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

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.