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

Hi!
I got the big beast for the heavy snow. But we still get allot of 1t o 2-3 inches of slush.  I don't want to look like a fool making a racket with a big red 2 stage SB for such a joke’y snow…

Nobody is coming out with a shovel, because it’s not heavy enough, and they let the children shovel it. But the fact is, the kids are not always shoveling, and if they do, they don’t clean it well, they sort of play with shovel.  I don’t have the time. I come home after a day of work; I want to see that snow “away” a.s.a.p. And after a day the remaining snow turn into sleet/ice/black ice.

Also, even when we do get an overnight snow with 10+ inches, I have these couple long steps, which makes hard to use the big 2 stage. My driveway and walk path till the steps is flat and paved and I can use the 2 stage with ease.

So I have two reasons why I started thinking of getting a SS.

1)      To clear the steps

2)      To clear the so called “joke” snow

If I decide to buy a SS, should I buy the 1800 Power Curve (38381)? Will that do a job enough compared to the Toro 418 gas?

or should  I get The Power Shovel (38361)?  is thet good enough and will do both task well?

Help me out guys…I need some suggestions.

We have a 6 car drive way and I have to walk 92 feet till the steps… extension cords should not be an issue.

Here is a picture of the long walk, and the steps.

The long steps and the normal house steps

Electric start on a SS machine is about as necessary as an electric shoe lace tier.  Not required.  By the time you find the extension cord, plug it in, push the button, it would be running already by using the pull start.  Provided the engine isn't over-primed/flooded, it should start on the first pull.  All of mine do.

If your considering ease of use for your wife, you'd best buy an electric.  No offense to women but most are not quite as attracted to the smell of gasoline and tend to be intimidated by most things with gasoline engines.  The leap from vacuum cleaner to electric snow blower is much easier than to a gas operated machine. 

No snowblower goes up steps and down very well, the Power Shovel would be my choice for that task.  Widing up an electric cord has to be easier than getting a gas powered anything up the steps.  Besides hernia operations aren't cheap, or convenient either. Oh, and the power shovel costs what ?  a Hundred Bucks, maybe less at the Home Dumpo.

JoelKlein wrote:
Even though you have a few steps at the door, they are not all that wide.  I would probably just use an old fashion shovel.  The electric shovel doesn't have directional, it just shoots everything forward.  Since you don't have a lot of control on the direction, sometimes the wind just blows back the snow.  A regular shovel can get a whole lot closer to edges and corners.  And sometimes when the snow so deep, you can't tell where the edges of the steps are, it's better to use a shovel instead of having those fast spinning plastic auger whack the concrete.

If you think you may need electric start on the SS  in the future, go ahead and get it now.  It's cheaper than retrofitting it afterwards.