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

(I've also posted this on the "toolshed" forum of gardenweb, so I apologize if you're a member of both)

I, like another recent poster, live in Minneapolis where the average snowfall is 50" per year.  On average, 1 snowfall per year exceeds 10".  Unlike the other poster, my driveway is paved asphalt, and is 52' long by 20' wide.  About halfway up is a slope of about 45 degrees (it gets real slippery) where my car always gets stuck - even if there only 2-3" of snow on the driveway.

I've shopped around, read a bunch of posts on both sites, but I'm still unsure about the right machine for the job.  However, I have two constraints to my decision. The first is that I have a two car garage with limited space for a snowblower.  The other is financial - I really can't afford to spend more than $800 (with tax) on a machine.  I've read that Hondas are really good - but. for me, unaffordable.  My final constraint is mechainical - I'm not very mechanical.  I can fix easy things around the house - but mostly I want to get the job done and go on to something else.

So, I've got my own ideas (from researching and suc), but I'm interested in suggestions from the others members of the forum.   I'm not sure about things like single or dual stage,  and the correct horsepower to do the job.   I can tell you that I'm interested in the Ariens St-5524, a dual stage 5.5hp unit for $699 at HD.  I liked it because it seemed easy to move around in the store and had the bigger tires, which for me was easier.

So, if anyone is willing to give some advice, I'd love to hear it...

thanks,
Steve