Feedback from the owners of these products was very good, as well as people who've had other products by Poulan and Swisher.

These two units are in the big-boy category of snow throwers. Both feature 2-stage operation, giving themselves separate augers and impellers. The construction on both machines is rugged and well thought out. The extra weight in the Poulan is partly due to materials and partly due to the Poulan's steering system.

The Swisher's design is well thought out with its powerful panel-mounted halogen headlight and light-on-dark controls. Some might think that the Poulan is lacking on the design side but all of it's finer points are in usability. The Poulan also has panel mounted light, but for tough jobs the super-slow speed gear handles deep snow better eliminating the need for multiple passes over the same area, the other great design point that may go unnoticed but is highly important is the loop-style auger/impeller. This allows chunks to be swept into the machine and thick snows to be literally funneled into the snow thrower. The other important distinction between these two models is that the engine in the Poulan has a Chain Speed Drive for superior internal durability.

In considering what unit to purchase, the $100.00 price difference may not mean much in the long run as durability plays a huge role in any equipment that is exposed to harsh conditions.