Snow Fun

The first day of winter is December 21st but as New Englanders, we are all too aware that the seasons don’t pay attention to the calendar. It’s just as likely to snow in October (2011 ring a bell?) as it is in December. Therefore, it’s not too early to think about winter preparedness.

We have our generator in place (finally got that hooked up) so we won’t be powerless for an extended period of time. Now, it’s time to focus on a snow blower.

I had a 2003, Toro, 6.5 HP snow thrower. I abused that thing and not in a bad way. That snow thrower got me through the winter of 2010-2011. Remember that winter? It seemed like it snowed every other day. The piles of snow bordering my driveway were up to my chest. But that little Toro performed admirably. It finally died on February 9, 2013, the day after an epic snowfall. Unfortunately, I had just started clearing the driveway and had to finish with shovels (fortunately, the kids were visiting so I wasn’t stuck shoveling by my lonesome).

I discovered there are a lot of snow blowers on the market, such as Honda, Cub Cadet, Toro  Craftsman, Ariens, Husqvarna and Snapper. I had no preconceived notions regarding the manufacturer. All I knew was I wanted something capable of clearing 6 – 8 inches of snow.

Ariens - Courtesy Google Images

I am not an expert when it comes to anything with an engine. I pretty much rely on the opinions/knowledge of friends and online comparison sites, such as Consumer Reports and Top Snow Blowers.

I evaluated the posted opinions of purported snow blower users and compared prices and reliability reports of various brands.

Cost was a huge factor. I wanted reliability but I didn’t want to “break the bank” getting it. I narrowed it down to the Ariens Compact 24 inch Two-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower and the Toro Power Max 724 OE 24 inch Two-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower. They were comparable in price and performance.

My New Toro

I settled on the Toro for two reasons.

1) The performance and reliability of my previous Toro
2) Toro’s S’NO Risk™ Guarantee
According to Toro.com, “If it snows less than 10% of your market's average this winter, you get your money back and you keep your Toro snowblower.
If it snows less than 50% of your market's average, you get a 10% refund and keep your Toro snowblower.”

Considering how much I despise winter and snow, I have a dual incentive to root for a mild winter.

Check out this short video for a fellow who found an interesting snow removal tool.