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I already have a 21" 2-stage snow-blower and it struggles in the heavy stuff, especially the pow damn at the end of the driveway which can be waist high, 3-4 feet wide and the width of my 3-car wide driveway. That alone can take me hours to clear. It just doesn't throw the snow far enough.
Ariens 30 deluxe is sorta leading the list right now. I watched some reviews online, and the distance it was throwing the snow was beating out some of the other models.
I'm keeping my 21" 2-stage for doing my walkways and light clearing, but I want something with enough power so I'm not spending 2-3 hours outside clearing snow with an undersized machine while my neighbors with 28"-30" are done in less than 1 hour.
I'll back you up with the 21". It's very under-powered for the snow we get in the Boston area. I purchased one 12 years ago at a warehouse store thinking it should be fine. I didn't think the price difference for a bigger one was worth it. After a winter of struggling with it, I got rid of it and got a bigger one and I was so glad I decided to upgrade. That house had a bigger driveway than the one I have now. It was a 28" Craftsman and it still doing it's job at that house today 11 years later. I will tell you though, my current 24" Ariens is stronger and better than the 28" Craftsman is, but it's also 11 years old compared to the 3 year old Ariens.
I already have a 21" 2-stage snow-blower and it struggles in the heavy stuff, especially the plow damn at the end of the driveway which can be waist high, 3-4 feet wide and the width of my 3-car wide driveway. That alone can take me hours to clear. It just doesn't throw the snow far enough.
The 306cc engine is rated at 15 ft-lbs of torque. I can't find a HP listing
I'm keeping my 21" 2-stage for doing my walkways and light clearing, but I want something with enough power so I'm not spending 2-3 hours outside clearing snow with an undersized machine while my neighbors with 28"-30" are done in less than 1 hour.
I've also discovered www.snowblowerforum.com and have gotten some good info there. Trying to avoid going unnecessarily too big
If you are getting 4 feet of snow dumped at the end of your driveway I can see your concern. Nothing worse than doing your driveway & the city/town comes by & plows the street over & over again & jams up your driveway.
I have a friend who just purchased a home on one of the major streets in town & he gets plowed in by city trucks constantly. And if the snow freezes overnight at the end of the driveway you need dynamite to break it up
I usually don't recommend this brand anymore (sadly), but I must say that our electric start stage 1 snowblower from Sears has been stellar for the past 8 years. Never once given us a problem or met a snow storm it couldn't handle (even the 4 footer back in 2015, granted cleared driveway 4 times to stay ahead of it). They make a stage 2 electric start as well that I hear is even better. Ours throws the snow about 15 feet depending on weight of the snow. If slush, maybe 2 feet. If anything else but slush - 15 +/- feet. I've only changed the oil in it once, that's it. Only thing from Sears that I've bought in the past decade that hasn't broken or turned into a useless piece of crap.
We are on a busy street and the same happens to us. The worst is spending 2 hours shoveling the driveway and getting to the last few feet, then spending over an hour shoveling the super-heavy salted slush-snow that keeps building up every time a plow goes by. Maybe I'll opt for the 28". Thanks for starting the thread, BostonMike7!
I usually don't recommend this brand anymore (sadly), but I must say that our electric start stage 1 snowblower from Sears has been stellar for the past 8 years. Never once given us a problem or met a snow storm it couldn't handle (even the 4 footer back in 2015, granted cleared driveway 4 times to stay ahead of it). They make a stage 2 electric start as well that I hear is even better. Ours throws the snow about 15 feet depending on weight of the snow. If slush, maybe 2 feet. If anything else but slush - 15 +/- feet. I've only changed the oil in it once, that's it. Only thing from Sears that I've bought in the past decade that hasn't broken or turned into a useless piece of crap.
My neighbor bought a Craftsman 2 Stage 24 inch from Sears a couple of years ago. It's been great for him, and he often does hist and about 4 or 5 of the neighbors driveways each time. Runs perfect, and is decently quiet. I've been debating it.
That said, this thread as probably convinced me to go Ariens, as long as I can convince myself to go 24 inches. We don't get a ton of snow here, but my driveway isn't tiny. I currently have an AMF/Husky 26 inch 2 stage that is between 51-54 years old. Starts first pull every winter, but struggles with the wet snow and seems to be getting a little worse every year.
Seems like from others here who get much more snow than I do, the 24 inch is just fine, and I'm sure I'll be happy to have a more power.
Time to upgrade the snowblower. The one I have now is simply too small, and too obsolete where parts are hard to get/expensive.
I live in MA, where we can get storms of 12"+ a few times a year, and last year we had a storm or two with 18"+.
I'm looking into 2-stage, probably 30" wide blowers, but one of the key criteria i'm trying to research is throwing distance. My driveway is 3 cars wide, and the issue I run into now is the small one can't reach the edges so i'm dumping snow where I need to go clear it again and that makes it more difficult.
So those of you who get deep snow, what do you use and recommend?
Spend a little more and get yourself a Honda tracked snowblower. You will NOT be sorry!
If you are getting 4 feet of snow dumped at the end of your driveway I can see your concern. Nothing worse than doing your driveway & the city/town comes by & plows the street over & over again & jams up your driveway.
I have a friend who just purchased a home on one of the major streets in town & he gets plowed in by city trucks constantly. And if the snow freezes overnight at the end of the driveway you need dynamite to break it up
When or where does that NOT happen? I lived in Mass. for many years, & now S. NH, & in most snowstorms that happens. There's often a huge frozen snow & ice barrier 2-3 ft. or more high at the end of the driveway--NO snow-blower will get thru that, that I know of. I use a shovel (a garden spade) to chop at it, then throw the heavy frozen-solid snow & ice chunks off to the side by hand..........that's AFTER clearing the rest of the driveway by shoveling, or snow-blowing.....
When or where does that NOT happen? I lived in Mass. for many years, & now S. NH, & in most snowstorms that happens. There's often a huge frozen snow & ice barrier 2-3 ft. or more high at the end of the driveway--NO snow-blower will get thru that, that I know of. I use a shovel (a garden spade) to chop at it, then throw the heavy frozen-solid snow & ice chunks off to the side by hand..........that's AFTER clearing the rest of the driveway by shoveling, or snow-blowing.....
My Toro gets through 2 or 3 feet of snow at the end of the driveway. Not easy, but doable. If it freezes, that's another issue. Often I can chop it down & then the Toro will blow it away. My rental home is on a dead end in greater Boston...so the plow does not continually plow & replow the street.
The street gets just one or two swipes Even in a bad storm they don't plow over & over. Atypical, for sure, but it's a nice benefit of living on a "not through street".
I have an Ariens 826 Deluxe from the late 1990s. I use it to clear my 400 ft driveway in CT. It does a great job and is excellent at shooting snow where I need it to go. Many of my neighbors have their driveways plowed. There have been a few years where they have nowhere left to push the snow and have had to have someone come in and take it away. Unlike my neighbor's plowed driveways mine is usually down to black, dry pavement within a few hours on a sunny day. I highly recommend an Ariens as an excellent machine.
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