# what brand snow blowers to steer clear of



## hosejockey4506

i have been searching craigslist for a decent snow blower. i have been seeing alot of NOMA blowers and have never heard of them before are they worth a crap.

would like to buy a used unit and spend 600 or less for a self propelled 8 hp or bigger machine.


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## pmorrissette

if there are a lot of them, that should be your first clue...


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## NicholasMWhite

The ones I would be looking for are simplicity, ariens, and toro. Those are your best bet for a quality blower. You can find one for that price no problem. I picked up a 24 inch 2 stage simplicity for $120. It is an older one, but I rebuilt the carb, replaced the chains, scraper edge, and a few other small things. I have probably $200 in it and it works phenomenally. I couldn't be happier with it.


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## KEC Maintaince

The older simplicty ariens craftsman and toros if you can find will be great .
get them serviced and you will be fine. 
i run toros 210r now next season i will be adding a 2 stg to the group.
cub cadet john deer are also good if you can get your hands on a Honda also. well worth their weight. 
also get a back up just in case 1 goes down.


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## stanz

I run two older Snapper blowers, 8hp 24". The newest is 1999, both have cast iron gear housings on the blower. Most newer blowers have pressed steel housings that explode.

I was cutting through the stuff the town plowed on a clients sidewalk the other day with no problem. It was so deep, the only thing showing was the top of the chute.


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## SnowGuy

We buy Honda Track drives, they are the best built in our opinion.


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## knpc

SnowGuy;1231358 said:


> We buy Honda Track drives, they are the best built in our opinion.


I agree, I have a honda track drive 2stage and a single stage toro, both are excellent machines. They are all I will ever purchase in the future.


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## Mikemat31

Don't buy a snowblower on craigslist just buy a new one from a store or go to a local shop buy a used one from there. I bought one from craigslist the guy scewed me. The whole gear case was broken. I did the repair but a shop wanted 420 to fix it. Spend the extra money get a new one.


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## NicholasMWhite

Mikemat31;1231484 said:


> Don't buy a snowblower on craigslist just buy a new one from a store or go to a local shop buy a used one from there. I bought one from craigslist the guy scewed me. The whole gear case was broken. I did the repair but a shop wanted 420 to fix it. Spend the extra money get a new one.


That's terrible advice. Craigslist is obviously buyer beware, but there are ALOT of good deals on craigslist. On snowblowers, along with anything else you would want to buy.

Just because you got screwed, doesn't mean everyone will. The fact of the matter is the older ones are much more heavy duty than a new snow blower. It's also getting harder and harder to find a new snowblower that isn't running a chinese engine. If you check the item over thoroughly before buying it, you can get a great deal buying used.


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## wannabeplowing

The company I work for has been running toro blowers for quite a few years ( the 2 stage ones with the stick that controls the shoot) and they have been good but recently we have been buying Ariens and it's a night and day difference I would go with an Ariens no question they blow through snow that bogs down the toros so I would highly advise going with an Ariens, not cheap but well worth the money!!


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## Golfpro21

we use cub cadets, we have a 45 inch one with 427 cc engine, engine is amazing, always starts on first pull, never dies, this machine will blow snow 50 feet (almost too far for residentials in a city setting) goes through the plow drifts with ease
Only draw back is that it is real heavy, but scrapes the drives great.


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## cretebaby

pmorrissette;1231015 said:


> if there are a lot of them, that should be your first clue...


of what? That they are junk and everyone wants to ditch them or that is what is popular and readily available?


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## PowersTree

Cub Cadet, craftsman, and the Lowes blowers are all the exact same machine with different color schemes.


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## Freebird

Noma snow blowers were a Canadian owned company. They produced a mid-level two stage machine that would work well and be cost affordable. They produced snow blowers for Sears and other companies, later being bought out by the Murray Group which was then sold to MTD. The machines were very solid for years, but it greatly depends on the age of the machine.

Noma used Tecumseh engines on their snowblowers. If you were to look at one I would open it up on the bottom. Noma used Brass hex bushings to hold the drive plate on. these machines were awesome as they never stripped the gears. My father had one for 14 years and except for oil changes and a few belts it never went down. 

However, after the sale they switched to trunion bearings. These were POS and would break easily under stress. this caused a lot of wear on the snow blower.

If you look at one, do a google search and take photos of each bearing type with you. Bring a small tool kit to remove the bottom plate.


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## hosejockey4506

thanks for the info guys


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