Removing Snow From Driveway - Best Long Term Solution?

[Harry K]

I was in a military trainign program at Syracuse U 1967/68 winter. Hit with a lake effect snowstorm that closed the city for an entire week. Parking lot was a smooth, unbroken layer with drifts on top. Not even car antennas were poking out. We fell out and hand shoveled out to the city road - almost a 1/4 mile. Shovel until you heard a clunk, clear a bay, clear around the vehicle, push it into the bay and continue on.

Was fun then but I wouldn't want to repeat it.

Now that I think back, it may have been my earlier tour which would have been 65/66.

Harry K

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

Then one wonders what you "have seen". The single stage blowers are slower in deep [over 1 foot] snow-- but they are far from useless. And in general they are less prone to clog in wet snow, or snow that has to be thrown twice, like a deep turnaround.

Once frozen all bets are off-- but I regularly do a huge plow berm with both single and 2 stage blowers. The 2 stage has the advantage of being propelled under power-- the single stage is less likely to clog.

I'm with you on 'buy a car' being a silly idea. For me, the $3-400 for a blower buys a whole lot of independence for the odd times that snow falls in his part of the world.

Jim

[hallerb]

buy a tractor to cut grass, add a plow for snow.

[HerHusband]

Jim,

Thanks again for the info on the 1800. I'm thinking I'll probably end up ordering one, as all the alternatives seem too expensive or just plain overkill for my needs.

I wish I could run down to the store and see one in person, but I checked several stores and no one around here carries snow blowers of any kind. Heck, Home Depot was the only place I could even find a snow shovel in stock. Obviously, snow is not usually a big problem here. :)

Assuming the 1800 breaks the first time I use it, is there a place you recommend for purchasing replacement parts?

Of course, we're heading towards the end of our snow season, so if I do buy one, it'll probably just sit in the shed till next winter. Bummer. :) Knowing my luck, we'll go through another several years of nothing but dustings.

Anthony

[Harry K]

Hmmm...now why did it take this long for that to be suggested. Not a bad solution for light snow areas such as his except for that plow berm. Dunno how good one of those would be in his area.

When my old (and I do mean oollllddd) 'blower died and I went shopping early Jan that was what the John Deere dealer suggested (he had no 'blowers). I had been there before 30 years ago with my Bolens. Found that it worked fine in light snows, useless in any deep ones. Of course back then the riders were in the 10 hp range. I did have the tires filled with liquid plus wheel weights plus chains though. When it comes to plows it is all about traction. where to push it to also comes up. Plow a couple times and then you are pretty much screwed unless you pushe the first one way back off the road.

Harry K

[Pete C.]

It's called "insurance", the same thing happens when you get a generator, you won't have a power failure for several years, even if the power was out every other day before you bought the generator.

[RedOne77]

Let it melt

[timbirr]

GORSCH, read thru most of this thread...have pretty much the same situation....1000 foot elevation, in Oregon, infrequent snow, etc, except it is downhill to the county road.

As other posters have said.... BFD, buy a set of quick-install diamond tir chains from Les Schwab. Run down the road a few times during the storm and immediately after to chop up the snow and keep it driveable. Put the chains on...takes no more than about 10 minutes once you are used to it. Drive your 1/4 mile, take the chains off -- takes about five minutes.

Repeat for the return trip. At 1,000 feet, most years the snow melts pretty quickly. If it gets too bad, take a snow day or two or call someone to plow...

[Me]

[e-mail] wrote in news:c5968676-2dd4-4897-8bdb- [e-mail]:

I think the OP would pass out or die if he had to deal with it snowing on a daily basis. hey, guy, step up and take care of it and stop crying here like a girl.

[PaPaPeng]

Another idea that has been buzzing in my head. I used to have one of those mechanical walk behind push lawn mowers that had spiral cutter blades. It was hard work but good exercise for someone young. The larger snow throwers use an archimedean screw. Shouldn't it be possible to have a 5hp to 10 hp gas engine powered unit where one can replace the snow thrower a-screw with a spiral grass cutter assembly?. Maybe it will need a different pulley and some extra shielding but that's no big job.. That way we won't need two separate machines.

[HerHusband]

Oh... no... I'm a wimpy girly man... I'm too delicate to shovel snow. Oops, I broke a nail... I need a hug.

Geez, at six feet and 210 pounds, I'm quite capable of shoveling snow, thank you very much. And for what it's worth, it's practically been snowing here on a daily basis since Christmas. And yes, I've been out there every day shoveling, including four hours last Sunday.

But just because I can, doesn't mean I don't have better things to do with my time and money.

I'm so glad you responded. I would never have figured it out without YOUR help. Thank you so much.

I'm feeling faint... Does this forum make me look fat?

Anthony

P.S. I ordered the Toro 1800 today. $297 delivered. Not a huge investment. Thanks everyone for the information and advice. I appreciate it.

[Harry K]

Interesting. I was playing with a 'plug n play' type set up where just eh head was removed and a 'bush hog' type mower plugged in. Not all that easy with the current ones as removing the blower head is not a quick operation.

Harry K

[aemeijers]

Sore chuckle. I, a couple of hours ago, came close to damaging my middle-age office-worker body clearing the wall of ice the plow guys left blocking my driveway. Not deep, only about an 8-inch snowfall over an inch of ice, so the dam was only about 18" high, and maybe 2 feet wide. But being almost above freezing, it was totally waterlogged, and it felt like shoveling wet concrete. I knew it would be frozen solid by morning, so ignoring it was not an option. I was getting sudden flashes of how they used to clear ice jams on rivers, to avoid taking out bridges- dynamite. Too bad you can't buy that in the hardware stores around here any more... :^/

aem sends...

[Harry K]

Looking at mch the same problem this morning. It was predicted but I went to bed praying they were wrong. Snow/wind started about 6 pm with the snow coming horizontal. I shoveled a path twice to the woodshed for wood. They said it would turn warm and rain by morning. It did. I am now faced with a 100'x30' drive covered with drifts and a plow berm. All wet. After breakfast it will on the 'blower and work away at it.

Harry K

[hallerb]

do note running a snowblower is nearly as much work as shoveling...........

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

If all you have is an inch of dry snow, I agree.

If, OTOH, you have more than 6 inches, dry, or 3 inches, wet, I think you need a new snowblower.

Lessee, walk up and down my driveway 10 times, or shovel several tons? . .. I'll take the walk, thankyou. [and I have to walk *up* and

*down* my driveway- a rise of about 15 feet in 150]

Jim

[Nexus7]

Since you are used to shoveling, consider a Wovel with gravel wheels. Much safer, and less effort.

[Harry K]

s and

blower and

?? Not in my experience. Whether the snow is a few inches or a bunch I have always (even with my old, small blower) finished the drive far faster than shoveling. That it is work =3D no argument there. As much as shoveling? - not even close.

Harry K

[Harry K]

You have to be kidding!

I don't have a cite for them but have seen one demonstrated recently.

Harry K

[Nexus7]

Uh no, I'm not kidding.

You've seen one demonstrated, and what?

'Cause I've moved 12" drifts, and wet heavy snow with one of these, and that is the reason for my comments.

Have you used one, or are you just armchair babbling?