PoulanPro Snow Throwers

Need help and advice on PoulanPros. I can get a PP1130ES at a very respectful price. Problem I have is that I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" and my luck is hardly ever good. So my question is...Does anyone know anything about these PoulanPros? I have never bought a Poulan product and I don't know what their reputation is like. I have researched others but I can't seem to find any pros/cons about Poulan. Thanks
Mike

Poulan, Cub Cadet, Yard Man, Troy-Built, Husquavarna, Craftsman, Snow King, etc... if they are sold at a chain store then they are all basically the same made by MTD. I have a 1995 Cub Cadet (MTD) 10hp that still works. Electric start is the key on a bigger machine, one that you plug into an extension cord. Sounds like the one you want is an 11hp, 30" cut electric start which should be built about as rugged as a sub $1000 machine can be expected to be and should last a while. If you are the type of person that demands quality and excellent fit and finish get a Honda tracked snowblower, they are about $2400 but worth every penny. They start on half a pull, at least every one I've used. Back to MTD; I wouldn't get the extended warranty or any of that BS, what will go wrong is the auger bearings, the impeller bearing, and the tires. Make sure to use soft shear pins in the auger and not grade 8 bolts as some of the stores put in. Bearings are about $10 each and easy to change, the stock tires are crap and will disintegrate in about 2 years. For some reason MTD doesn't use loctite either so once a year make sure the bolts are tight or in the summer take them out, clean with brake clean and add a drop of loctite and the machine will last a long time. I've had the same luck with Briggs Kohler, and Tecumseh engines. Briggs are cheaper to rebuild when the time comes. I like mine because it has a headlight and the auger is turned from the "cockpit" and made of non-rusting plastic. The only complaint I have with mine is that is was made for short people, I have to bend over to use my Cub which gets tiring after a while. I have been planning on making some 4" riser brackets for the bars but I haven't yet, it hasn't snowed that much this year for me to remember.

http://www.ariens.com/

Used to work in lawmower shop many years ago and at the time those were built like the proverbial brick sh**house. As an example the wheels on the lawn mowers had full axles with bearings and all came with the good engines with the heavier duty parts. The decks were about double the thickness of a normal lawnmower. Something like that would last you through many engines. They are not cheap though.

e.alleg wrote: Husquavarna,

Wasn't even aware those were available outside a dealership, anyhow my brother had a tree business and that's all he purchased. I think the same goes for most other tree business's.

DOH!!

I just realized that our Leader's avatar is an X-ray scan of Homer Simpson's head.

Yes, the vast majority of Homer's cranial cavity capacity is empty space but, at least it's not filled with s#!t. Besides, give him a beer and a donut and he's one happy guy; we should all be so lucky!

Richard S. wrote:http://www.ariens.com/

Used to work in lawmower shop many years ago and at the time those were built like the proverbial brick sh**house. As an example the wheels on the lawn mowers had full axles with bearings and all came with the good engines with the heavier duty parts. The decks were about double the thickness of a normal lawnmower. Something like that would last you through many engines. They are not cheap though.

My father has had 3 Ariens snow blowers. Wore the first one out after about 9 years (blew up the auger gearbox) and a LOT of snowblowing his home and the neighbors. Bought a new one, but it didn't have the differential like his old one. He sold that one after a year of use and bought the 9.5 hp Professional series machine that has the differential. He's past 65 and horsing around a big snowblower without the differential was really hard on him. I don't know if he's had a chance to use it yet, it was just delivered shortly after Thanksgiving (he lives in N.Central Jersey). But, indeed, they are very well made machines.

Simplicity is also very good, but Briggs and Stratton bought them out and is closing down the plant in Port Washington, WI and moving it all to Mississippi or some other low-wage state so they can turn them into cheap cr@p like an MTD blower.

I have had a 6hp Troy-Bilt now for about 7 years and it's been bullet-proof. It's the old-tech gear drive (3-speed) design that they got when they bought out Bolens (also was in Port Washington, WI). But, Troy-Bilt got bought out by MTD, so they are all cr@p now, too. At least MTD hasn't screwed up the Troy-Bilt tillers yet. My little Tuffy has been going strong for almost a dozen years now.

I'm no fan of MTD, as you can tell. I own an '05 Cub Cadet 2544 lawn tractor and really love it. There are not very many "MTDisms" on it, but every year since they have cheapened the line of tractors into lower and lower quality machines. The 3000 series are still pretty sweet, the 2000 series are OK, but the 1000 series have turned into the big box store commodity line just like the low-end John Deere.

Bottom line is buy the best you can afford, even if it hurts a little. You'll thank yourself later. Remeber this: "The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten". I have proved that to myself many times over, but I've also paid a lot of money for junk, too, so buyer beware!

Like everything else there are different ways to accomplish the same goal. (1) Buy the cheapest brand new machine that will do the job and replace it every 10 years. (2) pay twice as much and buy a quality machine and replace it in 20 years. (3) buy a used quality machine and use it for the remainder of it's useful life, without wasting money on junk. I've bought my share of used yard ornaments too...

Good advice from all and very much appreciated. Main reason I was looking at the Poulan. They carry them at the Post Exchange which means tax free for me. Been shopping for a snowblower ever since February last year. Anyway...Honda is way out of price range...unfortunately. Chris...didn't know that about Simplicity, thanks. I actually stopped looking at Simplicity because of other reasons

I am seriously considering an Ariens, Toro or a Husqvarna. I have a Toro/Husqvarna dealer/repair shop 4 miles from the house. He has been there a while and from what I heard so far from neighbors and friends he has a good reputation.

Price is a major factor to me considering amount of snow fall annually. Last year, 1 major snow fall in Feb, Mar and last in Apr I really could have used a blower. Driveway is approx 1500 to 2000 sqft. Front walk is approx 30ft long. The MOST important part...coal bin to basement door is approx 80 to 100 ft...LOL.
So I look at amount of usage which drives the "need" factor and then I argue with myself over "bang for the buck" factor. Looking at MTD products vs Husqvarna I see the cheapness of MTD.

One thing that has me scratching my head is which one is better...plastic chute or metal chute. Toro, more $ than Husqvarna, has plastic chute which manuevers a hell of lot easier than the metal Husqy. However...which one normally clogs first...plastic or metal???

Okay...Ariens, Toro, Husqvarna, Poulan...which one do you go with if $1600 is the absolute highest you would go???

OH YEAH...Last factor...ease of operation...this is important because if it is real easy to steer and operate...I think I can persuade the wife into doing the driveway for me!!! Seriously...if it is easy I think I can get away with it. I think I can kick back with a cold yuengling in front of a toasty coal stove watching a game on the tube while the wife is snowblowing the driveway.

I own an '05 Cub Cadet 2544 lawn tractor and really love it.

I have the same year and model. No complaints what-so-ever. Wish I had a zero-turn but the amount of hauling I have done with the 2544 I can not complain. The wife and I do our own landscaping and I don't know how many ton of stone and dirt I have pulled behind that tractor in a beat up rusty craftsman dump trailer. Maybe when the kids are gone I'll get the zero-turn for cutting and just use the Cub for other yard work.

http://www.wikco.com/bcssnow.html BCS info. check these out as well. Expensive but if you need a brush hog, rototiller, sweeper, and snowblower it becomes affordable. I hate to say it but for $1500 you can buy a plow truck, not something road worthy but a 4 way 7.5' plow with a heater is better than any snowblower for the driveway and the wife can use it.

BugsyR wrote:I have a Toro/Husqvarna dealer/repair shop 4 miles from the house. He has been there a while and from what I heard so far from neighbors and friends he has a good reputation.

My local outdoor equipment guy sells what he considers the best. Lawnboy mowers, Husqvarna chain saws, troy-bilt tillers, echo trimmers, redmax leaf blowers & toro snow throwers. Good luck.

spc wrote:

BugsyR wrote:I have a Toro/Husqvarna dealer/repair shop 4 miles from the house. He has been there a while and from what I heard so far from neighbors and friends he has a good reputation.

My local outdoor equipment guy sells what he considers the best. Lawnboy mowers, Husqvarna chain saws, troy-bilt tillers, echo trimmers, redmax leaf blowers & toro snow throwers. Good luck.

Unfortunately, even LawnBoy isn't what it used to be. They got bought up by Toro and now a LawnBoy is just a green Toro. The classic 2-cycle engine is gone and also the stagger wheel deck. Damn shame. I've had my LawnBoy 2-cycle Gold mower now for 10 years and it just keeps going and going. I LOVE the smell of 2-cycle exhaust in the morning!

BugsyR wrote: I LOVE the smell of 2-cycle exhaust in the morning!

And the sound

I am far enough South I can get two Mexicans with snow shovels for $10.00 and it's done!

BK

bksaun wrote:I am far enough South I can get two Mexicans with snow shovels for $10.00 and it's done!

BK

Awwh man, you suck.

I'm kind of considering this unit I read about in NRA's American Rifleman this month, http://www.agricover.com/ For the average home owner it's seems pretty decent. They have a dealer search tab on the site, I've a dealer only 20 min's away, so I guess I'll have to check one out.

Ed.A wrote:

bksaun wrote:I am far enough South I can get two Mexicans with snow shovels for $10.00 and it's done!

BK

Awwh man, you suck.

I'm kind of considering this unit I read about in NRA's American Rifleman this month, http://www.agricover.com/ For the average home owner it's seems pretty decent. They have a dealer search tab on the site, I've a dealer only 20 min's away, so I guess I'll have to check one out.

OK...I have to ask...did you mean to put in a link to a tonneau cover website?