Fifty Plus (50+) - OT - Snowblowers.

I need help, of the snowblower variety.

My wife is putting pressure on me to buy a snowblower this winter and I know nothing about them. I looked at them a number of years ago and never did buy one, which means that I have never had to try and figure out where to store the darn thing for the other 9 months of the year.

However, sometime this spring I tore a rotator cuff, and in spite of dedicated effort to get it behind me, I still get a lot of pain from the darn thing. Combine this with a La Nina winter and the long term forecast that says we are likely in for a 100 year snowfall - Mrs. TMB is telling me my preferred snow removal method - a shovel - is out.

So ...

First off, our snow here is generally pretty light. Not of the wet and heavy variety.

Are electrics any good at all? If so, any specific recommendations for makes or models??

In the gas powered camp - please tell me I don’t have to go to the 36 “ high wheel monsters. Do the smaller ones with a 20 or 24” inch maw still do the job reasonably well?

I admit I covet my Father in Law’s - but only because it’s the biggest SOB on the block - no wheels - it has tracks (!), and two headlights and a weather cab. Probably overkill for what I have to deal with, but still .....

So good people - I presume some of you have these infernal things, any directions??

Read this article:
http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/guides/pickperfectsnowthrower.php

I have an '8-horse' Troybilt, 22" cut with foreward and reverse and electric start. I bought it about 12 years ago and I only use it when my shovel gets overwhelmed.

You want electric start!!!

My '8-horse' has never bogged down. Light snow or heavy snow plow wet cement type snow is no match fo this little machine.

My input;
*Get gas powered electric start...plug it in, start it up, blow snow.
* Eight horse power should be enough to handle just about anything.

I can't speak highly enough of my MTD 5horse 24" wide two stage snow blower. No electric start, no headlight, hand crank to change blower direction...it's very basic but I've had it ten years and it just keeps going and going. I live in Alaska, but not in a serious snow belt. I've already had it out to do the driveway once...and I use it to cut a path to my steam bath about 75 feet from the house. It regularly has wood sticks get stuck in the second stage but even that has failed to cause any problem. If you regularly get snow deeper than a foot and a half at a time, you probably want something bigger, but if your snowfall is limited to about a foot or so at a time, a 24" 5 horse should do you well. Of course a more powerful machine will cut through the snow faster. Space and money considerations aside, a bigger, more powerful blower is a good thing....

I have a two stage Toro 26. Works great, all the gadgets but my wife and daughters won't use it. I was away last year and my wife went out to Walmart and bought an electric blower, don't know the make but dang that thing throws the snow. I actually preferred using it to mine. I doubt it will last more than a couple of years but at $180, who cares.

I live at 9000 feet in the Rockies.
A neighbor took his teenage daughter to California.
There the young lady saw a lawnmower and inquired as to what it was.
Then she said,
"Oh, its like a snowblower."

I need help, of the snowblower variety.

My wife is putting pressure on me to buy a snowblower this winter and I know nothing about them. I looked at them a number of years ago and never did buy one, which means that I have never had to try and figure out where to store the darn thing for the other 9 months of the year.

However, sometime this spring I tore a rotator cuff, and in spite of dedicated effort to get it behind me, I still get a lot of pain from the darn thing. Combine this with a La Nina winter and the long term forecast that says we are likely in for a 100 year snowfall - Mrs. TMB is telling me my preferred snow removal method - a shovel - is out.

So ...

First off, our snow here is generally pretty light. Not of the wet and heavy variety.

Are electrics any good at all? If so, any specific recommendations for makes or models??

In the gas powered camp - please tell me I don’t have to go to the 36 “ high wheel monsters. Do the smaller ones with a 20 or 24” inch maw still do the job reasonably well?

I admit I covet my Father in Law’s - but only because it’s the biggest SOB on the block - no wheels - it has tracks (!), and two headlights and a weather cab. Probably overkill for what I have to deal with, but still .....

So good people - I presume some of you have these infernal things, any directions??

For what it's worth, a snow thrower is NOT what you want to use if you have any sort of injury like a torn rotator. Even the smallest gas powered ones are heavy, and you'll do a fair amount of heaving it around in any sort of significant snow.

Here in my part of upstate NY, we generally get 100-120 inches of snow per season, often in storms that will drop up to 3 feet at a pop of very wet, heavy, lake-effect snow. My 8HP thrower with 26" scoop is more than enough to handle it.

But again, if you're not in condition to move 80 to several pounds of machine around in inclement conditions, spend a few hundred bucks to get a seasonal contract for someone to plow your driveway for you.

I can't speak highly enough of my MTD 5horse 24" wide two stage snow blower. No electric start, no headlight, hand crank to change blower direction...it's very basic but I've had it ten years and it just keeps going and going. I live in Alaska, but not in a serious snow belt. I've already had it out to do the driveway once...and I use it to cut a path to my steam bath about 75 feet from the house. It regularly has wood sticks get stuck in the second stage but even that has failed to cause any problem. If you regularly get snow deeper than a foot lnd a half at a time, you probably want something bigger, but if your snowfall is limited to about a foot or so at a time, a 24" 5 horse should do you well. Of course a more powerful machine will cut through the snow faster. Space and money considerations aside, a bigger, more powerful blower is a good thing....

x2 This is exactly what I would have said about mine.

A 2 stage, dual stage is the only way to go. The little single stage 2 strokes are a pain, the electrics are weak at the best of times.

Good luck, Daren

I have a two stage Craftsman, 9 hp, 26", self-propelled, electric start, with a light. It lets me clear our double, 50' driveway in about 20 minutes. Best thing is, after the City plows the street and creates a 2 to 3 foot icy berm across the driveways, I can clear that in about another 20 minutes. THAT takes about an hour by hand, on a good day!

It clears down to about a 1/4 inch height, but at that height the sun can evaporate the rest.

I can't believe this thread went this far without the obvious reply. If your wife wants a snowblower, tell her to just go buy the one she wants to use.

before you buy it you need to move to my neighborhood to guarantee there will not be significant snowfall...

train safe-

I can't believe this thread went this far without the obvious reply. If your wife wants a snowblower, tell her to just go buy the one she wants to use.

Back up 5 posts from yours..

Ooo Ooo, get a red one.

Mine's a red one and it works really great!!

just sayin' :D


http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/October%202010/IMG_3291D.jpg

This is a timely thread as I'm hunting a snow blower, too. My two snow shovelers aren't around this winter. One is getting married and the other will be working and going to college. Guess I better buy a snow blower since I hate using that shovel. I'll be reading this one with lots of interest.

Next spring we can discuss riding lawn mowers:(

I live at 9000 feet in the Rockies.
A neighbor took his teenage daughter to California.
There the young lady saw a lawnmower and inquired as to what it was.
Then she said,
"Oh, its like a snowblower."

My bro lives off the peak to peak at 9K - He bought an old Oshkosh from the Corp of Eng. It has a 6 cly diesel on the back that just runs the blower. I think it's at least 3 or 4 screws high.

Hey, you're posting in the 50+ department so you're no longer a kid. I have an age-appropriate suggestion for you: MOVE TO PHOENIX.

No need for snowblowers. Or snow shovels. Or tire chains. Or windshield ice scrapers.

I think mulveyr (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?187487-mulveyr) had a point. If darling dear is worried about your torn shoulder, as you both should well be, then a snow blower is probably not a good thing. I have two torn rotator cuffs myself (both shoulders...). I'm good enough now (after a cortisone shot) that I can do snow blowing, but swinging the machine around and pushing it around when it gets stuck, can be a strain and great care does need to be taken. So snowblowing has a real risk. What you need is an ATV with a winch and plow. I'm dead serious here. THAT is the way to plow snow when you have a bad...anything.

We have much in common. Torn rotator cuff here also.

I have a small shrine built to my snowthrower in my garage. 30+ year old Toro 8 hp. If you are going to get one go for a gas 2 stage discharge. Electric start is also a good thing as most of them plug in to an extension cord(no battery to maintain) The thing may sit for a year but when the big one hits you will be praising the genius that thought of buying the thing.

I have an '8-horse' Troybilt, 22" cut with foreward and reverse and electric start. I bought it about 12 years ago and I only use it when my shovel gets overwhelmed.

You want electric start!!!

My '8-horse' has never bogged down. Light snow or heavy snow plow wet cement type snow is no match fo this little machine.

My input;
*Get gas powered electric start...plug it in, start it up, blow snow.
* Eight horse power should be enough to handle just about anything.

This is fine advice, though 8 horse wight be a little overkill in some cases. It depends on how big your property is. I'd also suggest a four cycle engine to avoid tedious mixing of oil/gas. +1000 on electric start.

As to the rotator cuff... get it surgically repaired ASAP. It is well worth the trouble.

I second the heavy handling. My snow blower is self propelled, but only goes straight. I have to muscle it left/right to turn. May be those track drive models have steering? Mine is a 5HP , dual stage, 20 inch Sears model. Worked great till second stage belt stretched. Sears replacement belt was even bigger? Shame you don't live closer, I could give it to you. I no longer need, moved into a 55+ community which includes snow removal and grass cutting. And conversely more bike time.

I second the heavy handling. My snow blower is self propelled, but only goes straight. I have to muscle it left/right to turn. May be those track drive models have steering? Mine is a 5HP , dual stage, 20 inch Sears model. Worked great till second stage belt stretched. Sears replacement belt was even bigger? Shame you don't live closer, I could give it to you. I no longer need, moved into a 55+ community which includes snow removal and grass cutting. And conversely more bike time.


I have a 28" Honda track drive and a Toro 28" too. Nope, the Honda doesn't have steering and is harder to turn than the wheeled Toro which has a lever to unlock the wheels for horsing it around a bit easier. However, the Honda does throw snow further than the Toro, has better tractionm, and is better made.

Save your money... Hire a 40 year old (or two twenty somethings). Easy on the back - hard on the pocketbook.

This,
http://jalopnik.com/339171/the-v8+powered-snowblower-owns-frostys-ass
is what you want.

You might want to check snow removal services. Or a nice trailer for your father in law's monster. <G>

We get 185 inches of snow on average. Two years back to back we got over 300. Most of the time I use a snow scoophttp://www.silverbear.biz/ but when I'm in a hurry I use my trusty Husqvarna. In my neck of the woods there are only two brands that work. Husqvarna and Ariens. The nice thing about the scoop is you never have to lift the snow. You do need to plan in November where April's snow is going to go.

Move to Bahrain?

Our best cycling is October to April. Lovely just now!

(Just teasing - I hope you get the machine that suits you. But look after yourself, and I tend to support the 'Get a clearing service' idea. Reduce the working capital fixed costs, save your body, rotate the economy!)

Sorry, nothing sensible to say and no right to intrude!

However, sometime this spring I tore a rotator cuff, and in spite of dedicated effort to get it behind me, I still get a lot of pain from the darn thing.

Well there's your problem. If you've got rotator cuff damage, reaching behind you is going to hurt. Try not to do that.

Fortunately for me, since moving into the condo, I've had no cause to learn about snow clearing equipment. I do have a story that dates back to my first winter living in St Louis.

We had moved from Northwest Indiana, right at the bottom of the Lake Michigan pipe. On the Friday after Thanksgiving my neighbor watched me getting out my snow shovels. I had a curved plow type for just a couple of incies of fluffy snow, I had a couple of flat snow shovels for deeper snow - aluminum for dry fluffy snow and steel for wetter, heavier snow. I had a minerature shovel so my sons could help. I had a small sturdy one to carry in the trunk of my car. I had an ice chipper. All-in-all there were 8 of them. My neighbor, who had lived in the St Louis area all of his life, was seriously impressed.

Where I had lived in Indiana, getting a foot of new snow was fairly common and 3' wasn't unheard of and, if we had lived about 5 miles further East, we would have gotten almost twice as much snow due to the lake effect. I used to shovel the snow drifts off of my garage to keep the snow load from collapsing the roof. You don't have to do stuff like that in St Louis.

I have a toro electric snowblower. It works great. It always starts and I can pick it up with one hand. It takes a little longer than my neighbors who have giant gas powered behemoths, but it beats the heck out of shoveling and saves garage space, too. We haven't had a snowfall yet it couldn't handle, but I do sometimes have to use the shovel to break the snowplow pile down, and when the snow is very deep you have to take a narrower pass. It's also way cheaper than the gas ones.

For what it's worth, a snow thrower is NOT what you want to use if you have any sort of injury like a torn rotator. Even the smallest gas powered ones are heavy, and you'll do a fair amount of heaving it around in any sort of significant snow.

Here in my part of upstate NY, we generally get 100-120 inches of snow per season, often in storms that will drop up to 3 feet at a pop of very wet, heavy, lake-effect snow. My 8HP thrower with 26" scoop is more than enough to handle it.

But again, if you're not in condition to move 80 to several pounds of machine around in inclement conditions, spend a few hundred bucks to get a seasonal contract for someone to plow your driveway for you.

Some, at least my Craftsman, have a drive release trigger for each wheel, that lets the machine be pivoted on the wheels without 80# worth of muscling. It still isn't like walkign a bicycle around a gym floor, but much easier than the locked-axle designs.

But having this machine will be no substitute for getting proper rotator cuff treatment. There will still, as mulveyr says, still be significant pushing and heaving. For me, NSAIDs, PT, and good "homework" exercises helped a huge amount. While I was in treatment, I could bike or do whatever as long as there was no pain caused. My PT, nicknamed "Angel of Pain," said she was the only one allowed to cause any pain in my shoulder, especially me! I am so glad I had a good PT.

Beverly, I'd strongly recommend looking for this feature when you get a nice little snowblower, if you get a 2-stage with driven wheels.

Again - Read this article:
http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/gui...nowthrower.php (http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/guides/pickperfectsnowthrower.php)

It will help you decide what size/type machine you need.
As far as being hard to turn, the Ariens I bought allows you to unlock one wheel from the drive using a locking pin on the wheel so you can turn it on a dime. The larger Ariens units have a wheel release on the handle. Single stage electrics are good if you have light snow and a small level drive (see the article). My neighbor had one and had good luck with it even up here in the great white north - but he had to stay on top of the big storms byt using it every couple of inches of accumulation.

Boy, this is just a depressing topic. I have heard of snow and may even have seen it in the distance but I would not know or want to know how to remove it from my driveway. Don't you just hate So Cal bikers. I had to put arm warmers on this morning when it got down to 55 centigrade.

Boy, this is just a depressing topic. I have heard of snow and may even have seen it in the distance but I would not know or want to know how to remove it from my driveway. Don't you just hate So Cal bikers. I had to put arm warmers on this morning when it got down to 55 centigrade.

So you don't get to make snowmen or tobogan down a fast slope? You don't have snow-ball fights or suck on cold clear icicles? You don't take your car out to an empty parking lot after the season's first snow and and do donuts all across the lot? You can't take young children out the front door and teach them how to make snow angels? You don't trudge through a fresh crisp snow filled treefarm to cut down and sled out your Christmas Tree, stopping at the warming hut and fire to enjoy sugar cookies and hot chocolate?

Oh you poor man. You do have my sympathy. :D

Boy, this is just a depressing topic. I have heard of snow and may even have seen it in the distance but I would not know or want to know how to remove it from my driveway. Don't you just hate So Cal bikers. I had to put arm warmers on this morning when it got down to 55 centigrade.

I grew up in the mountains of San Diego County, and have pictures in 1948 - following a week-long snowstorm - of adults up to their waist in snow. We were snowbound for a week, our water was frozen, and we melted huge icicles for water. And, this was only at 4,200 feet of elevation. How about 10,000 foot Mt San Jacinto and the other peaks east of the San Bernardino area. Big Bear, Arrowhead? - Lots and lots of snow there.

So you don't get to make snowmen or tobogan down a fast slope? You don't have snow-ball fights or suck on cold clear icicles? You don't take your car out to an empty parking lot after the season's first snow and and do donuts all across the lot? You can't take young children out the front door and teach them how to make snow angels? You don't trudge through a fresh crisp snow filled treefarm to cut down and sled out your Christmas Tree, stopping at the warming hut and fire to enjoy sugar cookies and hot chocolate?

Oh you poor man. You do have my sympathy. :D

I grew up in a small Ohio town and everyone looked forward to the first heavy snow of the season. The mayor shutdown the street with a big hill, the residents parked their cars in their driveways, the local vetinarian who lived at the top of the hill built a big bonfire on his property and most of the town enjoyed an evening of sledding and drinking hot chocolate:)

I just bought an Ariens back in 2008. The reason I bought it was because the snow blower that it replaced was an Ariens that my father had originally purchased back in 1964, and the only reason the old one needed replacement was because of a rust problem caused by me not storing it properly - the engine and drive train still worked as good as new.

Thank you for this wonderful thread. With a crystal clear night the temperature here dropped into the 40s and we probably won't make it to 70 in the shade until almost noon, making it necessary to bask in the sun.

My brother lives in Lake Tahoe. He has a heated driveway. Problem solved (and no, I'm not kidding).

Ooo Ooo, get a red one.

Mine's a red one and it works really great!!

just sayin' :D

It's good that DG lives in San Diego. A white snowblower just doesn't cut it. :p

Why was the snow man happy?

Go to Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, or Sears and see if you can move a snowblower around on the show floor. If you can't move it around there with the power off, you won't be able to operate it in your driveway.

I had an electric Toro "power shovel" when I owned a house that had narrow stairways between the front and back. Even a small gas snowblower would have been difficult. It was a little underpowered for Minnesota but if you were patient it did a good job.

After that I moved to a house with a driveway on a hill and bought a 10hp Yard Machine which has worked great for the past 11 years because I change the oil every season.

Some snowblowers use paddles. They get right down to the concrete and leave a nice, clean surface but they can't handle heavy stuff. You might be fine with, say, a Snow Pup. With metal augers you can handle more snow but your driveway isn't as clean. Whatever you do, make sure the darn thing isn't too wide. Getting a 30 inch wide blower is great for your driveway but probably useless if your path to the front door is only 24 inches wide.

Oh, and if you get an electric one, you need a blue extension cord. The blue ones are made for low temps and won't get stiff in the cold.

Thank you for this wonderful thread. With a crystal clear night the temperature here dropped into the 40s and we probably won't make it to 70 in the shade until almost noon, making it necessary to bask in the sun.

One thing I love about approaching winter is that people start talking like they're snakes, needing to find a warm sunny rock to bask on.

When I lived up north, I had three different snow blowers. Two were very good and easy to use, they were the large, steel jobs with electric start and cut a 20"+ path.
I also had one TORO, plastic housing with paddles and a two cycle motor. Starting a two cycle motor with oil mixed with gasoline in the winter was always an adventure. I sold it to a guy who stored it in a relatively warm area so it would be easy to start.
The two big steel jobs looked like they would be difficult to maneuver, but they are not difficult at all. You will have an 8 horsepower motor pulling the blower and doing all the work. It's not reasonable to evaluate how a snowblower works/handles without the motor running. If I ever move back up north, and it looks like that might happen, I will buy another large steel two stage blower. As I recall, these units sold in the $600-$800 range. Oh, one more thing. Some of the really expensive brands that sell for $2000 are really nice and have special options and will last a really long time. Unless you have a commercial operation, you don't need to spend that much. My last blower cost around $750 and worked perfectly.

Oh, I almost forgot...my Troy bilt has electric hand warmers built into the grips.

Laugh all you want, I like 'em!

Oh, I almost forgot...my Troy bilt has electric hand warmers built into the grips.

Laugh all you want, I like 'em!

I would assume it also has a head lamp. Does it have a blinky on the rear? BTW - I didn't know they made a recumbent...

Nah... you need a PTO-driven 2-stage 47" on the front of your Big Green tractor.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/media/images/attachment/ut/feature/47blower_420505_1col.jpg

Never turn down an opportunity to acquire more power toys. Me, I've got 700' of driveway and even a big walk-behind would take forever.

If you don't get a lot of snow, a small 3-HP single stage that can cut a 20-24" swath will work just fine. Yes it's work to use it, but it doesn't have to be hard on your shoulder (sez the guy who had rotator cuff problems in the past.)

Nah... you need a PTO-driven 2-stage 47" on the front of your Big Green tractor.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/media/images/attachment/ut/feature/47blower_420505_1col.jpg

Never turn down an opportunity to acquire more power toys. Me, I've got 700' of driveway and even a big walk-behind would take forever.

If you don't get a lot of snow, a small 3-HP single stage that can cut a 20-24" swath will work just fine. Yes it's work to use it, but it doesn't have to be hard on your shoulder (sez the guy who had rotator cuff problems in the past.)

When you in the great white north, only a real snow blower will do.

http://earthweb.ess.washington.edu/~bo/blogphotos/yanmar.jpg

I laugh at all the trouble y'all seem to have with snowblowers. I solved that problem years ago. Of course I only have two driveways. One is three cars long by three cars wide and the other is one wide by two long. Then I have a deck and a patio. They all get shoveled by hand.

Not too bad before the fuel oil delivery truck parks in the driveway. Or other vehicles pack down the snow. Our snow is very dry so until it is packed it is fairly easy to shovel. Once it is packed it becomes hard pack and has to be chipped off with a maul. A snowblower wouldn't touch the hardpack.

Besides; I get some good exercise. I used to have shoulder problems from a series of incidents. Now, thanks to a good weight program and lots of shoveling that is behind me.

Just came in the house from shoveling another 4" of the white stuff. I shoveled and chipped off the hardpack yesterday but it snowed overnight. I did get a break though. A guy down the street saw me finishing up the second driveway and moved the curbside snow pile with his FourWheeler and blade. I didn't object.

I reread my prior post and maybe I came across a bit abrupt. I posted in the perspective that we are all athletes of a sort. We go to gyms and indulge in training programs to improve our fitness. Yet, when nature gives us something that could be used we immediately start thinking of power tools, not the "original kind" either. That has always seemed to me to be a bit illogical.

For those who are old and/or frail I can understand using a machine other than the one we were given at birth. But, from what I can glean from posts in this thread there are many of those here. We may have a few aches and pains and maybe not be able to move very fast. But, we can use the opportunity nature gave us to maintain and improve.

Go to Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, or Sears and see if you can move a snowblower around on the show floor. If you can't move it around there with the power off, you won't be able to operate it in your driveway.

I had an electric Toro "power shovel" when I owned a house that had narrow stairways between the front and back. Even a small gas snowblower would have been difficult. It was a little underpowered for Minnesota but if you were patient it did a good job.

After that I moved to a house with a driveway on a hill and bought a 10hp Yard Machine which has worked great for the past 11 years because I change the oil every season.

Some snowblowers use paddles. They get right down to the concrete and leave a nice, clean surface but they can't handle heavy stuff. You might be fine with, say, a Snow Pup. With metal augers you can handle more snow but your driveway isn't as clean. Whatever you do, make sure the darn thing isn't too wide. Getting a 30 inch wide blower is great for your driveway but probably useless if your path to the front door is only 24 inches wide.

Oh, and if you get an electric one, you need a blue extension cord. The blue ones are made for low temps and won't get stiff in the cold.



My sister in law is looking at the electric shovel...... is it worth it ?

I reread my prior post and maybe I came across a bit abrupt. I posted in the perspective that we are all athletes of a sort. We go to gyms and indulge in training programs to improve our fitness. Yet, when nature gives us something that could be used we immediately start thinking of power tools, not the "original kind" either. That has always seemed to me to be a bit illogical.

For those who are old and/or frail I can understand using a machine other than the one we were given at birth. But, from what I can glean from posts in this thread there are many of those here. We may have a few aches and pains and maybe not be able to move very fast. But, we can use the opportunity nature gave us to maintain and improve.

I can understand feeling as you do - it is easy to judge someone's activities when you don't walk a mile in their shoes.
Could I shovel my drive - yes, do I have time to shovel my drive, not always. Many times folks on this forum who are retired forget about what little time us working folk have. Without a machine, if it snows when I am out of town on work my wife would have to shovel the drive, she has done this before and it usually throws her back out and she is in pain for several weeks. If it snows a foot unexpectedly at night, I can't afford an extra hour or two getting into work, if I just drive over it my drive will ice up and I won't be able to make it up the hill.

So although I did not even look at your original post negatively, this second post made me realize just how out of touch some folks are.