but after shoveling out my wifes minivan so I can drive to work at 6am, I'M BUYING A SNOW BLOWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah, i'll wait til after the season when they're a few buck cheaper. I like electric garden tools. I have an 18V weed whacker and haven't had a single issue. i'm looking at this thing, which seems to be the benchmark in basic consumer blowers. it's on the pricey side at $600. but I figure the gas models are a bit more expensive. what do you guys have? anybody ever use one of these?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/EGO-21-...teries-and-Charger-Included-SNT2102/207099229
let's hear it.
OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO That's simply a waste of money Charlie. The thought is good. but the result is a piece of $hit.
First off, if you look at the description on Home Depots website it says for "light dusting"use. Around here we do not get "light dustings" we get SNOW. Today we got 4", and it was a breeze to remove. But we both know that 4" is nothing compared to some of the snowfalls we get in this area. That plastic pos has nowhere near the power to move the kind of snow we get. You need a gas powered unit. Period!
So lets explore your options.
1) Basically, there are 3 types of units you can buy. 2 cycle one stage snow throwers, 2 cycle one stage snow blowers, or 4 cycle 2 stage snow blowers. Snow throwers do not have chutes, they have directional vanes at the top front of the machine. Snow blowers have directional chutes. All of them can be had with or without electric start as well as the normal pull start. (Get the electric start kind... you'll thank me every time you use it)
2) 2 cycle one stage snow thrower: These do not have an auger. Instead they have a revolving drum in the front to which is attached two hard rubber blades, spaced 180 degrees apart from each other. They are not self propelled, are lightweight, have narrow plastic tires and plastic bodies and are good for light snow up to about 6-8 inches. An example would be a Toro snow thrower like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TORO-S620-...372329?hash=item2f124b10e9:g:rNgAAOSw9KhaS5CJ (I have one of these and it's ok... mostly plastic. It works well)
3) 2 cycle one stage snow blower. These have an auger that revolves and throws the snow up through a chute. Again, they are fairly lightweight, have good power, narrow plastic wheels and are good for both light and heaver snow up to about one foot. An example would be:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-...474946?hash=item3628119542:g:tIUAAOSwnTdaNvvP (I have one of these and LOVE it...power to spare.)
4) 4 cycle two stage snow blower. These have an auger that chews up the snow and feeds it to a revolving paddle that throws it out a chute. They are self propelled, have rubber pneumatic tires, and depending on the model may have several forward and reverse speeds. They come in a variety of sizes and engine powers, are mostly made of steel, and are the kings of the snow remover machines. An example would be:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Snapper-2-...476475?hash=item362638957b:g:JjUAAOSwnTdaE2wj (Again, I have one of these and they are beasts. Even though it's rated for 24" of snow I've cut through drifts almost twice that amount without a whimper from the unit.)
I have a 182' long driveway, and I live on the side of a large hill/small mountain, so it's vital for me to have working snowblowers so I'm able to get out of the driveway. A 6" plus snowfall will take about an hour to clear. 3x that amount if I was shoveling.
If you look on eBay or Craigslist you'll find several used units in this area for much less than what you are thinking about spending on that electric unit.
So to recap. Go Gas. Electric is not an option. For you, since you live in the city, I'd go with a 5hp 2 cycle single stage unit. Lightweight, powerful, able to move most snowfalls, reliable, light enough to be carried into a shed or garage. If you were in the suburbs I'd advise you to get a 4 cycle, 2 stage unit. Oh, and make sure you get electric start. (Just plug it into any extension cord that's plugged into a wall outlet and push a button...can't get simpler than that.)
And remember that almost all (not all) snowblowers are made by only two companies. MTD and AYP. MTD makes all of the store brands (like Home Depot and Lowes) along with MTD, Dynamark, YardPro, Weed Eater, Noma, and Sears Craftsman. My point is that brand is almost unimportant. (Although personally I LOVE Snapper) You're going to get the same engine on most of them. Now that Tecumseh is out of business chances are that you'll be getting a Briggs-Straton, Honda or Kawasaki engine.
