Are snowblower supposed to work like this?

[mikebw]

Sounds like you just made the justification you were looking for.

[Yoyodyne ArtWorks]

I bought that same Toro model from Amazon and it is quite good if you're just doing a modestly-sized driveway. It is incredibly light, so you can easily lift it via a handle on the top and use it to spot clear stairsteps too. We've mainly had powdery snow so the motor hasn't bogged on me yet.

[the_poochies]

I got one of these little suckers last fall after seeing it for sale on Craigslist:

http://www.yardmachines.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10451_18503_89546_36258_-1

It cleared my driveway down to the concrete in no time and was throwing snow 20+ feet until I learned how to adjust the chute. All my neighbors love me: I am the guy with the snow thrower!

[tenders]

> I bought that same Toro model from Amazon and it is quite good
> if you're just doing a modestly-sized driveway.

I have it too, in fact, I might have recommended it to davemchine. I have greatly enjoyed it over the last three seasons but yesterday's snowfall was the first one we've had (north of NYC) in which I was disappointed in it. A very strange snow--not solid ice but dry snow with a very high ice component, so dense you barely leave footprints in it--and it didn't scrape down to the pavement very well. A shovel was very difficult to get to bite into it too--so I don't blame the machine.

[elmo3]

Toro seems to make good snow throwers, at least on the lower end.

[Robert M]

Hi everyone,

I bought a Toro Powercurve 1800 snowthrower several years ago. It's a fantastic machine for the money! You can search the other forum for my posts about it. Yes, it isn't going to do the job of a heavy duty gas-powered model but it has proven itself more than sufficient for the vast majority of the snowfalls we've had in NY since I bought it. One of my favorite "features" is its size. It's heavy duty enough for the snow we've had but small and lightweight enough that I can throw it into the back of a car and take it with me from location to location. Defionitely soemthing to be said for that.

But, I have to concur with Tenders. It was no match for the combination of granualr snow/ice/freezing rain we had earlier this week. Even an ice breaker had trouble with the crap that fell and immediately froze. So, I wouldn't even consider using the Toro to tangle with it. Instead, I broke the ice into large chunks and then used good ol' fashioned brute force to move them. Got the job done and a good dose of exercise along with it.

Robert

[davemchine]

Wow, I thought I was way out in left field when I bought that electric toro but I see I am in very very good company! The only problem I had with it this year was waiting for snow to fall so I could have some fun with it. :-) I think it snowed 3x's and I was able to use it. Once was a very light dry snow which it cleaned up very well and the other two were wet, slushy snows with which it did exceedingly well. I was very happy with it's performance.

I was very nervous about buying it initially since it was so lightweight and so much less money than a gas model but for my needs it has been working really well. Maybe I should put a big Apple sticker on it.

Dave