Husqvarna
Husqvarna ST 224
The ST 224 has been Husqvarna's volume seller for a decade, and the current version quietly fixed the old model's biggest gripe by adding trigger power steering as standard. It's the classic first two-stage: 24-inch cut, 23-inch intake, 212cc engine that starts on the first pull (owners brag about this constantly), and a hands-on tested throw of 30-35 feet — good with powder, adequate with wet cement-snow. Around $1,099 it sits between MTD-built box-store machines and the Ariens Compact 24, and that's exactly how the ownership experience reads: sturdier auger housing and a 10-year cast-iron gearbox warranty on one hand; a friction-disc drive, stretchy control cables, and plasticky chute hardware that generate most of the complaints on the other. Note that heated grips, which the old Lowe's-era 224 had, are gone from the current spec. Treat the first-season belt adjustment as scheduled maintenance and it'll clear a two-car driveway for years without drama.
Specifications
Highlights
Pros
- ✓Trigger power steering at a price point where rivals still skip it
- ✓Tall 23-inch intake handles drifts and plow piles above its weight
- ✓Lightest two-stage in Husqvarna's line at 206 lb — easy to maneuver and store
- ✓10-year warranty on the cast-iron auger gearbox and impeller
- ✓LED headlight and dash-mounted remote chute control
- ✓Hundreds cheaper than an Ariens Compact 24 with similar spec
Cons
- ✗35-foot throw drops noticeably in wet, heavy snow
- ✗Friction-disc and belt system needs adjustment within the first seasons
- ✗Heated grips were dropped from the current generation
- ✗Chute and control hardware feel plasticky next to Ariens equivalents
- ✗120V plug-in electric start requires an outlet nearby
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