Biggest advantage with tracks, is that you can snowblow in layers very handy when the snow is so deep that you cant make it in one pass.. also with a tracked snowblower you can climb stairs with it..
I have the baby tracked HSS622 Honda snow blower, and I simply just lift it up and plop it down onto my utility trailer, no need to worry about ramps or anything, just lift it up by hand and put it down anywhere you want, they are light enough to do that.
I would get a size that you can manage without struggling to much they'res lot of different situations you can get into when blowing snow. Timing the removal for me is key part, Experience is best teacher 70yr helps
Buy the biggest....highest horsepower....biggest wheeled blower you can get. Big wheels with chains are the way. Always have 10 extra shear bolts in your inventory. And add fuel storage juice with every fill up. And clean out that carb jet with a wire bristle. Greetings from Northern Ontario. Hand warmers are kinda nice.
This is really not true.. and buy a Toro so you never need shear bolts again. According to consumer reports and other professional testing companies Toro has beat out every brand in performance. Let's not forget the quick stick that people buy Toros for just because of that It is so ingenious. The anticlock system is fantastic and really works.. breaks the snow up so well by recycling it so it throws further it puts less stress on the belts and less stress on the engine. This is why you only need one belt for the auger system on a Toro but Ariens uses two. That's because it has to handle the heavy snow because it doesn't get recycled back into the auger. Toro is amazing they always try to make things better they are ingenious they also have auto turn same exact thing as Ariens.. Toro seems to know what matters and what doesn't. Oh yeah and yes the no sheer pin technology works perfect!! I've encountered hitting a car rim under the snow BANG!! The engine stopped immediately no damage done no shear pins to break started it back off and on I went INGENIOUS INGENIOUS INGENIOUS. Not to mention it also requires a hardened commercial gearbox which is on these Toro units. The other cool thing is I don't know if anyone knows Toro was the first company in history to make the walk behind snowblower In 1951 ;)
I think the size of the machine should fit the person using it as well as what their snow clearing challenges are. My sister finds a 28" Ariens Pro wheeled is too big. I like it. I have a Honda 927TCD, she doesn't like tracked and prefers the wheeled unit. I think the Compact RapidTrak 24" might be the sweet spot for her. I like the ease of turning and speed of wheeled but the traction, height control and hydrostatic transmission of the Honda track wins in my mind. RapidTrak looks like you get both. The 928TCD also has battery start and joystick controlled electric chute control, both of which are surprisingly nice. No heated handles though. I use gas with no alcohol ( Shell Premium is recommended by the local L&G ) and use the fuel shutoff to run the carb dry at the end of the day. I drain the tank and run the carb dry at the end of the season. Works great for mowers as well as blowers. I have used fuel stabilizer during the season if it looks like more than 1-2 weeks between uses. That doesn't happen too often. I also clear about 6 driveways per snow fall and yes my neighbours like to see me coming ;-). If we are lucky me and Mr Snowblower/Thrower will be able to go out and play a lot this year.
My father growing up had a Craftsman 2 (prob from the 80s). It was a track drive. He HATED IT. He still to this day resents craftsman just because of that snowblower. He said "when it ran, it RAN", but it was in the shop 98% of the time. His biggest complaint was if you couldn't start it, it didn't move in the snow because it was a track drive.
I have a Craftsman II 5/23 TRAC-DRIVE. Tecumseh 5HP engine. Other than being hard to start in the cold (A real nice feature for a snow engine, Lol) It is a little tank of a machine. But, it is under-powered and under-performing by todays standards. It only throws snow about 15 feet, and maybe 8 feet if the snow is wet. They offered bigger units as well with higher HP Tecumseh's up to 10HP, but even these machines were limited by design standards at the time. If Craftsman (Not MTD-owned) was alive and well today, and would have evolved these units with the same Trac-Drive but better auger/impeller/chute designs, we'd have some nasty blowers. Man killers? Maybe. But they would be awesome.
AS FOR THE ARIENS Riding up on the snow You could buy a weight kita For Ariens and Toro That will keep the front down. Toro and Ariens also have track versions that are 1/3 the cost of The Honda 1332 new versions that work just as good if not better. Easier to fix, parts easy to get. My opinion is Toro is the best. Their anti-clogging technology is awesome. Throws the snow back in front of the auger which aerates it more Makes it lighter. Therefore it puts less stress on the belts, the gears, and the whole system including the engine Also allows it to throw further.. Then of course you have the second to none no shear pin technology really works experienced at first hand. Let's not forget the industry leading best shoot the quick stick. Oh yeah in Toro also uses thinner metal. You might say that's not good but the metal is actually stronger because it's a different type of process to make the metal they use makes the machine lighter and more maneuverable and they also have auto turn.. And when they did consumer reports tests and other professional tests the Torah snow blowers outperformed the rest probably because of a lot of the things I just mentioned.. ;)
tracks all day, unless that's how much snow you see every time it snows. Wheels can not get traction like a track, and won't dig in, you end up fighting wheels, and backing up and trying again in the rough stuff. As for slower, you can only go as fast as the engine allows meaning if the blower bogs down and struggles going through snow, you are going too fast. Top speed doesn't matter unless your driving it around the neighborhood lol
Remember that if you have to clear any area that's not paved, such as over the lawn or gravel, that that the lighter of the front end of the Ariens is going to make that much easier. A little back pressure and the scraper will lift ever so slightly and it won't hang up. The Ariens is a little lighter on it's feet. The Honda is a tank.
Yes! Unfortunately, I sold the ariens and with the extra cash got a wheeled Honda snowblower. Now I have a 928 wheels and a 1332 tracks. Hoping one season we get a huge storm 1.5 ft+
Having used both quite extensively, I MUCH prefer a tracked machine. You don’t need to spend a fortune if you know what you are doing. An impeller kit makes a budget blower beat an expensive new machine. My last 2 blowers were MTD (yeah, I know… cheap right?!?) A 10hp wheeled model, and an 8hp Tracked model (believe it or not, same engine). The tracked model is a LOT less hassle to bust through plow drifts, and plow up my steep driveway. If you need maneuverability, grab both clutch levers and move around very easily. Yes, it’s top speed is MUCH slower. But it goes fast enough when there is enough snow to justify firing up a snowblower. I see virtually zero advantage to a wheeled machine. P.S. for those wondering, the reason I got rid of the wheeled one was that after 25 years, the blower housing was simply too rusted to repair, and not worth it (to me) to replace. I still have the motor from it. Ran mostly Rotella T-6
@@johnarcher9480 I have had an HD toro 826 and now a honda hss1332. Neither one clogged ever. And both see wet snow and slush every time they are used. A cheap snowblower with an impeller kit is still a cheap snowblower. I personally wouldn't cheap out on a snowblower in my climate.
@@steve8803 I think "cheaping out" needs some definition. I still have the roughly 25 year old engine from the older MTD. While Wisconsin doesn't get as much snow as some areas, we often get enough to test a blower's ability. One more than 1 occasion, ive blown snow deep enough that only the top of the chute was above the snow. At that point, any more snow depth is irrelevant.Between the 10hp and the tracked MTD, I have about $1100 invested over 25 years.... Am I cheaping out?
The problem with the Honda’s is that they are 3 times the price of the blowers that regular people buy from Lowe’s etc. If you knew you are going to be a homeowner for the next 20-30 years and have to deal with lots of snow, it would be more palatable. Also the possibility of getting a truck and running a job on the side with it could be important. You’re paying it off in a year or two if you can do that.
It's getting to the point where homeowner snowblowers are knocking on the price of commercial ones. Sticker shock aside, makes more sense to buy the better one and have it cost less in the long run.
@@trappenweisseguy27 that's a huge factor, too. After using it for 10 years it's still probably at 50%+ resale value. Another thing to consider depending area is that they're rare because of covid shortages etc. My local dealer ordered 40 units, and they only received 14, all of which sold right away.
I have both. The Honda track can ride over deep snow like a skidoo. This is helpful if you have to drive your blower from the shed to the driveway. I would have to cut a path with my wheeled blower to get to the driveway.
I haven’t had a tracked snowblower yet but I’ve had tons of wheels ones from 24” to 32” my new cub cadet struggles to climb my hill I have on the driveway so I bought a 32” ariens snowblower it’s heavy but it has chains so it’s a tank I only paid 40 bucks for her and I plan to buy a Honda HS55 tracked it’s tiny but I hope it’s a beast can’t wait
Před 2 měsíci+1
Wheels....but with the 10 Lb weight kit added up front.
I got a track drive Honda 928 this year, previously had an Ariens Deluxe 24 wheeled model. I find with the 928 I have to keep the front higher off the ground or it will get hung up on the slightest lump in my (paved) driveway. I end up with 1-2" of snow on the driveway when I'm done. The Ariens was able to scrape the snow down to the pavement and not get hung up. Do you notice the same thing with your 1332?
Good video. Thanks for showing the loading and unloading of the track version. Seems odd that I can't find a 2 stage blower with a pivoting scraper bar. You know how on the Toro single stage blowers, the scraper bar tilts to match the ground... why don't 2 stage blowers have that? you know of any?
Man that was a smoking price. I picked up a used simplicity 1628 pro signature blower for 400 bucks. It’s a beast of blower, a little rough but it’s not new. It’s heavy as all get out so it doesn’t ride up that much I’m thinking about posting snow blowing in my little village once we start to get more snow for a reasonable price. I’d love to have a either a Honda 1332AT or a Yamaha 1332 ED someday but that would be once I do wood and snow full time.
@@appleztooranges yeah the top Honda is super expensive and the top Yamaha is too but it’s several 1000 cheaper. Only problem is Yamaha doesn’t have a USA dealer as far as I can tell but Honda does.
@@heathenfirewoodservice2021 yeah if your in USA better stick with Honda. Since parts and shit is hard to fine! I think in 2015 Honda went from made in Japan to made in USA changeover
@@appleztooranges yeah they have dealers for Yamaha in Canada so not to bad. I like that Yamahas top two are cheaper than Honda but Honda is state side so I’d probably lean towards them in the future b
Spray……..silicone inside the chute and all over all the blades and inside it area the blades are in……….it stops clogs. Also look into “snowblower hacks” on here and the tip w the rubber flap make it like you have a brand new snowblower.
Oh yes there is a discussion, I have a Honda with tracks and it's an excellent machine. I have owned many different Honda products including cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers, etc. The Honda motor company is fantastic, but my Ariens Pro 32 hydro with the Rapidtracks is by far the best snowblower I have ever used.
Biggest advantage with tracks, is that you can snowblow in layers very handy when the snow is so deep that you cant make it in one pass.. also with a tracked snowblower you can climb stairs with it..
**Wheels vs track snowblower comparison. Which do you like better?
I have the baby tracked HSS622 Honda snow blower, and I simply just lift it up and plop it down onto my utility trailer, no need to worry about ramps or anything, just lift it up by hand and put it down anywhere you want, they are light enough to do that.
Awesome. I’m sure that beast throws far as well
I would get a size that you can manage without struggling to much they'res lot of different situations you can get into when blowing snow. Timing the removal for me is key part, Experience is best teacher 70yr helps
Buy the biggest....highest horsepower....biggest wheeled blower you can get. Big wheels with chains are the way. Always have 10 extra shear bolts in your inventory. And add fuel storage juice with every fill up. And clean out that carb jet with a wire bristle. Greetings from Northern Ontario. Hand warmers are kinda nice.
This is really not true.. and buy a Toro so you never need shear bolts again.
According to consumer reports and other professional testing companies Toro has beat out every brand in performance.
Let's not forget the quick stick that people buy Toros for just because of that It is so ingenious.
The anticlock system is fantastic and really works.. breaks the snow up so well by recycling it so it throws further it puts less stress on the belts and less stress on the engine.
This is why you only need one belt for the auger system on a Toro but Ariens uses two. That's because it has to handle the heavy snow because it doesn't get recycled back into the auger.
Toro is amazing they always try to make things better they are ingenious they also have auto turn same exact thing as Ariens..
Toro seems to know what matters and what doesn't.
Oh yeah and yes the no sheer pin technology works perfect!!
I've encountered hitting a car rim under the snow BANG!! The engine stopped immediately no damage done no shear pins to break started it back off and on I went INGENIOUS INGENIOUS INGENIOUS. Not to mention it also requires a hardened commercial gearbox which is on these Toro units.
The other cool thing is I don't know if anyone knows Toro was the first company in history to make the walk behind snowblower In 1951
;)
I think the size of the machine should fit the person using it as well as what their snow clearing challenges are. My sister finds a 28" Ariens Pro wheeled is too big. I like it. I have a Honda 927TCD, she doesn't like tracked and prefers the wheeled unit. I think the Compact RapidTrak 24" might be the sweet spot for her. I like the ease of turning and speed of wheeled but the traction, height control and hydrostatic transmission of the Honda track wins in my mind. RapidTrak looks like you get both. The 928TCD also has battery start and joystick controlled electric chute control, both of which are surprisingly nice. No heated handles though.
I use gas with no alcohol ( Shell Premium is recommended by the local L&G ) and use the fuel shutoff to run the carb dry at the end of the day. I drain the tank and run the carb dry at the end of the season. Works great for mowers as well as blowers. I have used fuel stabilizer during the season if it looks like more than 1-2 weeks between uses. That doesn't happen too often. I also clear about 6 driveways per snow fall and yes my neighbours like to see me coming ;-).
If we are lucky me and Mr Snowblower/Thrower will be able to go out and play a lot this year.
Agreed those jet carbs are fun to take apart gasket checks too!! Lol
@@muzikmon2267my dads toro lasted for 20 years they’re beast
My Troybilt storm tracker 26" runs like a champ since day 1 (12+years now)here in Minnesnowta, no carb issue, using non oxy gas....
My father growing up had a Craftsman 2 (prob from the 80s). It was a track drive. He HATED IT. He still to this day resents craftsman just because of that snowblower. He said "when it ran, it RAN", but it was in the shop 98% of the time. His biggest complaint was if you couldn't start it, it didn't move in the snow because it was a track drive.
Yeah their heavy man. If it breaks down good luck moving the thing. Prob need a tow truck lol
I have a Craftsman II 5/23 TRAC-DRIVE. Tecumseh 5HP engine. Other than being hard to start in the cold (A real nice feature for a snow engine, Lol) It is a little tank of a machine.
But, it is under-powered and under-performing by todays standards. It only throws snow about 15 feet, and maybe 8 feet if the snow is wet. They offered bigger units as well with higher HP Tecumseh's up to 10HP, but even these machines were limited by design standards at the time.
If Craftsman (Not MTD-owned) was alive and well today, and would have evolved these units with the same Trac-Drive but better auger/impeller/chute designs, we'd have some nasty blowers. Man killers? Maybe. But they would be awesome.
I miss my Craftsman Trac drive the one thing I hate about my Ariens is it tends to bounce which my Trac drive never did.
You can't really compare a Craftsman with a Honda though.
@@chucksgmgarage1116 The Ariens is balanced so that the front feels light. You can put weights on it but the lightness makes it easy maneuver.
AS FOR THE ARIENS Riding up on the snow
You could buy a weight kita For Ariens and Toro That will keep the front down.
Toro and Ariens also have track versions that are 1/3 the cost of The Honda 1332 new versions that work just as good if not better. Easier to fix, parts easy to get.
My opinion is Toro is the best.
Their anti-clogging technology is awesome. Throws the snow back in front of the auger which aerates it more Makes it lighter. Therefore it puts less stress on the belts, the gears, and the whole system including the engine Also allows it to throw further.. Then of course you have the second to none no shear pin technology really works experienced at first hand. Let's not forget the industry leading best shoot the quick stick.
Oh yeah in Toro also uses thinner metal. You might say that's not good but the metal is actually stronger because it's a different type of process to make the metal they use makes the machine lighter and more maneuverable and they also have auto turn..
And when they did consumer reports tests and other professional tests the Torah snow blowers outperformed the rest probably because of a lot of the things I just mentioned..
;)
A lot of toro reps in here I see
tracks all day, unless that's how much snow you see every time it snows. Wheels can not get traction like a track, and won't dig in, you end up fighting wheels, and backing up and trying again in the rough stuff. As for slower, you can only go as fast as the engine allows meaning if the blower bogs down and struggles going through snow, you are going too fast. Top speed doesn't matter unless your driving it around the neighborhood lol
Remember that if you have to clear any area that's not paved, such as over the lawn or gravel, that that the lighter of the front end of the Ariens is going to make that much easier. A little back pressure and the scraper will lift ever so slightly and it won't hang up. The Ariens is a little lighter on it's feet. The Honda is a tank.
Yes! Unfortunately, I sold the ariens and with the extra cash got a wheeled Honda snowblower. Now I have a 928 wheels and a 1332 tracks. Hoping one season we get a huge storm 1.5 ft+
Having used both quite extensively, I MUCH prefer a tracked machine.
You don’t need to spend a fortune if you know what you are doing. An impeller kit makes a budget blower beat an expensive new machine.
My last 2 blowers were MTD (yeah, I know… cheap right?!?)
A 10hp wheeled model, and an 8hp Tracked model (believe it or not, same engine).
The tracked model is a LOT less hassle to bust through plow drifts, and plow up my steep driveway. If you need maneuverability, grab both clutch levers and move around very easily.
Yes, it’s top speed is MUCH slower. But it goes fast enough when there is enough snow to justify firing up a snowblower.
I see virtually zero advantage to a wheeled machine.
P.S. for those wondering, the reason I got rid of the wheeled one was that after 25 years, the blower housing was simply too rusted to repair, and not worth it (to me) to replace.
I still have the motor from it.
Ran mostly Rotella T-6
@John Archer an impeller kit does absolutely nothing for throughput, just increases throwing distance.
@@steve8803 It also helps prevent clogging. Most often, if there is going to be slushy, wet snow, it's going to be at the end of the driveway.
@@johnarcher9480 it will help with clogging on the cheaper machines. A quality machine doesn't need it in my experience.
@@johnarcher9480 I have had an HD toro 826 and now a honda hss1332. Neither one clogged ever. And both see wet snow and slush every time they are used. A cheap snowblower with an impeller kit is still a cheap snowblower. I personally wouldn't cheap out on a snowblower in my climate.
@@steve8803 I think "cheaping out" needs some definition. I still have the roughly 25 year old engine from the older MTD.
While Wisconsin doesn't get as much snow as some areas, we often get enough to test a blower's ability. One more than 1 occasion, ive blown snow deep enough that only the top of the chute was above the snow. At that point, any more snow depth is irrelevant.Between the 10hp and the tracked MTD, I have about $1100 invested over 25 years....
Am I cheaping out?
The problem with the Honda’s is that they are 3 times the price of the blowers that regular people buy from Lowe’s etc. If you knew you are going to be a homeowner for the next 20-30 years and have to deal with lots of snow, it would be more palatable. Also the possibility of getting a truck and running a job on the side with it could be important. You’re paying it off in a year or two if you can do that.
It's getting to the point where homeowner snowblowers are knocking on the price of commercial ones. Sticker shock aside, makes more sense to buy the better one and have it cost less in the long run.
FWIW, the Honda’s apparently have a very high resale value.
@@trappenweisseguy27 that's a huge factor, too. After using it for 10 years it's still probably at 50%+ resale value.
Another thing to consider depending area is that they're rare because of covid shortages etc. My local dealer ordered 40 units, and they only received 14, all of which sold right away.
You could look at that as a problem or an advantage; buy high, sell high.
Honda’s are great, but that 420cc EFI Ariens motor is a beast with the trax
I’ll have to check them out. Thanks
I have both. The Honda track can ride over deep snow like a skidoo. This is helpful if you have to drive your blower from the shed to the driveway. I would have to cut a path with my wheeled blower to get to the driveway.
Awesome. Yeah both have their advantages
I haven’t had a tracked snowblower yet but I’ve had tons of wheels ones from 24” to 32” my new cub cadet struggles to climb my hill I have on the driveway so I bought a 32” ariens snowblower it’s heavy but it has chains so it’s a tank I only paid 40 bucks for her and I plan to buy a Honda HS55 tracked it’s tiny but I hope it’s a beast can’t wait
Wheels....but with the 10 Lb weight kit added up front.
You really should attach a strap between ramp and your hitch so they don't fall off.
I got a track drive Honda 928 this year, previously had an Ariens Deluxe 24 wheeled model. I find with the 928 I have to keep the front higher off the ground or it will get hung up on the slightest lump in my (paved) driveway. I end up with 1-2" of snow on the driveway when I'm done. The Ariens was able to scrape the snow down to the pavement and not get hung up. Do you notice the same thing with your 1332?
No. We only had 3-4” and it scraped it all the way down.
Good video. Thanks for showing the loading and unloading of the track version.
Seems odd that I can't find a 2 stage blower with a pivoting scraper bar.
You know how on the Toro single stage blowers, the scraper bar tilts to match the ground... why don't 2 stage blowers have that? you know of any?
WHAT THE HELL ................ JUST GET BOTH.
Apart from transporting the snowblowers what is your favourite in use? Tracks vs wheels.
Sorry I just watched the end of the video. For personal home use for clearing driveways you prefer wheeled versions.
Yes! Easier to move around
Man that was a smoking price. I picked up a used simplicity 1628 pro signature blower for 400 bucks. It’s a beast of blower, a little rough but it’s not new. It’s heavy as all get out so it doesn’t ride up that much I’m thinking about posting snow blowing in my little village once we start to get more snow for a reasonable price. I’d love to have a either a Honda 1332AT or a Yamaha 1332 ED someday but that would be once I do wood and snow full time.
Honda and Yamaha are the best I hear!
@@appleztooranges yeah the top Honda is super expensive and the top Yamaha is too but it’s several 1000 cheaper. Only problem is Yamaha doesn’t have a USA dealer as far as I can tell but Honda does.
@@heathenfirewoodservice2021 yeah if your in USA better stick with Honda. Since parts and shit is hard to fine! I think in 2015 Honda went from made in Japan to made in USA changeover
@@appleztooranges yeah they have dealers for Yamaha in Canada so not to bad. I like that Yamahas top two are cheaper than Honda but Honda is state side so I’d probably lean towards them in the future b
Ariens sells a tracked version too.
Yes they do. Rapid tracks and also a 28” deluxe version.
@@appleztooranges I think the Rapid Tracks come standard on the Ariens Platinum 28 SHO. That one also comes with the 369cc engine.
Tracks do not move very easily, unless the engine is running.
The new 1332 isn’t too bad. I was actually shocked I could move it around like I do
Thanks. Great video.
Toro here if it comes with a shovel it clogs!
Spray……..silicone inside the chute and all over all the blades and inside it area the blades are in……….it stops clogs.
Also look into “snowblower hacks” on here and the tip w the rubber flap make it like you have a brand new snowblower.
Where did you get the ramps from?
Gf got me it for Xmas present. I think Home Depot
There is no discussion , Get a Honda track machine
Oh yes there is a discussion, I have a Honda with tracks and it's an excellent machine. I have owned many different Honda products including cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers, etc. The Honda motor company is fantastic, but my Ariens Pro 32 hydro with the Rapidtracks is by far the best snowblower I have ever used.
Track all day long, no more wheels for me, day and night.
I see the difference now with the new steering on the 1332
@@appleztooranges totally, i just bought the new 2023 1332 with starter last week, sold my 2019 928 wheeled version. Love the 1332 with tracks!!
@@cadwarrior nice. You did the same thing as I did haha. I sold my older Honda hs1332 tracks with no steering and a 2018 Honda hss928 wheels. For this