Snowthrower

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Single stage blowers are smaller, and there is no impeller- the auger spins very fast, and does all the work. A two stage is bigger, usually has driven rear wheels, and has an impeller to throw the snow, the auger breaks it up and shifts it into the Impeller.
 
Originally Posted By: kozanoglu
This is a bad time of year to craigslist a blower. Can you shovel until January, when prices will be half what they are now?

I have been looking for one for almost a year now on craigslist.Interesting but I see more snowblower ads these days than summer.Last winter we had a couple of bad snowstorms as you know and it was back-breaking to shovel.The driveway is more than 100 feet long. I had to shovel in layers and it took me hours to clear the snow. You think prices will be lower in January?

I too have been following prices throughout the year. Off-season (end of winter and summer), the choices are few and prices are high. About now I see many for sale. Around here the cheaper ones go quickly.
 
Thank you Quattro_Pete and Nick_R for the info.
Kestas, I got a small Honda single stage snowthrower for $80 with a problem.It is the oldest model HS35.

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The problem is the loose choke knob on the left.
 
I bought my first snow thrower yesterday. After learning more about care, maintenance and repair of small engines over the summer, I felt the time was right. I went with the Cub Cadet 526 SWE 2-Stage.

I live in NE OH with Lake Effect and some bad snow storms in the winter. My driveway is only about 25 feet long and 3.5 cars wide. We live on a corner lot so there's a lot of sidewalk to cover.

One thing that came to mind was my car getting stuck half in the street last March after trying go get in the driveway after a bad snow storm.

My only concern going into this is the Powermore engines that MTD uses. I've heard mixed reviews and I'm hoping that the engine is reliable. I plan to do my own maintenance regarding oil changes, etc., so we'll see what happens.

I went over to Home Depot yesterday and there were only 2 throwers that had B&S engines, the 2 high model Ariens. Others had LCT and of course the Cub Cadet models had Powermore. I knew right away as the labels on some of the buttons have translations in French.

I bought my thrower from a dealer about 30 miles south of here. They said that since I'm relatively close, they'll assemble it and deliver it to my home this coming Wed. The salesman said the delivery person (one of their staff) will go over its features and operations and answer any questions I may have.

I'm glad to be able to clear the snow this winter, especially with our first born arriving in a couple weeks.
 
My craftsman has the same engine. Those "Powermore" engines are "Chongqing" engines. Other than cruddy adjusted carbs, they seem decently solid. Extremely fuel efficient, but loud, especially under heavy load. Is it the 208cc or which?
 
Originally Posted By: Woody71
I bought my first snow thrower yesterday. After learning more about care, maintenance and repair of small engines over the summer, I felt the time was right. I went with the Cub Cadet 526 SWE 2-Stage.

I live in NE OH with Lake Effect and some bad snow storms in the winter. My driveway is only about 25 feet long and 3.5 cars wide. We live on a corner lot so there's a lot of sidewalk to cover.

One thing that came to mind was my car getting stuck half in the street last March after trying go get in the driveway after a bad snow storm.

My only concern going into this is the Powermore engines that MTD uses. I've heard mixed reviews and I'm hoping that the engine is reliable. I plan to do my own maintenance regarding oil changes, etc., so we'll see what happens.

I went over to Home Depot yesterday and there were only 2 throwers that had B&S engines, the 2 high model Ariens. Others had LCT and of course the Cub Cadet models had Powermore. I knew right away as the labels on some of the buttons have translations in French.

I bought my thrower from a dealer about 30 miles south of here. They said that since I'm relatively close, they'll assemble it and deliver it to my home this coming Wed. The salesman said the delivery person (one of their staff) will go over its features and operations and answer any questions I may have.

I'm glad to be able to clear the snow this winter, especially with our first born arriving in a couple weeks.


Congrats on your new purchase, I hope you get long, trouble-free service from it.Also congrats on your oncoming child.

I saw a new snowblower at homedepot recently, it has got B&S engine.Sno-Tek Model # 938022 single stage machine.Looked bigger and mightier than some other single stages.

So B&S engine is a good thing or not? I do not know if they make it here anymore or not.

Mine is almost 3 decades old machine.I will probably have to buy new auger rubbers and scraper bar/belt etc just to be safe.That will add around bring the total to $200.
 
Hi Nick,

That's good to hear that they appear to be solid engines. The Tecumseh engine on my Toro mower isn't adjustable and I've heard some complaints about these adjustable, or "throttled" carbs on forum threads I've read through. The 526 SWE has the 277cc engine. Any tips you can pass on regarding these engines would be appreciated. I plan on changing the oil after the first 5 hours of use per the manufacturer's recommendations.

Hi kozanoglu,

Thank you. No, absolutely not, B&S engines are supposed to be good. I believe B&S engines are manufactured here in the US. They're an American company and I've not read anything about their manufacturing being offshored. It seems as though many manufacturers are going to engines made in China. This does not mean that the Chinese made engines are of a low quality. MTD engineers their engines and they must be built to their code, whether it be in the US or overseas. Heck, Apple products are made in China and people rave about their quality.

Looking forward to the first snowfall . . .
 
Hi Woody71,
Best of luck with the new child on the way. If things go right for you, you should have a source of cheap labor for a few years!!!
As to the Cub cadet, all you have to do is pick a 5W-30 synthetic and change it at the recommended intervals. Any full synthetic will do the job.
 
The B&S is American made. I picked up a new Snapper 922 snow thrower. The stickers all say MADE IN USA, and I found that Snapper is a brand owned by Briggs and Stratton. My unit fired up on the first pull, ran strong, and all of the mechanicals seem to spin appropriately. If it snows, so be it; I AM PREPARED! Got it from the DR store for $599 (no sales tax). Filled w 5W30 synthetic and a small amount of gas to test it. If you want to see a really sweet machi9ne work; go to the DR website and watch the gear driven log splitter. AMAZING!!!!!
 
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2cool, on your snapper, do you have to do the choke/throttle dance when starting? The Cub Cadet was delivered today. Startup on this involves setting choke to full, throttle to fast. Start engine, move choke to half until it smooths out, then move the choke to the run position. Then, move the throttle from full to "desired" speed.

Check out the oil recommendations:

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Mentions 5W-30 and 0W-30 synthetic for snow thrower operation, but different viscosities for other machines. I'm assuming I can use 5W-30 synthetic safely in this engine for snow throwing?
 
Originally Posted By: 2cool
The B&S is American made. I picked up a new Snapper 922 snow thrower. The stickers all say MADE IN USA, and I found that Snapper is a brand owned by Briggs and Stratton. My unit fired up on the first pull, ran strong, and all of the mechanicals seem to spin appropriately. If it snows, so be it; I AM PREPARED! Got it from the DR store for $599 (no sales tax). Filled w 5W30 synthetic and a small amount of gas to test it. If you want to see a really sweet machi9ne work; go to the DR website and watch the gear driven log splitter. AMAZING!!!!!


Congrats on your new machine.It looks nice with the light and all that shine.
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I am still looking at snowblowers.I do not think one is going to be enough for Wisconsin winters.I will get my mother in law's Ariens two stroke single stage snowblower.Make it run.Then maybe a used two-stage John Deere,Ariens,Snapper,Gilson(?),Honda depending on the price.

I saw a nice Honda HS622 for $300.When I called today, the seller said it is gone.
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This is a sickness too, collecting snowblowers.
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