The best snowblower brand is Toro. Everyone else (that i've used, MTD, Ariens) is cheap box store product. If you're going to use a tractor, you would need weights and chains. Chains alone aren't going to be enough to dislodge a drift. A gravely WB with dual wheels, weights and chains and a plow out front would be sufficient, but expensive.

Our Ariens 24 inch snowblower will throw heavy snow about 8 feet. It has a 6 hp Tecumseh engine, & it was new three seasons ago. If your Snapper won't throw snow very far, it might have something to do with age and maintenance. I have no difficulty with two foot drifts, but the machine does slow down when the snow is that deep. It has six speeds, so I just shift to a slower speed setting for the drive wheels in very deep snow. I think we paid 800 dollars for the Ariens. The advantage of snowblowers over tractor/plow is that the snowblower is less expensive to buy and operate, and it takes up less space in the garage or shed. The advantage of a tractor/plow is that when it is set up right, you can accomplish more in less time. A job that takes an hour with a snowblower might be plowed in 15 or 20 minutes.

I heard simplicity is top of the line

Ariens or Simplicity are the best.
Toro is overpriced and have become cheap in the past couple of years...a bunch of plastic...too much. The console is plastic too? Go see one. The quick shift chute control is cheap. They no longer have a commercial line either if you wanted one of better quality.

what is better... an Ariens 305cc Briggs...or an Ariens 287cc Suburu engine? I was on the Ariens site, and they have 2 identical priced 30" deluxe blowers.

I bought a Snapper 27" from Sears last year and I was really Impressed with it. It chewed up and spit out all the snow and ice I gave it with zero problems.

Ariens is using Chinese LCT engines. That is the very definition of cheap. The quickstick we've seen zero problems with. Every other manufacturer is trying to emulate the quickstick without infringing on the patents. Is Ariens still using metal bushings at the ends of the augers, or have they switched to plastic like everyone else (except Toro, they still use metal)?

What is Chinese LCT? They are labelled Briggs/Strat. Is LCT making Briggs engines?

I bought a Toro 726LE (I think) back in 2003. It easily handled two Rochester, NY winters before our move to Houston. I loved the joystick chute control. We had a two car wide by four car long driveway. It even worked to clear a path to the backyard. My father has it now and uses it on his driveway when he doesn't want to get the tractor out.

LCT engines will be labled with the manufacturer of the total piece of equipment and list only the displacement. they are shoddy copies of B&S OHV and Honda GX engines. Ariens is using these engines now, along with everyone except Toro. LCT just acquired the rights to reproduce the Tecumseh snow engines, we'll see how those turn out.

I have not seen Ariens snowblowers with other than Briggs engines clearly labeled on them.

There spec says Polar Force engine by Briggs. Is this actually an LCT engine?

I would recommend a Husqvarna 924HV. I have seen a couple articles that suggest this blower. I could only find one of the articles again.
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