I purchased a 2016 BX-1870-1 brand new in Oct. 2016. I bought the 50" front-mount snowblower. Last winter, during the break-in period, I was disappointed with the snowblower. It was struggling with deep snow, stalling, etc. and I was wishing I had gone with a bigger machine.
I purchased the 1870 because of the smaller overall size, not because it was the cheapest in the lineup. The size (48" deck) fits my 1-acre yard and landscaping perfectly...2370-1 w/54-deck and 3" longer wheelbase would have been a touch (physically) too big.
Anyway, after a year of mowing/working and going through the break-in period I am snowblowing again. And I need to say that the break-in period for these diesel engines makes a BIG difference...HUGE. I am in the part of Wisconsin that got 24" of heavy, wet, blowing/drifting snow over the weekend. My little tractor, with 4-wheel drive (turf tires, no chains, no weights), blew right through that stuff like it was nothing. My neighbors are struggling with 4' high plow drifts with their Ariens 2-stagers and I just (albeit slowly) plowed through it with ease. The only issue with the blower is that it slows down because of the VOLUME of snow being pushed from the 50" blower into the 16" impeller, which has nothing/little to do with the machine's (PTO) horsepower. The best part is that you can add downward pressure on the blower and scrape all the way down, through the ice and packed snow, to the pavement. Walk-behind snowblowers can't do that...even if you have tracks and forward adjustability.
I only send this note to tell any skeptics that the break-in period makes a HUGE difference. Higher RPM, much stronger performance, no bogging down, etc.
If you get the snowblower you will, however, need to remove the chute screen thing. It will clog the crap out of your blower. Just take it out and throw it in the trash. No reason to have it. Otherwise, the blower is amazing! Very impressed.
I purchased the 1870 because of the smaller overall size, not because it was the cheapest in the lineup. The size (48" deck) fits my 1-acre yard and landscaping perfectly...2370-1 w/54-deck and 3" longer wheelbase would have been a touch (physically) too big.
Anyway, after a year of mowing/working and going through the break-in period I am snowblowing again. And I need to say that the break-in period for these diesel engines makes a BIG difference...HUGE. I am in the part of Wisconsin that got 24" of heavy, wet, blowing/drifting snow over the weekend. My little tractor, with 4-wheel drive (turf tires, no chains, no weights), blew right through that stuff like it was nothing. My neighbors are struggling with 4' high plow drifts with their Ariens 2-stagers and I just (albeit slowly) plowed through it with ease. The only issue with the blower is that it slows down because of the VOLUME of snow being pushed from the 50" blower into the 16" impeller, which has nothing/little to do with the machine's (PTO) horsepower. The best part is that you can add downward pressure on the blower and scrape all the way down, through the ice and packed snow, to the pavement. Walk-behind snowblowers can't do that...even if you have tracks and forward adjustability.
I only send this note to tell any skeptics that the break-in period makes a HUGE difference. Higher RPM, much stronger performance, no bogging down, etc.
If you get the snowblower you will, however, need to remove the chute screen thing. It will clog the crap out of your blower. Just take it out and throw it in the trash. No reason to have it. Otherwise, the blower is amazing! Very impressed.
