# Husqvarna vs. Ariens tracked snow blowers



## heat seeker

I've had it with my Simplicity blower, so am looking at Husqy and Ariens tracked machines. The Husqy dealer has them in stock, and I have looked the 30 hydro model over, and like it. The Ariens dealer doesn't stock track models because they don't sell, but can order one for me. I'd still much rather see one in person before buying, but no Ariens dealers around here have a demo.

I'd like to see if any of you here have any thoughts or opinions on either brand/model of these machines. I need a tracked model, and want something that will handle our often heavy snow loads.

I'm leaning towards the Husqvarna 1830EXLT, $2599.00 on sale. 

The few reviews I've found are mostly very favorable, one or two bad comments.


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## Utilitrack

heat seeker said:


> I've had it with my Simplicity blower, so am looking at Husqy and Ariens tracked machines. The Husqy dealer has them in stock, and I have looked the 30 hydro model over, and like it. The Ariens dealer doesn't stock track models because they don't sell, but can order one for me. I'd still much rather see one in person before buying, but no Ariens dealers around here have a demo.
> 
> I'd like to see if any of you here have any thoughts or opinions on either brand/model of these machines. I need a tracked model, and want something that will handle our often heavy snow loads.
> 
> I'm leaning towards the Husqvarna 1830EXLT, $2599.00 on sale.
> 
> The few reviews I've found are mostly very favorable, one or two bad comments.



No opinion on either but why tracked? You certainly get less snow than us Mainiacs, wheeled works for us.


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## greg13

My personal opinion is that Ariens have made quality snow blowers since the 60's that few if any manufacturers can beat. Husqvarna products in general have in my opinion steadily gone downhill.  Honda makes a tracked unit also.

Why do you "need" a tracked unit? A good wheel machine will do anything that needs to be done.Plus if the machine is working right you will be down to solid ground so tracks actually work against you since the ground pressure is less (as well as traction) than a wheel machine.


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## heat seeker

I have an older Ariens wheeled blower, and it is a great machine. However, I have to clear a path to the barn for access to feed the critters. The lane is very uneven, but the worst part is that it's pretty steep uphill. My wheeled machine, even with chains, has a hard time. The chains just dig down until the machine bottoms out, and then I'm stuck trying to muscle it up the hill. I'm hoping that the tracks will get the machine up the hill. My driveway is also pretty steep, but the wheeled Ariens can handle that, except it has trouble where the plows compact the snow.

My Simplicity tractor, even with weights and chains, has difficulty with the driveway, and is useless on the barn path.

I'm literally betting a large piece of change that the tracks will work for me. 

i'd like an Ariens, but will not buy something sight unseen. The Husqvarna I looked at seems to be of moderate, at least, quality, which should be adequate for my use. I'm probably only good for another 5 years or so of snow clearing, then will have to leave it to others. I take very good care of my machines, and don't abuse them, so feel pretty confident that I'll get the 5 years out of any machine.


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## festerw

I can say that a Honda track drive will do what you're looking to do.  The Ariens or Husqvarna I don't have any experience with but I have a 25ish year old Honda, they are very nice machines my only problem is the tracks are getting dry rotted and the parts are obsolete.


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## Beer Belly

At the job, we have commercial grade Ariens  that are wheeled and work great (school system, going on 12 years). I have a homeowner grade 30 inch wheeled....the traction lock works great, but I find the front to be on the light side, and it tends to not dig in.....at times, I need to keep a little "up" pressure on the handles to give the front more "down" force......contemplating putting a big heavy steel bar across the top for more weight up front......my feeling if it had wheel chains, it would be unstoppable


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## Retired Guy

Large diameter wheels on my JD 1128 work well for me. I just need to go slow and pause a bit when I blow the 3' icy crud that snowplows puts at the end of the driveway.

edit: Amazon has the track version for $2488. Eligible for two day shipping for Prime members


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## Ashful

heat seeker said:


> I'm leaning towards the Husqvarna 1830EXLT, $2599.00 on sale.


 
She-it!  I spent less than that on my 64" Woods in 2012.




(garden gnome, dear?  what garden gnome?  never saw it...)
(oh... the dog is missing too?)

You've got a barn full of animals, so I'm guessing you probably have a tractor...

My previous 42" snow-blower cost me $150 in 2011... tractor included:


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## heat seeker

I do have a Simplicity, but have given up on replacing $60 belts at a rapid rate. Something is wrong, I just can't figure out what, and it won't do the hill anyway. I've tried in the past. But, the Simp blower is a beast. 42" wide, and it blows the snow halfway back to where it came from. The belt thing is poorly designed, IMO, and I'm tired of dealing with it.


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## Adios Pantalones

I don't have tracked- but I have had an Ariens 724 for 11 years of NH winters- a 250' driveway uphill, facing North, through woods that drop lots of sticks to suck up. Until I sucked up a big flat rock with both augers (very strange circumstance)- it had been nothing but great. I had to replace the auger gear box last winter, now it's a boss once again.


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## MasterMech

Watch the front ends on those Husqvarna units.  They often do not have a solid cross-shaft in the gearbox and auger flights.  Absolutely unacceptable in a $2700 unit if that turns out to be the case. (I can't dbl check at the moment). 

Tracks vs wheels.... Tracks offer the best traction and drift busting power. Period.  But they are a bear to repair when packed full of ice/snow.  There are some really good wheel units out there too.

Toro doesn't do tracks but they are my preference for walk behind blowers.  If you absolutely have to have tracks, I'd go Honda.


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## heat seeker

Great food for thought - thanks everyone!

MasterMech - the 1830 appears to have a solid shaft that exgtends from the gearbox, although it is short. I'm assuming it's solid since it has a keyway in it, but perhaps not.

I found this parts breakdown:

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/hu...er-throwers-parts-c-114486_118260_167581.html

It's on page "M".


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## Ashful

Adios Pantalones said:


> I don't have tracked- but I have had an Ariens 724 for 11 years of NH winters- a 250' driveway uphill, facing North, through woods that drop lots of sticks to suck up. Until I sucked up a big flat rock with both augers (very strange circumstance)- it had been nothing but great. I had to replace the auger gear box last winter, now it's a boss once again.


 
Ditto, but my Ariens is the 824.  It's a mean-ass little machine, but I'm not sure how well it compares to the Ariens they make today.  Only issue with mine has been slippage of the drive disc on the drive plate in recent years... probably time for a new drive disc, as the rubber is probably too old / hard.


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## Adios Pantalones

Joful said:


> Ditto, but my Ariens is the 824. It's a mean-ass little machine, but I'm not sure how well it compares to the Ariens they make today. Only issue with mine has been slippage of the drive disc on the drive plate in recent years... probably time for a new drive disc, as the rubber is probably too old / hard.


I had to swap mine out too. Not a fault of the company for a consumable part like that- 10+ years is a good life after the abuse that I put it through (including doing extensive paths in my yard after every snow for my little fake dogs)


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## Ashful

Adios Pantalones said:


> I had to swap mine out too. Not a fault of the company for a consumable part like that- 10+ years is a good life after the abuse that I put it through (including doing extensive paths in my yard after every snow for my little fake dogs)


 
You too? The black one has zero ground clearance at full-squat. She is barely taller than the riser on one step.


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## MasterMech

heat seeker said:


> the 1830 appears to have a solid shaft that exgtends from the gearbox, although it is short. I'm assuming it's solid since it has a keyway in it, but perhaps not.








Sorry but that's exactly the inferior design I had in mind.  The shaft extends 3-4" from either side of the gearbox inside of the hollow tube in the center of the auger flights.  It's pinned to the flight via shear pin and then the tube is _hollow_ until you get a few inches from the edges of the housing where it is pinned again to the stub axles that are bolted to the housings.  Those stub axle assemblies are page "N".






Think about what happens to this design in a less than perfect world.  I asked Murphy what he had planned and he said it's likely that if you were to "discover" something buried in the snow in your driveway, the shear pins would break, as they are designed to do.  This would allow the housing ends to spread, possibly far enough to "drop" the stub shaft of the gear box out of the auger flights.  Remember that you would only have to spread the housings a couple inches to accomplish this, not too far-fetched considering they are pretty thin sheet metal.  Now that the gear box is no longer anchored on one or both sides, what is preventing the gearbox from flailing around on the end of a 2' shaft?  This almost surely is going to result in additional damage to the impeller, bend the input shaft, and/or damage the back of the impeller housing.

This is the kind of cost cutting design I'd expect to see in a sub-$1000 entry-level unit like you'd see at Sears/Lowes/Depot.  But not in a $2000+ machine.  I love the idea of tracks and a hydro transmission but the business end of this unit is garbage as far as I'm concerned.

If you absolutely need/want tracks and a hydro, Honda is probably your best bet.

Or... since you mentioned that you were gettin' on in the years, there are some great solutions that don't involve walking.  Do you own a tractor of any kind?  Lawn, garden, or compact utility?  Doesn't have to be a big machine to clear a residential driveway in record time.  Here's my setup:


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## heat seeker

The Honda gearbox is the same style. Short output shafts, as seen on a YouTube video by Donyboy73. It does have a support bracket, though, that should hold it in place.

I do have a garden tractor (see post #9), and it was great when it worked right. It still wouldn't handle the lane down to the barn, though. But, it did a large turnaround driveway and parking areas in 20 minutes or so, all while I was seated comfortably. 42" width meant 3 passes more than did the driveway's width.

I looked at some Hondas today, and am pretty well sold on their HS928, or the HS1332 tracks. The 928 costs almost the same as the Simplicity. I like the 1332 because of its larger engine, but it's around $3200, which is a lot for a walk behind machine! They seem to be very well made, and run rather quietly, too. The hydro is nice, also, and the light is in a usable place. No hand warmers, though. And, the dealer actually acted like he wanted to make a sale, unlike the other places I've been to. I've owned many Honda motorcycles, and the quality was always there.

Decision time is fast approaching, self-imposed deadline.


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## Swedishchef

I live in Quebec so I think it is fair to say I know about snow: we have an average of 400-500cm per winter where I live.

Ariens make great machines. You can't get a better bang for your $. The best snowblowers are Honda and Yamaha. However, you won't get one for under $3400 in Canada. It will start every time, throw the snow like a farm tractor and rarely, if ever, break.

With that being said, I have an Ariens wheeled. I like the idea of tracks. BUt they are more expensive. And a friend of mine had a tracked snowblower which broke one time. Have you ever tried pushing a tracked snowblower 5 feet? It is near impossible.

All Ariens have cast-iron gear boxes with 5 year warranties. The machine itself is 3 year bumper to bumper. This is a very fine machine for the price. The 414cc engine can TOSS that snow quite far. I have had it for 3 years without issues. Here is a the 2014 model...  http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-921029-Snow-Thrower/p11240.html

Here is the model I have http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-921018-Snow-Thrower/p3243.html


Personally I would stay away from Husky...I love their saws but not the blowers. A friend of mine had one and it didn't seem to toss the snow near as far. The last I heard Husqvarna, Sears, Poulan, etc snowblowers are all AYP-made products. Different trim levels but basically the same machine

GOod luck!

Andrew

PS. Here is a picture of some of the snow we can get...


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## heat seeker

Yeah,  that's some pretty serious snow!
I did look at the Ariens, since I like my old one a lot. But, around here, the price difference for comparable Ariens/Honda is about $80. So I'm thinking of going with the Honda; plus they have one that I can see and play with.


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## Swedishchef

Woa.. That is a small price difference!  Enjoy the honda!


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## Retired Guy

That exploded view seems to show a stamped steel gearbox. I discounted that and went with a blower with a cast iron box.


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## heat seeker

On most of the machines I've seen, that gearbox is aluminum castings. Not sayin' that there aren't steel ones, I just haven't seen any. Ariens is the only one I know of that uses cast iron. It's sturdy, but I question the benefits. If the gearbox doesn't give, something else will. 
Those aluminum castings are not too pricey - $90 for the Honda 928 (not too bad, really), and $28.00 per side for the Husqy. Labor is another matter. The entire Husqy gearbox is about $220. I couldn't find a price on the Honda assembly, but did notice that all the shafts ride on bearings, not bushings. 
Let's hope none of us catch anything damaging in our machines!


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## Swedishchef

I put a solid wood handled shovel through mine. It ate it! LOL. My sheer pins didn't break. Nothing.

I have a co-worker that owns an Ariens and his ate a brick...it jammed the machine and it stalled but nothing broke.

My gearbox is aluminum and I haven'r had any issues. But a 5 year warranty is nice on it just in case...

Andrew


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## Ashful

Swedishchef said:


> I have a co-worker that owns an Ariens and his ate a brick...it jammed the machine and it stalled but nothing broke.


 
We work together?

I ate a brick with my Ariens 824, helping a neighbor, who apparently liked to leave loose bricks laying in his driveway on snow day. Mine sheared one of the shear pins... I'd be taking a close look at those pins, if they didn't shear before stalling the machine. My Woods 64" blower uses grade 5 bolts for shear pins, but those little Ariens use a softer bolt that's necked down in the shear area.


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## heat seeker

Good point! Yeah, I'd pull the shear pins and see if the auger spins freely. They do tend to rust to the shafts.


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## Ashful

heat seeker said:


> Good point! Yeah, I'd pull the shear pins and see if the auger spins freely. They do tend to rust to the shafts.


Yea but... the Ariens machines have two grease zerks on each auger flight to prevent this.  Assuming he shoots a bit of grease in there at least once every few years, this machine should not have that particular problem.


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## Swedishchef

No rust whatsoever on mine. i grease it every fall.

Nothing better than an ariens... ( at least in my books...for the price). I been bought an ariens lawnmower ( it has a honda engine...)


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## heat seeker

Joful said:


> Yea but... the Ariens machines have two grease zerks on each auger flight to prevent this. Assuming he shoots a bit of grease in there at least once every few years, this machine should not have that particular problem.


 
My Simplicity does, too. Not sure, but I think my ancient Ariens has the fittings. It will become my backup machine this year. I have to check it every fall to make sure the mice haven't built a nest in it. For some reason, they love that machine. One year, when I tried to start it, the engine was frozen. I had that sick feeling that the engine had rusted up. Imagine my surprise when I found a mouse nest so firmly packed in the shroud that the engine couldn't turn.

What a disgusting mess to clean up. On top of that, there was a dead mouse in there.
Once I got it cleaned up, being careful not to breathe the dust, everything was fine. When I started the engine, bits of mouse turds and D-Con blew out for a while. Guess I missed some during the cleaning. Thing stunk for a while every time the engine got warm, though.

What's stopping me from buying an Ariens is that I can't see one before I buy it, and the price is so close to the Honda's. I prefer to buy American, but not sight unseen. BTDT, got burned in the past.


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## Swedishchef

Ariens are sold at Homedepot. And local shops must service them under warranty. They are the same price as the local shops..
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-P...Turn-Steering-921029/204265890#specifications

I still don't know how they can be the same price as a honda..lucky you!


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## velvetfoot

Hey, buy my old one.  I got a new Ariens that turns better.
http://albany.craigslist.org/grd/4018443768.html


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## btuser

I've got a Honda track model 1132tas.   It works crazy good.


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## Beer Belly

Swedishchef said:


> Ariens are sold at Homedepot. And local shops must service them under warranty. They are the same price as the local shops..
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-P...Turn-Steering-921029/204265890#specifications
> 
> I still don't know how they can be the same price as a honda..lucky you!


 This is the same one I got. If you go the Home Depot / Lowes route, go to the Post Office and ask for a "Moving Kit" (change of address stuff), in it there is usually a 10% discount coupon for Lowes or Home Depot....it will at least cover the taxes


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## Treacherous

[quote="Swedishchef, post: 1504307, member: 13390"

Personally I would stay away from Husky...I love their saws but not the blowers. A friend of mine had one and it didn't seem to toss the snow near as far. The last I heard Husqvarna, Sears, Poulan, etc snowblowers are all AYP-made products. Different trim levels but basically the same machine
 .[/quote]

I have had good luck with my 5 year old Husky. I did replace bushings holding the rake with bearings.   I upgraded to a high speed impeller pulley and added a Clarence kit and it throws as far as a Honda would.  I wish the Yamahas were sold in the states.   Nothing wrong with the Hondas either.


Clarence Kit
http://smllengns.tripod.com/index_Copy_1.html


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## heat seeker

None of the Home Depots around here that I checked stock the tracked models.


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## Treacherous

heat seeker said:


> None of the Home Depots around here that I checked stock the tracked models.



I think you have to typically hit the dealers to pick up the tracked models.


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## Treacherous

Dream snow blowers... I know some want to use a plow on a truck but I don't think that is as much fun.


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## heat seeker

Treacherous said:


> I think you have to typically hit the dealers to pick up the tracked
> models.



Yeah, I tried several local dealers. They won't stock them because they don't sell enough of them. Probably because they don't stock them, is my guess. But with the Honda prices so close, people probably go with the Honda.


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## Swedishchef

heat seeker said:


> None of the Home Depots around here that I checked stock the tracked models.


 
Gotcha. THey are tough machines.

I still don't buy the idea of a track. Not for the price difference anyways....but that is just my opinion.

Happy buying!

Andrew


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## heat seeker

I do agree the tracks are pricey! If the machine doesn't climb the hill on my lane, I'm going to be pretty unhappy at having spent the extra money, but at least I'll have a machine that I can rely on.
Just for fun, I priced replacement tracks on various machines. One wanted over $800 for one track - just the track! Another was about $300. Honda says to call them for pricing. Probably so they can call an EMT after they tell you the price...


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## velvetfoot

How about chains?  Do they make spikes?


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## festerw

I'll say this I have never found something my track drive won't go through.  The height adjuster is awesome and in 1st gear can scrape down to bare pavement in two feet of frozen slop from the plow trucks.

I don't think you'll have a problem.


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## heat seeker

I have chains on my old Ariens, and terrific machine as it is, the chains just enable the tires to dig themselves a hole until the machine bottoms out. Then I'm S-T-U-C-K.  The venerable Ariens will be my backup machine for the paved areas. I can't say enough good things about that old thing, and I got it free! My situation requires something with great traction, and I'm hoping the tracks will do the trick.

festerw - thanks for the  encouragement!


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## festerw

The only time I've ever gotten the Honda stuck was being stupid blazing through the yard in high gear in a couple feet of snow.

My only complaint is that it is a bear to maneuver but it is 25 years only with no fancy features to help turn.  The original belts and friction disc lasted 20 years though.


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## Beer Belly

I do have a guy at work who has a track model....I think a Cub....he makes sure he keeps an eye on the fuel, he ran out of gas at the bottom of his driveway and could not move the thing, but claims there is no stopping it....trigger on either handle to turn  left and right


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## Swedishchef

Ever notice why tanks have tracks? Because they are tanks. They go through everything.

So guess what: your new machine with tracks will be a tank!! 

I was just looking at price points. I don't know what kind  of a driveway you have nor the type/amount of snowfall. One thing is for sure. A Honda blower is about the best blower you can get on the market. Reliable, tough, reliable (did I mention reliable??). OFten around here when you're driving around after a storm and see snow getting thrown 50 feet up you think it is a farm tractor. upon arrival of that particular driveway you realize it is a honda snowblower!

Andrew


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## Swedishchef

velvetfoot said:


> How about chains?  Do they make spikes?


 They do make chains but they are not that good. The new tire design is lightyears ahead of the older ones.

What is new about tracks is that it prevents the front of the blower from getting "lifted" while advancing. As Festerw said, you can scrape a driveway if you want (mine is gravel so that is pointless...)

I just wasn't ready to fork out another $2000 for the same snow removing ability.


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## MasterMech

heat seeker said:


> None of the Home Depots around here that I checked stock the tracked models.


I have not found a two-stage snowblower sold in a big box store that I would own.


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## Adios Pantalones

Swedishchef said:


> Ever notice why tanks have tracks? Because they are tanks. They go through everything.
> 
> So guess what: your new machine with tracks will be a tank!!
> 
> I was just looking at price points. I don't know what kind  of a driveway you have nor the type/amount of snowfall. One thing is for sure. A Honda blower is about the best blower you can get on the market. Reliable, tough, reliable (did I mention reliable??). OFten around here when you're driving around after a storm and see snow getting thrown 50 feet up you think it is a farm tractor. upon arrival of that particular driveway you realize it is a honda snowblower!
> 
> Andrew


I have never been disappointed with any Honda power equipment. The engines are especially reliable. When I bought my generator (the one piece of equipment that must be most reliable, except for maybe an iron lung) I went for Honda.


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## Swedishchef

MasterMech said:


> I have not found a two-stage snowblower sold in a big box store that I would own.


 
Home Depot sells the exact same machines that local snowblower shops sell. IF the model number is the same, the machine is the same. SImple. And my local shop confirmed this to me (as did the representative for my province via my local shop).

However, HD certainly doesn't use certified techs/mechanics for assembly and testing before being sent out. 

Just make sure the model number is the same if you wanted to buy at HD. They also ship for free if you don't have a local shop.

These are the only 2 stage blowers I would buy in a big box store.


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## MasterMech

Swedishchef said:


> Home Depot sells the exact same machines that local snowblower shops sell. IF the model number is the same, the machine is the same. SImple. And my local shop confirmed this to me (as did the representative for my province via my local shop).
> 
> However, HD certainly doesn't use certified techs/mechanics for assembly and testing before being sent out.
> 
> Just make sure the model number is the same if you wanted to buy at HD. They also ship for free if you don't have a local shop.
> 
> These are the only 2 stage blowers I would buy in a big box store.


Are we talking about Ariens machines?

And yes, thankfully, "special" box store models are much less common than ten years ago.  Once the cat was out of the bag on that one, the junk disappeared rather quickly.


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## Swedishchef

Ooops I forgot to mention we are talking about Ariens. LOL.

The HD website gives this item:http://www.homedepot.ca/product/ari...ic-start-28in-clearing-width-snowblowe/953977   it is model number  926042

Which is also http://www.ariens.com/products/snow-blowers/track-snow-blower/pages/default.aspx

and also http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-926042-Snow-Thrower/p3252.html (free shipping, tax free and extended 2 year warranty. Damn I wish I lived in the US!)

Now I want a new blower....sigh.


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## heat seeker

Swedishchef said:


> Ever notice why tanks have tracks? Because they are tanks. They go through everything.
> 
> So guess what: your new machine with tracks will be a tank!!
> 
> 
> Andrew



I hope that doesn't mean I have to paint it OD Green I sort of got sick of that color...


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## heat seeker

Swedishchef said:


> What is new about tracks is that it prevents the front of the blower from getting "lifted" while advancing.



That's something I hadn't considered - and it good news to me. We often get an icy crust on the snow that tends to lift the front of the blower. My Ariens is well balanced, but there's little weight on the front, so it lifts easily. Tracks are looking better all the time!


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## Ashful

heat seeker said:


> I hope that doesn't mean I have to paint it OD Green I sort of got sick of that color...


"OD" Green?


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## heat seeker

Swedishchef said:


> Ooops I forgot to mention we are talking about Ariens. LOL.
> 
> The HD website gives this item:http://www.homedepot.ca/product/ari...ic-start-28in-clearing-width-snowblowe/953977   it is model number  926042
> 
> Which is also http://www.ariens.com/products/snow-blowers/track-snow-blower/pages/default.aspx
> 
> and also http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-926042-Snow-Thrower/p3252.html (free shipping, tax free and extended 2 year warranty. Damn I wish I lived in the US!)
> 
> Now I want a new blower....sigh.



Those prices are actually higher than I can get a Honda 24" 9 horse track for- $2799.


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## heat seeker

Joful said:


> "OD" Green?



Olive Drab Green - US Army color.


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## Ashful

heat seeker said:


> Olive Drab Green - US Army color.


ahh... I was thinking he meant to type "JD green".  I live in Deere country.  Mennonite farmers won't buy red tractors.  Too flashy.


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## heat seeker

Nothing against Deere! I like Deere green and yellow just fine 
Lots of Deeres around here, also many many older Farmalls, of which I have 3.


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## velvetfoot

heat seeker said:


> That's something I hadn't considered - and it good news to me. We often get an icy crust on the snow that tends to lift the front of the blower. My Ariens is well balanced, but there's little weight on the front, so it lifts easily. Tracks are looking better all the time!



The new Ariens I got is more nose heavy than the one it replaced.


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## Adios Pantalones

velvetfoot said:


> The new Ariens I got is more nose heavy than the one it replaced.


That's good- I find myself lifting a bit on the back- especially going up hill- with my '02 vintage Ariens


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## MasterMech

Adios Pantalones said:


> That's good- I find myself lifting a bit on the back- especially going up hill- with my '02 vintage Ariens


Couple slices of 1/2" steel plate painted Ariens orange should fix that.  Couple bolts, couple holes, wah la! Attitude adjustment.


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## Adios Pantalones

MasterMech said:


> Couple slices of 1/2" steel plate painted Ariens orange should fix that.  Couple bolts, couple holes, wah la! Attitude adjustment.


You act like I have any ability to plan ahead. Every snow storm I think "Oh ya, I should do something about that"


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## Swedishchef

heat seeker said:


> Those prices are actually higher than I can get a Honda 24" 9 horse track for- $2799.


 
SNowblowers direct has it for $2699, no tax, 5 year bumper to bumper warranty (since this website has a 2 year free extended) and free shipping


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## Treacherous

I've always been drawn to the heavy duty Simplicity models as well.


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## heat seeker

Well, I did it! Went down and got me a 13HP 32" tracked Honda. Since it was 92* here today, the showroom wasn't exactly packed with snowblower shoppers. But, I'm ready, and now want some snow to try it in! Got it on sale, free delivery, small tool kit and spare shear pins to boot.


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## Treacherous

heat seeker said:


> Well, I did it! Went down and got me a 13HP 32" tracked Honda. Since it was 92* here today, the showroom wasn't exactly packed with snowblower shoppers. But, I'm ready, and now want some snow to try it in! Got it on sale, free delivery, small tool kit and spare shear pins to boot.



You won't be disappointed.  These blowers get handed down in the family.


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## heat seeker

So, it'll probably outlast me…guess I overbought! (just kidding).


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## maple1

What are the differences between Ariens 'compact track' and 'deluxe track' models?

Besides cutting width, that is, and related smaller engine.

For me, a smaller blower would be better due to tight spaces & manueverability - I picked up a brochure at the Ariens place yesterday, and the 24" 208cc 'compact track' has my eye. $1529, which is about the most reasonable priced tracked blower I've seen. I haven't seen any used Hondas here for much less than that.


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## heat seeker

I need a large width, since I have a lot of paved area to clear, and want to do as little walking as possible. I also need the ability to fling the snow a good ways, so I don't have to move it twice. 

The old rule about tractors also applies here, IMO. "Buy more machine than you think you'll need."  If you have a smaller area to clear, you won't need the power, except maybe at the foot of the drive. But you can take that in smaller bites and still get the job done.

My Honda arrived yesterday! I took it for a walk down the path I need to clear. The path is dirt, grass, and gravel. On the way up the hill, I tried to hold the machine back - and I couldn't even slow it down! So, I expect, even on snow/ice, it will do just what I need it to do. Now I have mixed feelings - I want some snow to play in, but don't look forward to winter itself. Ah, sweet misery….


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## Ashful

heat seeker said:


> I need a large width, since I have a lot of paved area to clear, and want to do as little walking as possible. I also need the ability to fling the snow a good ways, so I don't have to move it twice.


Hence my rig:







Cost was under $2500, since I already needed the tractor for other stuff.


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## heat seeker

Nice ! ! !


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## MasterMech

Once you put four wheels and a big engine behind the blower, you'll never go back.   My driveway resembles a small parking lot, I clear it with 17hp and a 42" blower mounted to my LT180 lawn tractor.


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## btuser

heat seeker said:


> Well, I did it! Went down and got me a 13HP 32" tracked Honda. Since it was 92* here today, the showroom wasn't exactly packed with snowblower shoppers. But, I'm ready, and now want some snow to try it in! Got it on sale, free delivery, small tool kit and spare shear pins to boot.


I've got the same machine. As far as throwing snow there's nothing like it, but it's more than that.  Be careful when you go off-road with it because it works pretty well as a sod cutter.  It will throw ANYTHING.  Heavy, heavy, heavy snow is not a problem. I think it's something to do with the impeller speed vs other snow blowers I've owned.  It will throw a puddle of water 20'.  

Make sure you've got plenty of extra shear bolts/nuts.  One of the the things about Hondas (for me, lots of trees/sticks where I'm at) is they eat a ton of shear pins, which is a PITA with my old Ariens but with the Honda no big deal because of the design. Instead of a thick bolt through the axle that shears off - and then you have to stop, clear out the snow, line up the axle, punch out the rest of the bolt and put in another one. Hard to do in the dark with gloves. The Honda shear bolts break and fall out, and it's much easier to line up.


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## Swedishchef

maple1 said:


> What are the differences between Ariens 'compact track' and 'deluxe track' models?
> 
> Besides cutting width, that is, and related smaller engine.
> 
> For me, a smaller blower would be better due to tight spaces & manueverability - I picked up a brochure at the Ariens place yesterday, and the 24" 208cc 'compact track' has my eye. $1529, which is about the most reasonable priced tracked blower I've seen. I haven't seen any used Hondas here for much less than that.


 
Where in Nova Scotia do you live? I saw the same machine in a brochure last week. Are you looking for one on a track or tires? Depends on what you want.

You can get last year's model with a bigger engine for that same price. 30 or 32 inch width.

Andrew


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## heat seeker

MasterMech said:


> Once you put four wheels and a big engine behind the blower, you'll never go back.   My driveway resembles a small parking lot, I clear it with 17hp and a 42" blower mounted to my LT180 lawn tractor.



Well, to each his own, but I am going back. I have a 22HP Conquest that is an absolute gem for mowing with a 54" deck, but falls short as a snowblower, for me, anyway. Even with 150 pounds of suitcase weights, and chains, it doesn't have enough traction to do my driveway easily. The final straw for me is that I can't keep belts on the blower. They cost $65 each, and it eats them like candy. I know something is wrong, but I can't figure out what, and the dealer is useless.
I tried taking it down to the barn once, in a light snow, and almost couldn't get it back up the hill. That big honkin' two stage hanging out front takes a lot of weight off of the rear wheels.

However, on the leveler areas, it was a beast in the snow. It threw the snow halfway back to where it came from! And it's very nice to sit and ride, I agree.

But we are parting ways. The belt path for the two stage blower is insane, a poor design IMO. 
So, it's back to a walker, and the tracks seem like they'll do the job. Time will tell, and I'll miss how quick the Simplicity could do the leveler areas. I could do my driveway and large parking area, even with a heavy snow, in about 20 minutes. The fun would end too quickly!


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## heat seeker

btuser, I hear you about the sod cutter! On my trial run up the hill, the scraper kept hitting the high spots in the lane, and it plowed some dirt and sod like you said. Even when I hit the lawn, it would occasionally grab some turf and peel it away. The tracks never slipped and the machine never slowed down. So now I have a few small divots in the lawn .

I'm optimistic about the traction this winter. I almost forgot this - I also like to clear a path for the oil delivery guy, but it was a bear with my wheeled old Ariens since the snow drifts a lot in that area. I'm expecting the Honda to get 'er done this year. I need to come up with an easy way to turn 180º in a small area, or do a lot of backing up.

Now, if we could get a load of snow with the temps in the 50's…..  Okay, I guess not.

I have a few shear pins that came with the machine, and I like the way the mount. Anyone know of a good online source of replacements? I like the Honda dealer, but he's 45 minutes away.

donyboy73 has a good Youtube video about what happens when the augers rust to the shafts and the gearbox gets trashed. He needed heat and a large pipe wrench to free them up. And there's nothing in the Honda manual telling you to keep them freed up.


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## btuser

If I stick to my pattern it goes pretty smooth.  Problems come when i start digging into areas of hard snow, not really knowing what's in the pile. I picked up 25 pins/nuts on Ebay for less than $10. 

I wouldn't recommend tracks to someone who doesn't need them, but I've got a lot of off road work that wouldn't serve me with a plow and was a lot more work with a wheeled machine. My driveway is 400' so it's mostly straight ahead, but the part next to the house is kinda of a chore with the tracks, not hard (Honda machines are light) but not smooth.   I make a trip around the house to the oil tank, wood pile, and some trails for the little rat dogs so they do their business.  If your deck has a section of straight stairs you can climb them with the track model.


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## Ashful

heat seeker said:


> Well, to each his own, but I am going back. I have a 22HP Conquest that is an absolute gem for mowing with a 54" deck, but falls short as a snowblower, for me, anyway. Even with 150 pounds of suitcase weights, and chains, it doesn't have enough traction to do my driveway easily. The final straw for me is that I can't keep belts on the blower.


I've never been on a Conquest, but they look mighty light for snowblower duty.  I also have trouble believing they're 22 hp!  Belt drive says light duty, though.  Driveshaft, gearbox, chain drive, is all I know for PTO blowers.

Put 2500 lb of diesel tractor behind a 700 lb blower... that driveway will get done, right quick.  Save the walk-behind for walks and paths!


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## MasterMech

Joful said:


> I've never been on a Conquest, but they look mighty light for snowblower duty.  I also have trouble believing they're 22 hp!  Belt drive says light duty, though.  Driveshaft, gearbox, chain drive, is all I know for PTO blowers.
> 
> Put 2500 lb of diesel tractor behind a 700 lb blower... that driveway will get done, right quick.  Save the walk-behind for walks and paths!


I've done the steep private road we live on with my LT180 in addition to the parking lot I call a driveway. I've even taken it a quarter mile down the road to do the Deli parking lot when it was owned by a friend.

Two 42lb suitcase weights, chains, and yup, she's all belt drive.  Sorry to hear the Conquest couldn't get it done for you HeatSeeker. Most of the track machines that I have used (even the cheap MTD/Craftsman models) have been absolute beasts in drifts and hard pack.


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## maple1

Swedishchef said:


> Where in Nova Scotia do you live? I saw the same machine in a brochure last week. Are you looking for one on a track or tires? Depends on what you want.
> 
> You can get last year's model with a bigger engine for that same price. 30 or 32 inch width.
> 
> Andrew


 
Northwestern, about half hour from the NB border, in the Cobequid mountains. Or more like hills to Western folks.

Would like to have tracks.

The blower would only see use in tight spaces - around vehicles, doorways, etc - that you can't get to with a full size tractor. The main driveway itself is handled with one of those. So I'm not exactly in dire need. Plus a backyard rink if we do one this year. The small wheeled one I've got now is a real bear sometimes with the hilly spots, it gets stuck a lot.

I'm getting to the point that any shovel work at all can put my back out at any time if I happen to move slightly the wrong way - and I just don't want to use a shovel if I don't have to, it sucks. Blowers were never on my horizon when I was younger - looking after two houses (ours & parents) in big snow just isn't fun anymore.


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## festerw

heat seeker said:


> I'm optimistic about the traction this winter. I almost forgot this - I also like to clear a path for the oil delivery guy, but it was a bear with my wheeled old Ariens since the snow drifts a lot in that area. I'm expecting the Honda to get 'er done this year. I need to come up with an easy way to turn 180º in a small area, or do a lot of backing up.



My small machine the easiest way I've found to do a 180 is to put it in high gear and give it a push sideways.


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## heat seeker

Sounds good, I'll try different methods. It looks pretty easy on YouTube, but some of my spots are pretty tight. I may just have to back out. This Honda has a pretty quick reverse, which I like.


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## Swedishchef

festerw said:


> My small machine the easiest way I've found to do a 180 is to put it in high gear and give it a push sideways.


 
Honda doesn't have an unlocking differential option? My Ariens has a lever that unlocks the diff and allows to spin on a dime since one wheel is still turning. It works the same way as a Tank.


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## Swedishchef

maple1 said:


> Northwestern, about half hour from the NB border, in the Cobequid mountains. Or more like hills to Western folks.
> 
> Would like to have tracks.
> 
> The blower would only see use in tight spaces - around vehicles, doorways, etc - that you can't get to with a full size tractor. The main driveway itself is handled with one of those. So I'm not exactly in dire need. Plus a backyard rink if we do one this year. The small wheeled one I've got now is a real bear sometimes with the hilly spots, it gets stuck a lot.
> 
> I'm getting to the point that any shovel work at all can put my back out at any time if I happen to move slightly the wrong way - and I just don't want to use a shovel if I don't have to, it sucks. Blowers were never on my horizon when I was younger - looking after two houses (ours & parents) in big snow just isn't fun anymore.


 
Nice! I am from NB and have friends in Sackville. I know where you're talking about. A relative of mine used to live in Aulac.


The smallest track one would likely suit your needs provided you're not trying to throw slush  or very wet snow. The engine can still toss it relatively far though. A friend of mine has the 205cc engine on his. THe only big difference is in very wet snow.


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## festerw

Swedishchef said:


> Honda doesn't have an unlocking differential option? My Ariens has a lever that unlocks the diff and allows to spin on a dime since one wheel is still turning. It works the same way as a Tank.


Possible they do now, mine is a mid 80's model.


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## Treacherous

AFAIK the Honda track models still have a locked diff.


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## heat seeker

My new Honda 1332 does not have a differential at all. It's a straight axle. Even on pavement, though, it's easy to turn as long as it's moving some. It should be much easier on snow/ice.


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## maple1

Well, I ended up finding a lightly used Toro 8/26, with a B&S engine.

Does it ever fire the snow, way more performance than I was used to with my limited blower experience.

Now I'm looking for some chains for it - once I get a set on I shouldn't be that far removed from how a Honda would have worked for me, at a LOT less money.

Might try & add a bit of weight to the front too, still getting used to it. Also thought maybe me getting a blower might have made it not snow, but it seems to have done the opposite, so far. Darned white stuff...


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## bsruther

Congrats on the new blower, it's nice to have something to throw the white stuff far.
I retired my early '80s Toro a few weeks ago and got a 24" Sno Tek, by Ariens. 
The old blower would bog down in 6" of snow, but I push the Sno Tek into a 14" bank of thrown snow and it just eats it up and spits it out, without hesitation.
I thought the same thing about not getting any more snow after buying a new blower, but I have a feeling we're going to get dumped on this year, we're long overdue.


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## Ashful

I bought a 64" blower with 20" diameter auger, driven by 25hp 3-cyl diesel in autumn 2011.  We haven't had a decent snow storm since.  Dang warranty expired, and it has only been run once (just to test) in a measly 5" storm.

We had what seemed like yearly storms over 18" (a few close to 30") in the decade preceding the purchase.

We've had lots of snow this fall, but no single storm over 6".  I do those with the front end loader, which is faster than the blower in small storms.


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## scooby074

Good choice on the Honda. 

We have a 928 and it throws much further than even my tractor!! They are amazing throwers. Always start. Built very heavy, like a tank!

Only thing id do different would be to get the wider 1132.


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