Power Smart DB7651A-28 Review

(Rated: 3.8 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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A two stage snow blower is the kind of machine you need when you are dealing with heavy accumulations of snow over large areas. If all you have to clear is a light amount of powder from a short sidewalk, a single stage snow blower will suffice, but any time a serious winter storm drops a lot of snow on your area, you are going to want something more heavy duty. Two stage snow blowers are also the only class that can be used on paved and unpaved surfaces just as well. You simply can’t use a single stage snow blower on an unpaved surface – it can damage the snow blower and create safety risks for the operator. And two stage snow blowers have the added advantage that they can support wider clearances and higher snow cut depths than single stage snow blowers, which allows you to clear a big area of heavy snow fall more quickly and efficiently. The Power Smart DB7651A-28 is an outstanding two stage snow blower, and the kind you want when a serious winter storm hits.

Review Summary

The Power Smart DB7651A-28 is a snow blower that has everything you need to take care of heavy snow fall quickly and efficiently. With one of the widest clearances you can find on any snow blower anywhere, it is going to be well equipped to deal with a big area in fewer passes – which means you will get the job done faster and be back indoors where it’s warm sooner. And because it has such a high snow cut depth, there is virtually no amount of snow that can fall that the Power Smart DB7651A-28 can’t handle easily.

Beyond that, the Power Smart DB7651A-28 has a powerful engine that will be able to drive both the auger and the self-propelled rear wheel drive through whatever conditions on the ground might be. The auger is made of durable welded steel, and the rest of the snow blower is similarly built tough. It is going to be able to handle tough jobs without having any problems. Best of all, for such a high performance snow blower the Power Smart DB7651A-28 has a surprisingly reasonable price, which means it should be affordable to just about anyone.

Specifications

The Power Smart DB7651A-28 is a gas-powered, two stage snow blower that weighs 205 pounds and has overall dimensions of 38 x 30 x 30 inches. It has a four-cycle, overhead valve engine design that has a displacement of 208 cubic centimeters. The engine has an electric start with recoil backup.

The Power Smart DB7651A-28 has a clearance width of 28 inches and a snow cut depth of 21 inches. It can throw a high volume of snow per minute up to 35 feet away through its extra-long snow chute, which rotates up to 180 degrees. The Power Smart DB7651A-28 has big, high traction wheels and an ergonomic handle.

Description

One of the first things you will notice when you get the Power Smart DB7651A-28 out of its box is the size and design of its auger. The Power Smart DB7651A-28 has an auger that is a full 28 inches wide, and it is made of heavy duty, welded steel. The auger is serrated to allow it to better cut through densely packed or icy snow just as quickly as it can deal with light, powdery snow. This is not a snow blower that is going to get bogged down even when you use it to clear wet, slushy snow – something that other snow blowers tend to have trouble with.

The auger housing is a whopping 21 inches high, which means you will be ready to deal with even the heaviest snow fall with no problems. And should you ever encounter a drift that is any deeper, you can engage the convenient drift cutters to knock snow down into the auger housing. The drift cutters can add up to another ten inches to the overall snow clearance.

In spite of the fact that the Power Smart DB7651A-28 has such a large clearance, it is not a terribly big or bulky machine. That will be good news to anyone who doesn’t have a whole lot of room in their garage. You can easily find a parking space for the Power Smart DB7651A-28. And it isn’t so heavy that you should have too much trouble turning it at the end of your driveway, either. Furthermore, there are no real drawbacks that I could find on the Power Smart DB7651A-28 besides the usual limitations that two stage snow blowers have. And while the Power Smart DB7651A-28 offers all of these great features – and a few more – it still has a very reasonable price, which is hard to find these days.

Pros

The Power Smart DB7651A-28 has a lot of outstanding features to offer its owner. This is a snow blower that is built with precision and performance in mind. It can clear a wide swath in a single pass, and it is ready to deal with the deepest snow fall just as easily as it can handle a few inches of powder. It is durably built, has a solid engine, and isn’t so big or heavy that it is hard to use.

1. Massive 28 inch clearing width : The clearing width is going to be one of the first things you should look for on any snow blower, because more than any other feature this is what is going to determine how quickly and efficiently you will be able to remove snow from your driveway. At 28 inches, the clearing width on the Power Smart DB7651A-28 is bigger than just about any other snow blower, which means you will be able to clear sidewalks and drives in fewer passes.
2. Clears deep snow efficiently : The snow cut depth on the Power Smart DB7651A-28 is nearly two feet high, which means you will have no difficulty clearing deep snow with it. In the event that you encounter drifts that are deeper than 21 inches, all you have to do is engage the drift cutters, which will knock snow down into the auger housing. And because it has a longer snow chute than most snow blowers, the Power Smart DB7651A-28 can throw snow a full 35 feet away.
3. Not too big or heavy : A lot of the time, powerful two stage snow blowers that have large clearance widths and snow cut depths are also big, heavy machines that take up a lot of space in your garage or tool shed and can be difficult to maneuver around the driveway. This is not the case with the Power Smart DB7651A-28. It has an overall footprint that is smaller than average, and it weighs just over 200 pounds, which is considerably lighter than most snow blowers.
4. Self-propelled drive : Even though the Power Smart DB7651A-28 is a lot lighter than most two stage snow blowers, it isn’t exactly light, and you would not want to have to push it under your own power. That is why it is equipped with a rear wheel drive train. This allows you to set the speed you want, and the snow blower does all the rest of the work for you. This is especially useful if you are clearing a long, sloping driveway.
5. Durable build : You want to be able to count on your snow blower to last for a long time, and that means it needs to be constructed out of durable materials. The Power Smart DB7651A-28 is. It has a tough welded steel auger that can grind through deep snow without losing anything in terms of performance. And it has a steel frame and stamped steel body that is going to be resistant to dings and dents. Even the snow chute is steel.

The Power Smart DB7651A-28 really has everything you need to take care of big snow removal jobs fast. With this snow blower, you are going to be able to clear a big area in fewer passes than you could with another model. And deep snow will never be a problem, either. When winter starts getting serious, this is the snow blower you want to be sure to have in your garage. It’s built tough and performs well under pressure.

Cons

In spite of the fact that the Power Smart DB7651A-28 has everything you need to tackle big jobs quickly and easily, there are still a few areas in which it could be a little more perfect. At the same time, none of these factors can take anything away from all of the outstanding Pros the Power Smart DB7651A-28 has to offer, such as the wide clearance and high snow cut depth. But I do think it’s important to know exactly what you’re going to be getting. Let’s take a look.

1. Not CARB compliant : The fact is that most two stage snow blowers that are worth anything are not going to have engines that are compliant with California Air Resources Board emissions standards. Overhead valve engines tend to produce a lot of exhaust, and CARB emissions standards are pretty strict. This is not really a Con in the real sense, but it is an unfortunate drawback, because it means that users in any of the states that enforce CARB standards won’t be able to purchase the Power Smart DB7651A-28.
2. Only four forward speeds : Generally speaking I think that having four forward speeds will probably be plenty for most situations. But there are two stage snow blowers with rear wheel drives that can have as many as six forward speeds, and having the extra ones can make a difference. Still, for the most part, with four speeds you should be able to select one that is right for whatever conditions on the ground you might be dealing with.
3. Leaves a thin layer behind : Because two stage snow blowers do not have augers that make direct contact with the ground, they are perfect for use on paved and unpaved surfaces alike. But the drawback of this design is that it is usually going to leave a thin layer of snow behind. This is not a big problem, since all you have to do is put a layer of rock salt down when you are done clearing the driveway, but it’s something you should know.
4. Tires could be bigger : The tires on the Power Smart DB7651A-28 are certainly not small – at 13 x 4 inches, they’re anything but. Still, a lot of snow blowers have tires that are larger, and when you are dealing with slippery conditions, larger tires are usually a lot better. They have more surface area to grip the ground with, which tends to give them better traction. That said, with the tires on the Power Smart DB7651A-28, you should probably be just fine.
5. Some maintenance required : When you are getting a two stage snow blower with a four-cycle engine, it is going to need a bit of maintenance to keep it running well. There is not a lot that you have to do: you will occasionally have to change the oil, which is easy and can be done in a matter of minutes. And every once in a great while you may have to switch out a spark plug. But by and large, these are not difficult tasks.

As you can clearly see, there are no real problems associated with the Power Smart DB7651A-28. Overall this is a great snow blower that has a lot to offer – and none of these Cons can really take away from all of the outstanding Pros in any way. In fact, unlike a lot of snow blowers, I would hesitate to call any of these issues real Cons at all: they are almost all just features of two stage snow blowers.

Product Comparison

Of course, the best way to figure out whether a particular snow blower is the best one for your needs is by doing some comparison shopping. Savvy consumers know that this is the best way to get a good sense not only of what a particular class of products tends to offer, but also to figure out how a given machine stacks up to the competition. Let’s take a look at a few similar models.

	Power Smart DB7651A-28	Yard-Man 31AH55LH701	Ariens ST24DLE
Type	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
Dimensions	38 x 30 x 30 inches	50.5 x 33.5 x 33.8 inches	38 x 26 x 30 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Engine Manufacturer	Power Smart	Yard-Man	Briggs & Stratton
Engine	208 cc – OHV	357 cc – OHV	249 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	6 forward / 2 reverse
Clearing Width	28 inches	30 inches	24 inches
Snow Cut Depth	21 inches	21 inches	21 inches
Throw Distance	Up to 35 feet	Up to 35 feet	Up to 50 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Light	n/a	n/a	n/a
Chute Control	Manual 180°	Manual 200°	Manual 180°
Wheels	13-Inch x 4-inch	16-Inch x 6.5-inch	15-Inch x 5-inch
Weight	205 pounds	287 pounds	276 pounds
Warranty	1 year	2 years	2 years

As you can see, the Power Smart DB7651A-28 is one of the smaller models in terms of overall dimensions, but manages to pack a lot of snow clearing power into that package. It can clear a path that is almost as big as the much larger Yard-Man. And it has a snow cut depth that is just as high as the other two snow blowers in spite of the fact that it has a smaller engine.

Conclusion

By now you may have your heart set on buying the Power Smart DB7651A-28 – and frankly I can understand why. But before you go ahead and make your purchase, I think you should take one more quick look at the Pros and Cons lists, just to make sure that this is the perfect snow blower for you.

Conclusion Pros

1. Massive 28 inch clearing width.
2. Clears deep snow efficiently.
3. Not too big or heavy.
4. Self-propelled drive.
5. Durable build.

With one of the widest clearances you can find on a snow blower today, as well as the ability to clear a lot more snow than similar models can, the Power Smart DB7651A-28 is a great snow blower. It’s also not so large that you should have any problems operating or storing it – and it’s built to last a long time.

Conclusion Cons

1. Not CARB compliant.
2. Only four forward speeds.
3. Leaves a thin layer behind.
4. Tires could be bigger.
5. Some maintenance required.

None of the Cons I could find on the Power Smart DB7651A-28 are the type of problems that aren’t common to all two stage snow blowers. And there was nothing about its overall design, build, or performance that indicates any serious issues. Overall this is a solid, well-build snow blower that should perform well.

Final Word

Winter can get ugly fast: you never know when another big blizzard is going to dump a foot or more of snow on your area. And when that happens, you want to be sure that you have the type of snow blower in your garage that is going to be able to clear a big area of heavy snow fall quickly. This is true whether you live in a rural area and have a lot of unpaved roads to keep clear, or just have the typical suburban driveway but expect serious snow fall this winter.

The Power Smart DB7651A-28 is the kind of serious two stage snow blower that is going to make sure you are prepared for just about anything that can come your way. With one of the widest clearances you can find on a twos stage snow blower and a high snow cut depth, the Power Smart DB7651A-28 is going to have your driveway cleared of heavy snow quickly. It is well designed and built to last for the long haul.

Best Price

One of the best things about the Power Smart DB7651A-28 is its price tag. Two stage snow blowers with similar clearance widths and intake heights can get very expensive rather quickly, and it is nice to come across one that has a price that is not only reasonable but actually below average. This is especially true when the price is for a snow blower like the Power Smart DB7651A-28, that has lots to offer and virtually no drawbacks. Overall, this is one of the most reasonably priced two stage snow blowers you can find on the market today. It has great performance – and it costs less.