I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.Â* Which brand do you recommend?

On 10/18/2018 8:38 AM, Tom wrote:

I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the
price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.Â* Which brand do you recommend?

What're Ariens using for their engine?

How much do you actually have need to use it and how seriously when do?

Is storage area heated even partially or not to judge starting ease.
The Kawasaki are also very good starters, B&S "not so much" ime...

--

On Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 9:38:21 AM UTC-4, Tom wrote:
I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.Â* Which brand do you recommend?

interesting info to decide re snowblower..

single stage or two stage
metal or plastic impeller
what is the gap between the impeller vanes and the housing
diameter and speed of the impeller

google "impeller kit" and watch the you tubes

there seems to be big variations in how far they throw and how easily they clog.

mark

On Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 9:38:21 AM UTC-4, Tom wrote:
I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.Â* Which brand do you recommend?

IDK about Honda snowblowers, but I can tell you about Honda mowers.
I bought one at HomeDepot when it was end of season, got a great deal,
think it was ~$350, about half price. In terms of the finish of the cut
it did on the grass, it was the best mower I ever had. It used a double
blade, one on top of the other, mulched very fine and was quiet too.
But it only lasted about 7 years, just using it on my lawn, which is
~6000 sq ft. The transmission wore out where the shaft enters it.
A new tranny was $135 plus shipping at the time. Even worse, this was
a real mess to take apart, dozens of small parts, bushings, etc.
I had two egg cartons full of stuff and while I'm experienced working
on a lot of things, I wondered if I would get it back together right again.

I wound up buying a new Craftsman on Ebay locally for $160. It has more
power, more noise and doesn't cut as nice. About 5 years in, it too
stopped moving. Unlike the Honda, it doesn't have a tranny, it uses a
slipping belt for variable speed drive, the Honda had 3 speeds. I took
two screws out, removed a cover from the top of the deck, found the belt
underneath. The end of the tension spring had broken. A zip tie and I
was back in business. That was at least 5 years ago, it's still working
fine.

So, my opinion of Honda lawn eqpt is very mixed. No reason a tranny
should fail like that. Also the variable speed is better thatn the
3 speed. Once in awhile I slow it down momentarily by partially releasing
the handle. The 3 speed Honda, all I ever used was speed 3. And the
tranny shouldn't fail on a $700 mower in just 7 years of light use.

For snowblower I also have a Craftsman that I bought 23 years ago.
It's been fine, except the carb is sensitive to getting fouled by the
ethanol gas crap. I've had to take it apart to clean or rebuild it a
couple times, but otherwise it's been rock solid. But it doesn't get
a whole lot of use here either.

On 10/18/2018 9:38 AM, Tom wrote:

I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the
price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.Â* Which brand do you recommend?

Depends on how much you will be doing. After many different lawnmowers
I finally bought a Honda and over the years, would have been the
cheapest way long term.

Snow twice a year, no big deal, anything will work but 18" every week,
get the Honda.

On 10/18/2018 10:23 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 10/18/2018 9:38 AM, Tom wrote:

I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x
the price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.Â* Which brand do you recommend?

Depends on how much you will be doing.Â* After many different lawnmowers
I finally bought a Honda and over the years, would have been the
cheapest way long term.

Snow twice a year, no big deal, anything will work but 18" every week,
get the Honda.

Good advice. I went the same direction and got a Honda mower. My Troy
Bilt snow thrower works fine but sometimes only gets one use a year.

On 10/18/18 9:38 AM, Tom wrote:

I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the
price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.Â* Which brand do you recommend?

Never owned any Honda small engine that didn't start easily, run strong,
and last next to forever. The device it was powering is usually what died.

For two of them, I pulled the engines and sold them used for a lot more
than I thought was reasonable!

--
The fastest way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

On Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:38:15 -0400, Tom wrote:


I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.* Which brand do you recommend?
The professional grade Ariens stuff has always been excellent. The
big box store models are CHEAP.(and I do NOT mean just inexpensive)

Honda Hydrostatics and Yamaha hydrostatics are EXPENSIVE, but at least
in the case of my Yammy - worth every penny.

On Thu, 18 Oct 2018 07:10:01 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 9:38:21 AM UTC-4, Tom wrote:
I've think I've narrowed it down to Ariens and Honda.
Honda engines are virtually unbreakable but the machines are also 2x the price. Are Hondas worth it?
Both brands have great local dealers.* Which brand do you recommend?

interesting info to decide re snowblower..

single stage or two stage
metal or plastic impeller
what is the gap between the impeller vanes and the housing
diameter and speed of the impeller

google "impeller kit" and watch the you tubes

there seems to be big variations in how far they throw and how easily they clog.

mark


My Yammy will throw snow over 50 feet - the impeller clearance is
quite tight. For heavy snow use you want 2 stage and metal vanes.

For light accumulations a single stage rubber vane unit works well.

They even have "3 stage" unis now, with a "screw" on the end of the
inpeller shaft - - - . look at Troy-Bilt as an example.

Simplicity is another EXCELLENT quality brand (not saying Troy is, or
isn't)