Snow Blowers

Snow blowers can be great time-saving devices as well as protecting and avoiding sore backs and keeping other sore muscles from developing. This site is aimed at helping consumers make decisions about whether they need a snow blower or not. What type they should purchase? What they need to know about maintaining their snow blowers as well as repairs.

If you would like to add comments about a particular snow blower, please feel free to add comments to our blog about snow blowers. There will always be someone who will find your comments useful

Snow Blowers – Why Buy One

Consumers purchase snow blowers for many reasons, however, the main health issue that consumers should be concerned about is triggering a heart attack while shoveling snow. A snow blower can prevent heart attacks, especially when the snow is heavy and wet. Many people every year suffer heart attacks while shoveling snow every year. If you do plan to shovel the snow from your driveway, take your time and if you do get short of breath, STOP and take a break! The snow can wait and you can always come back later to finish the job. If you are in a hurry, ask someone to help before you trigger a heart attack which can ruin your life.

Consumers also need to know that they should let the snowblower do its work. All you need to do is steer it and point the blowing snow in the proper direction. Many people make the mistake of trying to push or pull the snow blower when you can just engage the drive and steer it in the right direction. Let the tires or treads push the machine ahead and if you have chains on your tires, they will not slip and actually push the snow blower along at a steady clip. Trying to manhandle a 500-pound snow blower can be tough work and could trigger a heart attack as well. Let the machine do its work and you steer the machine!

Long Driveways

If you have a long driveway and the snowplow dumps a great deal of snow at the end of your driveway you may want to consider purchasing a snow blower. Double car driveways, lots of snow to shovel, walkways, and yards that need clearing are excellent reasons to purchase a snow blower. In later posts, we will talk about how you decide which snow blower is the right one for your needs.

Snow Blowers – Considerations

There are a number of things to keep in mind when you purchase a snow blower.

• Size of your snow blower including engine size and width
• Safety during operation of your snow blower
• Maintenance of your snowblower on an annual and monthly basis
• Adjustments and repairs to your snowblower
• Storage of your snow blower during the off-season
• Troubleshooting your snowblower if it does not operate properly
• Can you find parts for your snow blower easily
• Can you obtain repairs close to your home for your snow blower?

The items listed above are important and if you think about them, the answers will help you decide which snow blower provides the best solution for your application. Of course, the more features you have and the more powerful the snow blower is, the higher the price is going to be. Transportation can be an issue for delivery and also when you want to have your snow blower maintained or repaired.

Snow Blowers – Safety

Safety is paramount when operating your snow blower to ensure that you or anyone around you is not injured in any way. A few basic things to remember are:

• Always have all guards in place, and never direct the discharge from your snow blower towards other people or windows.
• Stop the engine and disconnect the spark plug if you need to remove debris from the auger.
• Always keep the machine clean and free of oil and gasoline that may be spilled anywhere on your snow blower.
• Never allow children to play or be around a running snowblower
• Always tightly wrap scarves or other loose clothing so that there is no chance of these items getting caught in the snow blower.

Most people just look at the price and average sizes of snow blowers. They should also give some consideration to the warranty, the location, and the availability of a place to take your snow blower should it need maintenance or repairs. Parts availability is also an issue. Where do you get parts? Can you do some of the maintenance work yourself.

We will review all of these details and more in later posts about snow blowers.

Don’t Wait Until the Snow Comes

Most people will wait until that first major snowfall. Guess what so is everyone else and the chance of finding a snow blower on sale at this time is remote. In addition, consumers could find that there are no longer any snow blowers left for sale. This phenomenon almost every year just after a major snowfall. Consumers are fed up with shoveling snow and decide they are going to get a snow blower only to find that the store is sold out.

Features are also important to consider. Electric start, headlights, power chutes for angle and direction, dead man switch, ease of oil changes, snow guards and guides so you know where the edge of the snow blower is in deep snow, tire chains, battery electric start or plug-in electric start are all items that are convenient, but also drive up the price. So it helps to decide ahead of time regarding which features you consider must-haves and those that are considered nice to have vs. the price of these additional features.

Finally, if you do not see a subject that you are interested in please send us a comment and we will be happy to add a post on the issue you identify. Give us sufficient details so that we can adequately deal with your issue. We hope you enjoy our website and posts about snow blowers. We also have a website that reviews lawnmowers for consumers. Click here to proceed to our website about lawn mower reviews.

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