Well, I found out the answer. a year after last posting here. I bought one like that, 2 or 3 weeks ago. Saw it on CL over the summer and realized it was only a few miles away.
Bob Cat brand, I occasionally ran across the ad and figured "I got plenty of snow handling equip", especially since for the most part we haven't been getting the snow we did in the late 70s/early 80s around here. And I have that Ariens GT with the huge 4 foot blower. except this year I don't. And after a couple of winters of not even needing a snow blade or blower, (maybe once a year) and we got any snow of consequence, my 2 cycle paddle style has been more than enough for the job. We're making up for it this season, in a big way.
But since my GT19 is holed up and drifted in 30 miles away, it has a deck on it instead of a blower at present, and it killed a bearing for the jackshaft that runs thru the front axle and on which the PTO driveshaft couples to, and besides my own, and a couple of neighbors right around me instead, these past few years I have had to haul a snowblower 30 miles away (opposite way from where my Ariens tractor is snowed in at present) to my in law's house which is easier to do in the bed of a pickup without having to drag a trailer..... I went ahead and took a chance on it.
I got it for a better deal than the advertised price but couldn't try to start it at the place I bought it.
I've had several walk behind snow blowers over the years. Most recently, (last winter) I sold my Deere 828D// which was a fantastic unit. just too big, as a backup for my tractor/blower and while that was working it took up too much space for the amount I used it at the time. Id had that machine for 6-7 years.
but you know what they say, don't need something til its gone.
When I first saw it, I thought it could have a reduced capacity since it feeds from a smaller area of the fan compared to the ordinary full open face. But then I thought with feeding on the edge of the fan it hits the edge of the paddle where it needs to be. So Noel, can you tell us how it does?
yeah/ that was my concerns with that design, too. but noooo. I have been so far quite surprised at how far this thing blows the snow.
Mine has a 7hp Briggs L head, built in 1980. Most certainly the original engine. 1st 2 stage walk behind that I've had with something besides a Tecumseh Snow King, an engine I really like (as long as they have an adjustable carb on them!!)
This is the heaviest 24-28" 2 stage snow blower I have ever run. lotsa mass, and the chassis itself is "long" compared to other snowblowers that are this width. I have quickly discovered how much that actually helps traction, and actually digging in/ instead of wanting to walk on top of the concrete.
Over this past summer I also acquired another 2 stage, a "Lawn Boy" (really a Toro with different paint and stickers) 824E ("E"lectric start) Y2K vintage.
last time it snowed, I ran the LB in my gravel drive, with skids set up out of the gravel. and it didn't want to dig in, wanted to "climb the pile".
Today I ran the Bobcat after yesterday's snow. and it got right down to the bottom of the snow, and I could not believe how far this unit throws the snow, compared to that green Toro. (Toro has lost alot, vs what they used to build when it comes to 2 stage snow blowers) I did run the Toro in the attached drive earlier today. big difference, between these 2 machines! 2 weekends ago I took all 3 of my walk behind snow blowers to the mother in law's. Ran the Bobcat on the drive, and the 2 cycle rubber paddle MTD on the back concrete patio. took the Toro along as a backup, didn't need to take that one out of the bed of the truck.