Choose your weapon

[snafu]

Snowblower and occasionally my teenage son

 

[billski]

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!

 

[RichT]

Snowblower downstate contractor upstate.

 

[Geoff]

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."

 

[tree_skier]

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.

 

[crank]

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.

 

[billski]

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.

 

[puckoach]

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 !!!!

 

[tt431]

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

 

[billski]

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.

 

[LaneMeyer]

option BX

 

[4aprice]

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

 

[hammer]

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.

 

[Glenn]

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.

 

[ctenidae]

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.

 

[smitty77]

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.

 

[NYDrew]

Plowing included in rent.