snowblowers

John. I have a yard master also bought new 5 years ago and maybe it has 20 hrs. on it also electric start and a snow cab over the whole thing. Would give you a good price if we lived closer to each other.

I’ve had a Honda HS-35 since 1984 and it still runs fine. It was pricy back then but has served me exceptionally well for many years.

About every three years it gets new paddles and a replacement bottom scraper. Great machine, even in this stuff we’ve been having but the first pass you only take about 6 to 8 inches.

When I was young I was greatly impressed with the circular-blade Gravely mowers I saw working in the roadside ditches.

So I was much pleased when my family bought their own Gravely about 1962. While the 3-wide mower was nowhere near so sturdy as the roadside ones, it was plenty sturdy to mow an acre of lawn in suburban Cleveland. When they bought the snowblower attachment, it was a revelation. You could get a lot of snow off the driveway in little time, though it did sometimes tend to jam if the snow was the wrong consistency.

I can't think of other home equipment I've used that was so well built as the Gravely products.

My snowblower might be branded Montgomery Wards. Somebody here might remember that retailer. Anyway, I put some money into it a few years ago and it is till working. The fuel line leaks when it is sitting, so I turn that off until I need to use it.

At some point I might upgrade to a new battery operated snowblower, but for now I will keep using this one.

Last week my wife and I moved snow as a team. I started with the snowblower and then switched to my Can Am Outlander 450. which has a blade on it. A few minutes later, she came outside and wanted to play, so I let her plow with my ATV and I used the snowblower. "Many hands make light work" as the old saying goes.

To keep this somewhat GPS related I will add this. Two of my Garmins are the Nüvi 3597 and the DriveLuxe 51. I prefer to use the DriveLuxe 51, but occasionally it will just stop working. I certainly could afford to buy a replacement or send this in to Garmin for replacement. However, instead of doing that, I just keep both the Nuvi 3597 and the DriveLuxe 51 in my pickup. When the DriveLuxe 51 stops working, I simply switch to the Nuvi 3597.

Similarly, my Zumo XT has an intermittent mini USB port on the back of it. I could also send that in for replacement or buy a new one. However, since adding a USB-A cable to the motorcycle cable, I can charge it that way. When I need to connect to a computer with the mini USB port, I can usually wiggle it enough to keep connected.

I even like to keep old smartphones in service, if they can still serve a useful purpose. Over a year ago I replaced my Google Pixel 6 with an Apple iPhone 15. My Google was working fine, but I wanted the emergency satellite capability, so I bought the iPhone 15.

Rather than throw the Pixel 6 in a drawer and let it gather dust, I often use it to supplement my new phone. For example, on our cruise a week ago, I preferred using my Pixel 6 on the ship and on island ports of call. The Pixel 6 has a Wifi repeater mode that allows me to share data with my wife or other devices. My iPhone does have that feature!

Another way I use the Pixel 6 is on our RV for Android Auto navigation. The Pixel can remain in the RV when I get out of the RV. It can get cellular data from our Inseego hotspot or my iPhone hotspot.

I try to get the most life out of my computers, too. I bought my Dell Inspiron 13 5379 over 8 years ago. I put some money into it several years ago to add memory. When the Windows 11 operating system rolled out, Iwas in no hurry to upgrade because Windows 10 was serving me just fine. About a year ago, just after I retired, I decided to look into the upgrade issue a bit more. Dell said that the 5379 could not be upgraded to Windows 11. However, I decided to look a bit deeper on this and found out there was a way to upgrade. I did that and Windows 11 is working very well for me.

That same laptop computer started having a cooling issue because the fan was not working. Again, I thought this might be it and I will need to buy a new computer. As it turns out, there are other 5379 owners that ran across the same issue. Replacement fans are available on Amazon for about $10. The replacement was quite easy and others have even prepared You Tube videos on how to do it.

What is this "snow"of which you speak? Bwahahahahahahahaaaaa...

After the particularly brutal winter we had here in 1996, I bought a 24" electric start Toro for $350 at a Home Depot end of season clearance sale.

I do Most of the snow clearing work on our driveway and 1.25 mile private road with a 60HP tractor, but it's a bit big for the walks. I thought the Toro would come in handy.

Turns out, I used it exactly twice in 30 years. Winters just weren't that extreme here over that time. The few walks we have were easily cleared with a snow shovel or the small battery powered DeWalt thrower, instead of dragging out and gassing up the Toro.

Fast forward to 2026 and the winter is rivaling that of 1996. The snow we've had is just too much for my aging back and the little battery DeWalt. Wouldn't you know, I sold the Toro last spring since I wasn't using it. Even though I sold the nearly new unit for more than I paid, I now wish I hadn't done that.

Mother nature is a cruel mistress.

I don't think advertised HP were accurate so today small lawn and garden machines don't have them, but my 2004 snowblower was 9 HP, which is fairly large. 29" path and I believe it handles up to 15". I never found the details of the class action but heard things like same engine was marketed with different numbers and sold for higher prices with a higher hp number. I think we all know human nature by which man wants a single number to judge goodness, and HP sells. Funny I read online the avg person doesn't understand HP, torque, nor displacement, but seems one can only use the last two today with small engines? self reported = doesn't work, such as with tires, mpgs, etc. etc.

I think I mentioned above I paid $649 in 2004. In Dec. 2020 when Covid was raging, it was for sale for $299. I don't have the room, but man, imagine picking one up for $299, in 2020. It's $1200 now and if you're like my bro his budget is $2500. Compare these numbers to our salaries over the last 20 years. Once again, best to keep what one has.

My theory is more than mother nature, the economy is cruel. Even for those who have high salaries, my hunch is that these three entities will get less when people move on. Some even plan on leaving nothing, or, even leaving debt. Tom Selleck used to be in commercials pushing for that (haven't seem them in years).

heirs
charity
taxing authority

I think we got 8" so it was the low side of 8-12" (machine handled it easily and pin locked wheel was terrific), my boss on the NJ shore got 20". But this time around it does not appear that the snow will stay around as long as last storm, due to warmer temps.

I came to the frozen side of the world, from a somewhat more tropical region, many years ago
snow as I understood it then; according to movies, is a mild aphrodisac that arrives at 7pm christmas eve, and is gone by boxing day
I have subsequently learned that is not true
snowblowers are miraculous
snow is not an aphrodisiac in any way

fortunately ravenous wolves; the only other thing associated with snow according to movies, are also wrong

The pin is properly in place as I type, I'm planning on spraying the heck out of the wheel and hole with WD40 or equivalent.

I've also ordered these pins on amazon:

https://a.co/d/0gtkZptu

They appear to be the same diameter and rather than pay $9 on amazon for 1 made by Ariens (list is $2.xx), I guess I'll get 21 lol

It's really tough to get through life when you have the wrong tool for the job. Yesterday I played a parents v. kids ice hockey game (was also a little apprehensive when I saw other parents gearing up with full pads, I followed the newsletter and only had a helmet, gloves, and stick) and all I have is a street hockey stick. It shattered upon the first pass. With this pin, I searched for a bolt from my assortment in the basement, put a smaller one in, and it sheared as soon as the wheel got power...

All the pins were wrong lol

Finally took old pin and went in person to Lowe's.

Found the pin for $2.78, HD didn't have it. There were 2 and I bought both. Would come in handy if original is lost during a storm (imagine trying to get it at that time).

It ranged from $9 to $18 on amazon for legit then all kinds of crazy prices if not (21 for $9 but measures incorrectly).

We're in a society today who likely say why are you looking for a $3 pin you should be buying a new $2300 machine, you act like you were born a long time ago. Well, I was, we use things until they can't be any longer. We don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

I actually saw a Sopranos where Tony was getting fed up with his son playing games all the time (video) and pretending to look for a job. He ended up smashing the window of the kid's XTerra and said it's going to be a bit windy on your drive to work but you'll manage. Not a lot of that today. There are folks in an office working 1-3 hours a day getting paid major money (there is apparently a witch hunt to start shedding them but they're one step ahead).

Yes, I get all that from a $2.78 pin haha

Try Tractor Supply. They sell many different pin types and will likely have one that fits.