20 Best Snowblower For Gravel Driveway (2023 Updated)

I recently bought this snow blower. I have not used it in snow yet, but I am anticipating good things. The un-boxing was easy, then I discovered the directions. Thousands of years ago men communicated with each other by painting pictures on the walls of caves and sides of rocks.

Obviously, these directions were created thousands of years ago! The directions consisted of several major stages, each with several steps. So far so good, but there are virtually no words, just pictures with vague arrows.

Important parts are colored Ariens orange in the directions, but as many of the parts of the snow blower are painted orange, the highlighting in the pictures of the directions do not help Seriously, it was difficult to find some parts because they were orange in the direcitions, but not orange on the snow blower.

YOU NEED TO ADD WORDS to the directions. I eventually assembled it, but it took far longer than it should have because pictures with arrows are ambiguous and words can make each step simpler and clearer.

At one point, there was a picture of the engine, a bottle of oil, a dipstick and a man reading a manual. The regular instruction manual was no help for this. There was some information in the “engine manual” but not really enough.

The most helpful information was found on a small tag attached to the top of the engine. One fact on there said, “Engine may be shipped with or without oil. ” Then it said to check the engine oil level etc.

Now oil is crucial to an internal combustion engine but I can see how if the snow blower was shipped without oil and the customer started and ran it, that the engine might seize, and it would not be his/her fault because of an ambiguous picture in the assembly instructions.

The little tag was helpful and saved my engine because it contained words and those words told me what to do. PLEASE ADD WORDS TO the ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS. The next day it started on one pull.

I live in Minnesota and had been using a VERY heavy, yet powerful Toro Power Shift blower for may years. Because I’m getting older and have had some back issues, I was getting tired of man-handling the heavy Toro.

I was intrigued by the Ariens machines because of the steering assist. So, I pulled the trigger on this Deluxe 28 SHO and had it delivered by a local implement company a few weeks ago. I had them install the composite black skid shoes and set it up for about 1/8″ clearance so I could get right down to the pavement.

I also purchased and installed the Ariens 10 lb. bar weight to mount to the underside of the front of the unit because of the large, heavy piles left by the snow plow at the end of our driveway. Last night we got a very heavy, wet 10″ of snow and I was able to fire up and use the blower for the first time.

It chewed up and spit that snow out without even breaking a sweat! The steering assist is a FANTASTIC feature and makes turning the unit a breeze! So, overall, I’m so happy that I decided to purchase this unit.

and would not hesitate to do so again! The only 2 issues I have are: 1. The panel light is extremely bright, and is angled so a portion of the light hits you in the face. During daylight its a non-issue, but in the dark it’s kind of blinding! 2.

About a week after receiving my unit I noticed a small pooling of red synthetic gearbox lube on the floor that had run off of the bottom of the bucket. It’s coming from somewhere, but I’ve not been able to locate the source.

I’m hoping its just an “overflow” issue from when the machine was being set up. but I’m keeping an eye on it now that it’s all cleaned up. Luckily, I purchased the unit from a reputable Implement dealer who will take good care of me if the problem persists.

If you live in an area with heavy snowfall and want a very controllable BEAST to clear your property. this is the one!!.

We had several heavy snowfalls in Minnesota late last winter and my daughter’s snowblower failed, so I gave her my two-year old Poulan Pro 27″ machine and bought this Ariens for myself. I expected the Ariens to be a much better machine given the fact it cost me more than twice what I pad for the Poulan Pro.

The Ariens starts easy and clears snow efficiently. It is a good machine. But when you go to change oil, the drain tube is too short and it drips oil all over the frame. I asked my local Ariens dealer about this, and they called the factory to see if another oil drain tube is available.

They told me that the factory said the engines all come with the oil drain tube preinstalled and the engine is positioned on each model differently in order to balance the weight of the engine on the frame.

So sometimes the oil drain tube extends over the frame (which is how it should be), and other times it doesn’t (the case with my machine). So I tried to buy an extension tube that fits. Turns out the thread for the factory oil drain tube is British Standard (!).

Unbelievable. Also, some of the fasteners on the machine are SAE, and others are metric. Why not all metric? In terms of how the machine works, it’s perfectly fine. It is very maneuverable, much better in that respect than any snowblower I’ve ever used.

So it’s a good machine. But is it worth 2x the Poulan Pro, which starts just as easily and clears snow (even heavy snow) almost as well? Not sure about that. PS. I really like the fact that Ariens provides a parts list for all of the parts of the machine, which means I’ll be able to maintain it for the long haul.

That alone is a sufficient reason to recommend this product.

We upgraded to this 2-stage after using a Handa 4-stroke snow thrower for 12 years. The HSS928AATD is a beast and will cut through snow banks (even after the plow comes by) and other deep snow with relative ease.

It is a large machine so it might be a challenge if you’re trying to manually maneuver it but the controls are very easy to use. It’s a Honda so I expect this to be the last snowblower I buy.

Purchased this to replace my 19 year old Honda 628 track drive, still runs great, but I’m getting older. I wanted something easier to handle, electric starting and almost like “power steering”control.

Track drive with auger height control means I can clear a path across grass to garden shed where I keep my snowblower.

Live in Iowa. Owned this thrower for one season. Gas filler opening is hard to see and get to. Its hard to tell if the tank is full until it runs over. I was having trouble starting it. Even with an electric start, it wouldnt fire up.

Went to a Youtube video that helped me get it started. Had to drain the gas out the bottom of the carburetor bowl. Splashed gas all over and ruined a pair of gloves. But it finally started. Hard to reach gas shut off.

A key is needed to turn it on before starting. Key falls out in off position. I cussed for a half hour. Other than all that it throws snow ok.

Model 938032 Serial Number 039773. Purchased approx Nov 2021. I have used it twice. Can not start with pull cord and very hard to start with electric starter. Poor cleaning, i. e. leaves too much snow on the ground.

Does not clean to the ground and throws snow out the rear about 3 in. wide. I replaced a Craftsman snow blower that was much better at what it was intended to do. When I am finished I am covered with snow from the knees down,.

This snow blower is not for a huge driveway, but for our standard two-car garage driveway and associated walkways. It is perfect! I cannot overstate the ease of use, the ease to start, or the ease of storage.

It has handled the Green Bay winter for 2020-2021, not a terrible winter, without any issues. In fact, I was able to do several driveways to help out some neighbors with this what I all would agree is a smallish blower.

But boy, does it pack a punch! Easy to use for a pro blower. Also, it’s easy to use for a novice or smaller stature user.

My purchased new 928 is in its fourth winter and has been back to the dealership twice, once for Shute control problems and just recently, when I most needed it to finish blowing out our driveway, the second stage impeller assembly bearing trashed disabling any further use.

After only about 2 dozen uses during the past three winters ( maybe four months per year), this just out of warranty inconvenience adventure with a costly piece of equipment and repair cost should not be something wants to experience.

My last snow blower was 35 years old and is still functioning with its new owner. The maintenance costs during this 35 years was minimal with no major mechanical problems. Buyers should be aware, noted snow blower brand names at higher costs does not necessarily mean reliability or any substantial mechanical integrity.

This is very sad, because in reality the functionality of this Toro 928 and its job performance for removing snow and ergonomics of handling was beyond expectations. But, the trust one puts into the mechanical integrity and reliability is first and foremost, ergonomics in handling is secondary if the equipment is bound for unpredictable mechanical failures and additional costs.

I changed the engine oil and checked the auger gear oil for the first time on my Toro PowerMax 928 (model 38840) snow blower. I ran into two issues with poor design, making maintenance a headache. The drain for the engine oil is directly over one of the tires.

There is little space between the drain and tire, making it impossible to hold a drain pan with any depth in between. I resorted to holding a funnel with a tube running to a drain pan on the driveway.

Even the funnel hardly fit at a great angle. I had to put the opposite tire up on blocks to tip it to the other side. Just tipping a couple inches to the side drove the skid into the driveway, so I ended up holding everything in place for several minutes even after tipping it.

Snow blowers tip backward so much easier. The drain should be off the rear and unobstructed. The plug for the auger gearbox is made of rubber. It was difficult to remove and I can tell it’s not going to last too many seasons checking it annually.

I am planning to get one or two replacements sooner than later. Why not a threaded metal fitting that will last the life of the blower.

Bought this a week ago (Ottawa, Canada) after my 12 year old 828 Max OE refuses to start; and the electric start securing bolts broke off many years ago. Used it for the first time today. I feel like I’ve had a two-hour gym workout.

Apart from being heavier than the older model (a result of HD I guess) the ‘steering’ is awful. If the machine digs in on one side or another it immediately tries to turn in that direction so I’m constantly fighting to keep it straight.

I searched the online manual and there’s no mention of this in troubleshooting and presumably this unnecessary feature can’t be turned off. I thought this unit, with supposedly easier steering, would be manageable for my wife.

I was wrong. The machine also sounds like a metal tin full of loose nuts and bolts. Instead of spending $2,400 I should have spent $500 to repair the old one as I loved using that one it. Sigh. One positive: I’ll have biceps like Popeye by the time winter is done.

Was excited and proud to buy a made in USA machine. Last winter first time I started it the pull start ripped out of my hand cracked into 4 pieces and rope went into recoil. Customer service response was fast and said I can have it repaired where I bought it in the spring.

Took it back to depo they repaired it. This fall 40 degrees I went to move it and same thing. It’s a great blower moves a lot of snow fast. Controls are well thought out. Glad it has electric start. Not happy about having to load it back into truck again this spring and take it back again.

Or having to stay within 50′ of an outlet. I don’t rip on pull start. I pulled slowly till it catches then attempted to start it. Hope I don’t have to repair third time.

This is a powerful machine for its size. The tracks pushed the machine through our recent record-breaking snowfall of 31 inches in 24 hours. It climbs our steep driveway without a problem. It is difficult to maneuver and turn and you can’t push the machine when the engine is not running and in gear.

The fastest speed in reverse is very slow. The scoop can be raised, however the pile of snow left under the machine causes the machine to get bogged down when the scoop is raised. Overall, it is a very sturdy and solid machine.

This is my third snowblower and by far the best.

What a piece of junk. It’s 4 months old only used 6 times about 4 hours use time and it’s broken down twice. No problem getting it fixed first time now getting the run around. The lady at ariens was no help still hasn’t called me back.

If you want to waste 1700. 00 this is the machine for you.

The Troybilt Storm 2890 Snow Blower is a very nice piece of machinery that is well built with quality parts. Its very easy to assemble. Its very easy to start and even if you did have trouble starting it you can use its electric starter that it has.

Its very quiet compared to many others ive used in the past. It has very minimal vibration which i like because many snow blowers that ive used start to hurt your hands after a while of using, i did not have that problem with this one.

It throws snow pretty far and its airless tires are a nice feature as i think it seems to give it better traction. Im very happy with the way this machine works, it really gets the job done. I would certainly considering purchasing from this company and would recommend this product for anyone who lives where it snows whether light snows or blizzards this machine can handle it.