Ariens and Simplicity are certainly two brands to check out as well as Toro. Track models may be fine but to me it looks like more parts and more opportunity for failure/breakdown. I love Honda engines but I'm personally not fond of their snow blowers. I believe that other designs do a better job of snow removal than their units.

The following link might help you choose the size of the machine you'll need http://www.ariens.com/help_me_choose/snow_products/

I just finished researching to buy a new unit and had narrowed my choices down to an Ariens and a Simplicity. Found an used Simplicity with low hours and ended up going that route instead.

Be sure your wife participates in the decision and tests all the units you are most interested in. If she is also using it she will want to be comfortable with the machine as well.

Enjoy the search!

Western Connecticut is no stranger to heavy, wet snow. With that thought in mind, I have a Toro 826. Last winter the Match storm left 24" plus of heavy snow. The Toro cut through it without a problem. And my drive is 1200 foot long and it's not all flat!

For Maine, you may want to go to a 10 or 11 horsepower engine.

I also agree with simpleman, Ariens and Simplicity make excellent blowers.

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT

We live in the Cascade Mtns with plenty of heavy snow during our long winters. We researched and elicited advice from folks in this forum finally deciding on a 11.5hp Ariens. We are very happy with it's performance.

Good luck in your research.

As a long time Honda user/owner of all sorts of products, I think your choice is an excellent one. There is no question that Ariens and Simplicity also make excellent products and that you should look at those IF they are supported in your area. However, the hydrostatic drive plus the tracks makes the Honda an amazing machine to operate. Yep, tracked machines can be slightly more difficult to turn but wheeled machines are no treat either. I prefer the gripping power of the tracks because they make the unit nearly unstoppable.

As for design and throwing ability, Honda knows what they are doing. It snows in Japan, just like it snows in North America. I bought one of the first tracked snowblowers that Honda made and gave it to my father as a present back in the mid-eighties. He loved the machine. It started with one pull every single time. It was only 5.5 hp but that unit threw snow better than the ten hp American made models his neighbours owned. When he moved to a retirement home in 1995, I sold that blower to some friends of mine and they are still using it today.

My second choice would be the Ariens but if cost is no object, then I would definitely choose the Honda.

Simplicity and Ariens are excellent machines but for your use a big Honda track drive sounds like an excellent choice if you have a dealer around. The other choice for gravel is a wheeled machine with larger skids.

That's nice a mid-80's Honda snow thrower is still in use. When you bought that machine new, our Ariens was 18 years old - and is still in use, albeit with a more powerful engine (the old one still ran when replaced). The local dealer stocked all the parts needed for a rebuild - several bushings, a friction disk, and a belt. Most Ariens parts are forward and backwards compatible.

If you get a large machine, I would get one with a differential wheel drive. This makes turning it easier while both wheels are still trying to drive. I have an Ariens 926DLE machine that I purchased three years ago. It weighs just under 300 lbs, and has the differential drive. If I should lock the wheels so both drive together at the same speed, it is very difficult to turn it because the wheels will have slip in order to make the turn. If you have a machine where only one wheel drives, it may be a problem on a hill. I believe the newer larger Ariens have a differential drive that can be "locked out" from the operator controls. To lock my differential drive, I have to turn a knob on one of the wheels. However, with the differential drive "Unlocked", I have no problem going up and down a steep driveway, and no problems with turns. It's a great machine. Charles Ranheim

I think snow blowers have two levels - premium brands like Honda, Gravely/Ariens, and others. The lower level is the MTD stuff.

I have had two generations of the MTD stuff. The first was a 1967 5-24 Techumseh Snow King. I bought it used in 1990 for $50. In 1999 it was still running but was too small, and I am not getting any younger.

I replaced it with a good deal on a Yardman (MTD) 13-33. I paid $1299 for the new machine, and it's still another
Techumseh Snow King configuration.

The new one (6 years old) works great on my 450" paved drive. Just don't ever stop the fan with snow in it (probably the same for any blower).

My take is if you are a contractor to clear snow, and you hire people to use your machines, buy only the best equipment. Your hired help will break the cheap stuff. But if you are a homeowner and will use the machine responsibly, buy the most HP you can (MTD), then take good care of the machine.

All the north american manufacturers use the same engines, Briggs or Tecumseh, but the quality of the rest of the machine sure varies. In heavy snowfall areas like the Columbia gorge and upstate New York, the cheaper snowblowers might last 4-5 seasons if looked after. This is where high end machines like Ariens, Simplicity and Honda pay off. MTD, Craftsman and Murray are o.k. where they don't get such heavy use.