snow blower / snow plow

[ultimatehick]

What is mor usefull. I have a 42" snow plow and it is just not cutting it. I plow other peoples drive ways and it takes me way to long to do them. The main proublem is that the snow seapes around my plow and i don't have the time to do a drive way more than once. I guess what im basically asking is if a snow blower works as good. I have a 7116H.

[UCD]

A blower works 10 times better. you can put the snow where you want it and snow banks don't build up as fast. A snow blower can put snow over a 15'high bank and that is a lot of snow. You can clean a drive way with a blower that you can't do with a plow. This & $1.00 might get you a small coffee Maynard aka/UCD

[BillC]

I stopped using a snowplow 25 years ago and now refuse to use a plow for snow removal. My opinion, based on living in Wisconsin, is a plow is only good for moving soil & gravel. A plow would be ok in a climate where you do not get much snow. A blower is the ultimate machine in snow removal equipment and Simplicity has one of the best. My next door neighbor shutters ever time I start my snowblower up because he knows the snow will be flying over into his yard. The neighbors across the street all watch out their windows in amazement as the 18 horses literally launch snow out of the chute of the 42" wide blower into the air as the wind carries it away. Also, no piles of snow next to the driveway to make snow drifts in the driveway.

[Brent_Baumer]

Blower great for paved driveways. Blower sucks on gravel unless you enjoy raking your driveway back to where it used to be every spring. Plow works well up to a point. You can get too much snow to plow and run out of places to push it. Brent

[Ron_B]

Then there is the good old loader.Works just great.--Ron B

[Dutch]

My favorite is the Sweepster broom for up to 8". Throws the snow, doesn't scratch and can get right down to the blacktop or concrete. Drawback - throws stones & gravel unless you keep it raised.

[goatfarmer]

Make sure the blower is a 2 stage. I have a JD with a single stage that is worthless with wet heavy snow.It keeps clogging up.I'll take my Landlord with a blade anyday.

[Kent]

Almost all the Simplicity snowblowers are single-stage. All the older ones were single-stage. Last I heard, the 2-stage ones for the newer tractors weren't even a Simplicity-made product -- they're made by some Canadian company and are VERY expensive... The Simplicity single-stage ones work well, even in wet, heavy snow, if: 1) You run the engine wide open, so the snowthrower is turning 1250 RPM... 2) You keep the intake "scoop" full of snow by varying either the "cut" or the ground speed as needed.... 3) You keep the chute painted or waxed so the snow can't stick to rusty metal... I've pumped "slush" with my single-stage that wouldn't go over 3 feet or so out of the chute, then you move it again.... Yes, it will clog the chute sometimes in these conditions, but so will a 2-stage.... That's when a blade is at its best. Two winters ago, we got two big snows -- 24" and a 28" and there's no way to have moved that much snow with a blade... using the blower was actually a lot of fun. I love to hear the governor kick in on an old cast iron Briggs, and watch the snow fly 25-30 feet.... This winter I had a blade mounted on one tractor (used it 3 times) and a blower mounted on another tractor (used it once).... IMO, there's no "single-best" solution -- "You pay your money and you take your choices..."

[UCD]

A simplicity single stage will take anything you can put to it. A simplicity single stage is better than most 2 stage blowers. My single stage will run circles around most 2 stage blowers and that includes a Simplicity 2 stage. Been there done that. I have cleaned 5 house drive ways an apartment house lot and 2 commercial busisness parking lots for 20 years. All of which could not be done with a plow as there was no place to put the snow unless you had it removed every couple of weeks. In northen Vermont it snows just about every day in the winter. Had six inches of snow last week. LOL This & $1.00 might get you a small cup of coffee Maynard aka/UCD