I shoveled by hand the other day. It was only 2" of snow and I needed the exercise. WOW! That was 40 minutes of fast shoveling....and I didn't finish before my DH came home and drove over it. The snow blower would only have taken 20 minutes....for the WHOLE driveway. ☺ Snow blowers are da bomb!

We moved past the snow blower already. We have a plow truck and do a walkway over the decks with a shovel.

We have a snow blower for DH, but I use my little magic snow machine...it's an electric snow blower that's 18" wide...perfect for decks and walkways and it's powerful enough that, if need be, I could manage the driveway. What's best is no maintenance...just plug and go.

I thought the thread was going to be about moving to somewhere warmer where there was no snow to deal with.

Doing that is another way to avoid winter snow.

Not enough snow here to ever justify a blower but last year I turned a large section of a giant red clay hill into a rose garden using only a shovel. That entailed digging out and removing the red clay. I did not have a wheelbarrow either. I dug a shovel full of red clay out, carried that shovel full off to the wood line to dump it,and repeat. It took a lot of effort to get enough out to turn it into usable garden space. Then I carried the border stones back there 2 at a time because they weigh 16 pounds apiece. Then I dug out a trench to set the stones in. Then I carried huge bags of miracle grow garden soil back there to replace the red clay i removed. I was telling myself that the exercise was good for me. Needless to say I hurt myself quite badly doing that. This year I have a tiller and a tractor to do the rest of the hill. I started already and while I am still getting the exercise I am not likely to end up writhing in pain for a week after. I wish I had gotten that tiller before. I really must credit SO for that. He got it for me for Christmas. I would have never even thought about it. He bought the tractor for himself a couple years ago. It never occurred to me to use it for my garden. What a waste of effort!

When I bought this house the prior owner left me his snowblower. Of course I didn’t try to start it until I needed it. First storm, it took a bit but I did get it started, but not working. So I shoveled. Figured after the storm I’d take it in for service. Then the snow melts and it gets forgotten. Then it snows and I shovel and think I really need to get that snowblower in for service. Rinse and repeat.

In the meantime my FIL has decided he’s retiring from snowblowing and has offered me his much newer machine. “Thanks! I’ll come pick it up sometime.” And here we are, awaiting the storm...

Moved past the snowblower to a plow on the ATV. We get at least two heavy, sopping wet snows a year. Snowblower is close to worthless in 6-8" of slush.

My husband uses a plow on the ATV for the driveway and a backpack leaf blower on the decks. He also blows paths on the lawn so that our little dog has grass to poop on year round. Occasionally, we get heavy wet snow, then we do use a plastic shovel on the decks. Mostly though, our snow is cold, lightweight and plentiful (perfect for a snowblower) and once it falls it’s here for 6 months at least.

Heh, the truck that came to pump out my septic tank today was thankful for my snowblower too... told me it was one of the best cleared drives they have seen in a while. We kidded a bit about my crooked first-timer job, but they appreciated I made it extra wide to make sure it was easy for them.

Ah, yes...snowblowers. My DH is not prone to meltdowns, but neither is he in the least 'mechanical'. About thirty years ago our last (gas powered) blower refused to start for long enough that DH picked it up and hurled it into the street. We've hired someone to clear our driveways ever since.

amylou123 -- STOP doing that manual labor! I so regret ruining my body (and my hands) with all the gardening I did in my thirties and forties. The mother of a childhood friend tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. When I ran into her years later she actually teared up, "Oh, Sue, your beautiful *hands*!" Years after that, in my seventies, and now almost eighty, it's not even about beauty, but pain. And where are my rose gardens today? The buyer of our home tore them out twenty years ago.

Off Topic. amylou I do hope that you placed that clay in a pile so you can return at least part of it to the bed where you replaced the soil with soil that will compost as it ages unless you are only planting annuals in that bed.

We had a snowblower at our previous home and I have to confess that I thoroughly enjoyed it. After clearing my driveway, the front walk and the sidewalk I'd continue and clear the sidewalks in front of my neighbors down to the corner. I didn't bother with their driveways - most of my neighbors just drove over the snow.

In my present home the landscaper for the HOA clears the driveways and they have the cutest little plow for the sidewalks.

I'd like to have a snowblower to do the short sidewalk out front and the driveway. Only, I want an electric start - not a rope I have to pull and pull. However, the neighbor guy always comes up with his small John Deere tractor and plows out in front of the mailbox and the driveway. In fact, he just left about 15min. ago. Does it for free.

Annie, what is the name of your little magic snow machine?

A driveway is a rare thing where I live, and front sidewalks are too short for many of us to justify a snow blower. I enjoy doing the job with my plastic orange shovel.

I can shovel the sidewalk and the driveway, I did the sidewalk this morning; but the driveway can be a bit much esp. with heavy snow. If I could put a snow blade on my Toro Zero Turn mower, that would be great!

Whatever is a snowblower? I think we have a snow shovel in the back of the shed.

Today we need a snorkel.

I hope that those of you caught in the big snow storm are safe and warm.

Snowblower = gravel drive destroyer. I'll stick with the blade on the tractor. Plus the blade gets other uses like leveling fill dirt.

I live in the Northwest corner of Pennsylvania. We sometimes get a lot of snow. My house is on a corner and the driveway is long. Comes in off the road in front and goes out on the side road. When my husband was alive he plowed with a tractor and shoveled the sidewalk. Now my son does it. My back won't let me shovel snow.

Three years ago I bought a used "SnowJoe" ( a small electric snow shovel) but haven't yet used it. Since I bought it, I've just cleared the driveway and walk with a broom, not even with a manual shovel. Until yesterday AM, that is, when I knew that I would have to use it - but went outside to find that someone in the neighborhood had gone all down our street with a machine and cleared not only the sidewalk, but my driveway too! And I have no idea who!

I used to do the driveway and sidewalk myself with a shovel. Boy, those days are over. I’d try to shovel several times while the snow was still coming down so I didnt have to lift too much. I just went back and forth pushing it. Now there a kid in the neighborhood with a snowblower and he does it all for me. If not for him, I’d have to stay inside until spring.