I'm looking to buy a shaved ice machine, strictly for home use. I'm not going to be using it as a business or for serving people... just my personal enjoyment. As such, I'm not looking to spend a whole lot of money and am trying to decide which of the less expensive machines would best fit my needs. I've narrowed it down to three machines and would like to know if any of you in the know, could give your opinions. They each have their pro's and cons but I guess for me, it's going to come down to which is most likely to produce the best (finest) ice texture.

At first, I was mainly torn between a Little Snowie or a Fujimarca MC-711. The Little Sowie is great as far as being small and convenient (using ice cubes) but I've seen so many mixed reviews regarding the ice texture, I'm just not sure. Some say it's very coarse, almost like a snow cone, which I definitely don't want. And others say it's almost as good as a block shaver. Everyone raves about how good a block shaver is... so I was really excited when I found the Fujimarca MC-711. It's a well respected brand, built to last forever, and within my budget. However, as I've researched it, it seems the manual block shaver doesn't produce as fine a texture as the electric ones. I've see someone even compare the ice texture from a manual shaver (Fujimarca MC-711) to that of a cube shaver. Erggg... so from what I've been able to determine from reading online, is that the most important factor to me, ice texture, would seem to be about the same between these two machines. I'd love to hear others thoughts between these particular machines...

Lastly... I've also found a third machine. It's a cheap (surely Chinese made) electric block shaver sold by Great Northern. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0lE4Icvd5I
I realize this one definitely won't get the respect the other two get, but for my use, I feel I have to at least consider it. Remember, I'm just looking for something for home use and the biggest factor is, which is likely to give the finest texture.

Thoughts... opinions... comments... Please LOL. I'm driving myself nuts going back and forth over which machine to get.

BTW - whether I get the Fujimarca MC-711 or not, I definitely plan on getting my syrup concentrate from HTK. You guys seem to have a great reputation!

Thanks in advance,
Chris

Hello rcdaniel, I will try to give the most "unbiased" review possible of the 3 types of machines with my experience in handling and dealing with them.

1.) Little Snowie : If you want something that is portable, easy to use, electric, and fast, then this machine would be my top choice. The Snowies are known for their speed and good durability. These small machines cut even faster than than the Hatsuyuki cube shavers. However in my opinion, the major downside of this machine is the texture. The quicker the speed does not equate to a finer texture. The texture of a fine quality shave ice has to be slowly shaved with a block ice machine. This is mainly cause a solid block always has better shaving consistency than small cubes of ice tumbling in a ice chute.

2.) The Fujimarca 711: This machine is from the same manufacture as the popular Fujimarca MC709 electric shaver. The Fujimarca brand has been a reputable ice shaver brand for the past 20 years so the machine's reliability and parts support is top notch. This machine is manually driven so there will pretty much never be a down time unless you run out of ice/man power. Like things made in the old days, these machines are as simple as it can get and maintenance only consist of a simple blade change and some gear grease. The downside of these machines is that it is labor intensive and it takes block ice, which you would have to make yourself. So if the ice runs out, you are pretty much finished for the day.

3.) Great Northern or anything similar : These cheaper China made block shavers has become quite the popular these days due to its competitive price and size. As you can see from the video, these machines do shave a decent textured shave ice and seems to operate a lot like the Fujimarca/Swan electrical shavers. The Great Northern is made for light duty usage, and usually are not top notch in terms of reliability. It is good for people who just wish to buy a shave ice machine, use it couple times and store it away for good. I would not recommend this machine for serious shave ice enthusiasts. The vendors that sell these machines are regular importers who import these machines in bulk and have zero product, part, or knowledgeable support on the machine. Most of these machines end up being trashed since there are no replacement parts or people to fix it. Also notice the lack of a "ice guard" on the machine. This is very dangerous with those type of block shavers. If the ice sat on the machine at a wrong angle, it could easily spin out and hit that child right smack in the face. Unfortunately like many Chinese made products, you really do get for what you pay for.

These three machines are priced within close range, my suggestion would be either to go with the Snowie or Fujimarca. You would definitely not regret it in the long term. Snowie provides great support for their machines and so does HTK. What you will end up be choosing is a good machine backed by a good vendor and not money wasted.

Thanks!

Awesome. Thank you so much for the feedback

Yeah... I really didn't want to go with the Chinese machine and you helped validate the reasons not too, so thank yo for that. I think the Fujimarca 711 would probably be a great machine, but I think I've talked myself out of going the manual route. So I keep coming back to the Little Snowie... but I'm still not sold on it (I'm worried I won't be satisfied with the ice texture).

I'm sure you have better things to do than answering my questions on the forum, but if you could maybe answer one more, I'd appreciate it. I emailed the following to info@shaveicesupplies.com but haven't heard anything back.

I've also found on youtube, a video of the Hatsuyuki HC-8E. It looks like an awesome machine and appeared to produce a very nice ice texture (I'm assuming it's much finer than the Little Snowie). Unfortunately, for my use, this is just way more machine than I need. The HC-S32A seems similar (obviously smaller) and I assume produces similar quality ice as the HC-8E but it's still a bit more than I can talk myself into spending. I've been looking to see if I could find a used one, but so far no luck.

Anyway... on HTK's site, I see a Fujimarca cube shaver (that looks similar to the Hatsuyuki) but there are no details about it. Can you give me some feedback on this machine? How does it compare to the Hatsuyuki... or the little snowie?

Thanks so much. I really appreciate your taking the time to help!

Chris

Hello Chris, the Hatsuyuki HC32 and the HC8e are very similar machines in terms of texture. The only difference is the speed and size. Both machines are priced above a thousand so it probably wouldn't be as suitable for home use if you are on a budget.

The texture of the snowie in my opinion is very similar to that of a Hatsuyuki and Fujimarca cube shaver. As you know, these shavers operate by spinning the cubes against a blade using a propeller inside the machine. You will have a decent shave, but you will lose the consistency of a solid block ice. However these cube shavers are much better in quality than that of those Sno Cone machines.

Between the Snowie and the Fujimarca cube shaver is a tough choice. The Snowie one is a slightly smaller machine than that of the Fujimarca but not by far. In terms of quality, I would say both are very comparable. Some people don't like the "ice molding" feature that the Snowie machines have where the machine shapes the ice for you (which in terms loses alot of texture quality due to compressing the ice in the mold). In terms of maintenance, both machines are pretty much the same. Snowie parts may cost a bit more while the Fujimarca would be cheaper.

If you are on a budget but texture for you is a serious concern, I would recommend looking for some refurbished machines. I have seen Fujimarca and Swan block ice shavers cost around $800 or so dollars and t hey are only slightly used. Those machines shaves the finest texture of ice and you can't go wrong with that. Thanks