Snow Blowers?

I see many models for sell. I see them for sell at stores near me. I *never see any being used?

How common are they in your locality? Most everything is shoveled and plowed here where I am.

I just looked and Husqvarna has over a dozen different models.

Snow on the ground this morning has me curious.

 

I have and use pretty much exclusively an Ariens with a 30 inch cut. Have had it for over 10 years with no issues other than maintenance that weren’t my fault. For my situation with fairly flat paved driveway it does the best job. Im not really set up for a plow without back dragging. I do have a plow that goes on the kubota but have only used it once.

If it died today I’d go get another one in a heartbeat.

 

I don't recall any winter that I haven't needed to use the snowblower.

Private residence w\~125 ft driveway, plus clearing snow to access compost bins and woodyard.

I wouldn't want to do it by hand with a shovel.

 

I use a small, 16" toro every time I clear snow. I use it for the large concrete approach in front of the garage and deck. Then I use the L3800 with a 7ft snow pusher for everything else. My nephew next door uses a walk behind 2 stage blower as does my brother. The brothers is tracked. I purchased it new many years ago and eventually my dad eneded up with it, then my brother. Another neighbor uses a kubota BX2360 with front blower on 3 different driveways of his relatives. Its a mix out here of blowers vs plowing but plowing seems to be more prevalent the last several years.

 

I have a 28" 8hp 2 stage "Wizard" (Western Auto) that gets used every year or two...our drives are short and I don't worry about cleaning the snow off unless we get a lot...which doesn't happen every year in NEO anymore. That said, you see them used a lot by many people in town, and smaller properties in the country.
The wimpy winters we get now means you can buy a nice used snowblower for cheap (unless its right after a storm) on FBMP, or CL.
Because of soft sales many places don't stock many/any snowblowers anymore...I think I saw 4 out front of bLowes the other day, they usually have a whole fleet of them (and log splitters too...didn't see a one of those!)

 

So far it looks like the NE uses them with gusto. I live fairly rural. Maybe the city folk have them and I don't see them. But their drives are all short and we only get ankle deep or better maybe once a year. It would not be economically sound for someone here to spend a couple thousand on one new, but they must because the box stores have them for sale. I'm pretty sure you can call one of the outfits and they'll come and do it for $50.

Now I'm wondering if there is a connection to where they are popular in regards to snow machines also being popular (definately not here, not even when I was a kid).

 

They used to be here...don't see many now! Mine hasn't been out in a loooong time

 

Great timing of this post. I just replaced the bearings in the PTO assembly on the blower unit.

You guys need to live in this God forsaken state.

BTW, men don't need no stinkin cab either.

 

It looks like we have similar amounts of snow on the ground. We've gotten 20" or more since the day before Thanksgiving. No cab on my tractor either. Lol

 

Hmmm, what do snowblowers and snowmobiles have in common?

 

That pic was from years back. Sunday I blew about 6" of wet concrete snow.

 

In NEO...? Spider webs and mouse nests!

 

It’s been like that around here for the last 5 or so years anyway. We get snow but the ground never freezes and most storms have been ending with rain so that makes it real fun, still can get the machines out and bomb around a bit tho. And there are always lakes to ride on unless you have one of those fancy new sleds that need snow to cool. Then you are traveling north or bummin.

 

See my pic 72” meteor That’s the beast
I also have Honda push blower on tracks 15 years old it will get it DONE.. Kubota is a faster

 

I can't explain how robbed I felt growing up with no snow machines around. I knew of them only from TV and print. We did have snow to ride on most winters. ATVs are ok but seems I did more pushing and unsticking than riding many times.

 

Not to rub it in but my winter outer gear always smelled like 2 stroke. I my first sled was an Elan the air box was long gone and the cabs would sit gas directly out at your chest. 2stroke smoke in the frosty air is a comforting odor!
I feel robbed that we had it and don’t really anymore, Dang cow farts!

 

I guess it wasn’t an elan, was like this. Heavy as a school bus and the horsepower of a lawnmower! Those were the days, I couldn’t ride it off the property till I could start it myself. Starting it wasn’t the problem, as an 8 yo I couldn’t muscle it out when Bertha slid off the trail. Dad and I took a few long quite walks to rescue it…

 

Dang tanks!
The shop I worked at was formerly a skidoo dealer, there was some old dude that still brought machines similar to that in for service sometimes...a more modern air cooled sled (like 80s Yamahas) were sooo much lighter!

 

lol! My next sled was an Enticer that thing felt like a feather! By far my favorite so far.

 

Most people have snow blowers around here. I've got about 150' of sloped driveway to maintain plus the sidewalk in the front of my house (city property-my responsibility) the walkways in the front/rear of the house, and a sizeable back deck. Too much to shovel everything so I need equipment. Last year I grenaded the transmission on my tractor plowing with it, so this year I picked up a used Craftsman machine for $25. The motor had no compression so a 6.5hp Predator engine for $150 was the solution. It's only a 23" machine but it beats shoveling.