I have always been an Ariens guy. I will admit that some times I'm lax in preventative maintenance, but with a little attention you can get them going again during a storm. They just work! One thing I miss from my old one is the locking differential. But I like the new chute direction and deflector controls.
Now that said, a friend has a Honda 24" snowblower that I really like; this is used at a horse farm so it is either on a stone dust driveway or frozen yard and dirt. I like that the transmission is variable but just slides and not notched; you can keep moving and adjust speed. Good when working around fences, dogs or horses
