Need snow removal advice

[green.willow]

I am 61 and my husband is 71, not in good health and has never been mechanically inclined. We live at a dead end with a tight turn-around.

As the snow accumulates in the winter, backing out of the garage gets more and more difficult unless we do a really good job through the season of keeping it pushed back and cleaned off. With my husband's health issues, it's becoming clear that next winter I have to be responsible for this chore and have to do it after work when I get home, so I'm looking for advice on what I might buy to help make this easier for me.

In the past we had a mid-sized walk behind snowthrower, but it barely did the job, had a complicated starting cycle including a pull start and clogged up at times.

I'm willing to spend the money for the right machine, but it's got to be easy for me and up to the work.

Please don't suggest hiring the work done. So far, we've had one guy never show up, another come look at our driveway and say he couldn't do it -his truck was too big, one that only showed up days after a storm, and last winter the guy I hired damaged our house and our retaining wall and raised his rates mid-winter then wanted back pay for work already done.

Selling is out of the question right now, too.

Suggestions?

 

[bcradio]

Napalm

 

[CJM8515]

Tractor mounted snowblower or possibly a kubota

 

[RAYJAY]

your location would help us figure it out better, Pa is different than Mass ect.ect. for snow and type of snow, as that being said what price range are you looking at? what do you do now for your grass needs? you might be able to combine one machine for both,



a great site that may help you is http://www.tractorbynet.com really a great bunch of homesteaders and farm owners lot of equipment info over there

 

[aaronrkelly]

Since you already tried the walkbehind snowblower route and didnt get along well with it I suggest stepping up to a snow blower mounted on the front of your lawn mower.

I use an ATV and a blade.....but its more work. I have a buddy that has a fairly small sized John Deere mower with a snowblower mounted on the front. After seeing it work Im convinced its superior to my ATV with a blade.

Hopefully you already have a mower that can accept a snowblower, that should keep the cost down.

 

[thesilverone]

move to florida

 

[Dustball]

How much do you have to do and do you have a picture of the area that needs to be done? What's your budget?

 

[jakemac]

Do you have a good relationship with your neighbors? Perhaps you could trade some help with the snow for home-cooked meals, or babysitting.

As for backing out of the garage, I would suggest that you back into the garage to park, if possible. That will allow you to drive straight out and leave the front end near the door if the battery needs to be jumped or if the car needs to be towed. Just keep in mind that it will leave the exhaust further inside the garage, and will take longer to vent. Don't run the car inside to heat up on cold days, carbon monoxide poisoning is serious business.

 

[owenst7]

Sounds like you had a crappy snowblower. Try a Honda.

 

[Stuart in MN]

green.willow, please disregard the idiots with the smart remarks... As others have said, your location is important, and a picture or better description of the area to be cleared will help. It sounds like your current machine doesn't have an electric start, so getting one with electric start would be a big improvement. A lawn tractor with a blower attachment will probably be better yet, especially if you can use it as a mower during the summer and if you have the space to store it.

 

[rallenc]

Try a Honda walk behind with the electric start. Make sure it has wheels and not tracks.

Not cheap but reliable.

 

[finn]

You didn't state where you live, but if you are frail and in poor health, and you cannot find a reliable contractor to remove your snow, you may have to face the possibility of moving as the only real long term alternative.

Snowblowers work well, but they are sometimes intimidating to those not mechanically inclined, especially if you have only an unheated storage place (garage) and severe winters. They can be a bear to horse around in severe winter conditions.

Tractor mounted snowblowers are much the same, although I suppose they require less physical strength to operate.

There is a reason older people "move to town" or become snowbirds and head south for the winter.

Consider it. It's not so bad.

 

[green.willow]

Thanks for all the quick responses (and even the ones about moving to FLA). I'm in Minnesota. We have a small lawn- it takes 14 minutes to mow with our self-propelled mower. The neighbors are, unfortunately, not the kind to offer a lending hand. I'd even buy one them a snowblower if they'd take care of our blowing, but I just don't see this happening. I know we need to move, but the housing market has not come back in our area and at our ages we just can't take the financial hit to sell our home (that we love) at 75% of the cost we paid for it 9 years ago. I'm really stuck with no male relatives to help me figure out how to resolve this problem. I'll try to take a photo of the driveway tomorrow, so those of you who are following this thread, please check. Thanks again.

 

[bobcatdan]

It maybe over kill since you don't need a tractor for mowing, but I'd look at a simplicity garden tractor with a blower. The reason I say simplicity is because they offer a mid level tractor with 4wd. It is not a full blown compact tractor, just a beefed up yard tractor. Power steering and power lift would make it very easy to use. 4wd would help traction greatly making it quicker and easier to move snow. I think they even offer fuel injection like a car for easy starting. It would be a no nonsense little snowmo er that would easily handle your driveway. It will be some bucks, I bet $6,000 to $7,000.

 

[muddy tires]

I have a plow on my ATV, but I have a long driveway and we don't tend to get large accumulations at any one time. My family and friends from further North all use snowblowers without any problems. Maybe a newer model might prove more reliable and work better for you? A lawntractor would be nice but it sounds like you don't need one for any other purpose so it wouldn't be a wise use of your resources.

 

[Dustball]

Thanks for all the quick responses (and even the ones about moving to FLA). I'm in Minnesota. We have a small lawn- it takes 14 minutes to mow with our self-propelled mower. The neighbors are, unfortunately, not the kind to offer a lending hand. I'd even buy one them a snowblower if they'd take care of our blowing, but I just don't see this happening. I know we need to move, but the housing market has not come back in our area and at our ages we just can't take the financial hit to sell our home (that we love) at 75% of the cost we paid for it 9 years ago. I'm really stuck with no male relatives to help me figure out how to resolve this problem. I'll try to take a photo of the driveway tomorrow, so those of you who are following this thread, please check. Thanks again.

Are you in a suburban area or rural area? Whereabouts in MN? You say you have a small lawn which leads me to believe you're in a city. If this is true and you have limited storage space- you may want to look into a higher-end snow blower.

 

[rallenc]

Thanks for all the quick responses (and even the ones about moving to FLA). I'm in Minnesota. We have a small lawn- it takes 14 minutes to mow with our self-propelled mower. The neighbors are, unfortunately, not the kind to offer a lending hand. I'd even buy one them a snowblower if they'd take care of our blowing, but I just don't see this happening. I know we need to move, but the housing market has not come back in our area and at our ages we just can't take the financial hit to sell our home (that we love) at 75% of the cost we paid for it 9 years ago. I'm really stuck with no male relatives to help me figure out how to resolve this problem. I'll try to take a photo of the driveway tomorrow, so those of you who are following this thread, please check. Thanks again.

Sorry to hear of your circumstances.

On another tack, unless you have other reasons for being in Minn, job, relatives, I would look into selling the house and moving. I work in the financial services sector (mortgages) and, to be quite honest, I see short sales (where you may owe more than the house is currently worth and the bank takes the hit for the shortfall) being done every day. I do understand that it may be the less than honorable thing to do, but when one's health is in the balance, it is certainly something that you may want to discuss.

Good luck.

Also to all, PLEASE do not make this thread into a debate over the virtues of short sales; let's focus on other options to help this lady and her husband.

Thanks!

 

[WVBrady]

If you get a walk-behind blower/thrower, in addition to getting one with an electric start, I would make sure that it has individual brakes for the right and left hand wheels. I was looking at some at Sears that work like that. That feature makes it much easier to steer and turn. If you have seen military tanks turn by stopping one tread, you can visualize what I am talking about. I have a large field and brush mower and I am trying to figure out how to put individual brakes on mine.

 

[sasquatch12]

Just wondering if by chance your'e husband is a veteran?????

I mention that because here in Ontario, a veteran can hire his snowplowing done , and it is paid for by the government.
Try checking into something in that area.

 

[K-Dog]

move to florida

I was gonna say that !!

 

[MikeF2316]

If you get a walk-behind blower/thrower, in addition to getting one with an electric start, I would make sure that it has individual brakes for the right and left hand wheels. I was looking at some at Sears that work like that. That feature makes it much easier to steer and turn. If you have seen military tanks turn by stopping one tread, you can visualize what I am talking about. I have a large field and brush mower and I am trying to figure out how to put individual brakes on mine.

Mine has levers that can disconnect each wheel. This way when you disconnect the right wheel from the drive, the blower tends to turn right, and vice versa.

 

[MikeF2316]

I've had my snowblower for 10 years, and it's never clogged once. There are certain features you need to look for, unfortunately these features are only on the larger, more expensive ones.

Levers that can disconnect each wheel. This way when you disconnect the right wheel from the drive, the blower tends to turn right, and vice versa. This make turning the machine effortless, but slow. You can still muscle it around if you want, but you don't have to. This is often called power steering.

Controls for direction and distance on the "dashboard". One lever that goes left and right to control direction, one that goes back and forth to control distance. Some have a joystick type control that does both jobs. (There's also a 3rd lever for drive speed, but I think all blowers have that one.)

Electric start. Mine came with a power cord that just plugs in to the wall, making starting easy. Just have a long extension cord in case you run out of gas and have to start it away from your garage.

And of course it would be nice if you could store it just inside at the front of a garage where you could easy start it up and roll it in and out.

 

[p_mori7]

Do not hire a guy with a plow truck. Rather, hire a guy with a tractor and a snow blower. I am sure there are some in your neck of the woods.

 

[adcrawfo]

Get a good quality walk behind and forget about a mower mount blower. Given the time it takes to mow your lawn I'm guessing you don't have a long driveway and you'll spend more time turning around than actually snow blowing. That and the mower mounted blowers have a slightly smaller turning radius than a semi due to all that extra length hanging out over the front tires. I've had mine for two years now and I'm not 100% sold that it's all that much better than a walk behind, I have about 75' of driveway I clear about a half hour from Green Bay WI for reference.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nicksnothereman]

I am 61 and my husband is 71, not in good health and has never been mechanically inclined. We live at a dead end with a tight turn-around.

As the snow accumulates in the winter, backing out of the garage gets more and more difficult unless we do a really good job through the season of keeping it pushed back and cleaned off. With my husband's health issues, it's becoming clear that next winter I have to be responsible for this chore and have to do it after work when I get home, so I'm looking for advice on what I might buy to help make this easier for me.

In the past we had a mid-sized walk behind snowthrower, but it barely did the job, had a complicated starting cycle including a pull start and clogged up at times.

I'm willing to spend the money for the right machine, but it's got to be easy for me and up to the work.

Please don't suggest hiring the work done. So far, we've had one guy never show up, another come look at our driveway and say he couldn't do it -his truck was too big, one that only showed up days after a storm, and last winter the guy I hired damaged our house and our retaining wall and raised his rates mid-winter then wanted back pay for work already done.

Selling is out of the question right now, too.

Suggestions?

It's going to be very dangerous to do at your age but if that's what you want...throw rock salt on the driveway at night then go at it with a snow blower the next day. I always shoveled by hand so use the recommendation people have on here.

Maybe this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Pow...lectric-Start-Gas-Snow-Blower-38282/100677594

I suppose "single stage" is what you're looking for.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Rock salt wouldn't have done much good during the winter we just had in Minnesota...for the most part it was too cold for salt to work. It sounds like your driveway isn't terribly large, so a good walk behind blower should work. Check around with your local small engine shops (not the big box stores), they'll probably be more knowledgeable. Honda is a good brand, so is Toro (plus they're built right here in Minnesota.)

I'm 58 and am still using a shovel, but after this winter I'm starting to question that choice.

 

[green.willow]

Thanks for all the thoughts and advice. Here are photos. https://mydriveway.shutterfly.com/pictures#n_5
I took them when we had cars in the drive to show how tight it gets. The green truck is about five feet from the garage doors. Our lot ends approximately at the end of the retaining wall. The City is supposed to plow the rest, which they may or may not do, but we are always last and all they do is push the snow up to the corner of the lot (in front of the telephone truck), which is the area we need to back out of our garage. We end up having to push the snow further back, or by the end of the winter it we can't get out without backing into the big icy snow pile. Last winter, the snow in that corner was piled up over five feet.
We are not under water on our mortgage but figuring out how to deal with these problems, even if they costs us 10K, will be much cheaper than taking the hit on selling the house in the current market. I am hoping that things will be better in a few years.

 

[DekeT]

It's going to be very dangerous to do at your age but if that's what you want...throw rock salt on the driveway at night then go at it with a snow blower the next day. I always shoveled by hand so use the recommendation people have on here.

Maybe this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Pow...lectric-Start-Gas-Snow-Blower-38282/100677594

I suppose "single stage" is what you're looking for.

Dangerous to do at 61 years old?

 

[lakota]

Consumer Reports magazine rated snow blowers recently in the last year. You claim you have/had a mid size machine , which didn't do the job.

You need a bigger machine. I recommend that you get a hood over it. Ariens is a good brand and they use to sell a hood solely for their machines.

I bought a hood for my large machine years ago at SEARS , a universal fit and it's GREAT. The hood protects you from the weather.

hood link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Classic-Accessories-Standard-Snow-Blower-Cab-52-001-010401-00/202019736

 

[diggerrick]

I would highly recommend a self-propelled, electric start snowblower with power steering. Similar to the one I have:
http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-26inch-208cc-dual-stage-snowblower-w-ez/p-07188691000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3

It sounds like your previous snowblower did not have these features.

 

[Todd.Brock]

My mom has a good sized two car wide concrete driveway and park pad We went through this a few years ago. I thought a bigger 2 stage unit with self propelled was the way to go because of the slight incline at the bottom of her drive. She was intimidated by the larger machine and afraid it would get away from her. She settled on a Troybilt single stage. It is "self propelled" to a degree,meaning the paddles pull the unit along. It is 21" unit that clears pretty well up to about 5-6" at a time. My brother and I still clear it as often as we can , but mom still does it some too.

The worst part of a Snow blower is being downwind. The snow will soak and freeze you quick! I would highly recommend a hood. That is what mom needs, but the unit isn't large enough.

Consider an equipment dealer where you can drive the thing around, see if you can maneuver with it, etc.

Sorry to hear you don't have better neighbors! I would be happy to do it for you!!

 

[michiganmike]

After my sisterinlaw, who is 68+, had her driveway done in concrete Summer 2013, she decided to buy a Honda like this http://powerequipment.honda.com/snowblowers/models/hs724wa. I think she chose the Honda mostly because her son is friends with the Dealer, but it still cost over $2000. The best feature is the infinitely variable hydrostatic drive ...I used it a couple of times and have been conviced, especially at the end of the drive when the snowplow comes by and pushes a large wall of snow into the drive opening...it's easy to go back and forth blowing a hole in it. Although it doesn't have any type of Steering Assist, she seems to handle it quite well, out there almost every day during our Two Month Michigan Snowstorm. She never mentioned any type of clogging. I have three snowthrowers, and one is an older Sears with "Power Steering" and I think I would trade that for Hydrostatic Drive in a second !
Yes, Ariens and Cub Cadet make good units also.
Here's another good forum to look through http://www.snowblowerforum.com/
Relax, you've got plenty of time before it snows, hmmm, unless it starts in November, then you've only got 5 months ! :O)

 

[RCStocker]

So many ways to go.
A good little garden tractor with blower is about 5 grand. You can find them used for much less.
Walk behind can be hard when you are older and not in good health. I would not go that way.
I think I might just have a snow removal service come and do it. Some retired person always wants to make an extra dollar and you should get it done cheap.
If you have a riding mower you can get a blower to fit.

If all else fails you can stay in for the winter and let it melt in the spring. LOL

I have several tractors with blowers on my farm in Indiana. I have a thousand feet to blow between the shop, house, barns and antique shop on the road. I could not live without it. I have a nice cab on the tractor to keep warm.

If you are looking for a good used one go to MyTractorForum.com They have 30 thousand members and are all great people. They will help you find what you need or you can find someone to come and do it for you. The people there have little garden tractors all the way up to the big boys. You will find that they are willing to help you with all your tractor and mowing needs. Greatest place on the web for any king of gardening or farming.

 

[tibwd]

Snow removal can be difficult, and everyone has different situations to deal with. Snowblowing with a good machine could be the answer for you, but several factors come into play, as posters have mentioned. One other important thing is your physical condition. If you are healthy and active, snowblowing is not bad at all, again, with a dependable, reliable, high end machine. I would recommend looking at Ariens, a nice 24 inch one, no bigger, with electric start and heated handles. Best bet is to visit a local dealer, and you can try to run/drive the machine in their parking lot, albeit without actually blowing snow. If you can maneuver the machine easily, then you most likely can do the real thing in the winter. If it is too difficult without actually blowing snow, then that is not your answer. Again, a local power equipment dealer (not big box stores) will be able to best help you. Good luck, and like previous posters say, you have plenty of time to get set for next winter.

 

[theoldwizard1]

2 stage walk behind. Honda, Ariens, Toro, probably at least 7-8hp. Modern ones are pretty easy to start by hand (electronic ignition and compression release) but your will have to decide if you need an electric starter. Some type of "power steering", even braking one wheel, will help a lot.

If you are happy with your mower, just get a walk behind blower. A newer heavy duty tractor with mower and a blower attachment will cost more than $5000 unless you can get lucky and buy one from someone moving to FL ! Older models, (Cub Cadet, John Deere, Wheelhorse and Case/Ingeroll) were made much better than most of what is on the market now. They do require more maintenance/TLC.

 

[Todd.Brock]

I forgot to mention, what ever you end up buying, be sure to get some stabil!!

 

[RKA]

I would suggest a 2 stage walk behind blower with 250+ cc motor. Electric start and some kind of steering capability should make it pretty easy for you to handle.

The Honda's are excellent but very expensive (not just initial purchase, but parts as well). The bonus is they are so easy to pull start that you don't need to worry about electric start. But in your area, I would suggest getting one of the larger machines (928). I don't think any of them offer any kind of steering assist, which will make maneuvering a lot more work. Ariens is another good brand, not as expensive as the Honda. Specifically the 24" Platinum blower.
http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-921028-Snow-Thrower/p11239.html

It has the electric start, steering assist (again, will go a long way to making life easy for you) and a large enough motor to deal with whatever the town throws in your path. The only thing I don't like about my ariens is the chute control. My old honda had a crank handle, and while slow, it was precise and always worked. The ariens is a little awkward or goofy. Try it out at a local dealer and decide for yourself. Otherwise I've heard the chute control on the Toro machines is quite good.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Easy and inexpensive: http://www.nordicplow.com/

 

[BFHtime]

Go with your husband to local shop. Get an electric start self-propelled snow blower. The local guy will come in handy with maintenance, since you both are not mechanically inclined and you want it to work without headaches when needed. The local guy will also come in handy with suggesting what would be good for you. Let him know that you plan to use so try handling it before you you buy it. Make sure you know how to maneuver it and use its functions they are not all the same. Explains the area that you need to clear. Area in size and terrain features that may come into play, like having to shoot the snow over a wall. Shop around for a place that will give good service too. Really they don't usually need much maintenance in your situation. Just prep for storage at the end of winter, and get it ready to go again mid fall. I should have put beginning of spring. Ask around your area to get an idea about who will treat you right. Shop around a little to make sure you are not getting taken advantage of, in this particular situation. I bet you could get a good deal now for snow blower, due to them being out of season. Maybe someone you know who is moving to Florida will have one you can get a deal on, to save some money. Good luck

 

[RKA]

She was intimidated by the larger machine and afraid it would get away from her. She settled on a Troybilt single stage.

Here's another way of looking at it. The two stage units are intimidating, but that's just the first impression. If you can get past that, give them a fair shake. In actual use, if they are equipped with some kind of steering assist feature, they are quite easy to move, albeit slower than a small single stage. But they also provide stability for the user. I've actually taken a single stage machine away from my father's house. He has a small driveway on a slight incline. I've lost my balance more times than I can count using that machine on his driveway. A larger two stage machine would provide something to lean on and since it's is self propelled, as a user, you're not forced to compromise your balance leaning into the machine to muscle it through the wall of snow at the end of your driveway. Ultimately one slip and fall for him at 74 yo might spell trouble so we decided it's better to pay someone. He's taken a couple of spills over the years and each has taken it's toll. But if that wasn't acceptable, I would have bought a 2 stage blower for the stability.