Tell me about snowblowers - Page 3 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Bean · 10-20-2014, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranchlandsselling

and from the home improvement thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

I know several people who use the blowers, both electric and gas. I find it to be a real noise pollution and nuisance. For whatever reason, in the winter, the sound is muffled and is much higher pitched and really annoying at 8 am.

Anyways, Stihl makes a sweeper which is quite effective and can be transformed into a trimmer and a tree trimmer. You need to get at though before it's compacted.

I've seen my neighbors and contractors use backpack blowers and don't notice much for noise pollution. Presuming that they are operating within noise bylaw regulations, they only annoyance I have is that I don't have $500 to burn on what looks like an effortless solution to clear snow.

MoneyGuy · 10-20-2014, 03:07 PM

Slava, not sure if it's been mentioned and maybe they all have them, but be sure and get an electric-start machine. I imagine those things would be very hard to start otherwise. As I said, they may come with only e-start.

I just got my first blower/thrower at the end of last winter. It's a god-send. I will still manually shovel most times for the exercise, but for those big dumps it's a necessity - especially at my age.

V · 10-20-2014, 04:45 PM

I was looking at Toro snowblowers on the Home Depot website, and it looks like you can only get an electric start for two-stage blowers. Is this accurate?

Rerun · 10-20-2014, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Slava, not sure if it's been mentioned and maybe they all have them, but be sure and get an electric-start machine. I imagine those things would be very hard to start otherwise. As I said, they may come with only e-start.

I just got my first blower/thrower at the end of last winter. It's a god-send. I will still manually shovel most times for the exercise, but for those big dumps it's a necessity - especially at my age.

Actually mine has a pull cord start and it starts very easily.
I didn't get an electric start because electric start machines need a battery... and batteries tend to lose their juice when it gets cold... and its not like I store my blower inside a warm house.

Rerun · 10-20-2014, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V

I was looking at Toro snowblowers on the Home Depot website, and it looks like you can only get an electric start for two-stage blowers. Is this accurate?

That could very well be true. Some of those 2 stg machines have pretty big engines. Not very pull cord friendly.

rbochan · 10-21-2014, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rerun

Actually mine has a pull cord start and it starts very easily.
I didn't get an electric start because electric start machines need a battery... and batteries tend to lose their juice when it gets cold... and its not like I store my blower inside a warm house.

Mine plugs in to start.

FurnaceFace · 10-21-2014, 10:00 PM

I got nothing for the real topic and this is maybe a GMG moment but my neighbour uses a regular leaf blower. It's loud to the point you need to turn up the TV, therefore annoying, and makes him look lazy. The guy is perfectly able to use a shovel. I don't think it makes it faster at all.

DoubleF · 10-22-2014, 10:32 AM

I've heard lots of good things about the Toro line. My understanding is that the effort required is not much more than a typical lawn mower. $500 should be plenty for a good snowblower that lasts 5+ years.

I'm looking for one myself because the parents are getting older but have not pulled the trigger yet because I still live at home and could use the cash now, but even the low and mid level Toro offerings seemed pretty good (Good anecdotal evidence on Beyond as well).

Madman · 10-22-2014, 10:45 AM

Equipment Express guarantees their prices are lower than any big box store.

http://www.equipmentexpress.ca/

I go to the Okotoks location and get excellent service all the time there. (I have a 2 stage Husqvarna from there)

Rerun · 10-22-2014, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbochan

Mine plugs in to start.

I see. Are all electric start snowblowers like that? I just assumed that it worked the same way as my electric start lawnmower. It has a small battery that you have to charge when it gets low.

Rerun · 10-22-2014, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madman

Equipment Express guarantees their prices are lower than any big box store.

http://www.equipmentexpress.ca/

I go to the Okotoks location and get excellent service all the time there. (I have a 2 stage Husqvarna from there)

Good store. Thats where I bought my single stage...

Although the was the one I really wanted to buy...

automaton 3 · 10-22-2014, 03:41 PM

I just bought a 2 stage and it plugs in to start, not sure if all of them do that.

I like the size of the single stage and the fact they clear down to bare concrete, but we're on a corner lot and can get huge drifts along the fenceline.

MrSector9 · 10-22-2014, 04:47 PM

I updated my power ring post, there is prices for Toro single stage that we carry that is a "forum special"

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=102408

rbochan · 10-23-2014, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rerun

I see. Are all electric start snowblowers like that? I just assumed that it worked the same way as my electric start lawnmower. It has a small battery that you have to charge when it gets low.

Some do. You can purchase aftermarket starters either way.

Madman · 10-23-2014, 07:55 AM

I need/want hand warmers for my Huaqvarna, but it has the curved handles like this:

Does anyone know if there are any options for these?

Slava · 11-29-2014, 11:00 AM

So I thought that I would bump this thread. I bought a used machine from Lowes back around the time of this thread. Its a single stage, I have no complaints. It seems to have more than enough power, and while its not self-propelled I would say that at times I feel like I have to hold it back because of the auger pulling it. I went with the electric start and the chute control on the handle bars, because I just couldn't see messing around with that.

Its weird, because I am a complete amateur with this thing. I am paranoid about spraying snow all over the neighbours (it really fires snow ridiculously far) and there is really no way around it. I would also say its not perfect in terms of the removal. It does get down pretty well, but there is generally a little tiny layer left. If you keep the auger running and drag it back though, it goes right to the pavement, solidly. That's likely terrible for it....I have no idea, but it works.

ranchlandsselling · 11-29-2014, 11:12 AM

Model?

Slava · 11-29-2014, 11:14 AM

I bought the Canadiana Elite. I went with this because it had the electric start and chute control, but also because it has a Briggs and Stratton engine, and I figure that those have been around forever and can be serviced if need be. It wasn't the cheapest and not the most expensive.

Looking at the cheaper models I could've saved and went with the pure pull start and no chute control, but that didn't seem worth it at all.

V · 11-29-2014, 11:21 AM

I bought a Toro 721 E yesterday, and pretty much had to fight for it. I have about 150 lineal metres of driveway, about 2.5 cars wide all the way through, so ultimately I'd like a tractor, but can't afford it yet. The snowblower did a good job. I can see it working well for a few years.

The_Penguin · 11-29-2014, 11:39 AM

Last year I debated what to buy. I have no room in my garage, so it has to live in the shed, which means schlepping it up a hill from the back yard. Because of that, and my 50+ year old back, I went with an electric (Snow Joe)
It works ok , just used it this morning, but the &^%$ing power cord is the biggest pain in the ass. Imagine an electric mower, but the cord is 3 times as thick, and very inflexible in the cold. I'd much rather have a gas single stage, and since my back hurts after carrying it anyway, I wonder why I bothered.