Yeah James, actually, these machines get very little use during a winter here. Maybe less than a dozen per year. And the little Toros are still listed in Craiglist often.
They are loud, do not clog (like a 2 stage) don't throw very far and are good for only 6 to 8 inches of snow before feeling like you are pushing a dead mule. But are great tools.
At work, I snagged the old one from maintenance when they got a new one, and I use the old guy (toro s-200) to keep the R/D lab entrances and areas clear.
This is a 30 year old blower!
The key with these, is to drain and run dry the fuel system when spring comes or use fuel preservative.
Back when scrap was low I used to pick up curb sale blowers- they usually had plugged up carbs and very low usage.