A 28-inch two-stage gas snow blower that runs on tracks instead of wheels. Bob Vila tested it against nine other snow blowers on a loose-gravel driveway in Montana, rated it 9.6/10 and named it the top pick for gravel, citing its traction and its lever-adjusted blade height. Troy-Bilt lists it at $2,129.00.
Full review
How Bob Vila tested it
Bob Vila's reviewer, Zach Lazzari, ran 10 heavy-duty snow blowers on a loose-gravel driveway and a compact-gravel road in rural Montana. He rated the Storm Tracker 2890 9.6/10 and calls it far and away the best gravel-driveway model in the group for big driveways and heavy storms.
Tracks and adjustable blade height
The review credits two features for that result. The first is the track drive: in side-by-side runs the tracks did not spin where wheeled machines struggled, and Lazzari writes that chains were unnecessary. Troy-Bilt says the tracks give up to four times the ground contact of wheels.
The second is a lever with three height settings that lifts the blade above loose gravel so stones are not pulled through the auger and impeller. Bob Vila notes most competing models offer only skid-height adjustment. The machine also has standard bolt-on skids.
Power and controls
Troy-Bilt specifies a 272cc engine, a 28-inch clearing width, a 20-inch intake height, 12-inch serrated steel augers, and six forward and two reverse speeds. Bob Vila reports it threw snow more than 40 feet and worked through wet, compacted and icy snow.
Starting takes a choke, five to seven presses of the primer and either the pull cord or the electric start button, which fired immediately in the test. Drive speed and chute controls sit on the main panel and the steering triggers are under the handles. Lazzari says the controls take a few minutes of practice.
Assembly
Bob Vila put assembly at under 15 minutes: two bolts per side for the fold-down handle, and a chute that drops in and is secured by its connecting rods. Depending on how the unit was packaged, the throttle and chute-control cables may also need connecting. Oil and gas have to be added before the first start.
Price
Cost is the only con Bob Vila lists: the Storm Tracker is more expensive than some similar two-stage models on wheels. The review, dated January 2024, quotes $1,899 at Troy-Bilt and The Home Depot; Troy-Bilt's store now lists the machine at $2,129.00. Lazzari considers the price reflective of its capability and adds that smaller gravel driveways can be handled by less expensive machines.
Strengths
- +Tracks did not spin on loose gravel or ice in Bob Vila's side-by-side test
- +Trigger-controlled Touch N' Turn steering
- +Electric start fired immediately in Bob Vila's test
Watch-outs
- −Some assembly needed: handle bolts and chute, and possibly the throttle and chute cables
- −The engine will not start unless the key is fully inserted, which Bob Vila notes is easy to forget
- −Gas engine needs oil changes and tune-ups
How it compares
It matches the 28-inch clearing width of the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO on this page but uses a track drive, and its 272cc engine is smaller than the Ariens's 306cc. The Toro SnowMaster 724 QXE and EGO Power+ 2-stage are both 24-inch machines, and the EGO is battery powered where the Troy-Bilt is gas.
Rating sources
Our 4.5 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
