the same experience someone else mentioned here. Never use the electric start because it goes on the first pull, even when it's well below zero. Just be sure to use fresh gas and to clean or replace the plug regularly.
Until last winter I'd have said the same thing. My MTD always started on either the first or second pull. One morning with the temperature hovering around zero I got considerable resistance. Pulled the cord slowly a couple times just to loosen things a bit then gave it one good pull. Result was the cord separated. At that point it was very nice to have an electric start option.
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