I just worked on a customers plow truck and he had a Honda snow blower in the back. He cleans a lot of high end properties in wealthy Brookline. He told me he has 5 Honda Snow blowers at 4K apiece.
He keeps 4 of then at customers houses and one that travels with him. He said he's had them for 12 years and never had a problem with any of them.
He did tell me he uses only clean fuel that he buys at Ace hardware or Home Depot. I guess this clean fuel won't gum up the carbs when they are left sitting for any length of time. I never knew they even had such a fuel?
Anyway, he's paid for those snow blowers many times over!