perc-o-prince
Well-known member
OK. So Husqvarna has always had a good name with outdoor equipment, hasn't it? Huh?
We have a 3-4 year old Husqy snowblower. After using it about 3 times the first year, we put it away. Used it for the first heavy snow the next season. No problems so far. Went to use it for the next snowfall and it over-revved, thereby blowing a rod through the engine. Long story short, we were told by someone that this motor had a problem w/ the governor and this wasn't that uncommon. Lots of back and forth and a couple of months later, we get it back w/ a new engine. The trip from the engine blowing to new engine was a horror show.
Rich's father went to use it later that year, and the throw-angle cable broke. $50-something for the part. Last year, the chute direction cable broke: $90 for the assembly (can't get just the cable!!!). Today, the bolt that holds the auger control lever to the linkage let go. I had the right size to replace it. About half-an-hour later, Rich wasn't able to change the throw angle. Looks like the cable might have snapped inside the sheath.
Needless to say we're just a little disapointed. The Toro that we had here for something like 16 years was great and required minimal maintenence. We got rid of it after the engine was replaced. With the old one it used to really throw the snow. With the new one, it didn't even throw it 1/2 as far, and was never right again. But, 16 years!!! Even at today's prices, that would have been less than $100/year to own it!
So, we're buying a new one soon. NOT a Husqy, obviously. Rich said he saw some Ariens blowers and asked what I knew about them. I said that Ariens was a tip-top name as far as I knew. He was a little surprized because he found them pretty affordable when he looked at them on one of the big stores' websites. He also reminded me that Husqy was supposedly a tip-top name.
I'm inclined to steer straight toward Toro, but are they any better these days?
So, what have y'all experienced with NEWER machines? Toro? Ariens? Any others?
Thanks for your help,
Chuck
We have a 3-4 year old Husqy snowblower. After using it about 3 times the first year, we put it away. Used it for the first heavy snow the next season. No problems so far. Went to use it for the next snowfall and it over-revved, thereby blowing a rod through the engine. Long story short, we were told by someone that this motor had a problem w/ the governor and this wasn't that uncommon. Lots of back and forth and a couple of months later, we get it back w/ a new engine. The trip from the engine blowing to new engine was a horror show.
Rich's father went to use it later that year, and the throw-angle cable broke. $50-something for the part. Last year, the chute direction cable broke: $90 for the assembly (can't get just the cable!!!). Today, the bolt that holds the auger control lever to the linkage let go. I had the right size to replace it. About half-an-hour later, Rich wasn't able to change the throw angle. Looks like the cable might have snapped inside the sheath.
Needless to say we're just a little disapointed. The Toro that we had here for something like 16 years was great and required minimal maintenence. We got rid of it after the engine was replaced. With the old one it used to really throw the snow. With the new one, it didn't even throw it 1/2 as far, and was never right again. But, 16 years!!! Even at today's prices, that would have been less than $100/year to own it!
So, we're buying a new one soon. NOT a Husqy, obviously. Rich said he saw some Ariens blowers and asked what I knew about them. I said that Ariens was a tip-top name as far as I knew. He was a little surprized because he found them pretty affordable when he looked at them on one of the big stores' websites. He also reminded me that Husqy was supposedly a tip-top name.
I'm inclined to steer straight toward Toro, but are they any better these days?
So, what have y'all experienced with NEWER machines? Toro? Ariens? Any others?
Thanks for your help,
Chuck
