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

i need help selecting a snow blower at home depot, as i received a gift certificate towards one in the amount of $800, and they are all 20% off at this time......i realized the lawnmower shops are usually the smarter choice for purchase, but this gift certificate helps me out dramatically.......my driveway is approximately 100 feet long, is a single lane from the bottom to the top, and i have about a 40x40 foot area at the top of the driveway......i have a fairly steep driveway of asphalt, and i live in Boston Ma where the winters can be bad, although so far we really havent received anythng.......

my choices are limited due to the home depot selection, but i have been looking at the Ariens 724 ($719), the Ariens 926LE ($799), and the Cub Cadet 528SWE for ($799).......

OHV, L-Head, headache......

can someone help me make the best decision for my situation......

thank you in advance

Full,

Ask HD to help you load it on your truck!!

They do that for me on heavy items!!

Fred

Get ear protection as well. The ear muffs keep your ears a bit warmer and hold the hat on. The soft foam or rubber plugs give you about 3dB ( half the noise) better protection. I use both most of the time and ear muffs all the time. From what I've heard the foam plugs may work a bit better than the soft rubber since they supposedly expand to fill the ear channel and plug it better. I don't like the muffs with a built in radio since the purpose is to lower the noise level, not replace it with entertainment. Some other people really like them.

Ear protection is also a good idea for lawn mowing, chainsawing, grass trimming, basically anything with a loud engine. I've even worn muffs with an electric trimmer although that might have just been me trying to "not hear" the wife with more chores .

fullcontact wrote:
Now that you own a snowblower, think about building a simple ramp.  3/4 " plywood, a couple of 2 x 3's for structural support, grey deck paint and for a finishing touch, tack on some rubber mats to act as a non-skid surface.  When my walk gets icy, I also mount the ramp from the entrance walk to the top step and call it an "ice-bridge".  You can ripple the rubber mats to shed ice that might accumulate.  The same principle as a de-icing boot on the leading edge of an (older) aircraft wing.