Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I purchased an Ariens 11528LE last winter (after reading posts on this site). Unfortunately, after making the purchase, the snow subsided and I didn’t get a chance to appreciate its prowess.

 

The other day our community weathered through ½ inch of frozen rain, 1 inch of sleet, six inches of snow, and 25-45 mph winds (blizzard), leaving rock-hard drifts three to four feet high.

 

Since the storm severed countless power lines, the area did not have electricity. With one pull, the next morning, the Ariens started up, and to my amazement it pulled me through frozen drifts (I say ‘pulled’ because it was too slippery to walk, so it drug me). It hurled the snow fifty feet (or more, especially with the wind, which is needed, since we have a deep triple car-wide driveway, and live on a corner lot that’s surrounded with sidewalk).

 

This sounds odd, but six of my neighbors, who were also snow blowing, stopped to watch the 11528LE’s substantial snow stream and listen to the engine’s steady sound. I then took notice of their struggles (they mostly used single states and a few small two stages), and decided to tackle their EODs and sizeable sidewalk drifts.

 

Like greasy butter in July…

 

I never thought purchasing a snow blower would result in relationship building. We’re relatively new to the neighborhood, and had yet to meet many of the people who live around us, but during and after my fun in the neighbor’s yards, they thanked me by lining up to shake my hand. Today, we know the neighbors.

 

It’s a true testament to how having the right equipment can not only bring personal safety (I would have killed myself trying to shovel) and satisfaction, but it also regains the almost ancient practice of helping neighbors/creating a sense of community (in the era of pulling up to and immediately closing garage doors).

Nice post. I also live in Minnesota and I'm looking for a new friend to do my EOD.

I live in Boston, on the side of a hill, and inherited my dad's old 1970 Ariens 5hp. I got it running and used it to clear first our walk ; then the sidewalk on our side of the block; then the other side of the street.

When we got a25" storm last year I did the whole street. I asked the young people whose walks I cleared  to shovel out the older folks who had trouble doing it themselves.  Many of them stopped by to thank me.

Over the summer I  rebuilt the 70 with a new 7.5hp engine, and bought a used Ariens ST824 that I refurbished as well.

I also bought a new Subaru and put snow tires on it, thereby guaranteeing it will not snow......

The only problem with helping your neighbours like this is that they notice how much fun you're having and get their own blowers. Then its a race to get up early enough to beat them to the driveways.

May I say nice post, too.

Right now here on the east side of Cleveland, I am about to fire up my Ariens 926 DLE for the first time.
We have light, blowing snow, which is accumulating.

May I share that ONLY because of the information, and friends that I found in this discussion group do we have the snow thrower
that will get us thru the winter. Gary