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Dave Lehnert
02-10-2010, 1:53 PM
After the heavy snow here on the east coast and knowing someone who dropped dead after shoveling snow. thought I would post this.

three years ago I had to dig out the drive after a huge snow to get to work. Using just a shovel I was whipped. Decided I needed to get a snow thrower. I did not like the idea of a gas unit. You know how it goes. You need it and it wont start.
Long story short I got an electric unit by Toro and it works better than anyone would think. Best $300 ever spent.
Hope this may help someone to decide to get a blower and save themselves from a heart attack.

This is my 100 foot drive before and after with about 6" of snow. It took 6min, YES, 6Min to clear it. And I had to untangle the cord in that time.


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Roger Newby
02-10-2010, 2:02 PM
I've got a gas powered Ariens and a son to run it:D

Tom Godley
02-10-2010, 2:34 PM
I was in college in 1983 during that el nino and I remember the mid 90's el nino -- I was taking no chances on this one and bought a snow blower in October!

Myk Rian
02-10-2010, 2:40 PM
I finally got some serious use out of mine today.
Bought a 7hp MTD 10 years ago.

Dean Karavite
02-10-2010, 2:43 PM
I will admit here to the dumbest thing I did all year. Yes, last November I sold my snow blower. It hasn't snowed worth a dime here in Philly for years so I thought I would clear out some space in the garage. Funny, but at the time there were hundreds on Craigs list and the pricing was competitive. That has all changed!

Al Willits
02-10-2010, 4:48 PM
I live in Minn, we have two.....one 8hp Ariens and a small gas powered shovel, no problems ever starting them though.

100' in 6 minutes??
Your a faster man than I am sir...:D

Al

Logan William
02-10-2010, 6:01 PM
Best 350 bucks I've spent this year was on a 1975 Ariens 8 HP 26" blower after the first 16" snow nailed me in the house I had closed on less than 3 weeks prior. Country house, 350' long driveway....drifted solid. Thankfully one of the neighbors pushed it out with their tractor and I picked up the blower the following day on CL. Starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull(has elec assist if its reallly really cold) and works like a champ. Just need to put new tires on it and it'd be almost perfect.

JohnT Fitzgerald
02-10-2010, 6:10 PM
Ariens makes a great machine. I had to "fix" my F-I-L's 8HP Ariens since he let it just sit for a few years with gas in it (no stabilizer). Minor carb rebuild and oiled/adjusted everything - compared to my old MTD, it's build like a tank! No wonder they last a long time. I really debated buying it from him and selling mine (which can be high maintanance but has never let me down), but a friend of ours needed one - and my FIL needed the $$, so he got the Ariens.

Everyone seems to have opinions about the best way to maintain them, but I've found that keeping Stabil in the fuel at all times in all my gas-powered equipment is the best move. I usually leave fuel in the tank, just turn it off and run it till the carb empties, and then store it for the season. Invariably it starts on the second or third pull when I pull it out for the winter.

Myk Rian
02-10-2010, 7:02 PM
I drain the gas and run the carb dry. Always worked for me with the snow thrower, lawn tractor, weed whip, chain saws, and outboard boat motors.

Harry Hagan
02-10-2010, 7:44 PM
I’ve been using the leaf blower to clear away snow this year. This probably won’t work heavy wet snow but so far it has been dry and fluffy. Sure beats a shovel.

Jim Becker
02-11-2010, 10:33 PM
I was in college in 1983 during that el nino and I remember the mid 90's el nino -- I was taking no chances on this one and bought a snow blower in October!

I'll certainly stick with the big orange power tool (Kubota) for this property and the many hundreds of feet of driveway plus parking areas, but if I had a smaller place, a snow blower would be a nice thing to have. I can see that a snow blower will be perfect for your place near here given the way the driveway is configured!

Mike Cruz
02-11-2010, 11:59 PM
After our 22" storm just before Christmas, I found a used PTO blower for my JD tractor. It was at the dealer and a mere $1600. I was pretty convinced we should get it, but the discussions between my wife and I about it fell to the way side. After the 30" we got over the weekend and another 18" or so (who knows how much we really got...10" in some spots, 5 foot drifts in others) yesterday...I WILL get one!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom Godley
02-12-2010, 3:10 PM
Jim - I could use your Kubota I have been kinda looking for a used one. The snow-blower is for my place in NJ -- where I have been stuck !!! In NJ we have endless side walks

One of my neibors has a plow on his truck -- he takes care of the BC drive for me. I hope its open -- I'll see in a few hours-!!