Snow Thrower value

2994 Views 19 Replies 9 Participants Last post by micah68kj, Nov 29, 2013

gggvan

Discussion Starter · Sep 6, 2013

So, I have a 40' x 25' driveway and a 40' x 3' walkway to clear in winter. What's the best used snow thrower brand to buy? I've seen older JD models for sale locally (Massachusetts). I hear Ariens are good. Need some guidance here.

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Motown

· #2 · Sep 7, 2013

Ariens seem to be the best built these days. Some of the John Deere where built by Ariens, also. You can usually tell those models by looking at them, their just a Green Ariens, pretty much.

HPEthomasjr66

· #3 · Sep 7, 2013

Ariens are some of the best older ones i like them very much. very had to kill them. stay away from anything MTD makes. :goodl:

gggvan

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 10, 2013

Thanks, just picked up a 7/24 from the early eighties I think, I need to get the serial number and maybe I can pinpoint the year.

engine2quarters

· #5 · Sep 11, 2013

Expecting some 'white stuff' this winter ggg?

90+ degrees tomorrow down here, with high humidity. Extreme heat warnings already issued for Wednesday afternoon (9/11/13).

gggvan

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 11, 2013

oh, you know it will be here soon enough. have 2 cords at various stages of drying also.

does anyone out there have a 70's/80's era Ariens?

HPEthomasjr66

· #7 · Sep 11, 2013

A few and love them

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gggvan

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 11, 2013

i was going to ask how I can tell what year it is, but I found on another post the areins website that will tell you.

HPEthomasjr66

· #9 · Sep 11, 2013

Yes it will

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micah68kj

· #10 · Nov 13, 2013

Whatever you buy, stay away'from J.D. TRS and TRX models. They just about put Deere out of the snowblower business. All the others are fine. Toro and Ariens are the best things out there for regular blowers. The really spendy ones are Honda and Yamaha. Nice but pricey. My humble 2¢.

rscurtis

· #11 · Nov 14, 2013

I don't know what the market in Mass. is right now, but in S. Central PA it's pretty saturated. We had three large storms in the '09-'10 season and people stocked up on blowers the following year. Don't rule out an older Snapper-built machine, they're very reliable and very simple. The later Simplicity-built machines were pretty good too. Too bad you're so far away, I have a nice Simplicity 8-24 for sale with a rebuilt OHSK 80 Tecumseh engine.

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micah68kj

· #12 · Nov 14, 2013 (Edited)

HPEthomasjr66 said:
Ariens are some of the best older ones i like them very much. very had to kill them. stay away from anything MTD makes. :goodl:

Although I wouldnt buy new, I had an MTD blower for 18 years. 7H.P.Tecumseh engine and 24" swath. I worked it like a rented mule and it never let me down. It was still running fine when I sold it. Had to replace drive disc and belts but those are wear items anyway.
I currently own a Toro 521 and an Ariens 5520. Both are nice, small machines.That Toro is such a nice, simple, straightforward machine.

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gggvan

Discussion Starter · #13 · Nov 14, 2013

micah68kj said:
Although I wouldnt buy new, I had an MTD blower for 18 years. 7H.P.Tecumseh engine and 24" swath. I worked it like a rented mule and it never let me down. It was still running fine when I sold it. Had to replace drive disc and belts but those are wear items anyway.
I currently own a Toro 521 and an Ariens 5520. Both are nice, small machines.That Toro is such a nice, simple, straightforward machine.

thanks, i picked up a reconditioned Ariens from the 70's/80s, can't tell exact age.

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JRC IOWA

· #14 · Nov 15, 2013

I have owned a gilson, ariens,yardman,cub cadet and 2 toros.
IMHO the ariens comes in 1st the Cub Cadet 2nd toro's 3rd gilson 4th and then the yardman 5th.
The Cub Cadet 30" and one Toro 28" are 2010 models the rest are older models 80's and 90's and the gilson maybe late 70's?All are 2 stage and are 24" or larger.

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mla2ofus

· #15 · Nov 15, 2013

micah68kj said:
Although I wouldnt buy new, I had an MTD blower for 18 years. 7H.P.Tecumseh engine and 24" swath. I worked it like a rented mule and it never let me down. It was still running fine when I sold it. Had to replace drive disc and belts but those are wear items anyway.
I currently own a Toro 521 and an Ariens 5520. Both are nice, small machines.That Toro is such a nice, simple, straightforward machine.

I bought an MTD new in '98,sold it in '08 when we moved south. It didn't owe me anything. Got a good deal on a last yrs Poulan 24" 6 1/2HP. New, never used. It looks as well built as anything else in it's price class. I built some polymer shoes for it and added rubber to the rotor blades.
Mike

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closetcanibal

· #16 · Nov 15, 2013

IMOmy 70's dynamark is king. Plain and simple.

Asphalt Snow blower Outdoor power equipment Vehicle Table

Vehicle Outdoor power equipment Wood Tree Asphalt

Old beats new any day!!!!

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micah68kj

· #17 · Nov 15, 2013

closetcanibal said:
IMOmy 70's dynamark is king. Plain and simple. View attachment 547650 View attachment 547658

Old beats new any day!!!!

mla2ofus said:
I bought an MTD new in '98,sold it in '08 when we moved south. It didn't owe me anything. Got a good deal on a last yrs Poulan 24" 6 1/2HP. New, never used. It looks as well built as anything else in it's price class. I built some polymer shoes for it and added rubber to the rotor blades.
Mike

I'm making the same modifications to my blower too, Mike.
I'm picking up a short section of baler belt today when I go to town for Dr. Appointment. Deere sells it by the foot. Already made my shoes/skids out of my wife's old HDPE cutting board. Couple pics of them. Doubled the thickness of the cutting board. They're 3/4" thick and reversible.

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mla2ofus

· #18 · Nov 15, 2013

I made the shoes from a piece I've had for yrs. Had to make new brackets due to adjustment limitations on the originals. I used Garlok rubber to add rubber to rotor blades. I'm dubious as to how well they'll hold up. I read somewhere a guy was using sidewall rubber from tires. If the Garlok fails I'll try that.
Mike

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closetcanibal

· #19 · Nov 15, 2013

I haven't used mine in snow yet. Definitely thinking about shoes instead of the metal rollers on mine. Will see if I need rubber. Hopefully not as I plan on fully restoring it, but i want it to actually work good so we shall see. Praying for snow every night

Old beats new any day!!!!

micah68kj

· #20 · Nov 29, 2013

Finally got around to installing a'"Clarence" kit on the Toro 521 that was sent me by a friend in Mich., and making another kit from some conveyor belt material sent from another friend up in Canada. All I need to finish is making another set of mar proof skids for the Toro. Have new looking sidewalk and really don't want to get it all scratched. First pic shows the home made kit on the Airens 522 and the last pic shows the HDPE cutting board skids on it. Other pics show the "clarence" kit installation on the Toro 521.

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