Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Snow at last!
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions |
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FrankMA
Location: Merrimack Valley/Northeastern Mass
Joined: Jul 1, 2010
Points: 587
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Re: Snow at last!
Reply #43 Jan 12, 2012 3:59 pm |
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Well it was snowing this morning (enough for it to stick a bit) then turned to a slushy snow/rain mix and now its windy and about 40*F. I've only used my 2 stage once after the crazy October nor'easter. I have not even used the SS yet as it has not snowed since...
Toro Wheel Horse 522xi GT, Honda HS928TA, Honda HS621AS, Honda HS520A, Toro CCR3000 (work in progress), Honda HS624WA (sold 08/23/2010), Stihl BR550 Backpack Blower, Stihl MS250, McCulloch MS1635, Honda EM6500SX Generator
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RedOctobyr
Location: Lowell area, MA
Joined: Nov 5, 2011
Points: 282
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Re: Snow at last!
Reply #46 Jan 12, 2012 7:20 pm |
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Nice. Like FrankMA said, we got a bit of snow this morning, then it rained most of the day. When I got home, there wasn't even an inch on the driveway. Which meant there was plenty to try my "new" SS :) (hey, what can I say, we haven't gotten any snow in 2 months)
Got to fire the little guy up. Started on the first pull, which was nice. I've never used a SS before, and there seems to be a bit of a learning curve. At times I think I was pulling up too much on the handle, 'cause it was kind of zipping itself along. I have to say, I thought it was kind of cool. Granted, there was hardly any snow, so it wasn't a perfect test.
Pros: -It's fast if the conditions allow, it'll move as fast as you want it to. Faster than a 2-stage would go. The speed also helped to keep the paddles full, given the tiny amount of slushy snow. If nothing else, maybe it will be handy for the little storms, like people say. -It's super-maneuverable. Was kind of funny just swinging it around at the end of a run. Very different than a 200-lb fixed-axle 2-stage. -It also cleared right down to the pavement, unlike a 2-stage.
Cons: -The handle vibrates a *lot* (the little 2-stroke engine is not well balanced). Granted, I wasn't wearing gloves, which might have helped isolate my hands from it a bit. I wonder if I could put some rubber between the upper and lower handles where they join... -Oil smell on my clothes. I'd forgotten about that. Would make it tougher to use quickly before work. -Not very powerful, I'm sure. Mine is only 3hp. But if I'm low on power, I might try boraticus' trick of cranking up the RPM's.
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