Copyright SnowBlowerSource. Snow Blowers and Snow Blower Accessories. Power Source Equipment. Snow Blower Source. Free Shipping Apply for Financing.
Shop By Brand: Click on logo to shop by brand. Shop By Ariens Brand. Posted on February 1, by SnowBlowerSource. In our tests, the QXE could easily handle up to 12 inches of wet snow with little issue, so it should fit the needs of many people. But when the slightly more powerful QXE is not an option, look at the QXE before any alternatives, because it shares so many of the unique snow-clearing abilities—the same chute control, Personal Pace system, and electric start, as well as the inch clearance width of the auger itself—that make the entire SnowMaster design so effective.
The Cub Cadet is a reliable machine with a well-rounded feature set, especially given the relatively low cost. Like all good-quality two-stage blowers, it has an electric start and no-mar skid shoes—these features make the machine easy to get running and make it safe to use on a deck or patio without leaving scratches. It also has power steering, large tires, and a durable metal chute. Although the trigger system is an essential feature for a two-stage blower, at the same time it feels tedious compared with the far more maneuverable design of the SnowMaster.
First, it has two headlights, one on each side of the control area, facing forward. Most blowers have only a single light in the center, which does more to illuminate the back of the chute than the driveway. Second, the Cub Cadet has inch tires, which are at least an inch larger and provide better traction than those on most and inch blowers. A hand crank below the dashboard controls the side-to-side movement of the chute, and a joystick at the controls operates the up-and-down movement of the deflector cap.
As on the SnowMaster QXE, you can make adjustments while the blower is moving, but doing so with these controls is not as easy as using a four-way joystick. Being a traditional two-stage blower, the Cub Cadet uses shear pins.
The blower will likely come with a few extras, but we recommend checking the owner manual for a part number so that you can order more. Cub Cadet covers the blower with a three-year limited warranty and a five-year limited warranty on the auger gearbox.
It was quieter and easier to maneuver than the three other light-duty blowers we tested it against. It easily folds up for storage, and you can control the rotation of the chute with a lever up at the controls. This Ryobi blower is an electric model, so you need to connect it to an outlet with an extension cord of at least 14 ga for 25 feet and 12 ga for 50 feet.
With its inch clearing width, it had no problem with light snows of up to about 4 to 6 inches deep. Once we got past 6 inches or started dealing with dense, wet snow, the blower struggled and occasionally clogged up.
On some areas we also needed to do a second pass to get them completely clear. Like most electric blowers, the Ryobi RYACS is light on features, but it does have a nice chute control that you can operate on the fly. This feature made it easy to direct the snow where we wanted without interrupting our forward progress.
On many models, such as the Snow Joe SJE , you control the direction of the snow manually at the chute, so you have to move around to the front of the machine to make an adjustment.
The Ryobi RYACS does not have a drive system, so you have to push it around percent like an old-school lawn mower. This Troy-Bilt has a massive engine, handy trigger-operated power steering, and a cool electric chute control that uses a small thumb-operated joystick. It also has heated handles and a metal chute. It was slow going, but the Troy-Bilt got the job done.
The electric chute control, unique to high-end MTD-made blowers, puts total control of the chute and deflector in a small thumb joystick positioned next to the right handle. With the electric control, you can redirect the chute while keeping both hands on the handles. Troy-Bilt has a video showing how it works. We also like the heated handles—they may sound extravagant, but we appreciated them during long snow-moving sessions on particularly cold days. Troy-Bilt does not do the work, instead directing owners to authorized service centers in the area.
Sikkema points out that, like all inch blowers, the Arctic Storm has a hard time going through a standard door. It can squeeze through a inch door, but just barely. If you have a back patio that you like to keep clear of snow, and the only access is through, say, the rear door of the garage, this blower may not be able to get there.
In winter —, we will be testing three cordless snow blowers. The Snow Joe IONVSB is unique in that it behaves like a true single-stage blower, in which the paddle makes contact with the ground and pulls the machine forward. So in addition to its snow-moving ability, we want to see how much easier it is to move in comparison with other models. The difference should be noticeable. We tested leaf blowers on the same two battery platforms this past fall, and they were similar, with Ryobi getting the performance and cost edge.
We have to give the Snow Joe blower credit for being the only self-propelled two-stage cordless model, but it moves very slowly and has a run time of 30 minutes, followed by a charge time of four hours. The dual port charger fills both batteries at once, with about a 2-hour charge time. We plan to test one in winter But they come at a pretty high price, so even with all of the convenience they provide, there is a high threshold of performance needed to justify that kind of investment.
These models had no problems clearing 5 to 6 inches of snow in our tests, but the issue is that they offer no way to direct the snow; it just flies forward. Also due to their minimal width, 12 inches, both power shovels required a lot more passes than a regular single-stage blower.
Last, the Snapper is quite heavy to use for any extended period of time, due to the battery. The feature sets vary from model to model, as does availability.
In this design, a third impeller located at the center of the front auger feeds snow rapidly into the throwing impeller. Ariens is a highly regarded manufacturer of blowers. Their Deluxe 30 is usually a little more expensive than the inch Troy-Bilt and the engine is not as big.
The less-expensive Ariens Compact line lacks power steering, a feature we see as essential for a two-stage blower. Toro blowers are typically more expensive than MTD-made blowers. The inch Husqvarna STP comes with hand warmers and an adjustable-height handlebar.
It typically costs more than the inch Cub Cadet and has a less powerful engine and smaller tires. This is the snow blower for you. Tracked blowers such as the Troy-Bilt Storm Tracker are also available. These models are like regular two-stage machines but with tank tracks instead of wheels. Better than a shovel.
Upgrade pick. Troy-Bilt Arctic Storm For huge driveways and deep snows. The cheapest machines sold at Walmart and Tractor Supply - 3 to 5 years, if you are lucky. Any snowblower built before , 40 to 50 years with good care.
The Ariens Deluxe and Platinum Series uses an open flight auger, larger 14 inch impeller and high horsepower engines to increase the capacity of their machines. If you expect snow that needs clearing this season, you'll find a snowblower on this list that's ideal for you.
Editors' Choice. Ariens Professional 32 Hydro RapidTrak. Best Electric Start. Husqvarna ST T. Best Manual Chute. Toro Power Max Easiest to Start. Most Powerful Cordless. It will send it from one side of a double driveway to about 15 feet beyond the other side of the driveway. Ariens Auto - Turn Snow Blowers are equipped with a differntial that senses when you initiate a turn.
When the snow blower is moving forward, the drive differential axle shafts are rotating in the same direction. When you initiate a turn , the differential axle shafts are free to rotate in the direction you're turning. Ariens only makes them.
There generally are not any "factory" sales with snowblowers like you see with autos. Buying used snowblowers If a snowblower is out of your price range, buying a used one can be a good option. It's important to do your research first and make sure the snowblower is in good condition before you buy. It's likely you'll need spare parts for any snowblower you decide to buy. Capacity-wise the Toro Power Max snow blowers are a good choice for most of you reading this.
0コメント