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[RJ749]

This all started last winter with the Colorado Snows that never ended, not to remind everyone of that but SEULTRA posted:

I was shoveling my driveway for the umpteenth time this winter (so far) and stepped on a patch of ice and slipped and fell on my tailbone/lower back. 2 Advils and 2 LARGE Black Russians later I'm here to B!tch about the Fu@k@d up weather we've been having here in Colorado! I dorked up my back last month trying to push my car out of a 3 foot drift and was healing nicely when this crap happened today. I've had it!!! Gonna load up the 12 gauge and go blow the hell outta a 6 foot snow bank in front of the house! AAaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!   [smiley=angry.gif]

My point here is to ask for opinions on snow blowers.  It is evident that I will be buying one soon!  We went over to the weekend place yesterday and while there we got about a two inch dusting which continued as we left.  I hear it may now be 4 to 6 inches.

At any rate, we will obviously not be doing removal daily and thus need something capable of whacking accumulations of up to 10-20" I imagine.  This will be heavier wet snow many times as well.

I was looking at the Honda two stage Track Drive model 30" cut with up to 20" high bite.

Let the suggestions, warnings, encouragements etc. begin:

[Bojiboy]

This all started last winter with the Colorado Snows that never ended, not to remind everyone of that but SEULTRA posted:

My point here is to ask for opinions on snow blowers.  It is evident that I will be buying one soon!  We went over to the weekend place yesterday and while there we got about a two inch dusting which continued as we left.  I hear it may now be 4 to 6 inches.

At any rate, we will obviously not be doing removal daily and thus need something capable of whacking accumulations of up to 10-20" I imagine.  This will be heavier wet snow many times as well.

I was looking at the Honda two stage Track Drive model 30" cut with up to 20" high bite.

Let the suggestions, warnings, encouragements etc. begin:

Sounds to me like you're on the right track with a two stage larger blower. We get pretty good snows here in Iowa and some are pretty wet at times. I have a 28 inch cut Troy Bilt with a 8.5 hp motor. It does a good job for most snows. When it gets 12 inches plus of wet stuff it could use a bit more power. I just take smaller bites when it gets like that. Heated handles and electric start are great too!

[RJ749]

Sounds to me like you're on the right track with a two stage larger blower. We get pretty good snows here in Iowa and some are pretty wet at times. I have a 28 inch cut Troy Bilt with a 8.5 hp motor. It does a good job for most snows. When it gets 12 inches plus of wet stuff it could use a bit more power. I just take smaller bites when it gets like that. Heated handles and electric start are great too!

Heated grips, that sounds like a great idea, that Honda has electric start for sure.

[Rooster]

I have a big Craftsman that I used in the Gorge for many years up to 3-4 ft of snow but when that snow is heavy and wet didn't work that well but colder dryer snow blows real nice. If you can get it about 15 inches or less the work is much faster. Good luck with it Roger. Best machine I ever moved snow with and had fun doing it was with a Bobcat.

[RJ749]

I have a big Craftsman that I used in the Gorge for many years up to 3-4 ft of snow but when that snow is heavy and wet didn't work that well but colder dryer snow blows real nice. If you can get it about 15 inches or less the work is much faster. Good luck with it Roger. Best machine I ever moved snow with and had fun doing it was with a Bobcat.

Not sure I need that investment level but it would be easy to see why it would be fun

[Boatman]

There are probably several good ones, but for me, it would have to say HONDA on it.

[porthole]

I was looking at the Honda two stage Track Drive model 30" cut with up to 20" high bite.

I have the Honda HS928TA
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=hs928ta

9HP, 28" cut track drive. They advertise this thing will throw snow 50 feet. I was doing my sidewalk, not paying attention, and was putting snow on my neighbors sidewalk across the street, and we have wide streets!

This thing will eat anything I have thrown in front of it, including 3-4' of snowplow packed snow in front of my driveway. We are on a cul-de-sac, so the plowed stuffed is usually 10 feet or more across.

It will also eat stainless steel dog dishes that your BSR didn't pick up before the snow while you were working.
Will also eat your deck if your are not careful, don't ask.

The track drive is cool, but a bear to turn, you have to wrestle it to do a 180. But the track hydro is smooth as silk.

My driveway is concrete, and if I were to buy another one I would get the wheeled version. With the track the skids just hang up to much on the concrete and jerk the unit around a bit.
With tracks you are forcing the scraper - skids into the ground.

Because of the way the track/blower are adjusted, this blower does work good on grass, my dogs need a "clear" area.

Expensive, but it is a Honda.

[Hugh Janis]

wow, the hydrostatic track drive is a nice touch.  Being from Buffalo we know our snow blowers.  Most times a simple two cycle power shovel will work but when we get three feet of heavy lake effect snow we need a powerful (8hp or more) two stage.  My biggest complaint on snow blowers is when they don't have enough weight in the front and ride up and over the hard pack.  This causes me to pick up on the handles more to keep the front down but you lose traction to the drive wheels.  I think the track drive would combat that.

BTW, I have a Troy Bilt 10HP with a stand behind cab, drift cutters, heated grips, and a cup holder.  It's an absolute tank and has NEVER failed to start on the first pull.

[porthole]

I think the track drive would combat that.

Absolutely. The Honda has 3 positions of the the chassis relative to the tracks. Think - the tracks pivot on the center of the chassis.

1st is a travel position, it raises the scraper about 4" off the ground for  - travel.
2nd is about an 1.5 -2" off the ground, this is good for grassy areas or if you have a lot of stones. This is what I use for the dog area.
3rd forces the scraper to the ground. If the tracks were up on 2x4's the scraper would be touching the ground.

This position is the one that causes the machine to skate around a bit on concrete. It will also excavate your yard if you get to rammy with it.

Neat thing with these track drives, at least the Honda, you can "drive" it up and down stairs!

And, this thing has so much power that, if you had the traction, you could push a car with it.

The auger has ice cutters on it, so there is not much in the way of packed frozen snow (or decks) it will not cut through.
No drift cutters came with mine, for some reason they can't be sold with the unit in New Jersey.

[FNGw/08SERK]

I put the single stage thrower on the front of my Deere and I seem to be the envy of all the neighbors  Clears the lake effect in no time that we get here in the syracuse area. 

Syracuse's top 10 snowfall seasons, measured by the National Weather Service at Hancock Airport:
92-93 192.1 inches
95-96 170.9 inches
91-92 166.9 inches
93-94 163.8 inches
89-90 162.0 inches
77-78 161.2 inches
70-71 157.2 inches
55-56 146.8 inches
76-77 145.0 inches
57-58 141.1 inches

[Hugh Janis]

my buddy lives on the edge of the Tughill Plateau.  The got something like 9 feet in a week last Feb.  We visited for Pres. day wkend and sat in his hot tub.  His two stage is a work horse.  Everywhere was a tunnel for a sidewalk and road.  I'd have thought Cicero/Syracuse got more of what Oswego and Watertown got last year.

[FNGw/08SERK]

my buddy lives on the edge of the Tughill Plateau.  The got something like 9 feet in a week last Feb.  We visited for Pres. day wkend and sat in his hot tub.  His two stage is a work horse.  Everywhere was a tunnel for a sidewalk and road.  I'd have thought Cicero/Syracuse got more of what Oswego and Watertown got last year.

That week last year was quite something. We did get hammered at the same time but the wind blew across Lake Ontario at a more westerly vs. south westerly trek dumping more lake effect up at Tugg Hill. Thought you might enjoy this link if you haven't seen it already. http://goldensnowball.com/  Sorry!!

[Hugh Janis]

funny.  I'm sure Syracuse wins it every year.  BTW, the threads not jacked as long as you mention a snow blower in it....

(Snow Blower)

[FNGw/08SERK]

Look something like this?

[Hoist!]

Man you Upstate guys have tough with only 3 seasons; July, August and WINTER!

Hoist!