Poulan Pro PR624ES Review

(Rated: 3.9 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
Check Price
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When winter starts getting serious about sending big snow storms your way, you want to be sure you have a big, powerful snow blower in your garage that you can depend on. And there are no walk behind snow blowers that are more powerful than gas two-stage models. These big machines have engines that can support the kind of extra wide augers and higher snow cut depths you need to keep your driveway and walkways clear of snow all winter long.

With a two-stage gas snow blower, you can clear wide driveways more quickly and efficiently, and with their extra high intakes, you can be ready for whatever accumulation comes your way. Two-stage snow blowers are also the only machines that can handle any surfaces, including paved and unpaved driveways, because their auger does not make contact with the surface of the ground. These machines have a lot to offer, and the Poulan Pro PR624ES is no exception.

Review Summary

The Poulan Pro PR624ES is very easy to use and performs so well that after you have used it once or twice, you may find yourself actually looking forward to the next big snow storm. With this machine, you no longer have to jump through the hoops of priming the engine, closing the choke and yanking on a heavy starter cord to get it going. Instead, plug in the included power cord to any 120 volt outlet, hit the starter button, and watch as the engine fires up reliably every single time.

The control panel on the Poulan Pro PR624ES is located conveniently between the ergonomically designed and very comfortable handle grips at the rear of the snow blower, and it allows you to manage several functions of the snow blower at once. With the control panel, you can manage the speed and direction of the self-propelled drive system, the angle and location of the deflector, and start or stop the drive system. This is one of the many ways that the Poulan Pro PR624ES makes clearing snow from your driveway easy and convenient. The Poulan Pro PR624ES also has a powerful engine, and extra wide auger and a snow cut depth of nearly two feet.

Specifications

The variable speed, self propelled Poulan Pro PR624ES two-stage snow blower starts up easily every time with a push button. Its overall dimension of 51 x 34 x 28 inches support a 208 cubic centimeter engine with OHV design that powers a massive auger with a clearing width of 24 inches.

The intake height of 23 inches means you can handle just about any snow storm that comes your way. The 180 degree snow chute directs snow up to 35 feet away, and the snow blower’s considerable weight is supported by two 13 x 5 inch wheels. The snow blower is protected with a 2 year warranty.

Description

When you receive the shipping container for the Poulan Pro PR624ES, you will probably be taken slightly aback by how large it is. This is no puny single stage snow blower that is designed to sweep off patios and sidewalks. No, the Poulan Pro PR624ES is a big, powerful two stage snow blower that is meant to tackle the toughest conditions and clear some of the very widest areas as efficiently and quickly as possible. Once you get it out of the box (or, more accurately, get the box out from under the snow blower), you will see that it is mostly assembled. The rest of the assembly that you have to do is pretty easy – you should be able to finish it with just basic household tools in less than twenty minutes or so. I recommend having it delivered directly to your garage and assembling it there.

After it is assembled, all the Poulan Pro PR624ES is a full gas tank, and it will be ready for the next big snow storm. Until it comes, I imagine you will be looking forward to it so that you can see what your new, powerful snow blower is capable of. The simple answer to that question is that it’s capable of a lot. It has a 208 cubic centimeter engine that can provide reliable power to both the auger and the rear wheel drive system’s big, tough wheels.

That’s right, the Poulan Pro PR624ES is self-propelled, which means all you have to do is point it in the direction of the deepest, widest snow drift, start it up, and take the controls. The snow blower does the rest. With its extra wide and tall intake and four variable speeds, you will be clearing snow from your property faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Pros

You want to be able to keep your driveway and sidewalks clear and safe no matter what old man winter throws your way, and in the past, that was a lot of work. Whether you were doing it manually or using an old, rickety, small snow blower to do it, it took forever. With the Poulan Pro PR624ES, clearing snow is a snap. It’s so powerful and easy to use that clearing deep accumulations is almost enjoyable when you’re at the controls.

1. Deep intake and wide clearance : The reason for buying such a big, powerful snow blower like the Poulan Pro PR624ES is because it has the kind of deep intake and wide clearance you need to quickly and efficiently finish tough jobs. With a two foot wide auger, this snow blower can tackle wide driveways in fewer passes and less time. And with the 23 inch snow cut depth, you can take it into deep snow drifts and watch it tear right through them.
2. Durable parts and design : The Poulan Pro PR624ES is made of durable parts all the way from the tip of the auger to the back of the handle. With a two-stage snow blower, you want to be getting a machine that is tough enough to handle big jobs and uneven, unpaved terrain without suffering from wear and tear. And this one delivers in this regard. Its auger and intake are made of tough steel and its snow chute is durable composite plastic.
3. Easy to use controls : A lot of the time, I find that the controls on snow blowers and other yard machines are designed in a totally counterintuitive fashion, or else controls for managing one part of the machine are out of reach of the operator or placed in weird locations. On the Poulan Pro PR624ES, all of the controls are right there at your fingertips, so you will find that it is very easy to use and operate.
4. Variable forward and reverse speeds : With a big, powerful snow blower like the Poulan Pro PR624ES, you do not want to be struggling to get it up and down inclined or having difficulties getting it over uneven terrain. And because the snow blower has a powerful rear wheel drive with four forward speeds and two reverse speeds, you never have to. All you have to do is get it started, set your desired speed and then steer the snow blower.
5. Powerful, reliable engine : One of the things that makes a two-stage snow blower like the Poulan Pro PR624ES so dependable is the fact that it has a powerful, reliable engine driving it. The 208 cubic centimeter, OHV engine is designed to deliver top performance even in subzero weather, and you can count on it to start up every time. The engine is built to withstand the pressures of powering a big two-stage snow blower, and it requires very little maintenance.

The Poulan Pro PR624ES gas two-stage snow blower is perfect for homeowners who live in regions that are hard hit by winter storms. It can tackle big drifts of snow without blinking, and it has the kind of design you can depend on to clear your driveway quickly and efficiently every single time. This snow blower is as big and tough as they come. With it your property will be easy to keep clear of snow all winter long.

Cons

With all of those excellent features, thoughtful design notes like the control panel placement, and overall power of the Poulan Pro PR624ES, you might be surprised to find that there are a few areas in which it is not quite perfect. After all, it is a solid two-stage snow blower with an extra wide clearance and a very high snow cut depth that is made by one of the top manufacturers in the business. But let’s take a look at some of its drawbacks.

1. High emissions and not CARB compliant : The OHV four-stroke engine on the Poulan Pro PR624ES produces a lot of emissions, it’s true. This is not uncommon for this kind of engine at all, and it is the price one pays for getting lots of power. The main drawback of this is that the snow blower is not compliant with California Air Resource Board small engine emissions regulations, which means there are a number of states in which it is not available for purchase.
2. Fairly big footprint and somewhat heavy : The Poulan Pro PR624ES is a heavy duty snow blower with a powerful engine and wide intake, and as a result, it’s pretty big all over. It has large dimensions and weighs a lot, which can present minor issues in terms of finding enough storage for it in your garage or tool shed, and means it may be hard to get it in and out of tight spaces easily. The heavy weight may make it a little difficult to get in and out of the garage until you get used to using it.
3. Can be a bit difficult control speed : The speed control is not an automatic one with a clear indicator of what gear you are in. With those models you simply pick a speed and go; instead the Poulan Pro PR624ES has a slide control, and you have to ride the clutch somewhat to control the speed. When it is at its lowest speed, it creeps along, and the highest speed may cause the unit to lift up from the ground a bit. Finding the right speed has a learning curve.
4. Turning the unit takes getting used to : With a big, heavy machine like this one, turning it can take a bit of getting used to. It has a lot of inertia, especially when you are running it at speed, so you have to learn to anticipate the turns by a few yards and be ready to slow it down before you swing it around. You may also need to disengage the auger while you are doing this, and that can be a lot to keep track of.
5. The blower skips a bit over uneven surfaces : For some reason, in spite of the fact that it has big, solid rubber tires with excellent traction and is very heavy, it tends to skip a bit when you are maneuvering it over uneven surfaces, especially when you are using it at higher speeds. I suspect that it is because the high intake and the placement of the engine up on top of the snow blower’s body gives it a relatively high center of gravity.

As you can see, none of these drawbacks are the kind of “Cons” that would cause me to issue a negative review for the Poulan Pro PR624ES, and several of them are the kinds of things you would expect from a big, gas powered two-stage snow blower. The others are fairly easy to get used to: there is a learning curve for operating a big piece of machinery like this one.

Product Comparison

Purchasing a snow blower like the Poulan Pro PR624ES is a pretty big deal – these machines not only tend to cost a good amount of money, they are also going to be the only thing standing in between you and the worst storms winter can send your way. Because of that, doing some serious comparison shopping is really important. The following chart compares the Poulan Pro PR624ES with product specs from two similar snow blowers.

	Poulan Pro PR624ES	Ariens ST24LE	Power Smart DB7659-22
Type	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
Dimensions	51 x 34 x 28 inches	38 x 26 x 30 inches	36 x 26 x 29 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Engine Manufacturer	Poulan Pro	Briggs & Stratton	Power Smart
Engine	208 cc – OHV LCT	250cc – OHV	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	6 forward / 2 reverse	4 forward / 2 reverse
Clearing Width	24 inches	24 inches	22 inches
Snow Cut Depth	23 inches	21 inches	16 inches
Throw Distance	Up to 35 feet	Up to 35 feet	Up to 35 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Light	n/a	n/a	n/a
Chute Control	Manual 180°	Manual 180°	Manual 180°
Wheels	13-Inch x 5-inch	16-Inch x 5-inch	12.5-Inch x 4-inch
Weight	240 pounds	256 pounds	154 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	1 year

As you can see, there are definitely disparities from one snow blower to the next. The Poulan Pro has the widest clearance and highest intake of the three snow blowers, and it has the only engine with Liquid Combustion Technology. At the same time, it is a lot bigger than either of the other snow blowers, although the Ariens weighs a bit more and has bigger wheels. These are the major areas in which these snow blowers differ from one another.

Conclusion

When you live in an area that receives a lot of heavy snow fall through the winter, you want a big, powerful snow blower that can handle heavy snow fall. But in other regions, that kind of machine is not quite as necessary. The following Pros and Cons lists should help you get a good idea if the Poulan Pro PR624ES is right for you.

Conclusion Pros

1. Deep intake and wide clearance.
2. Durable parts and design.
3. Easy to use controls.
4. Variable forward and reverse speeds.
5. Powerful, reliable engine.

The Poulan Pro PR624ES has the kind of deep intake and wide clearance that makes it perfect for use in areas that typically get heavy snow storms. Its durable parts and design mean it will stand up to the elements, and its design and variable speeds make it very easy to use under even the most adverse conditions.

Conclusion Cons

1. High emissions and not CARB compliant.
2. Fairly big footprint and somewhat heavy.
3. Can be a bit difficult to steer at times.
4. Turning the unit takes getting used to.
5. The blower skips a bit over uneven surfaces.

The Poulan Pro PR624ES is not meant for everyone. In regions that experience lighter snow fall, it may be a bit bulky and heavy. And this machine takes some practice to learn how to use efficiently. It’s a big, tough machine, but there aren’t any real Cons or design flaws to speak of.

Final Word

When you consider its price, intake height and clearance width, it’s easy to see that the Poulan Pro PR624ES is one of the best two-stage gas powered snow blowers in its size class. It has the kind of durable construction, convenient and user-friendly design, and high performance capability that make it exactly what you want in your garage when winter storms come knocking. This snow blower has what it takes to quickly and efficiently clear your driveway of deep snow and be ready to do it all over again the next day.

The Poulan Pro PR624ES has a number of features that set it apart from similar models. First among them is its two foot wide auger and 23 inch intake height. But in addition to that, it is backed up by one of the best yard machines and appliances manufacturers out there, so you can be sure that if you buy this one, you are getting a name you can trust.

Best Price

A lot of the time, snow blowers that are very comparable to the Poulan Pro PR624ES in terms of size, performance ability, durability and all around quality are much more expensive than this one is. It’s not that the Poulan Pro PR624ES is any different than the other brands – it’s just more reasonably priced. All too often, especially these days, we have to sacrifice value and quality if we can’t afford the most expensive product, but this is one case where that is just not true. The Poulan Pro PR624ES offers considerable savings and a high quality, dependable snow blower that you can count on.