Snow Blowers

Description:This is a large machine suitable for someone  who has lots of snow to clear. Note that you will also need space to store it, so if you have a small garage you may have to store it outside. The electric starter will be appreciated on this Stanley 36-Inch Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower. It makes starting easy along with many other features that come with this machine. The 15 horsepower engine throws snow as far as 40 feet.

Features:

With six forward speeds, 2 reverse feeds and a 36 inch wide clearing capability, this machine will make quick work of your driveway or lane way. The Stanley 36-Inch Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower comes with a powered light for night time work and an electric starter to make starting easy. The high speed impeller will throw snow as far as 40 feet. We found that the descriptions online were not very good at providing detail to allow us to confirm features etc. Please review our list provided below.

• 6 forward / 2 reverse speeds
• 36″ clearing width
• Chute control
• Large 6.5 inch wheels provide traction
• Powered light
• Electric Starter

Specifications:

• Drive type: Direct Disc type
• Engine: 420 cc
• Stage: Two Stage
• Max power: 15 horsepower
• Rated speed: 6 speed
• Auger: serrated steel
• Impeller: 3 blade high speed
• Folding Handles: n/a
• Padded Handles:n/a
• Heated Handles: n/a
• Electric Start: yes, non standard battery
• Single Hand Direction Control: control interlock
• Clearing width: 36 inch
• Intake Height: n/a
• Weight: 342 pounds
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Light: Yes

Customer Review Summary

We did not find many reviews for the Stanley 36-Inch Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower. In fact only two reviews were found, one good and one bad. The positive review indicated they were very happy with this machine even though delivery was delayed and it was difficult to assemble. The other review was very negative and suggested it was a poorly made product with many poor customer reviews although we could not find them.

The Husqvarna ST230P – 30-Inch 291cc Two Stage Electric Start snow blower has lots of great features, however consumers are reporting that there is a problem with the belts shredding and the snow blower not living up to expectations. See customer review summary below.

Description: The Husqvarna ST230P – 30-Inch 291cc Two Stage Electric Start snow blower comes with 30 inch clearing width, 12 inch clearing height capabilities. It also has steering control, and LED light and electric start. Heated handles also help in cold weather if you are out clearing snow for long periods.

Features:

• 7 forward / 2 reverse speeds
• 30″ clearing width
• Powered chute control
• Large 16 inch wheels provide traction
• Steering Control
• LED Powered light
• Electric Starter / Manual Start

Specifications:

• Drive type: Direct Drive Disc
• Engine: 291 cc
• Stage: Two Stage
• Auger : 12 inch ribbon
• Heated Handles : Yes
• Electric Start: Yes
• Single Hand Direction Control : Powered steering
• Clearing width: 30 inch
• Intake Height: 12 inch
• Weight: 336 pounds
• Fuel: Regular gas
• Light: LED
• Fuel Tank: 3.6 liter

Customer Review Summary

At the time of preparing this review there were 44 reviews with only 52% of the reviews rating a 4 or better out of 5. 32% of the reviews awarded a 1 rating for this Husqvarna ST230P – 30-Inch 291cc Two Stage Electric Start snow blower.

There appears to be a big problem with the auger belt. It does not last and many customers had to replace it after only a few hours of use. Some returned the snow blower to the store where they made their purchase. Other consumers attempted to replace the belt, which can be done by anyone who is familiar with working around small engines. Belts should last years and not hours. This is a major issue for this model. One customer reported that the belt ran 20 minutes before shredding.

A symptom of belt failure is that the auger tends to push the snow rather than grind it up and throw it out the chute. Basically the belt begins to slip, the auger slows down and the snow builds up in front of the machine as you move forward. Some consumers felt that the machine was cheaply made.

The Husqvarna ST224P – 24-Inch 208cc Two Stage Electric Start snow blower clears a 24 inch wide swath and up to 12 inch deep snow.  It comes with heated handles and electric start to make using this machine more comfortable to use on extra cold days. In addition there is a powered steering feature which many consumers will appreciate especially if you have tight corners and small areas to work around.

Description: The engine displaces 208cc, comes with power steering and electric start, a LED light, clears 24 inches width at a time, has a 180 chute rotation capability, heated grip handles, 12 inch ribbon augers, friction disc transmission, aluminum gearbox, large 15 inch tires and the gas tank holds up to 2.7 liters. There is a 3 year warranty on the machine and a 5 year warranty on the engine and gear box.

Features:

• 7 forward / 2 reverse speeds
• 24″ clearing width
• Powered chute control
• Large 15 inch wheels provide traction
• Powered Steering Control
• LED Powered light
• Electric Starter / Manual Start

Specifications:

• Drive type: Direct drive disc
• Engine: 208cc
• Stage: Two Stage
• Auger : 12 inch ribbon
• Heated Handles : Yes
• Electric Start: Yes
• Single Hand Direction Control : Steering control
• Clearing width: 24 inch
• Intake Height: 12 inch
• Weight: 256 pounds
• Fuel: regular gas
• Light: LED

Customer Review Summary

This Husqvarna ST224P – 24-Inch 208cc Two Stage Electric Start has 24 reviews at the time of writing this review with an average rating of 4.7 out of five. 92% of the reviews are 4 or better which is quite good. There were no 1 star or 2 star ratings.

Onee owner have had problems with the belts that drive the auger and impeller. There may be a technical bulletin to dealers about having the belts changed. The dealer picked up the machine and repaired it at no charge to the owner.

Consumers are very satisfied with shipping, unpacking and operation of this Husqvarna ST224P – 24-Inch 208cc Two Stage Electric Start snow blower. Note that if you have a large area to clear you may want something with a larger width of clearing than this one at 24 inches.

The Husqvarna ST224 – 24-Inch 208cc Two Stage Electric Start Snowthrower has many great features that will satisfy most consumer needs for the average consumer’s driveway. There are 6 forward gears and one reverse gear. It clears a 24-inch wide path and an intake height of 23 inches. This snow blower is not CARB compliant. It comes with 15-inch wheels and two LED-powered lights. The control for the chute is multi controlled – e.g. both the chute direction and the chute deflector can be controlled remotely on a manual basis.

This snow blower can be started manually as well as using an electric starter by plugging in the chord and connecting it to the appropriate place on the engine. This snow thrower is more than suitable for most consumers. If you have a long wide driveway or are intending to use this machine commercially, you may want to opt for a larger machine.

Description: This is a two stage, 6.7 hp engine with heated handles and one hand operation as you adjust the chute direction. It does not have steering control. The Husqvarna ST224 – 24-Inch 208cc Two Stage Electric Start Snowthrower weighs 240 pounds and uses regular gasoline in the 4 stroke engine.

Features:

• 6 forward / 1 reverse speeds
• 24″ clearing width
• Remote Chute Deflector/Remote Chute Rotator
• Large 15 inch wheels provide traction
• LED Powered light
• Electric Starter / Manual Start
• Not Carb Compliant

Specifications:

• Drive type: Direct Disc Type
• Engine: 208cc
• Stage: Two Stage
• Max power: 208cc 6.7hp
• Rated speed: 6 speed
• Auger: NA
• Impellar: NA
• Folding Handles: No
• Padded Handles: No
• Heated Handles: Yes
• Electric Start: Yes
• Single Hand Direction Control : Yes
• Clearing width: 24 inches
• Intake Height: 23
• Weight: 240 pounds
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Light: Yes , two LED’s

Customer Review Summary

At the time of writing this review there were 60 customer reviews with 45 of them positive reviews. Customer service was an issue for several customers along with some broken parts on delivery. Most customers were satisfied to extremely satisfied.

The Power Smart 24-inch 208cc LCT Gas Powered 2-Stage Snow Thrower with Electric Start is manufactured by Amerisun Inc. and sold on Amazon. It is a pretty standard snow blower suitable for most residential applications. At 24 inches wide it will clear your driveway and also be easily stored in your garage or work shed. If you have high snowdrifts and lots of snow with a large driveway you may want to opt for a larger machine that has more power and a wider intake to make faster work clearing snow. However, this machine will meet most residential demands. It would not be recommended for any commercial applications due to its small size.

Description: The Power Smart 24-inch 208cc LCT Gas Powered 2-Stage Snow Thrower with Electric Start comes with 4 forward and two reverse speeds, 24-inch clearing width and a manual controlled power chute. This machine also comes with steering control and electric start to help consumers manage this snow blower while clearing snow.

Features:

• 4 forward / 2 reverse speeds
• 24″ clearing width
• Manual powered chute control
• Large 13-inch wheels provide traction
• Steering Control
• Electric Starter / Manual Start
• Non-Carb Compliant

Specifications:

• Drive Type: Speed & Direction Control
• Engine:208cc OHV
• Auger: Steel
• Impeller: Yes
• Folding Handles: No
• Padded Handles: No
• Heated Handles: No
• Electric Start: Yes
• Single Hand Direction Control: Yes
• Clearing width: 24 inches
• Intake Height: 21 inches
• Weight: 180 pounds
• Fuel: Regular
• Light: No

Power Smart 24-inch 208cc – Customer Review Summary

This snow blower had 202 reviews at the time if this review with a 73% positive rating of 4 or better. The majority of customers were very happy with the product.

However, 27% of customers are unhappy with the product mainly due to poor customer support, poor packaging and missing parts in the box. Some went as far as to recommend that customers should not purchase this product.

The tires shown in this picture are brand new and will deliver full traction even without the chains. Unfortunately, even on pure ice, they will slip. That is when you should consider using tire chains for snow blowers on your tires to provide much better traction and avoid slippage. There are times when it makes sense to use tire chains for snowblowers. Other times when you should not use them under any circumstances. Long driveways with slopes are examples when tire chains might be needed. You can waste a lot of time and become very frustrated trying to deal with icy snow conditions on an upward slope. You may even have to uphill without clearing any snow just to make it up the hill. Even going downhill in heavy snow with ice underneath may be a challenge. But when would you want to reconsider using tire chains?

Tire Chains for Snow Blowers

Any time you have a newly paved driveway that you do not want to scratch. Or paving stones that cost you thousands of dollars it is a time when you do not want to use tire chains. The chains will leave scratches that cannot be removed or hidden. Most people would not like this at all.

In fact, you should also use a Teflon scraper bar on the bottom. Also, Teflon shoes for the snowblower to avoid any scratches on your pavement or paver stones. If you are planning to hire a professional snow clearing company to clear your driveway, this fact should be checked to make sure they use the right equipment on your newly paved driveway to avoid permanent damage.

Tire chains for snow blowers craftsman or any make of snow blower will definitely help with traction control. The writer has personally used chains. From experience, I can tell you there is a time to use chains on a snowblower tire. There is also a time when you definitely do not want to use them. Anyone with a brand new paved driveway or a driveway with stone pavers should really think twice about using the tire chains on their snow blower. The problem is that these chains will slip on the surface. They will scratch your brand new driveway leaving permanent marks. Asphalt can be resealed in the summer to hide the scratch marks to some degree. But they are there permanently. On stone pavers, there is really not a lot you can do. Once the stones are scratched, the only way to get rid of the marks is to replace the stones. You might not even be able to replace them with the same shade. Now it will look worse than it did with the scratch marks on the stone. Just don’t use tire chains in these situations.

Chains for Snow Blowers Craftsman

If you have a steep driveway where traction is really important and you have to use chains, there is another approach you can try. On the way down the slope, the weight of the snowblower will help to carry it forward and you probably can cut a full swath on the way down the slope. On the way up you may have to settle for 1/3 or even less just to get up the slope without slipping.

It is true that it will take much longer to clear your driveway, but that is the price of not using chains. If this approach does not work they you may just have to use the chains and live with the scratch marks.

A poorly running snowblower engine may be difficult to start. When it does start, the engine may run roughly, cough, sputter etc. It also may not run under full power and may not deliver full power. There can be a number of issues that could cause this condition including the spark plug. While all of these could be symptoms of bad snowblower plugs, they can be symptoms of poor gasoline, dirty fuel filters, and gummed carburetors.  The best way to deal with these problems is by a process of elimination and one of the easiest is to check and clean the spark plug.

Symptoms of Bad Snowblower Plug

Remove the spark plug after the first disconnection of the spark plug wire and moving off to the side. Use an air blower of some kind to blow away any dirt and dust from around the snowblower spark plug. With the proper tool, remove the spark plug and assess the condition of the plug.

If it is clean with no carbon deposits, regap the plug and reinsert it. If there are any deposits, they should be removed using sandpaper and then the plug regapped to the specified gap as outlined in the manual.

Plugs that are very dirty, with lots of carbon, probably should be replaced. Replace any plug that is in this condition.

Often this is all that is needed. If this step does not make your engine run smoother or start, then further checks are necessary. Verify that there is a spark getting to the plug, verify that there is clean gas in the gas tank. Also, use some gas line cleaner added to the gas tank.

What are the symptoms of bad spark plug in snow blowers? If your engine is not running well, there can be a number of reasons causing this including a bad spark plug. While it might be other items causing the problem, one of the easiest things to check is the spark plug. Remove the plug and clean it, check the gap and replace it. Confirm also that there is a spark between the terminals of the plug. Install the plug and try running the engine to determine if this makes any difference. You will notice right away if this was the problem. Replace overly dirty contaminated plugs with new spark plugs. Set the gap to the proper specifications.

Symptoms of Bad Spark Plug Snowblower

Clean the spark plug if it is black and covered with soot. The soot indicates that the fuel air mixture is not correct. This usually means a dirty carburetor. Use gasoline treatment to clean the carb and keep the gas fresh.

Never leave old gas in your snow blowers gas tank for any length of time. It tends to gum up everything and will cause the condition mentioned above. If the cleaner does not work, the carb will need to be taken apart and cleaned. If you are not familiar with this type of work, it is best to hire a small engine mechanic to complete the work for you.

While you really do not need to have the John Deere oil change manuals in front of you when you are changing the oil it is a good idea to review it ahead of time. We are going to cover the step by step generic process to change the oil in a snow blower. You will need to confirm the viscosity of the oil that should be used in your particular John Deere snow blower. We also suggest that you review all safety precautions for your snow blower prior to doing any kind of maintenance including the oil change.  Here is your step by step process for an oil change.

John Deere Oil Change Manuals

• Run your snow blowers engine for 5 minutes to warm up the oil
• Shut the engine off and disconnect the spark plug wire
• Place a catch basin under the oil outlet to catch the oil
• Loosen the oil filler dip stick
• Loosen the oil drain plug and allow the warm oil to drain into the catch basin
• Wait until all oil has drained from the engine
• Attach the oil drain plug and tighten
• Add the proper viscosity oil to the engine via the oil filler dip stick
• Ensure the oil level is at the correct level on the dip stick
• Place the oil filler dip stick in place and tighten
• Attach the spark plug wire
• Start the engine and allow it to run for a few minutes
• Shut the engine off
• Remeasure the oil level in the engine to ensure sufficient oil
• If there is too much you will need to drain some out.

Check the oil level prior to starting the engine. Do this each time you use it to ensure there is sufficient oil in the engine. While it is pretty straight forward, care should be taken to avoid spilling oil on the floor of your garage or on the ground. Place a drip sheet under the snow blower if this is a concern. Follow all proper safety precautions as outlined in the manual.