# Choose your weapon



## billski (Nov 5, 2010)

How do you deal with snow at your humble abode?
Do you handle it yourself, let someone else handle it, or ignore it?


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## wa-loaf (Nov 5, 2010)

Snow blower.


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## Grassi21 (Nov 5, 2010)

I love my snow blower.... love


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## severine (Nov 5, 2010)

The landlord is supposed to take care of it. 

But often, his handyman "forgets" to plow. So in that case, I drive over it or if it's bad enough, I'll shovel part.


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## billski (Nov 5, 2010)

severine said:


> The landlord is supposed to take care of it.


  muzbe an inside joke


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## severine (Nov 5, 2010)

billski said:


> muzbe an inside joke



Read the edit: his handyman is supposed to plow but often doesn't show up.


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## dmc (Nov 5, 2010)

I love my checkbook...  My driveways too long for a blower...


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## catskills (Nov 5, 2010)

I am homeless now and don't have to worry about such things.  Last year when I did live in a nice warm home,  I bought my wife a nice pink shovel for Christmas.  I hear she has gotten pretty good at it.  

Seriously I shovel with my check book for deep powder.  Too much time wasted when their is deep powder to ski.  For 2  inches of powder, I shovel it.


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## Terry (Nov 5, 2010)

Got my trusty and rusty old plow truck. 77 Chevy with 326000 miles and she still gets the job done!


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## gorgonzola (Nov 5, 2010)

i put truck but i put the plow on my lawn tractor - takes about an hour, 2 beers and a cigar


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## dmc (Nov 5, 2010)

Terry said:


> Got my trusty and rusty old plow truck. 77 Chevy with 326000 miles and she still gets the job done!



I actually need one of those...  Plow during the winter - dump runs during the summer..


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## millerm277 (Nov 5, 2010)

If I'm going skiing that day: shovel from the front door to a small spot next to my car door, so I won't kill myself on ice when I get back, and hope someone else decides to take care of it. (Shared driveway that the neighbor is technically responsible for clearing according to their lease).

If I'm not going skiing: I don't really mind shoveling, I'll usually shovel most/all of it unless its too wet, in which case I'll just do what I need to shovel for my own purposes.


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## Terry (Nov 5, 2010)

dmc said:


> I actually need one of those...  Plow during the winter - dump runs during the summer..


Shes not road worthy anymore but she is still the BEAST!!!!


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## RootDKJ (Nov 5, 2010)

This will be my 1st year with a snow blower.  My neighbor sold me his before moving to LBI. Nice 4 stroke for $150.


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## bigbog (Nov 5, 2010)

Enjoy using the snowblower....so easy to get rid of a deep overnight dump...especially if it's of the heavy kind, but also enjoy the big plastic push-scoop when there's ~6" or less = good exercise.  Shovel-work is a given for certain areas.



			
				dmc said:
			
		

> ... dump runs during the summer


Yep...
The truck-SUV(Xterra) _does_ the house to Dept. of Public Works' backyard grass/leaf/brush piles run...from snowmelt to 1st snow.


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## Hawkshot99 (Nov 5, 2010)

Used to use the snowblower when I lived with my parents.  Now I put the truck in 4WD, untill the land lord gets around to finally plowing a few days after the storm.  I feel sorry for the people with small cars that struggle on the property.


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## Sky (Nov 6, 2010)

Primarily...Snowblower.  A nice Ariens.  Egad that thing flings snow a mile.

But, the back deck reqires shovel love....twice.  Once for the original snowfall, second after I rake the roof clean.

It's about 3hrs total on a good storm dump...start to finish.

That incldes the snowblower path to the woodpile, around the house, to the birdfeeder, the front walk etc.


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## 2knees (Nov 6, 2010)

snowblower if it decides to work, otherwise shovel.


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## drjeff (Nov 6, 2010)

LOVE my Simplicity 824 snowblower!  And I will totally admit to pretending many, many, many time that the plume of snow being launched out of the discharge chute is snow coming out of a snowgun!


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## gmcunni (Nov 6, 2010)

snow blower for 3 inches or more, my 16YO son if there is less.


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## snafu (Nov 6, 2010)

Snowblower and occasionally my teenage son


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## billski (Nov 6, 2010)

snafu said:


> Snowblower and occasionally my teenage son



You'll have to give me the trick on how to get teens to help without driving  yourself insane in the process!


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## RichT (Nov 6, 2010)

Snowblower downstate contractor upstate.


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## Geoff (Nov 6, 2010)

At my Kmart condo, I usually shovel the walkway long before they get to it but I don't have to deal with the driveway other than moving the snow bank by hand at my parking spots once in a while and putting sand on things when it's needed.   I'm not home enough in the flatlands during winter to bother shoveling or plowing.  "God put it there.  God can take it away."


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## tree_skier (Nov 6, 2010)

16 year old MTD 8 horse snowblower.  It takes anywhere from 1/2 hour on up. During the 7 foot dump last Feb. I spent 2-3 hours twice a day to keep the driveway clear.  Very glad I didn't wait till the storm was over as I would have needed a loader.  My now 15 year old son does the deck, was pretty good at it last year, not so good the year before. My trick is no food until it's done.


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## crank (Nov 6, 2010)

I have a shovel powered by fossil fuel.  I'm the fossil.  I have a big driveway too.  Used to have a guy plow it but would spend a half hour cleaning up after him every time.  I offered to pay him more to do a more thorough job...ended up firing him.  Got another plow guy and he did a crappy job too.  So now I shovel and spend the money I save on skiing.


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## billski (Nov 7, 2010)

I have compromised.  I pay someone to plow our driveway, so I can get out to ski.  However, I stopped paying someone to pickup leaves and spend all of November bagging.  What I save in leaf pickup more than pays for skiing for two people for an entire winter.


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## puckoach (Nov 7, 2010)

drjeff said:


> LOVE my Simplicity 824 snowblower!  And I will totally admit to pretending many, many, many time that the plume of snow being launched out of the discharge chute is snow coming out of a snowgun!



Vintage machine, and fantasy !!!!


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## tt431 (Nov 7, 2010)

I'm still young enough to dominate my driveway the old fashion way.


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## billski (Nov 7, 2010)

I'm ressurecting that old Boston Globe snowplow game.  Waste away another hour playing this sensless game while you procrastinate from what you're supposed to be doing.


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## LaneMeyer (Nov 7, 2010)

option BX


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## 4aprice (Nov 8, 2010)

I use my trusty Craftsman Snowblower.  I have a decently wide drive with a sloped lawn on the side I blow to.  From a 6 -inch storm I can throw about 18" on to that lawn by adjusting the chute.  We've been known to pack it down and my son has built small jumps on it and made himself a small terrain park.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## hammer (Nov 8, 2010)

Have always used a snowblower...driveway configuration doesn't allow for a plow unless I'm willing to let the plow chew up my lawn.  Had a Home Depot special for 14 years but I now have an Ariens which does a decent job.

Front walkway (over 70 feet) is brick/granite so need to take the shovel to it.  I can usually get my now 18 YO son to do it.


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## Glenn (Nov 8, 2010)

In CT, a Snapper 826 snowblower. It makes life a lot easier. It's really handy when you get 5" of heavy wet snow. But I do prefer blasting through a good foot or so of lighter stuff. 

In VT, we have someone plow. Our driveway really isn't that big....$15 a storm to plow and shovel the walk to our front door. Trying a new guy this year; he lives down the road. And ironically enough, works at the Grand Summit hotel at Mt. Snow.


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## ctenidae (Nov 8, 2010)

Paa gravel driveway in CT- I just drive over it a few times.
In Boston, different matter- try not to drive up if it's been snowy, use my wife's SUV and hope that someone cleared the alley a little bit.


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## smitty77 (Nov 8, 2010)

Shovel for 3" or less, snowblower for everything else.  I can bury the auger in 3' deep snowbanks at the end of the driveway and not have it stumble.  Until we get that rain/sleet/snow cement that my 9hp Craftsman won't throw.  Then it's back to shoveling.

And you parents of teens these days.....  I was making money shoveling neighbors walkways at the age of 12, and running the snowblower to do my own driveway by 14.  Get those kids out there and tell them to earn their keep.  I didn't get an allowance if we didn't help shovel.  My son helps clean the stairs, the deck, and walkways to the dog kennel.  And he's 8.


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## NYDrew (Nov 9, 2010)

Plowing included in rent.


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