Yeah - gravel sucks! I have 200 ft of paved driveway and 250 ft of gravel over a right of way. Thankfully I don't have any close neighbors because I launch quite a few rocks every time. Investing in plenty of spare shear pins is worth it. Replacing them in sub zero temps and a blizzard... that's something else! Bob
View attachment 378451 I noticed on the gearcase for the augers it was stamped MADE IN USA Those ring and worm gear drives are good, BUT, they all have lousy lube sealing systems. The oil level is to the bottom of the shaft(s) then is a total loss through bronze bushings. The level needs to be checked yearly. The fill plug sucks to get at. Grease the auger bearings (fitting is next to the shear pins) as well. Thats the weakest link in that chain. I quit using shear pins and use double nutted 1/4-20 chocolate steel screws. It still manages to eat 2-3 of those per season. Up here next to the lake, a 20" snowfall is not uncommon, PLUS the wind factor. Garage saleing last year, I picked up TWO Ariens man cabs for $5.00. . Put them both on back to back and can work in a T shirt inside! Next project is to run a piece of aluminum drier duct off the engine cooling air discharge to use as a defroster to stay in my comfort zone. Mines an 8HP Murray electric start (one tug on the rope every time!) thats turning 12 y.o. soon. Best thing Pats ex husband ever found that fell off of a truck, so she says... ws
I have a 10hp 24" troy built with electric and pull start, 6 forward speeds, 2 reverse. Used the electric start once just to see if it works, the thing starts on the first pull every time even after sitting all summer. It's not nearly as heavy duty as many of the others here but clears my driveway (2 cars wide by 120 feet plus a 12x36 bump out) pretty quick and drama free with any snowfall under 10". Plus I got it practically brand new at a moving sale for $100!!!
Have Had a John Deere 8hp 5speed- with reverse for 31 years....still looks and works great. But I’m 31 years older now......... so I upgraded to a 44 hp. Polaris Ranger with KFI 60 inch snow plow........ Awesome! What used to take an hour and a half......takes 10 minutes!
whatever you buy get it from a store that has a service department on site. there are lots of small lawn care kind of stores out there that offer good prices and great service. stay far away from the big box stores..
Crap...I was going to recommend mine, and then I realized it's a "Craftsman"from Sears which they don't make anymore. Sears went broke and closed up here a week ago. Guess I'll be shopping soon too.
Tracked Honda up on Donner Summit really was spectacular, even when I had to pull-start it during a storm at 01:00 hours; that SOB lit right off.
Back when I had a 100' gravel drive, I plowed...and had to put driveway back every spring...main reason next house had short asphalt driveway... As for brand reliability, I've had a box store Poulan for 15 years, which I consider to be generic consumer-grade heart attack insurance...IMO how much blower one needs depends on use. I've always had some kind of tractor, but could never justify expensive tractor-mounted blower to trip over every day for that once-in-a-decade snowstorm. My generic has only had 1 problem, a bronze worm gear after it ate one of those free community newspapers delivered at 3AM just before a foot of snow...
Yep!! Same thing happened to me. Mine too ate one of those stupid junk mail papers. Broke a shear pin, so no biggie.
That's what shoulda happened. My Poulin was end-of-season Sam's Club floor sample...it ate gear because whoever assembled it put shear bolts on axles and vice versa...my bad, shoulda double checked assembly. Thanks to very helpful YouTube shortcut vid, fix only took about 20 minutes after gear arrived...
I bought a John Deere 24 incher back in 1990 and thought it was the greatest . When I wanted another I went to Craftsman and have never looked back. The John Deere was like $800 and the Craftsman was like $550 . The Craftsman has out performed the John Deere in all ways . I moved the John Deere to the mountain house and left the Craftsman here . I even went out and bought another Craftsman just because the Crank seal leaked and ruined the belts . I didn't realize it but didn't know why the blower didn't want to move. I filled it with 30 wt replaced the seal . Seems it was so low on oil it nor has a Knock . But it still moves and blows snow . I always keep spare belts since I broke 1 in a 28 inch snow fall . I just matched them up at a NAPA
Well, my old Craftsman just paid for itself again. Hadn't run in 2 years, fired up this morning and worked like a trooper. I guess one of these days I should actually get around to changing the oil.
I've used Ariens for years. Great snow blowers. My latest even has heated handles. I blow over 100" of snow every year from driveways around pole buildings and paths in the yard so you can get to the pole builds and propane tank. I'm on my 2nd one in 27 years so they do last a long time....if you take care of them. Roger On The Eighth Day God Created Buick
I love my Ariens! I believe it is the biggest walk behind they make, it also has the heated handles, electric start, etc. I do shear pins as well because the majority of my drive is gravel except for the 85' across the front of the shop & the pad in front of the house My drive is approx 300' , is also extra wide & up by the house & shop, I can turn my 4 door dually with the 24' enclosed trailer attached to it in a circle....In other words lots of snow blowing. I have had this one for 6 years now with no problems & only had to change belts once. God Bless Bill Squires(owner) Bill's Auto Works
