John Deere or Craftsman snow thrower?

[snag]

I thought fridays were hard for you?..............

[GBW]

Umm, meeting at 10:00 down in the area. Open after that. I'll just keep the tie in the car... HAHA

[snag]

Drop me a line.

 

I may be as transient..................

[GBW]

Drop me a line.

 

I may be as transient..................

will do, cheers.

[Big Cliff]

Well, first of all I wouldn't buy a JD, as has been said by others, the quality isn't anything like it use to be. It might say JD on it but it isn't made by them.

 

Ariens are good units but it is hard to find an authorized warranty depot. Craftsman, Mastercraft, and many of the others have switched to imports in the last two years, I'm not too impressed with the quality of most of them. One of the most important things to consider when buying anything like that is customer service, who will do the warranty if you do need it. Will you have to haul it 50 miles down the road and wait for two weeks to get parts? CTC and most of the others don't do warranty work, you will have to take it to a dealer so why not just go to a dealer in the first place.

 

When we sell anything, it has been set up, started, tested, and any adjustments needed are done before you ever take it home. We also go over the unit with you so that you know about any safety features and how to get the most out of your unit. In many cases our prices are as good as or lower than the big box stores.

 

My suggestion; find a local dealer, check out their service shop, see what kind of parts inventory they carry and make sure they can cover any warranty issues.

[dave524]

OK, I just got one as my next one is the big 60. I got a Troybuilt 24" when they were on sale at CTC back in Sept. I've used some B4 at work clearing around outdoor equipment and a big 80's Toro machine of my Dad's on his long country driveway. It was more than the mastercraft/mtd machines of equal size but had a few features that made me jump up in price. Metal instead of plastic in the 2nd stage impeller, bigger wheels and tires, the control for aiming the chute is a top mounted joystick rather than a crank affair down below, taller chute, heated handgrips?? wonder if they really work, 6 speeds forward and 2 reverse instead of just 1 each direction and the one that I think would make manouvering in tight corners a bit easier is you can disengage the drive to momentarily to each of the wheels independently to reduce turning radius and make tight turns easier. Any farmboy like me who drove tractors in his youth remembers the left and right brake on a tractor and how that works. Troybuilt is a brand that I remember had a very good reputation in the past , think the rear tine tiller I used for the garden plot on the farm was that brand, but may suffer from the same off shore imput that seems so prevalent in recent years. Just another brandname in the mix and a few features to look for.

[Fisherman]

humm, interesting... tks rattletraps2. so I'm back up to $1000 then, lol.

I need one to last for min. 5 years but I'll have 2 or 3 times the work load as I have 2 maybe 3 driveways each snow fall. Just helping out the retired folks around me when I'm out doing mine this season...

Are the Ariens worth it..well how about 41 years old, 2 mufflers, 1 friction wheel and 3 or 4 drive belts and air for the tires, ya, sounds pretty reliable. 7HP/24"

[SlowPoke]

Are the Ariens worth it..well how about 41 years old, 2 mufflers, 1 friction wheel and 3 or 4 drive belts and air for the tires, ya, sounds pretty reliable. 7HP/24"

 

41 yrs and you're already putting air in the tires? Try nitrogen.

[Chris]

Got to agree the votes for Ariens. My neighbor and I went shopping for snowblowers a few years ago. We checked several brands and after checking everything out we decided the Ariens was the best-built machine. Steel discharge chute, easy to use controls, etc. The Toro came in second. Doug bought the Ariens (it was the last one they had), so I ended up buying a Toro. He hasn't had any problems with his Ariens and my Toro works like a charm too. I would've bought the Ariens if they had another one in stock, but I'm happy so far with the Toro (plus it's a nicer colour haha). I paid around 1500 for mine and I believe Doug paid approx. the same for his Ariens.

 

My driveway is about 85' x 25' paved and the model I bought was 8hp 28"wide and it takes me about 20mins to clear my driveway.

 

Good luck with your purchase......

[GBW]

Thank you all for your feedback!

 

 

When we sell anything, it has been set up, started, tested, and any adjustments needed are done before you ever take it home. We also go over the unit with you so that you know about any safety features and how to get the most out of your unit. In many cases our prices are as good as or lower than the big box stores.

 

My suggestion; find a local dealer, check out their service shop, see what kind of parts inventory they carry and make sure they can cover any warranty issues.

Ummm Cliff, you still in sales and selling snow throwers? I'm heading up to four mile lake this weekend from Brooklin so on Sunday on my way home I might be able to swing by for a quick chat... Let me know, thanks.

Geoff

[spooner_jr]

The other thing to consider is the space you'll need to store the thing. I have a 60" plow on my atv, but don't like pulling that out every time we get 3-4", so I picked up a 21" Toro, single stage. It takes up about as much room as a push mower, and it's amazing how much snow it will throw. I've used it when we've had a foot of snow, and it powers right through. Living in Brooklin, I can't see you needing a big machine for the snow you get, escpecially with the size of the driveways.

[GBW]

Living in Brooklin, I can't see you needing a big machine for the snow you get, escpecially with the size of the driveways.

I had 8' snow banks last year and I spread it out on the front lawn on the one side... I'm right beside an old farm so it's wide open winds...

 

As for space in the garage? I'm not all that worried as we only use one side for a car as the other side is full of kids toys for my kids and my wifes home daycare kids...

 

Thanks again all.

 

Geoff

[misfish]

It does not sound like you have too large of a driveway to clear

 

And Im even surprised they get snow down there.

 

If your doing a small drive,dont go gung hoo. Dollar wise.IMO.

[GBW]

And Im even surprised they get snow down there.

Aren't you ice fishing yet?

[Big Cliff]

Well, I'm not in sales but the place I work for is. However as I was trying to point out, deal with someone local so you can get service and support if and when you need it. We do support and service our customers but you have to get it to us if there is a problem. As far as dropping in for a chat or a hot one (or a cold one) the door is always open.

 

As many have said they have older units and are very pleased with them but the unit you buy today from Ariens/JD/or anyone else isn't the same quality as the unit you bought even 10 years ago. Price wars and off shore production have driven prices down but to be able to sell these units they have had to cut the cost of production. The result is a product that is made with the least expensive components.

 

Would you invest $1000.00 without doing some research on the investment? Probably not so don't go out and spend $1000.00 on a snow blower without doing your homework first.

 

If you find something that you are interested in, get me all the information (make, modle, price, and name and address of the dealer) and I'll try to help you make an educated decision.

[Roy]

You just gotta love that Cliff dude. Certainly in the top 5 most helpful people that I've met in my life and I'm no spring chicken. Thank you Cliff.

[GBW]

Would you invest $1000.00 without doing some research on the investment? Probably not so don't go out and spend $1000.00 on a snow blower without doing your homework first.

 

If you find something that you are interested in, get me all the information (make, modle, price, and name and address of the dealer) and I'll try to help you make an educated decision.

 

This is why i came to ask here knowing how many of us here are outdoors folks in different fields. I'm not one for big box stores because of the service aspect.

 

I will send you a PM with my email address as I will have my blackberry with me this weekend Cliff. Send me an email with your address and # and time and I will let you know if I can make it by, cheers.

 

You just gotta love that Cliff dude. Certainly in the top 5 most helpful people that I've met in my life and I'm no spring chicken. Thank you Cliff.

Well Roy I hope to add him to my list too.

 

Geoff

[desship]

Go to home depot and look at the cub cadet the toro and then the Ariens little bit more bucks but worth it.

[GBW]

Go to home depot and look at the cub cadet the toro and then the Ariens little bit more bucks but worth it.

I can, but I do not plan on buying from a big box store as the support isn't there. Ariens has gotten (maybe) the most votes so far, considering I didn't have it short listed it will be now...

Edited November 4, 2009 by GBW

[Big Cliff]

You just gotta love that Cliff dude. Certainly in the top 5 most helpful people that I've met in my life and I'm no spring chicken. Thank you Cliff.

 

Well thanks Roy, Coming from someone who would do just about anything to help anyone anytime it means a lot! Thank you!

[Greencoachdog]

I've owned a lot of different power equipment, and have found John Deere to be the most durable and reliable!

[GBW]

I've owned a lot of different power equipment, and have found John Deere to be the most durable and reliable!

yeah but when was the last time you bought a snow thrower....

[Dutch]

Sounds like you have a smaller driveway - like mine, and being in Brooklin aren't going to get HUGE snowfalls like they do through Barrie/Orillia.

 

I would definitley consider a single stage - either Toro, Lawn Boy or Honda. I got mine just off the 115 on Taunton Road - T&C Small Engine. Good dealer, although I haven't been back yet - pretty relaible so far.

 

I have NEVER had a problem with clearing any amount of snow with mine, even wet, heavy stuff AND the plow remnants. Throw distance is about 20-25 feet, heavier stuff may not go as far.

 

Good luck with your search.

[Rattletrap2]

GBW,

On the larger machines, the features such as being able to disengage one drive wheel really makes turning them easier. Honda makes a nice unit that is "Trac" drive. With these, you need to store them on a small dolly to make moving them around the garage easier when not in use. A headlight is also a handy feature. I don't bother with my heated hand grips, but they are there. I like are having all controls up top where they are easy to operate.

 

I agree with buying from a local dealer (and have done so with pretty much all my power equipment) but sometimes the dealer goes bust and leaves you high and dry too! This happened with our local Polaris and Ariens dealer ( he was also the JD dealer). I actually did buy my Ariens snowblower from Home depot, but only because the exact model I wanted happened to be on clearance during the "off" season and I saved $400 off the previous years prices. I also knew there was going to be an increase when the current years models came out.

 

Good luck with your choice!

[GBW]

Thanks guys. The "spec" hunt will start soon to see what I need vs. what is offered as well as a review of all the consumer report web sites.

Please keep this post going for myself and any others in my position so they may get the same help I am from all of you.

Thank you all!

Geoff