Snow Blowers

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donut757

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 3, 2011
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City & State/Province
East Coast, VA
First off, i live near the coast in VA.... we get 1/2" and everything is shut down and people go crazy. Not like some that deal with multiples storms dropping feet of snow at a times.


Im looking at getting an Electric Snow Blower. We have had snow the past two years, but normally you can count on it about every other year or so. That is the reason i have ZERO interest in a gas powered unit. I want to be able to take care of my driveway, sidewalks, and deck and be able to take care of my moms, grandparents, elderly neighbors, and other family members that may need help.


I have been doing a bit of reading and Stumbled upon the Toro Power Curve 1800. It seems itll do just fine for the small amount of snow we tend to get, just a few inches or so at a time. With the limited use electric is perfect solution and the prices are cheaper than gas powered.

If any body can give me some idea while trying to determine what blower to get that would be a huge help. I have really no idea other than what i have seen on youtube of the unit and some reviews..


Thanks for any tips or advice
 
I have found I can shovel snow faster than snow blowers and I get some exercise doing it.
 
We get a bit more snow north of you in MD, but a half inch of snow and people go crazy here too. Electric blowers are pretty much useless here so I don't have any experience with them. It seems like an electric is the way to go for you. If you buy one it probably won't snow this year anyway. :)
 
Rather than an electric, I'd take a hard look at one of the light-duty, single stage (paddle wheel type) gas powered blowers. It depends on the size of the area to be cleared, how long an extension cord would be needed, and where the available outlets are. My neighbor tried one of the electric ones to clear his deck, and quickly traded it on a gas powered one. With just a couple inches of snow, the electric was out of poop - it had to be inched along or it would stall. The gas powered blower works fine up to 4 inches or so; even more if it's the light, fluffy stuff.

I have a 10 hp 30" 2-stage Ariens.... might be a bit more than you need, but it will eat up a 20" snowfall without complaining.
 
coach said:
We get a bit more snow north of you in MD, but a half inch of snow and people go crazy here too. Electric blowers are pretty much useless here so I don't have any experience with them. It seems like an electric is the way to go for you. If you buy one it probably won't snow this year anyway. :)
Click to expand...
I live a bit north of Coach. This is from last year. My gas blower being used across the street from me by my neighbor.



Don't think an electric would work. The fellow, who's home is to the right of the photo, has an electric and it was useless last year. If it has to clear 1/2" to 1" the electric was OK but after it got deeper or heavier it just wasn't worth the effort.
So, that said, buy or electric and it will snow deep enough to reach your wallet. Buy a gas and you will get a coating. That is generally how things work out. :) :roll:
 
Those photos give me the heebie-jeebies! LOL!

A couple friends of mine who live in areas that see occasional light snow tell me the Toro gets the job done... The 1800 Power Curve seems to get good reviews, and is said to be close to the performance of a light duty gas machine. I agree that a gas machine in your case probably will be more trouble than its worth. (Bad gas, yada yada yada)

Might start there and see where your search leads!

Good luck!
Regards, Pete
 
From experience in an area that 's gets a lot of snow, paddle types create excessive negative pressure (suck)

If all you get is an inch or two of dry powdery snow you'll be good with a paddle. Once it get's wet and heavy they bog down and just barely spit it out of the chute.
 
32shooter said:
I have found I can shovel snow faster than snow blowers and I get some exercise doing it.
Click to expand...


If i want exercise ill go to the gym, but if its light snow a shovel will certainly be fine. If we get the 4-5" storm that is what im trying to get taken care of. Having to do 3 driveways, walkways, deck, and dog waste areas makes for a long day.... not to mention the neighbors i try to help out whenever i can..... That power curve is on top of list as of now, i have some time before it gets cold, or full year if dont get snow, but i wanna be prepared if we do get something.
 
An electric Toro will work fine, the harder you push the further it throws, the heavier the snow the harder you have to push. Also, be sure to have a good cold weather extension cord, a regular cord will get very stiff and you could lose amps through it if your cord isn't heavy enough.
 
Is anybody making battery powered snow blowers yet? With the advances in batteries it seems like someone might. Probably wouldn't be cheap though.
 
coach said:
Is anybody making battery powered snow blowers yet? With the advances in batteries it seems like someone might. Probably wouldn't be cheap though.
Click to expand...
Here is just one of many:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/EGO-21-in-56-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Single-Stage-Electric-Snow-Blower-with-2-5-0Ah-Batteries-SNT2102/207099229?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D28I-InsideGardenOther%7c&gclid=CM2u6peIrNACFdRMDQodYH4CKg&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
Have one of the Toro electric brooms for the deck and a 17hp Areins blower for the driveway (yes, we get real snow and not the piddly flurries that shut you southern guys down. :wink: :lol: For accumulations of light snow, the broom is fine up to 5" or so. More than that you just gotta go over the deck twice or do it in layers holding the broom up, doing a sweep than on the deck for sweep 2.
 
I wore out two gas powered two stage blowers in 22 years on S.E. Alaska. I tried a tracked model but went with rubber tired blowers with chains. If they'd offered three stage blowers then I'd have had one of them. I can't imagine using an electric blower the bother of dealing with a cord would be enough for me to avoid it. It's one thing with an corded lawn mower but a snow blower needs more power. Then there's the problem of the cord hiding in the snow.
 
.

I have a Toro, but it's a gas-driven paddle (single-stage) type - and find it's performance & reliability outstanding, here in coastal New England.

(especially since I cannot shovel snow any more, per my tor's & my green-eyed monster's orders)

I bought the narrow version, to be a perfect fit to my front walk's width.

For me, it was a trade-off: A wider unit would clear the driveway (about 75'x12') with less passes than the narrower unit, but would make clearing the front walk troublesome.

When I found out that wet snow tended to clog the chute, I started applying a silicone spray to the inside of the chute (after it's dry & before it's cold/snowing) - which keeps the clogging to a minimum.

(I just carry a commercial wood paint mixing paddle in my pocket while removing snow, for clearing/poking the occasional ice jam)

.
 
If you go the electric route don't by any of those cheap 16ga. extention cords because if the cord is over a 100ft. long you will be getting a lot of voltage drop at the blowerend. It could go from115 volts at the outlet down to 90 to 95volts at the other end it will burn out the electric motor in short order under heavy load. Get a mininum 14ga. cord if not a 12 ga. cord. Many expensive electric lawnmower have been burn't out when the customer cheaped out on the extention cord.
 
coach said:
I would take snowblower advice from anybody that lives in Maine.
Click to expand...


My thoughts exactly... i appreciate all the help fellas.


And as for the extension cord, i have a 14 ga 100 ft... may end up getting a 12 ga in 50 ft to have anyway.
 
We live in lake effect country , north of Syracuse NY. We get "a bit" of snow.....1/2 (frequently 2-3") is ignored...BUT
My sister has a Toro electric, which she has had for about 8 years, and is very happy with it. if we are getting lake affect-storms, 2-3 foot expected, of course she expects to snowblow a number of times, but the trade off is zero maintenance.
If used rarely, gas powered snowblowers tend to be balky...keeping gas fresh, etc.
You should be fine....and I would just let that 1/2" melt........ :D
 
Gas powered-yes. Electric- I don't think so. :)
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Daveboone said:
We live in lake effect country , north of Syracuse NY. We get "a bit" of snow.....1/2 (frequently 2-3") is ignored...BUT
My sister has a Toro electric, which she has had for about 8 years, and is very happy with it. if we are getting lake affect-storms, 2-3 foot expected, of course she expects to snowblow a number of times, but the trade off is zero maintenance.
If used rarely, gas powered snowblowers tend to be balky...keeping gas fresh, etc.
You should be fine....and I would just let that 1/2" melt........ :D
Click to expand...



That is good to hear.... and yeah 1/2" guess i wudnt mess with it... few years back we got oike 5" or so... trying to have something for that
 
Gas-powered snow blowers, to my way of thinking, are less hassle than an electric. On a seldom-used machine, a squirt of Sta-Bil in the gas can in the fall, and you're good for the season. In the spring, siphon the tank to use in the lawn mower (or the car), start it and run the carb dry. If it's used that little, an oil change every 2 years will be more than adequate.

Way less hassle than dealing with a 100' extension cord.... especially if you're doing the drive/walk at other locations.

YMMV
 
32shooter said:
I have found I can shovel snow faster than snow blowers and I get some exercise doing it.
Click to expand...

And if you're over 25 you could also be dead (and frozen stiff) before you get to the end of the driveway.
As I recall my neighbor in MI - who was covered by a Teachers Union policy - had an exclusion clause for snow shoveling. Seems they deem it an unacceptable/uninsurable behavior, like sky diving and motorcycle ownership.
 
coach said:
I would take snowblower advice from anybody that lives in Maine.
Click to expand...



:lol: Do have a bit of experience with them up here. Hopefully we will again. Besides the snowblower, got a couple snowmobiles I'd like to get out this yr too. :)
 
Here is a funny snowblower story...
A friend used to be in the home remodeling bidness. They were working on a house in Ferguson (that one) and a guy came in and axed if anyone wanted to buy a brand new snowblower. $50. Well my buddy said no but his fried took a look. Yep, it was new and complete with all the tags from a local big box store.
He bought it and the guy left.
They had a good laugh when the seller left. He had just sold a 6 hp front tine TILLER.
 
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