Husqvarna 1830HV Review

(Rated: 3.8 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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When you have a big job to do, naturally you want a big, powerful machine that can help you get it finished as quickly and efficiently as possible. When it comes to snow blowers, the natural choice for big, tough jobs is going to be a two-stage gas-powered snow blower with a high snow cut depth and a wide clearance. Anything else is not going to be able to complete the job with the same ability as one of these snow blowers. And once you are in the realm of big, tough snow blowers, you might as well try to find one that has the kind of clearance width and snow throwing ability that is going to really outgun the competition. The Husqvarna 1830HV has the kind of massive clearance width and big, powerful engine that you can count on to handle big, tough jobs without breaking a sweat.

Review Summary

The Husqvarna 1830HV is a behemoth of a snow blower, and you can see that it is a powerful machine as soon as you take one look at it. If you have a big driveway and a lot of ground to keep clear of heavy snow fall during the winter, this is the kind of snow blower you want waiting in your garage to get out there and attack the drifts. This machine is like a Clydesdale – big, strong, and sleek: every aspect of this snow blower is clearly designed to do one job, and do it very well.

The Husqvarna 1830HV has a massive 30 inch clearing width. That is wide enough to clear a city sidewalk on a single pass, and can finish clearing a two car driveway in about ten passes or less. The snow blower has an extra high snow cut depth, and you can be sure to count on it to tackle deep drifts without batting an eye. It has a powerful rear wheel drive and four forward and two reverse speeds. And it has a powerful 4-cycle 414cc engine supporting all of that strength. This is a solid workhorse of a snow blower, and you can count on it all winter long.

Specifications

The Husqvarna 1830HV is a two-stage gas powered snow blower with dimensions of 52 x 30 x 42 inches with an electric push button start. It has a manufacturer-made 414 cubic centimeter 4-cycle engine with overhead valve design. It has a self-propelled drive and four forward and 2 reverse speeds.

The Husqvarna 1830HV has a clearing width of 30 inches and a snow cut depth of 23 inches. It can throw snow up to 35 feet through its snow chute, which can rotate 180 degrees manually. Its handle is ergonomic and it is equipped with an LED headlight and 16 x 5 inch wheels. It weighs 261 pounds and comes with a 2 year warranty.

Description

Everything about the Husqvarna 1830HV is big – from its tires, to its massive serrated auger, to its engine, to its intake height. Once you get this snow blower out of the box and put it together – assembly takes less than half an hour, as it comes mostly assembled – you will have no choice but to be impressed by the machine’s size and obvious power. This is what you want when you are shopping for a powerful two-stage snow blower: power and size. It’s obvious as soon as you look at it that the Husqvarna 1830HV is made to quickly and easily tackle whatever winter can throw at it, and that it can clear the biggest driveways in no time flat.

Once you get the Husqvarna 1830HV in your driveway, you will practically be looking forward to the first big snow storm of the year, just to see what this big guy can do. And once it does snow heavily, you will not be disappointed. The Husqvarna 1830HV has an extra wide, 30 inch clearance so that you can clear big driveways in fewer passes and less time. And it has a massive 23 inch clearance height which means you will probably never see a snow storm that this snow blower can’t handle without even breaking a sweat.

Because it has such a powerful engine, the Husqvarna 1830HV can handle clearing big snow quickly and throwing it up to 35 feet away while at the same time powering the snow blower’s powerful rear wheel drive, which has four forward speeds. Once the snow blower is gassed up, all you have to do is push the electric start button, select your desired speed, and steer. Clearing snow with this big guy is downright fun, and it takes almost no time at all.

Pros

When winter starts doing its thing, you want to have a snow blower that you can rely on to handle whatever kind of deep, heavy snow fall that comes your way. And if you are settled on a two-stage snow blower, you might as well get one that has the kind of wide clearance and extra power to handle heavy snow quickly and efficiently. The Husqvarna 1830HV has a lot of great features that ensure it works well every time.

1. Easy start up and operation : The days of priming the engine, pulling the choke closed, and throwing out your shoulder getting a snow blower started up are gone, and there is no reason to go back to them. The Husqvarna 1830HV has a very convenient electric start, and because it plugs into a power outlet rather than relying on a battery to work, you never have to worry about your battery dying in cold weather. Just plug it in with the included cord, push the start button and you’re off.
2. Very powerful engine : The engine on the snow blower is made in-house by Husqvarna, so you can count on it to be specifically designed with machine in mind. And the engine is a powerful one: it clocks in at a massive displacement of 414 cubic centimeters, and it provides the kind of horsepower you need to run a big, heavy machine like this one. Because it’s a 4-cycle engine with OHV, it will run smoothly without needing maintenance as often.
3. Massive clearance width : This is really what it is all about with this snow blower. The Husqvarna 1830HV has a huge clearance width. At thirty inches, you are going to have no trouble quickly and efficiently clearing whatever area you can think of. This 2 1/2 foot width means you will have to make far fewer passes to clear a driveway, and in the long run that means you will spend less time clearing snow during cold, dark winter days.
4. Extra high snow cut depth : The snow cut depth is the other key feature on the Husqvarna 1830HV. At just over two feet high, there are hardly any snow drifts that winter can put in your way that this snow blower can’t knock down and clear in seconds. While you will probably not need to test this height too often, it is great to have the option to be able to clear heavy snow fall in the event of a big storm.
5. Great design and accessories : The design and accessories of the Husqvarna 1830HV are what really seal the deal for me. While the powerful motor and massive clearances make this a powerful snow blower, the little features are what I always find set apart one machine from the competition. The Husqvarna 1830HV has convenient LED headlights, big, tough wheels and an ergonomically designed control handle. These are the features that take this from being just another big snow blower and make it a machine that is fun to use.

When you live in a part of the country where you can expect heavy snow fall, you want a machine you can count on standing by to help clear it. And if you have a big, unpaved driveway you want to be able to clear it as quickly and efficiently as possible. In every area, the Husqvarna 1830HV performs above and beyond many of its competitors. This is a solid, tough snow blower with a lot of great features.

Cons

When you look at all of those excellent Pros, it seems hard to believe that there are actually areas in which the Husqvarna 1830HV is not quite as perfect as you could hope. But there are certain design features that could be improved and other drawbacks that – while typical of big snow blowers – nevertheless should be discussed. Let’s take a look.

1. Controls can be hard to get used to : The control system on the Husqvarna 1830HV can take a bit of effort to get used to if you have never used this style before. There are two controls, one for each hand. One control mechanism sets the auger spinning or stops it, while a second sets the variable speed, and a third controls the brake. That can be a lot to keep track of, especially if you are used to simply pushing a smaller snow blower along as you use it. But with some practice, you should get the hang of it.
2. Extremely large footprint : Let’s face it: the Husqvarna 1830HV is a big, powerful machine, and as such it has fairly large dimensions. It measures in at 52 x 30 x 42 inches. That is going to take up a fair amount of space in your garage or tool shed, and you will have to find a dedicated storage space for it. It also means that if you are trying to clear narrow walkways, you may face some difficulties in maneuvering it, especially if there are small garden gates at either end of them.
3. Weighs a lot : Again, just like with the overall dimensions of the snow blower, the Husqvarna 1830HV weighs what you might expect a big, powerful snow blower to weigh, but still, at 261 pounds, it is one of the heavier ones in its class. This can present difficulties maneuvering it as well, specifically if you have to make a lot of turns with it. To make this easier, always make sure you keep the tires full, and try to rely on the self propulsion mechanism to help you out.
4. Engine is very noisy : The Husqvarna 1830HV is loud. Its engine is big and has an overhead valve design, which also helps to increase the decibel level. While gas powered two-stage snow blowers do tend to be noisy, this one is really noisy. If you have neighbors anywhere near your property, they are going to hear it every time you start this snow blower up, and so you will have to be sensitive to that.
5. Price is a bit high : A lot of consumers are going to find the price tag on the Husqvarna 1830HV a bit too high for their taste. This is understandable: there are plenty of other two-stage gas snow blowers that provide a lot of power and high clearances for considerably less money. That said, this is one of the biggest and most powerful on the market, so I think the price is fair. But if it is out of your range, there are lots of other options.

None of these Cons really speak to any flaws in the design or manufacturing of the Husqvarna 1830HV, and frankly I do not think any of them are anywhere near serious enough to outweigh all of the outstanding Pros this machine has to offer. Several of them are simply design limitations that are part of what two-stage snow blowers with serious clearance widths have to have. Overall I think this is a good snow blower with a lot to offer.

Product Comparison

A gas powered two-stage snow blower is a big investment. You will inevitably wind up spending a good amount of money on a new one, and it is important to make sure you are getting the right kind for your needs. One of the best ways to do this is by comparison shopping. This allows you to see what the market as a whole has to offer, and also gives you the opportunity to see how one machine stacks up to the competition.

	Husqvarna 1830HV	Poulan Pro PR627ES	Power Smart DB7659A-22
Type	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
Dimensions	52 x 30 x 42 inches	48 x 23 x 34 inches	38 x 26 x 30 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Engine Manufacturer	Husqvarna	Poulan Pro	Power Smart
Engine	414cc – OHV	208cc – OHV LCT	208 cc – OHV
2-cycle / 4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle
Drive	Self-propelled	Self-propelled	Self-propelled
Speed Control	4 forward / 2 reverse	4 forward / 2 reverse	4 forward / 2 reverse
Clearing Width	30 inches	27 inches	22 inches
Snow Cut Depth	23 inches	23 inches	16 inches
Throw Distance	Up to 35 feet	Up to 35 feet	Up to 35 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Light	LED Headlight	n/a	n/a
Chute Control	Manual 180°	Manual 180°	Manual 180°
Wheels	16-Inch x 5-inch	16-Inch x 5-inch	13-Inch x 4-inch
Weight	261 pounds	240 pounds	154 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	1 year

As you can see, the Husqvarna 1830HV has the widest clearance and the tallest snow cut depth of the three machines. It also has an engine that is almost twice as big as either of the other two snow blowers’ engines, and is the only one with a headlight. But it is also – almost necessarily so – the biggest and heaviest of the three machines, and it costs a bit more as well.

Conclusion

It is important to find a snow blower that is not only properly designed for your driveway, but also one that can handle the kind of snow fall you experience in your region. You don’t want to be caught with a snow blower that is too small for the job, but by the same token you do not want to buy a huge snow blower that is too massive to be efficient.

Conclusion Pros

1. Easy start up and operation.
2. Very powerful engine.
3. Massive clearance width.
4. Extra high snow cut depth.
5. Great design and accessories.

The Husqvarna 1830HV is designed to start up easily and run smoothly. It has a big engine that has the kind of power that can support the massive clearance width, high snow cut depth, and self propelled rear wheel drive. This is a big, high performance machine for tackling deep snow drifts and wide, long driveways.

Conclusion Cons

1. Controls can be hard to get used to.
2. Extremely large footprint.
3. Weighs a lot.
4. Engine is very noisy.
5. Price is a bit high.

Because it is designed to take care of a very large area and deal with particularly heavy snow fall, the Husqvarna 1830HV is naturally a very large, heavy machine. Its engine is noisy in part because it is supporting such a massive clearance width. None of these are real drawbacks. While the price is high, I do think it’s fair.

Final Word

What do you want to have sitting in your garage when big, deep snow storms are looming on the evening forecast? Personally, I think it is better to have a big, powerful snow blower that can handle whatever Mother Nature can brew up for your region, and this is doubly true if you have a very long, wide driveway. With the right machine you can tackle deep snow with no problem, but if you do not have a tough enough snow blower, you may find yourself getting bogged down by heavy snow an unable to efficiently clear your driveway.

The Husqvarna 1830HV has everything you need to tackle deep snow fall and clear big areas quickly and efficiently. With this bad boy in your garage, you won’t ever have to worry about being snowed in, because it can handle whatever winter can throw your way. While this machine isn’t right for everybody, for certain jobs it is exactly what you need.

Best Price

There are no two ways around it. The Husqvarna 1830HV has a high price for a two-stage gas powered snow blower. This is naturally going to deter some of my more frugal readers, but all things considered, I think that this snow blower offers a good value for a fair price. While it certainly is not cheap, it offers the kind of power and performance that you can rely on under the most adverse conditions, and that is hard to find. If you have the kind of driveway that can benefit from a wide clearance and you need a machine with the kind of power to tackle tough snow storms, the Husqvarna 1830HV is a great snow blower at a fair price.