On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:16:52 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:24:41 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

wrote:
On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:35:02 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

Worn Out Retread wrote:
"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Worn Out Retread wrote:
I am looking for a new snow blower and have discovered that the power
rating of the engines are no longer in "Horse Power" but in "Foot
Pounds" if given at all. Sometimes all that is given is the CC's of
the engine.

Even the people selling these machines don't know what the "Horse
Power" ratings are so that old geezers like myself can understand
what is going on. Does anyone have any general rules regarding the
conversion of Foot Pounds or CC's to Horse Power?

the HP is really irrelevant. Don't worry about it.
I guess that you are only going to look at your machine and not actually
do some work with it. Work requires power and knowing what you have IS
important.
Lordy. Unless you are buying pro-grade gear, odds are it is gonna be an
MTD anyway, no matter what brand name is stuck on it. The same size
blower will have the same engine across all the house brands. Buy the
size you need, and move on. Almost always, it will be adequate. The
manufacturer has no percentage in giving themselves a bad reputation, so
they match them up pretty well. Don't lose sleep over it- life is too
short.
If a particular frame size is available with 3 engine options (which
is normal) buy the middle one for normal use, the big one for heavy
snow conditions, and the small one as an ornament. (or for light snow
conditions)

My old 26 incher was available as a 5, 8, and 10 hp.

Mine was a 5 HP Tec Sno-King and was adequate for normal blowing, but
stressed handling deep packed snow plough ridges. When I blew the 5 I
put on an 8, which was the same block as the 5, so fit with absolutely
no modifications.
You must be talking pro-grade from an equipment dealer. None of the
stores around here that are open evenings and weekends, offer any
choices in engine sizes. I'd wager the price at an equipment dealer is a
lot higher than at the big-box, as well. Of course, you are up in
Canada- I suspect there may be more of a market for heavy-duty stuff up
there. Around here in Baja Ontario (aka lower Michigan), anything over
15" shuts down the city for a day or two.

Bought my Ariens from a local mom & pop commercial tractor store for
the same price as the big box stores.


And I wouldn't buy major power equipment from the "despot" anyway. For
virtually the same price you can buy DECENT equipment from someone who
KNOWS the product and will be there to supply you with service and
repair parts when needed.

The Ariens line is pretty top notch stuff (or at least it was when I
was in the business) Worked for an Ariens dealer for several years
back when I was a young feller. Back then Ariens, Hahn, and Jacobsen
were the big players in the quality lawn mower and snow blower
business up here.

Today Honda has a good hold on the business, with Toro and Ariens
still definitely holding their fair share.
Briggs and Stratton, having absorbed Murray pretty well own the lower
middle end of the spectrum, with MTD/YardWorks taking up the slack
below.

You generally can't go too far wrong buying Ariens, particularly from
a reputable dealer with good service facilities.

wrote:
(long and educational explanation snipped)

Wow- you folks up north sure do have a lot more choices than we do down
here, leastways if we don't want to take a weekday off to shop. I am
curious, what price does a typical 24" 2-stage run up there?

BTW, I didn't buy mine at the Borg. I bought it off Craig'sList,
essentially brand new, from a small-framed fellow who was pretty clearly
scared of it. 100 bucks cheaper than new, which was around 600 at the
time. I did do a lot of shopping around though, at least at the places
that were open on Saturday around here. Only difference between brands
seemed to be color and decals. The 'Fisher-Price' rubber-auger singles,
the 24", and the 26", all had a single model available. I'm sure that if
I was doing driveways for a living, it wouldn't hold up as well as a
thousand-dollar machine, but for my little 20x60 driveway, it seems to
be holding up fine. And my back feels a whole lot better in winter.

--
aem sends....

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:16:41 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

wrote:
(long and educational explanation snipped)

Wow- you folks up north sure do have a lot more choices than we do down
here, leastways if we don't want to take a weekday off to shop. I am
curious, what price does a typical 24" 2-stage run up there?

BTW, I didn't buy mine at the Borg. I bought it off Craig'sList,
essentially brand new, from a small-framed fellow who was pretty clearly
scared of it. 100 bucks cheaper than new, which was around 600 at the
time. I did do a lot of shopping around though, at least at the places
that were open on Saturday around here. Only difference between brands
seemed to be color and decals. The 'Fisher-Price' rubber-auger singles,
the 24", and the 26", all had a single model available. I'm sure that if
I was doing driveways for a living, it wouldn't hold up as well as a
thousand-dollar machine, but for my little 20x60 driveway, it seems to
be holding up fine. And my back feels a whole lot better in winter.

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:16:41 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

wrote:
(long and educational explanation snipped)

Wow- you folks up north sure do have a lot more choices than we do down
here, leastways if we don't want to take a weekday off to shop. I am
curious, what price does a typical 24" 2-stage run up there?

BTW, I didn't buy mine at the Borg. I bought it off Craig'sList,
essentially brand new, from a small-framed fellow who was pretty clearly
scared of it. 100 bucks cheaper than new, which was around 600 at the
time. I did do a lot of shopping around though, at least at the places
that were open on Saturday around here. Only difference between brands
seemed to be color and decals. The 'Fisher-Price' rubber-auger singles,
the 24", and the 26", all had a single model available. I'm sure that if
I was doing driveways for a living, it wouldn't hold up as well as a
thousand-dollar machine, but for my little 20x60 driveway, it seems to
be holding up fine. And my back feels a whole lot better in winter.


Currently Canadian Tire has 2 24" blowers listed online. The Troybuilt
is 1149.99 and the yardworks is 999.99
Both use the Powermore 208cc OHV engine. The Troy has"power steering."

They also have a Yarworks with single speed - down and dirty cheapest
thing MTD could throw together, with the same engine for 769.95

Looks like with the death of Tecumseh the L-head engine option (the
old snow-king) is gone.
For the first time I also only see one HP per blower width - on 2
brands listed on their site.

Home harware has both a 26 and 28 inch TORO with 250cc Briggs. 24"
1599.99 and 28 inch with fingertip steering at 1899.99

Sears Canada has Craftsman 24" with 208cc Storm Force OHV (9 ft lb )
(6 HP) for 899.99
Also 24" 208cc Powermate engine for 999.99
Also for 1099.99 a 249cc 11.5 ft lb (8 HP) Briggs on the 24" blower.

Then they have both 27" and 30" with 305cc Briggs 14.5 ft lb (10 HP)
for 1699.99 eachIn the 27 inch size they also have 249cc briggs for
1199.99 and 999.99, as well as Briggs OHV 13.5 ft lb (9 HP) for
1299.99 and a Poulan Pro 291cc 12.4 ft lb (8.5HP)


So it is obvious they are still building and selling the same machine
with different engine options - both HP and valve configuration..

Looking at Briggs specs, the 205cc Intek OHV is 7.5HP compared to
249cc for the flathead 8HP.

The OHV Snow line has a 342cc, 20.85cu inch series at 16.5 and 15.5 ft
lb (10.6 and 11.3HP) as well as a305cc (18.6 cu inch) at 13.5 and 14.5
ft lb (9.25 and 9.9 hp), the 249 at 11.5 and 11 ft lb, and the 205 at
8 and 9 ft lb (5.5 and 6HP)


THe engines referred to as "power mate" are COLEMAN engines.

The "Storm Force" engine is a Chinese LCT engine.
The "Powermore" is also a cheap chinese engine - a cob-rough copy of a
Honda, used by MTD on their "value lines"


So, More than you ever wanted to know about SnowBlowers and engines in
Canada.

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:11:11 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:06:26 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:26:37 -0400, "Worn Out Retread"
wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:19:38 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:01:54 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message
...
I am looking for a new snow blower and have discovered that the power
rating of the engines are no longer in "Horse Power" but in "Foot
Pounds"
if given at all. Sometimes all that is given is the CC's of the engine.

Even the people selling these machines don't know what the "Horse
Power"
ratings are so that old geezers like myself can understand what is
going
on. Does anyone have any general rules regarding the conversion of Foot
Pounds or CC's to Horse Power?

Horsepower to CC is highly variable and not a good measure of power. My
cars have different engines. The 3800 cc is 190 HP but my 3300 cc is 234
HP. I suspect smaller engines are similar.


For the types of engines generally found on lawn equipment, comparison
of new engines and old engines of same brand and displacement is a
valid comparison. These are utility engines designed to run at optimum
RPM's while in use. A car engines is vastly different in it's
requirements.

If an old snowthrower with a 13 hp Briggs engine is 350cc, then a new
350cc Briggs powered snow blower will be about the same HP.
Unless the old 350cc 13hp Briggs is a "side valve" engine with 5.6:1
compression ratio, and the new 350cc engine is an overhead valve
engine with 11.5:1 compression ratio - which MIGHT be a 18HP engine.

Numbers just picked out of thin air, but the principal is there.

This is perfectly true. Engines of the same displacement can vary greatly in
power developed due to the ratio of diameter of piston to the length of
stroke, valve configuration, exhaust tuning and other factors.

But in THIS category of engines, that isn't generally a factor. Old
and new Briggs utility engines of the same displacement will also have
similar power characteristics.

You probably won't find a snowblower with a turbo option, and lowered
suspension, either.

The difference between a side valve and overhead valve engine of any
displacement in any application is generally considerable.
It IS a factor, as anyone who is fammiliar with small engines will
know.

Absolutely not a consideration in a snowblower engine, which is run at
two speeds. Stopped and Full Throttle.

Don't bother with a reply unless it actually applies to snowblower
engines specifically. Hint: Snowblowers are not motorcycles.

the HP is really irrelevant. Don't worry about it.

I guess that you are only going to look at your machine and not actually
do some work with it. Work requires power and knowing what you have IS
important.

Lordy. Unless you are buying pro-grade gear, odds are it is gonna be an
MTD anyway, no matter what brand name is stuck on it. The same size blower
will have the same engine across all the house brands. Buy the size you
need, and move on. Almost always, it will be adequate. The manufacturer
has no percentage in giving themselves a bad reputation, so they match
them up pretty well. Don't lose sleep over it- life is too short.

The engines are NOT the same on the snow blowers. Some have Briggs and
Stratton, some are Tecumseh and others are Honda powered. Finding the size
that I need in measurements that I am not familiar with is the problem.
Buying a size that is not up to what I require will inevitably result in the
machine being inadequate for the job at hand.

"aemeijers" wrote in message
...
wrote:
On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:35:02 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

Worn Out Retread wrote:
"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Worn Out Retread wrote:
I am looking for a new snow blower and have discovered that the power
rating of the engines are no longer in "Horse Power" but in "Foot
Pounds" if given at all. Sometimes all that is given is the CC's of
the engine.

Even the people selling these machines don't know what the "Horse
Power" ratings are so that old geezers like myself can understand
what is going on. Does anyone have any general rules regarding the
conversion of Foot Pounds or CC's to Horse Power?

the HP is really irrelevant. Don't worry about it.
I guess that you are only going to look at your machine and not
actually do some work with it. Work requires power and knowing what you
have IS important.
Lordy. Unless you are buying pro-grade gear, odds are it is gonna be an
MTD anyway, no matter what brand name is stuck on it. The same size
blower will have the same engine across all the house brands. Buy the
size you need, and move on. Almost always, it will be adequate. The
manufacturer has no percentage in giving themselves a bad reputation, so
they match them up pretty well. Don't lose sleep over it- life is too
short.
If a particular frame size is available with 3 engine options (which
is normal) buy the middle one for normal use, the big one for heavy
snow conditions, and the small one as an ornament. (or for light snow
conditions)

My old 26 incher was available as a 5, 8, and 10 hp.

Mine was a 5 HP Tec Sno-King and was adequate for normal blowing, but
stressed handling deep packed snow plough ridges. When I blew the 5 I
put on an 8, which was the same block as the 5, so fit with absolutely
no modifications.
You must be talking pro-grade from an equipment dealer. None of the stores
around here that are open evenings and weekends, offer any choices in
engine sizes. I'd wager the price at an equipment dealer is a lot higher
than at the big-box, as well. Of course, you are up in Canada- I suspect
there may be more of a market for heavy-duty stuff up there. Around here
in Baja Ontario (aka lower Michigan), anything over 15" shuts down the
city for a day or two.


My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:24:41 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

wrote:
On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:35:02 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

Worn Out Retread wrote:
"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
Worn Out Retread wrote:
I am looking for a new snow blower and have discovered that the
power
rating of the engines are no longer in "Horse Power" but in "Foot
Pounds" if given at all. Sometimes all that is given is the CC's of
the engine.

Even the people selling these machines don't know what the "Horse
Power" ratings are so that old geezers like myself can understand
what is going on. Does anyone have any general rules regarding the
conversion of Foot Pounds or CC's to Horse Power?

the HP is really irrelevant. Don't worry about it.
I guess that you are only going to look at your machine and not
actually
do some work with it. Work requires power and knowing what you have IS
important.
Lordy. Unless you are buying pro-grade gear, odds are it is gonna be an
MTD anyway, no matter what brand name is stuck on it. The same size
blower will have the same engine across all the house brands. Buy the
size you need, and move on. Almost always, it will be adequate. The
manufacturer has no percentage in giving themselves a bad reputation,
so
they match them up pretty well. Don't lose sleep over it- life is too
short.
If a particular frame size is available with 3 engine options (which
is normal) buy the middle one for normal use, the big one for heavy
snow conditions, and the small one as an ornament. (or for light snow
conditions)

My old 26 incher was available as a 5, 8, and 10 hp.

Mine was a 5 HP Tec Sno-King and was adequate for normal blowing, but
stressed handling deep packed snow plough ridges. When I blew the 5 I
put on an 8, which was the same block as the 5, so fit with absolutely
no modifications.
You must be talking pro-grade from an equipment dealer. None of the
stores around here that are open evenings and weekends, offer any
choices in engine sizes. I'd wager the price at an equipment dealer is a
lot higher than at the big-box, as well. Of course, you are up in
Canada- I suspect there may be more of a market for heavy-duty stuff up
there. Around here in Baja Ontario (aka lower Michigan), anything over
15" shuts down the city for a day or two.

Bought my Ariens from a local mom & pop commercial tractor store for
the same price as the big box stores.

I will be buying from a dealership that does the authorized maintenance and
repairs with genuine parts. I have bought power equipment from big box
stores and from mom and pop stores and frankly, timely warranty services was
a real hassle to get.

"aemeijers" wrote in message
...
wrote:
(long and educational explanation snipped)

Wow- you folks up north sure do have a lot more choices than we do down
here, leastways if we don't want to take a weekday off to shop. I am
curious, what price does a typical 24" 2-stage run up there?

BTW, I didn't buy mine at the Borg. I bought it off Craig'sList,
essentially brand new, from a small-framed fellow who was pretty clearly
scared of it. 100 bucks cheaper than new, which was around 600 at the
time. I did do a lot of shopping around though, at least at the places
that were open on Saturday around here. Only difference between brands
seemed to be color and decals. The 'Fisher-Price' rubber-auger singles,
the 24", and the 26", all had a single model available. I'm sure that if I
was doing driveways for a living, it wouldn't hold up as well as a
thousand-dollar machine, but for my little 20x60 driveway, it seems to be
holding up fine. And my back feels a whole lot better in winter.

--
aem sends....

For $600 Cdn you get a "power broom." A decent machine is going to cost
$1600 or more. The toy machines are about $900 to $1100.

"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message

My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.

Thanks to all who replied. Some of the information was quite useful and as
usual some wasn't.

I will have to use my "gut instinct" on this one I think....nothing less
than 11 foot lbs.
--
Ron

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:24:16 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:11:11 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:06:26 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:26:37 -0400, "Worn Out Retread"
wrote:

wrote in message
m...
On Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:19:38 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:01:54 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message
...
I am looking for a new snow blower and have discovered that the power
rating of the engines are no longer in "Horse Power" but in "Foot
Pounds"
if given at all. Sometimes all that is given is the CC's of the engine.

Even the people selling these machines don't know what the "Horse
Power"
ratings are so that old geezers like myself can understand what is
going
on. Does anyone have any general rules regarding the conversion of Foot
Pounds or CC's to Horse Power?

Horsepower to CC is highly variable and not a good measure of power. My
cars have different engines. The 3800 cc is 190 HP but my 3300 cc is 234
HP. I suspect smaller engines are similar.


For the types of engines generally found on lawn equipment, comparison
of new engines and old engines of same brand and displacement is a
valid comparison. These are utility engines designed to run at optimum
RPM's while in use. A car engines is vastly different in it's
requirements.

If an old snowthrower with a 13 hp Briggs engine is 350cc, then a new
350cc Briggs powered snow blower will be about the same HP.
Unless the old 350cc 13hp Briggs is a "side valve" engine with 5.6:1
compression ratio, and the new 350cc engine is an overhead valve
engine with 11.5:1 compression ratio - which MIGHT be a 18HP engine.

Numbers just picked out of thin air, but the principal is there.

This is perfectly true. Engines of the same displacement can vary greatly in
power developed due to the ratio of diameter of piston to the length of
stroke, valve configuration, exhaust tuning and other factors.

But in THIS category of engines, that isn't generally a factor. Old
and new Briggs utility engines of the same displacement will also have
similar power characteristics.

You probably won't find a snowblower with a turbo option, and lowered
suspension, either.

The difference between a side valve and overhead valve engine of any
displacement in any application is generally considerable.
It IS a factor, as anyone who is fammiliar with small engines will
know.

Absolutely not a consideration in a snowblower engine, which is run at
two speeds. Stopped and Full Throttle.

Don't bother with a reply unless it actually applies to snowblower
engines specifically. Hint: Snowblowers are not motorcycles.
See my later post. I have not been talking motorcycles. I've been
talking lawn mowers and snow blowers.I have been a small engine
mechanic. Worked for an Ariens dealer back before OHV small engines
were available. Have also been an auto mechanic for many years. Have
owned and worked on flatheads as well as OHV and OHC engines and I
know the difference, and the advantages VERY well.

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:47:50 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message

My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.

Given the machine WAS AVAILABLE with a 10 HP engine, it is pretty
certain the 10 HP machine would have blown more snow. A 20 HP motor
would also have blown more snow - up to the point where the excess
power could have destroyed the machine. As long as the shear pins were
not bypassed, the probability of actually damaging the machine from
excessive power is pretty remote. I could take out the shear pins on
my 5/26 without any problem if I got "stupid" with it.

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:47:50 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message

My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.


I can tell you that putting tire chains on my snow blower was like
doubling the power. What a difference! It's a decent but small
machine. 24 inch Ariens with 7.5 HP Snow King engine. I used to have
to seriously manhandle it to clear the packed berm at the end of the
driveway from the city plows. Now I just put it in low - It digs in
and it GOES. All I do is steer.

"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all who replied. Some of the information was quite useful and as
usual some wasn't.

I will have to use my "gut instinct" on this one I think....nothing less
than 11 foot lbs.
--
Ron

That will get you about 7 to 8 hp from what I've seen.

Look here
http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/...egory=Engi ne

Note the 11.5 ft lb. is right in with the 7.5 hp models.

The 14.5 ft. lb. are in with the 10 hp models
http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/...egory=Engi ne

The 15.5 are in with the 11 hp
http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/...20&desc=Briggs &
Stratton Engine 15.50 Ft. Lbs. Torque Horizontal 1" x 2 29/32" Shaft,
342cc, Fuel Tank, Muffler, Snow Intek, EP

wrote:
On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:47:50 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:

"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message
My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.
More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.


I can tell you that putting tire chains on my snow blower was like
doubling the power. What a difference! It's a decent but small
machine. 24 inch Ariens with 7.5 HP Snow King engine. I used to have
to seriously manhandle it to clear the packed berm at the end of the
driveway from the city plows. Now I just put it in low - It digs in
and it GOES. All I do is steer.


I'm lucky, I guess. My rural subdivision usually does not get plowed
till mid-day, so I seldom have to deal with that. I plow halfway across
the street, and 2-3 passes along the edge of the street 'upstream' to
the way the plow comes, and 'downstream' past the mailbox. Only problem
I have, at least with the guy that had the contract last couple of
years, is that he uses the low spot in my front yard as a push-off area
sometimes. (I'm halfway up a straight stretch.) Gee, I wonder why the
grass keeps dying in that part of the yard. I need a boulder pretty bad,
I think.

Although maybe the township hired somebody else this year- they had one
inexperienced driver that plowed big divots out of a lot of front yards.
The people who are turf-obsessed were mighty PO'd, and bitched loudly to
the PTB.

Fingers crossed for a very mild winter. If I can ever afford to retire,
I plan to sell the snowblower with the house, and move somewhere that
has at most an inch or two a couple times a winter. And no more sloped
driveways! :^(

--
aem sends...

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:21:25 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:47:50 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message

My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.


I can tell you that putting tire chains on my snow blower was like
doubling the power. What a difference! It's a decent but small
machine. 24 inch Ariens with 7.5 HP Snow King engine. I used to have
to seriously manhandle it to clear the packed berm at the end of the
driveway from the city plows. Now I just put it in low - It digs in
and it GOES. All I do is steer.
7.5HP Snow King on a 24" machine IS adequate power (seeing a 24"
machine could also be purchaced with a 4 HP engine, with 5 and 6 HP
being the most common on 24" machines.

Is your ariens the Pro or the standard? All Ariens Pro machines have a
lockable differnetial on the wheel drive, while the standards have a
solid axle that you can either pin to both wheels or have drive only
one.

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:45:23 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:21:25 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:47:50 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message

My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.


I can tell you that putting tire chains on my snow blower was like
doubling the power. What a difference! It's a decent but small
machine. 24 inch Ariens with 7.5 HP Snow King engine. I used to have
to seriously manhandle it to clear the packed berm at the end of the
driveway from the city plows. Now I just put it in low - It digs in
and it GOES. All I do is steer.
7.5HP Snow King on a 24" machine IS adequate power (seeing a 24"
machine could also be purchaced with a 4 HP engine, with 5 and 6 HP
being the most common on 24" machines.


It did not seem adequate until I added tire chains. Then it was a
whole different machine. Until then, I was regretting that I hadn't
bought a much bigger machine. At the time I just couldn't see buying a
bigger snowblower that took up a lot more room in the garage. The
models up from mine were substantially larger in all dimensions.

It's important to get a good quality machine. Even the cheaper ones
last for 20 or more years. That's a long time to live with a mistake!

Better to spennd a few more dollars and cry once, then to cry every
time you use it.

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
news

"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message

My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.
10 and 12 HP machines were handling the same amount of the same type of snow
quite well without overworking the machines. I know very well about taking
small amounts but when you are trying to move snow from the foot of the
drive that is 4 to 5 feet high, even small bites takes a lot of power.
Having used snow blowers for about 40 years, I think that I have some idea
on how to handle them and what to expect of them.

I just don't want to buy a pony when a real horse is what I need.

It's important to get a good quality machine. Even the cheaper ones
last for 20 or more years. That's a long time to live with a mistake!

Better to spennd a few more dollars and cry once, then to cry every
time you use it.

That is exactly what I want to avoid. Life already has enough hassles.

On Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:08:17 -0400, "Worn Out Retread"
wrote:

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
news

"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message

My old machine was a 26 inch with an 8 HP Tecumseh engine. It was barely
adequate in heavy snow especially where the snow plough has filled in the
end of the driveway. I don't want to repeat the experience.

More power may not always be the answer though. If you put a 20 HP engine
on that machine, would it blow the packed snow or would it just break the
shear pin, bend the auger and damage other parts? You may be asking the
machine to do more than it is designed to do, no matter the engine size.

I certainly can't say because I did not see or feel the snow you had. My
small machine takes a while with it though, you just have to take small
bites.
10 and 12 HP machines were handling the same amount of the same type of snow
quite well without overworking the machines. I know very well about taking
small amounts but when you are trying to move snow from the foot of the
drive that is 4 to 5 feet high, even small bites takes a lot of power.
Having used snow blowers for about 40 years, I think that I have some idea
on how to handle them and what to expect of them.

I just don't want to buy a pony when a real horse is what I need.


Buy a matched team of Clydes.
Unlike horses you only need to feed an engine when you use it. There
is no such thing as too much power, too much air under a wing, or too
much fuel left in the tank.

wrote in message

On Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:08:17 -0400, "Worn Out Retread"
wrote:

....


Buy a matched team of Clydes.
... There
is no such thing as too much power, too much air under a wing,

You certainly are an intelligent one, aren't you? /sarcasm

"Worn Out Retread" wrote in message
I just don't want to buy a pony when a real horse is what I need.
Then why are you looking at 11.5 ft. lb models?

Worn Out Retread wrote:
"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
...
Worn Out Retread wrote:
I am looking for a new snow blower and have discovered that the power
rating of the engines are no longer in "Horse Power" but in "Foot
Pounds" if given at all. Sometimes all that is given is the CC's of
the engine.

Even the people selling these machines don't know what the "Horse
Power" ratings are so that old geezers like myself can understand
what is going on. Does anyone have any general rules regarding the
conversion of Foot Pounds or CC's to Horse Power?

Hi,
It is all matter of useful HP and useful torque. HP rating is often
very misleading. If Peak HP occurs near top rpm it won't be good. I'd
pay more attention to torque. I still remember what I was told when I
was a kid. Torque is how big a stump an engine can pull, HP is how fast.

That is the point of the question asked. I want to buy a machine of at
least the same power as the old machine but the system of measurement
has changed so that creates a problem that I have to solve before
parting with my money.
Hi,
My local Sears flyer over the week end listed several blowers with only
torque ratings. Did not list HP ratings.