Snowblower Advice

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Well, I guess I will be the contrarian. I wish I still had my little 5hp 22 in dual stage snowblower. In the 10 years we had that, only one or 2 times did we need to shovel the snow down so it could blow it out. Since it died 7 years ago, this was the first snow that we would have had to do that, and I still had to do it with the big one we got in its place! The extra space they take up in the garage is a pain, the extra weight makes it hard for the spouse and kids to use when I am not here. All in all, the smaller one did the job well over 99% of the time EXACTLY like the big ones, and in the other 1% the it didn't matter because the snow was so deep it was a pain no matter what I would have had.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Well, I guess I will be the contrarian. I wish I still had my little 5hp 22 in dual stage snowblower. In the 10 years we had that, only one or 2 times did we need to shovel the snow down so it could blow it out. Since it died 7 years ago, this was the first snow that we would have had to do that, and I still had to do it with the big one we got in its place! The extra space they take up in the garage is a pain, the extra weight makes it hard for the spouse and kids to use when I am not here. All in all, the smaller one did the job well over 99% of the time EXACTLY like the big ones, and in the other 1% the it didn't matter because the snow was so deep it was a pain no matter what I would have had.

Hey, whatever works. And I get what you're saying about weight. If I was 10 years older, I'm not sure I could handle the weight of my 9HP Ariens.

[JackJD]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Well, I guess I will be the contrarian. I wish I still had my little 5hp 22 in dual stage snowblower. In the 10 years we had that, only one or 2 times did we need to shovel the snow down so it could blow it out. Since it died 7 years ago, this was the first snow that we would have had to do that, and I still had to do it with the big one we got in its place! The extra space they take up in the garage is a pain, the extra weight makes it hard for the spouse and kids to use when I am not here. All in all, the smaller one did the job well over 99% of the time EXACTLY like the big ones, and in the other 1% the it didn't matter because the snow was so deep it was a pain no matter what I would have had.

Your well-reasoned post has crushed my dream to be a big equipment operator. Geez, I suppose I should stick with my trusty but getting real tired 5-hp machine. Using my dad's big, new 8 hp at his house was spoiling me.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Snowblower Advice

I will say this: My neighbor has a 5 HP machine, and I was done with my identical driveway in about 1/3 of the time he was last weekend. I even went over and helped him out or he would have been out there a lot longer. We live on the south end of a north-south cul-de-sac, and so we get some serious drifts. His 5 HP Poulan was completely overwhelmed by the drifts. My 9 HP Ariens had no trouble with the 2' and even 3' drifts.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Your well-reasoned post has crushed my dream to be a big equipment operator. Geez, I suppose I should stick with my trusty but getting real tired 5-hp machine. Using my dad's big, new 8 hp at his house was spoiling me.

Good luck finding another one, when we had to replace ours, we couldn't find a 5 hp dual stage snowblower on the market. Plenty of single stage ones, but they just can't throw it very far. As for speed, JJ is right, it will go much faster with a bigger machine.

[EQguy]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Good luck finding another one, when we had to replace ours, we couldn't find a 5 hp dual stage snowblower on the market. Plenty of single stage ones, but they just can't throw it very far. As for speed, JJ is right, it will go much faster with a bigger machine.

Sears had a few on their floor yesterday. I almost jumped but I need to throw some snow pretty far so I am going to hold out for an 8hp

[jacksfaninne]

Re: Snowblower Advice

I'm thinking about going with something like this. Overkill?

[SturgisJeff]

Re: Snowblower Advice

finally got our first big snow of the year today so I go out to start the snowblower, pull and pull the starter cord. she kicks over at the same time the starter cord decides to break. before I could get to the choke to keep it running it dies. shovel time. first thing sat morning to the shop to fix it.

[1bunnies]

Re: Snowblower Advice

I'm thinking about going with something like this. Overkill?

Too heavy.

[filbert]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Too heavy.

Not to mention a b!#ch to start . . .

[JackJD]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Yesterday I discovered that a new sparkplug in my tired 5hp made it move snow like a five-year-old machine rather than a 10-year-old machine. Amazing what a couple bucks can do! (and, duh, why is this the first time I've replaced the plug since it was new?)

[West-River_Jack]

Re: Snowblower Advice

It was about 45 degrees warmer today than the last time I used my snowblower. The temp didn't make much difference to the machine but it sure helped the operator's attitude!

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Snowblower Advice

Used to have relatives in Anchorage, so still have it on "my places" on The Weather Channel. At 8 o'clock this morning, Anchorage was 50 degrees warmer than Sioux Falls in actual temp; SF had a wind chill and Anchorage didn't, so the "feels like" was a bigger disparity. Just doesn't seem right.