In previous winters, I’ve had a guy come and plow my driveway. This year he has moved, and I’m considering getting a snow blower, which I’ve never used before. How hard are they to handle if there’s, say, a couple feet of snow?
Ha, used the damned things for years. First of all, it all depends upon the snow. Dry, fluffy stuff can be thrown a long way, but you’ll find, to your dismay, that if there is a headwind, you will come in the house looking like a snowman. You’ll be covered from head to toe with the white stuff.
If it is heavy, deep and wet snow, lottsa luck. It may throw it a few feet, or it may just dump it at your feet on the area you already cleared. It will also clog up the impeller so you have to stop, turn it off, and clear out the mass of snow often.
Best advice is to keep clearing the drive frequently, not letting it get too deep. You probably don’t have as much snow in Ohio as we did in Vermont (200 inches a year average), so it might work better for you.
If you do get one, don’t skimp and get an underpowered el cheapo, and be sure to get a dual-system witjh separate front screw and inside impeller to throw the stuff out
We lived where there was no truck available, but hey, if I were you, I’d keep the guy to plow out the drive and forget the snow blower. OTOH,who knows, you may actually enjoy it. 
This really isn’t a helpful link - but… I’ve heard that this model of snowblower is actually pretty good in all sorts of conditions.
That’s good advice. Most will be advertised as dual stage.
Also, if you’re expecting much snow, you’ll probably want a self propelled blower.
I’m going to kind of disagree with this. If you live in a house with a narrow driveway, or live someplace where you don’t get much snow, get a smaller single stage snowblower. With a narrow driveway, you can run up and down it the long way, never getting far from the edge. In that case, you don’t need to throw the snow very far.
Also keep in mind, a 2 stage snowblower is much harder to manhandle around the driveway. If the snow/driveway size don’t call for it, then the extra work of convincing the snowblower to go where you want to, and not where it wants it, isn’t worth it. I’m not small, but our 2 stage snowblower can drag me all over the driveway if I’m not expecting it, and ours isn’t that large of a 2 stage.
I’m thinking about buying my first snow blower. Tell me everything I need to know, especially how easy/hard they are to use.
Thanks.
First, they come in all sizes. Unless you are planning on using it once in the winter to clean off a light dusting, you need the wheels powered. Consider the area you will be plowing and the depth of snow you expect in the worse case and buy accordingly.
Even with the wheels powered, you may have to put some muscle behind it after a blizzard. If you have a very large area, get a plow attachment to your truck instead. You do have a 4-wheel drive truck, don’t you?
They can be expensive. And they need to be serviced at least once a year, usually just after the first snowfall when you can’t get it started.
Or you can pay someone with a bigger one to do your driveway for you. I hear Homer Simpson is going into the Mr. Plow business.
Is there a reason why you started two threads on essentially the same topic?
I’ve got a 10.5 HP MTD model. It’s self-propelled, which is highly recommended. Also, I have electric start, which is also highly recommended. I don’t know what kind of snowfalls you average in Ohio. I’ve probably had it cut through up to 3 feet of snow with no issues. Might be overkill for you?
The yearly servicing for me consists of changing the oil and lubing anything that moves or pivots. Mine is, maybe 7 or 8 years old and it works like a charm.
MOD: PLEASE CLOSE ONE OF THESE THREADS!!!
I swear the other one disappeared, then magically reappeared.
It just got stuck in the snow-blower chute.
(PS- Don’t go lower than a 5HP straight-gas engine. Chainsaw 2-stroke engines with oil-fuel mixing are a waste of money on a snow-blower.)
They are expensive to have aroud and their world will eventually come crashing down around them.
Get heated handles!!! I didn’t and when I have to clear the driveway to get to work in the morning and my hands get numb, having to run inside, w/ the snowblower still running trying to warm up my hands enough to get out there again while they painfully get back to regular temperature…
Um in short get the heated handles
I went ahead and merged both threads.
I’ve got a Sears 2 stage 27" 8 hp 6 speed with plug in electric start (ac plugs in). I could probably tunnel through my house with it. If the snow is light it will throw it 30 feet in the air. It can be operated with both wheels driven or pull an axle pin and use it with one wheel.
6 forward gears are not necessary, as you would never plow in high gear. The upper gears are for transporting from 1 place to another.
What I would recommend:
Buy only as much blower as you need. If you have a large driveway then look at the larger 2 stage models. What will make the unit easy to handle is the position of the handles. My unit is fairly tall and the handles come straight back. It would be easier if the handles were 90 degrees (facing out sideways). I find it awkward to pull the engaging levers down and hold onto the unit due to the height and position of the handles. As for the electric start, it’s a nice feature but the blower comes with a choke and a primer so it starts with no problems.
I definitely recommend a two stage with electric start. Don’t get a wimpy one with a two cycle engine that you have to mix the gas and oil for. I also recommend that the first thing you do is take off the wheels, take them to a tire dealer, and have them put tubes in the tires for you. That way if you turn it just wrong and pop the bead, you won’t have a flat which will stop you dead in the snow. Power propelled- yes. Another feature to look for is a chute director lever that you can control from the pushing position. Some of the wimpy ones you have to stop and move it by hand. The great thing about having a two stage is that if you wait for your neighbor to get done before you start, you can go out and aim your snow at his driveway!