Dead in a ditch. MUCH better than a hospital bed. If I had my choice, I'd go the way Nelson Rockefeller died, in the saddle. I'd settle for having a shovel in my hands though, considering the more common alternatives.
net cop wrote: "- show quoted text - Dead in a ditch. MUCH better than a hospital bed. If I had my choice, I'd go the way Nelson Rockefeller died, in the saddle. I'd settle for having a shovel in my hands though, considering the more common alternatives.
Just like Chevy and GMC are a trim and nameplate change...some of MTD models may be...
No, I don't intend the blower to clear ice...I want to remove the snow before it packs down and turns to ice :o)
Funny, I had both those experiences. Leaving gas in it fouling the carb and the newspapers. Newspaper thing is really bad. You can check the driveway before a storm, then go out the next morning and not even think that the delivery guy chucked it somewhere and it's now buried. Have extra shear bolts for sure....
Well, since there is no menu to choose from, I'd not want to die shoveling, especially if I'm alone, all the neighbors are at work, and I'm down on a cold driveway waiting for someone to find me. Of course, shoveling 8' of wet snow from 50' of driveway is cheaper than a cardiac stress test and you can do it at home ;o)
Per Dan Espen:
Sometimes I think I'd pay for a service:
- I go in to be IQ-tested two or three times a year.
- Nobody ever tells me if I pass or fail.
- Two failures in a row, and the contract goes out: Whatever it is, it's quick, it's relatively painless, and I never see it coming.
That's wrong but please no politics! Wrong freaking group.
Had a nastier than normal winter last year. A friend was out with his sons shovelling the driveway. 55 I think. Didn't make it back in for supper. And he was in pretty good shape - played squash and raquet ball and golf. Not overweight.
I'm only 3.45 north of that.
And subject them to hurricaines and tornadows instead for half the year. We are in Ontario's "Tornado Alley" (actually I'm about 12 miles or so south-east of the normal track) and we genrally see about 7 a year in central Ontario, and another 6 or 7 in the east. Total of about 80 in all of canada, compared to 1300 in the USA, The deadliest in Canada killed 28, compared to almost 700 in the central states (indiana/missouri, Illinois - 1925)
I'll take the odd blizzard and ice storm.
Sounds like the start of a business plan.
Nice when neighbors cooperate and help each other. A couple of neighbors and I take care of each others when needed. When the folks across the street were away for a weekend and it snowed, they came home to a clean driveway.
Neighbor in the back has a riding mower that is more than what he really needs, so for fun, he cuts my lawn too.
If you're only working on a 50ft driveway, I'd recommend an electric one. No screwing around with bad gas after it sits in the summer, no hard starting when you're real cold, no running out of gas, and not being able to drive to get some until the roads are plowed, and all the other problems with gas units. All you need is a 50ft. cord (made for cold weather), and the blower....
When neighbor hit the paper, it was a mess. He came over to look my unit over to make sure he got his back in its original condition thinking he bent the blades.
Gas problem was either ethanol attacking the seals as their is a caution in the manual not to use it. That's all that is available around here. Newer units may not have this problem.
I'm told there is also the potential for gas to evaporate from the carburetor gumming it up.
PITA with all small engines with long inactive periods in keeping them clear. Best to run these engines dry.
snipped-for-privacy@spamblocked.com:
Simple solution to bad gas off season: Never completely fill the tank of the mower or blower.
Better to make frequent stops for refills than leave gas in the tank for more than one month at a stretch.
A couple thoughts on this: better quality machines have carb bowls with a drain; also, additives change seasonally and may not start well in Winter.
This is all true, except for the part about "not completely filling the tank" (that depends on how much gas it takes for the job). But no matter how careful people are with this stuff, no one is always able to, or remembers to do all the stuff we're supposed to do. After spending a few hours out in the cold blowing snow, the last thing I want to do is poss around with draining gas or adding additives. And it's almost a guarantee, that once Spring comes, few prople even think about their snow blower.
It's the same (in reverse) with lawn mowers, chain saws and warm weather gas engines. I know for fact that if I spend a day cleaning up fallen trees after a storm, the last thing I want to do is piss around with my chain saw gas when I'm done. I just want dinner and a couch or bed to relax in.
Many people know what we're supposed to do, but we're not all human and facing life's challenges. Details like this are forgotten or postponed until it's too late. It's too bad these engines cant automatically drain their gas and flush out their carbs after use, but that's not available or practical.
I personally prefer a sturdy (no maintenance) electric snow blower and the same for chainsaws, weed whackers, etc. As far as lawn mowers go, I still use gas engines. Chopping up cords is part of the reason, but I have to mow far beyond the length of most cords anyhow.
My father had a gas powered snow blower. In warm weather we'd check it, and it would start right away. We would add gas stabilizer, drain it, and all the stuff required. As soon as it came time to blow snow, the damn thing would never start. It almost seemed like it was made to not start in the cold.
He had that thing in the repair shop numerous times, we rebuilt the carb more than once too, plus changed the spark plug and other stuff. About all that thing seemed to do was waste money, while he and myself shoveled snow. That's when the rest of the family, bought dad an electric snow blower for Christmas. It worked well, and always ran when needed. He used it for years, until he was no longer able to clear snow (due to his health). Then I used it, until it finally burned out, years later. I'd probably have one now, but I have a farm tractor with a loader for snow cleanup. About the only thing the tractor cant do is the porch and a 15 foot sidewalk. I just shovel that little bit....
You call this living?
I agree. I like my electric chain saw, my electric lawn mower, electric weedwacker, electric hedge trimmer, electric drill, electric saw, electric radio. I never change the oil or fill them up with gas, or change the spark plug or pull the cord, yet somehow they start.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.