By Mark J. Donovan
If you are in the market for buying a snowblower first consider the size of your driveway and the average snowfall you get every year. Too often people buy too small of a snowblower and end up regretting it every snow storm for years to come.
I made the same mistake when buying my first gas snowblower. I lived in New Hampshire and had a 100 foot driveway at the time. I bought a 5 horsepower, 24 inch wide, two-stage snowblower. After just a couple of years it was worn out and I was fed up pushing around a snow-cone machine in my driveway. The snow basically oozed out of the snowblower by the end of its life.
So I went out and replaced it with an 11 horsepower, two-stage gas snowblower that is nearly 3 feet wide. Ten years later it is still easily pumping out the snow even when there is 1.5 feet of snow in the driveway. When buying a snowblower of this magnitude expect to shell out between $1,000 and 2,000.
If you live in a milder climate, you can go with a smaller sized gas snowblower, such as a 5 horsepower unit or a single stage one. They work fine for a 6 inch snow storm, and can even handle the occasional foot of snow that may grace your driveway. With these smaller horse powered snowblowers you can still expect to shell out between $500 and a $1,000 for it depending upon the make and model, and the particular features it may offer.
If you live in an area where you only get the occasional snow storm with a depth not exceeding 6 inches, an electric snow blower is acceptable. Just make sure you have access to an outlet and plenty of extension cord. Though they don’t have anywhere near the power of a gas snowblower, electric snowblowers are quieter, pollute less, are easier to store, and typically cost less.
What to Look For When Buying a Snowblower
Snow Blower Maintenance
Prepare Snow Blower for Winter
By Mark J. Donovan
With winter almost officially upon us it’s time to pull out the snow blower and prepare it for winter weather. Snow blower maintenance should include cleaning the spark plug, changing the oil, and putting fresh gas into it. Also make sure to turn the gas cut off valve to the ON position. In addition, check the snow blower shear pins to make sure they are connected to the auger blade and drive shaft. You may also want to buy a couple of extra shear pins in case you break one during the winter season. It’s a major pain to break a shear pin in the middle of a snowstorm when you can’t as readily make it to the hardware store. Also make sure the muffler does not need to be replaced.
Also, as part of the snow blower maintenance, check to make sure the adjustable skids that are attached to the base of the snow blower frame are set evenly and at the right height so that the horizontal auger blade is not touching the pavement. In addition, make sure the pull chord is not frayed and is in good working order.
Once the general maintenance has been completed, fire up the snow blower to make sure it runs smoothly. If it does not, you may need to adjust the carburetor. If you do not have the skill or energy to adjust the carburetor take it into a shop to have them tune it up for you.