Depending on if you can blow snow to both sides of the
driveway, you will have to blow it a minimum of 15 feet,
just to get to the edge, but farther to accomodate
the accumulation over the winter. And then there is the
wind to contend with. You definitely need a 2-stage
and I would say no less than a 24 inch cut. That would
put the horsepower at a minimum of 7, IMO.
Go with any of the major brands, such as Ariens or
Husquavarna. Some of the ones I've seen at the big
box stores have plastic shutes, which sounds like a good
idea as far as clogging, but I don't know how they have
held up, especially on a stoned driveway. From what
I've heard, stay away from the ones with tracks, as
most say they are a bear to steer. I would add that
this is a classic example of 'you get what you pay for',
so don't expect to get away on the cheap and have a
good, long lasting machine. Just my opinions.

thanks lbpod. useful comments.

i'm looking at the honda 724 and will be posting to look for comments.

I would recommend buying as much horsepower as you want to spend...and go with a good brand like Ariens, Toro, Simplicity. I cheaped out and went with a small Craftsman and now it is being recalled for fire problems.

I had an opportunity a couple of years ago in the early spring to pick up a 10hp Ariens for a great price at HD...they were trying to get rid of it...but I did not pull the trigger...I kick myself each winter now.

That Honda should be great for your driveway. My parent's driveway is almost exactly the same size as yours and they use a 24" 7hp Yard Machine that does the trick. They've had it for 8 years and it's never let them down. I've used it as well and it works really great.

I have a Toro 826 that will clean my 1200 foot driveway. Handles up to 24 inches deep. It's four years old and never a problem.

Honda, Simplicity and Ariens are also excellent brands that are worth checking out.

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT

thanks adenn1, joecool85, and eal51...

i know this honda is expensive. i am hoping the quality and experience justifies it at least in part. i have been scouring this forum and my latest purchases have been driven at least in part by pride of ownership. it's nice to have something that is regarded as quality workmanship. of course, that is not to say that lesser expensive machines don't provide quality workmanship.

My driveway is much longer, but not as wide. We have a two car garage and a little turnaround area. I have a Arians 824 classic deluxe. Its 24 wide with 8hp. It handles my driveway with no problems. When there is over a foot of snow or its really heavy, just go a little slower. I would get something with 8-9 hp and 24-26 clearing path.

den69rs96,

how long have you had your 824 ariens? how does it do for end of driveway (EOD) snow/ice?

I bought mine 4-5 years ago. Most of the time I don't have any problems at the end of the driveway, but when we get over 8 inches of snow, I generally make smaller passes at the end of the driveway. Since my snowblower has a 24 inch clearing path, I usually make 12 inch passes with really deep wet snow. My old house had a sidewalk that used to get covered with snow from the snow plow. It struggled a little bit with the sidewalk, but I just went a little slower. Once I had a path down the center, I made 12 inch passes and it was fine. I do the same thing at the end of the driveway. I make 12 inch passes and it has no problem with the wet heavy icy snow at the end of the driveway.