Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 Review

(Rated: 3.8 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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If you have a big driveway, whether it is paved or gravel, you need a big snow blower to keep it cleared of snow during the winter. And if you live in a region of the country that gets a high volume of snow every year, you are going to want to make sure you have the kind of snow blower that has the capacity to move a lot of snow quickly. There is no point messing around with a single stage snow blower in these situations: you need a two stage snow blower. Of course, there are a lot of two stage snow blowers out there, so it is important to make sure you have one that can perform well under pressure. You need a durable auger, a high performance engine, a wide clearance and a high snow cut depth. And for all of that, you are going to want a snow blower like the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701.

Review Summary

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is a snow blower that packs a lot of snow clearing capacity into a relatively small, lightweight package – especially for a two stage model. It’s able to clear a path that is wide enough to leave the average sidewalk clear in just a single pass. And it can deal with snow fall that is nearly two feet tall without having any problems at all. But when you compare it to other two stage snow blowers with similar specs, it is consistently much smaller and lighter than they are. That means that with the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 you are going to be getting all the clearance capacity you need, without having to deal with a big, bulky snow blower that is hard to maneuver or find storage space for.

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has a powerful steel auger that is designed to cut right through the densest snow and even icy, hard packed snow without getting slowed down or losing anything in terms of performance. And because it has such a long snow chute, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 can throw that snow farther than most other two stage snow blowers. That means you are going to be able to take care of the toughest conditions with no trouble at all when you use the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701.

Specifications

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is a gas powered two stage snow blower that weighs 195 pounds and has dimensions of 38 x 26 x 30 inches. It has a 179 cubic centimeter, 4-cycle OHV engine that powers the auger and the rear wheel drive, which has six forward and two reverse speeds.

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has a clearance width of 24 inches and a snow cut depth of 21 inches, and it can throw snow up to 35 feet away through its manually operated chute, which can swivel 180 degrees. It has big wheels designed to provide more traction and an ergonomic handle and controls.

Description

When you first lay eyes on the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701, you may be surprised by how compact it is. And it weighs so little that you should be able to maneuver it around your driveway even when it isn’t turned on without too much difficulty. But even though the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is a lightweight, compact machine, it still packs an impressive amount of snow clearing capacity. This is a snow blower that can clear a path two feet wide on a single pass, something most similarly sized snow blowers can’t claim to do. And it has the ability to take care of snow that is over a foot and a half deep, too – plus it can throw that snow up to 35 feet away.

What is the secret of the ability the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 boasts in spite of its small size? Well, in part it is due to the fact that the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has one of the more durable and powerful augers you can find on a two stage snow blower today. Its auger is designed to maximize the torque that the engine provides, so it can cut through deep snow quickly and efficiently without needing to take up as much room or use as much power.

Because of that, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is well equipped to deal with the harshest conditions this winter. No matter what winter may bring your way, this is a snow blower that will make sure you are well prepared to deal with it. You will be able to clear a big area of a high volume of snow more quickly and efficiently with the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 than you can with most other snow blowers. And best of all, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is not going to put too much strain on your wallet. This is an outstanding little snow blower at a great price.

Pros

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has a lot of excellent features that make it a very special snow blower. Plenty of two stage snow blowers can boast wide clearance and high snow cut depth, but not all of them can fit that kind of ability into a small, compact, and lightweight machine the way the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 does. Plus, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is made out of tough, durable parts that allow it to clear snow under the worst conditions without having any problems or needing repairs, even after years of use.

1. Extra wide clearance : The clearance width is always one of the first things you should look at when you are considering the specs of a new snow blower. That is because this is the one spec that is going to determine how quickly and efficiently you can finish removing snow from a big area. On the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701, the clearance width is a full two feet. That’s enough to clear the average sidewalk in a single pass, and it will allow you to clear your driveway in just five or six passes.
2. Long snow chute : The snow chute on the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is much longer than those on many other snow blowers, which is a great, if often overlooked, feature. Because it has such a long snow chute, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is able to throw snow a lot farther than other snow blowers can – a full 35 feet, which is more than enough to clear just about any driveway and get snow into the yard or street. This is an important extra feature.
3. Big, tough wheels : When you are clearing your driveway in subzero temperatures, it is not uncommon to hit a patch that is icy or has snow so densely packed down that it can be very slippery. When that happens, you want to be sure that you have the kind of big, tough tires on your snow blower that can provide extra traction so you don’t lose control of the machine. The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has tires that are over a foot tall and wide enough to provide plenty of traction.
4. Durable, powerful auger : The auger on the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is designed to handle the worst conditions as easily as if it were clearing light, powdery snow. That is why it is made of durable welded steel that is serrated at the edges. This makes it tough enough to cut through icy snow without having to slow down and without losing anything in terms of power or overall performance. Plus, it will never have to be sharpened, and it will last for a very long time under the worst conditions.
5. Compact and lightweight : Even with all of its power and snow clearing ability, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is still a very compact and lightweight snow blower. It is considerably smaller than other two stage snow blowers even though it has the same size clearance width and snow cut depth, and it weighs a lot less too. That will make it much easier to find storage space for it in your garage or tool shed, and easier to maneuver around the driveway as well.

As you can see, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has everything you need to take care of big jobs fast. It packs a lot of snow clearing ability into a compact package that is easier to maneuver and lift over curbs, and a lot simpler to park in your garage or tool shed. Plus, it has the kind of serious, heavy duty auger that can cut right through even the toughest, iciest snow drifts without getting slowed down.

Cons

In spite of the fact that it is such a very well designed machine, there are a few minor areas that could use slight improvements. Some of them – like the CARB compliance – are just part of owning a big two stage snow blower and can’t be helped. Others – like the lack of accessories – are minor concerns that really do not take away too much from all of the great Pros the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has to offer.

1. Not CARB compliant : Trying to find a powerful two stage snow blower that is compliant with California Air Resources Board emissions standards is not an easy thing to do: those standards are very tough, and to get the power you need to clear lots of snow fast, you need a big, powerful engine that can get the job done. While the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is not compliant with CARB emissions, that is true for most two stage snow blowers, so this is not a huge drawback.
2. Engine could be more powerful : The engine on the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has a displacement of 179 cubic centimeters, which is on the low end for an engine in a two stage snow blower these days. Personally, I always prefer to have more power, especially if the engine is going to produce a high volume of exhaust and noise anyway. Still, anything over 175 cc is usually sufficient to make sure that most jobs can be finished quickly and without any problems.
3. May have difficulty with slush : In part due to the fact that the engine is not quite as powerful as it could be, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is going to have some difficulty getting through snow that is very wet and slushy. That is because slush is a lot denser and heavier than other kinds of snow. As a result, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 will not be able to throw slushy snow quite as far as it can throw lighter snow – but it still gets the job done.
4. Leaves a thin layer behind : This is also a common feature on most two stage snow blowers. Because the auger does not make contact with the surface of the pavement, and there is usually no scraper bar on these models, you are usually going to wind up leaving a thin layer of snow behind. This can be solved in most cases by purchasing and installing skid shoes, but when even that doesn’t work, all you have to do is lay down some rock salt when you’re done.
5. Very few accessories : The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is a fairly bare bones snow blower – but that is not altogether a bad thing. There are plenty of two stage snow blowers out there that come equipped with all kinds of extra accessories, such as LED headlights, drift cutters, or power steering. But by and large, these do not do all that much to add to the snow removal experience, and instead just drive up the price by hundreds of dollars.

After taking a good look at the Cons, I think you will agree that these are not the kind of problems that can really take away anything from all of the outstanding Pros the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has to offer. It still has one of the biggest clearance capacities packed into one of the smaller and more lightweight overall footprints on any two stage snow blower today. It has everything it needs to help you take care of big jobs fast.

Product Comparison

One of the best ways you can find out whether a particular snow blower really has everything you need to get the job done is to do some comparison shopping. This way, you can see how that snow blower stacks up compared to others made by its competitors, and you can also get a better sense of what is standard in a particular class – in this case, two stage models. Let’s take a look at the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 and two similar models.

	Yard-Man 31AM63KE701	Power Smart DB7651A-28	Ariens 920013
Type	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
Dimensions	38 x 26 x 30 inches	38 x 30 x 30 inches	36 x 26 x 29 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Engine Manufacturer	Yard-Man	Power Smart	Ariens
Engine	179cc – OHV	208 cc – OHV	208 cc – OHV
2-cycle / 4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle
Drive	Self-propelled	Self-propelled	Self-propelled
Speed Control	6 forward / 2 reverse	4 forward / 2 reverse	4 forward / 2 reverse
Clearing Width	24 inches	28 inches	22 inches
Snow Cut Depth	21 inches	21 inches	16 inches
Throw Distance	Up to 35 feet	Up to 35 feet	Up to 40 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Light	n/a	n/a	n/a
Chute Control	Manual 180°	Manual 180°	Manual 205°
Wheels	13-Inch x 4-inch	13-Inch x 4-inch	12.5-Inch x 4-inch
Weight	195 pounds	205 pounds	199 pounds
Warranty	2 years	1 year	2 years

As you can see, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is indeed the smallest and most lightweight of the three models, but it still manages to have one of the higher clearance widths and snow cut depths as well. While its engine is a bit less powerful than the other two snow blowers, it should still perform just as well as either of them, as the other product specs show. And best of all, the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is much more competitively priced than the other models.

Conclusion

There is a lot to like on the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701. This is a compact, lightweight snow blower that is efficiently designed to provide everything you need to get a big snow clearing job done quickly. Before you decide to purchase it, though, I think it’s a good idea to take one more quick look at the Pros and Cons lists, just to be safe.

Conclusion Pros

1. Extra wide clearance.
2. Long snow chute.
3. Big, tough wheels.
4. Durable, powerful auger.
5. Compact and lightweight.

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has one of the wider clearances you can find on a two stage snow blower today, and thanks to its long snow chute it can throw that snow farther than most. It has high traction wheels and an auger that is built to last and can cut through dense snow quickly –but it is surprisingly compact and lightweight at the same time.

Conclusion Cons

1. Not CARB compliant.
2. Engine could be more powerful.
3. May have difficulty with slush.
4. Leaves a thin layer behind.
5. Very few accessories.

The Cons that the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 has are either not terribly serious or else common to all two stage snow blowers. I do not think that any of these can take away from all of the great features the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 does have. Overall this remains a great snow blower that is designed well and durably made.

Final Word

Winter is not going to care what you have in your garage – which is exactly the reason why you should. You do not want to be stuck with a snow blower that is not going to be able to perform under tough conditions: you want to have one that can stand up to anything winter can throw at you, day after day and year after year. There are a lot of different snow blowers out there, and it is important that you get one that can hold up to the elements.

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 is just that kind of snow blower. It is built to last and designed to stand up to the worst conditions. It has a tough, high performance auger that can cut right through dense, icy snow easily. It has one of the higher clearance capacities you can find anywhere. And it provides all of that while remaining small and light enough to be easy to find space for and operate.

Best Price

The Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 does not just manage to pack a lot of performance into a small snow blower: it also packs a lot of savings as well. This is a snow blower that is about as reasonably priced as they come. Its price tag is well below average when compared to other snow blowers in its class, which means that just about any household should have no problem fitting the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 into their winter budget. You need to save money wherever you can these days, and with the Yard-Man 31AM63KE701 you can. And because it will continue to perform well for so long that you probably will never need to replace it, it will pay for itself over time. This is a great snow blower at an outstanding price.