Snowblower advice?

[mzteris]

I need to buy a snowblower. I'm in Southern Wisconsin - so sometimes a LOT of snow at once. I don't have that much "area" to clean, though. Short driveway and sidewalk in front of house.

Any advice?

I want it as inexpensive as possible while still:
reliable.
easy.
durable.

Is it possible to have all four?

I can't really afford the expensive ones, but I don't want to buy a cheap one I have to replace next year, either. Or one that won't get the job done.

Please help. They're calling for MORE SNOW! aaaagggggghhhhh

[MissMillie]

1. would a power shovel do?

http://www.gosale.com/4938321/toro-power-shovel-electric?gclid=COe3sPX_jpACFUWoGgodDEOpsw

[mzteris]

2. I don't know -

I'm a "southern girl" and I don't know ANYTHING about snow removal products (except shovels maybe, and my son tells me *that* is the wrong kind, too. :sigh:)

They look okay to me :shrug: but how well do they work and how well do they hold up?


I CAN'T shovel. My kids have NO TIME to do it - especially if it snows during the night and there's school that morning. If only I could make it snow just on the weekends. lol...

[XNASA]

3. Get thee to Sears.

A couple of years ago, I bought a 21" single-stage Craftsman with a Briggs and Stratton motor. No problems. Usually starts on the first or second pull. It's big enough to clear 8" of heavy snow, but small enough so that it doesn't take up much space in the shed. I think it cost about $175, though it was on sale.

I live in northern Illinois.

I can't believe I'm giving out snowblower advice.

[mzteris]

7. The good thing about Sears -

I have a their charge card. . .

Thanks for the info!

[XNASA]

17. Oops. I've was a little off on the price.

It was about $275. But it is on sale right now, marked down about $90.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07188140000P?vName=Lawn+%26+Garden&cName=Snow+Equipment&sName=Snow+Throwers%2C+Gas

[PeaceNikki]

4. Can you buy used? There are a lot of retired folks who make a "living" fixing up old ones.

Poke around on Craigslist or ask around? Check local papers?

[mzteris]

9. good idea.

I'll check around. But I'm still not sure what KIND/type to buy. . .

[Frosty1]

5. We bought this one

http://www.amazon.com/Toro-18-Inch-Electric-Thrower-38025/dp/B00005OQMG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1196786731&sr=8-1

It is lightweight and easily handles 10 to 12 inches of snow in northern Minnesota.

[mzteris]

10. hmmmmm - that looks good

I would have never thought it would handle that much snow, though. Thanks for letting me know how it works. If it works in northern Minnesota, it'll probably work here, too!

[Blue Diadem]

6. We've had two, one so big I could never use it.

We got the bigger one about 10 yrs ago. It was one of those with power driven wheels but it was still so big I could never maneuver it to even get it started. We gave it to our Son and DIL when they bought their house last year.

I prefer using our old one that is smaller but also has an electric start. I can't pull those darn starter cords anymore due to upper back/shoulder issues so it's been perfect. It's 20 yrs old and still working great. (knock on wood!)

DH usually does the snow if he's home but even he appreciated our son taking the big one.


http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/brand/yard_machines.php?source=goog&kw=mtd+snow+blowers&gclid=CPv40cCAj5ACFTaEOAod5nTbuQ

We had bought our first at Montgomery Ward way back, but MTD was the manufacturer. We have #4 on the page..or at least the version of that from 20 yrs ago. They haven't changed much. #5 is the one that was too big.

Look around, you should be able to find better prices than what is on the MTD page.

[mzteris]

11. I definitely need a lighter one.

Good point about the starter. I have a hard time with the lawnmower so I'd probably have any more trouble with a snowblower (being cold and all.)

[krispos42]

8. Get something with electric start

You plug the end of an outdoor extension cord into the snowblower, give it full throttle and choke, press the primer bulb a couple of times, then just press the "Start" button until it turns over. No cords to yank, which is especially hard to turn over on a cold morning!

I used a John Deere snowblower when I lived in South Dakota, and had good results with it. I think it was between 20 and 24 inches wide. It had powered wheeles, which makes doing the snow a breeze. 5 or seven forward speeds (up to a fast walk) and two reverse. Squeeze the clutch, and you were off!

The clutch for the drive was on one handle, and the clutch for the auger was on the other, but there was an interlock system so that as long as you held down the drive clutch the auger would stay on as well. This let you adjust the discharge chute on the fly, an important feature to avoid things like windows.

I don't know how much it cost, though. I was a caretaker, so I just used it and bought gas for it.

Oh, and get some extra shear pins for the auger.

[mzteris]

12. I just read that

Electric starter - check!

I'm not sure about the rest of what you said, though. I'll just have to take your word for it. :)
It's good information to have, though.

[krispos42]

16. It had powered wheels and a gearshift, so you could select the speed

I think I usually had it in 4th gear, which was a slow walking pace.

One lever would engage the auger, which is what grabs the snow and forces it at high speed out of the discharge shoot. The John Deere would throw the snow like 20 or 30 feet! :-)

And one lever would engage the powered wheels, so you basically just walked behind it and steered. It was simpler than it sounds.

The shear pins are bolt that hold the auger to the engine. If you hit something that tries to jam the auger (like a rock or big chunk of ice) the shear pins break at predetermined points so that you don't ruin anything expensive, like the auger, the engine, or the transmission.

But then you need to install new ones. Takes a couple of minutes and a wrench, but it's not a big deal if you have the parts handy! As I learned the hard way... :-)

[flvegan]

13. My mom had a Craftsman for several years.

I know...I had to put it together. Electric start, reliable as hell. She was in her late 60's in MA and had no problems moving it around, etc.

Needless to say, she's happy she's in Florida now.

[mzteris]

15. Best advice yet.

MOVE TO FLORIDA!!!!

:rofl:

[One_Life_To_Give]

14. Depends on weight of snow

I would favor advice of locals as they are familiar with the type and amounts of snow you will get. Also you need to factor how quickly do you want to be able to clear the snow and how much will the operator be able to muscle the machine.

My own experience is that power shovels and other small machines without power drive are difficult to push with more than 4-6 inches of powder. Less if you have heavy wet snow conditions. And are almost useless if you have 10+ inches of heavy wet stuff.