Push shovel or aluminum scoop? Does it make sense to have a snowblower? From outdoors columnist John Schandelmeier, a veteran of many Alaska winters, here's a sourdough's guide to moving snow:
It is winter. If you live anywhere near the Interior, it is a snowy one thus far. The flip side is that the temperatures have been mild. The projected temperatures of minus 30 for Christmas week can be ignored with the hope that our meteorologists have miscalculated. Those of us with dogs and snowmobiles like snow. However, most of us have driveways, and all of us have sheds and paths that need clearing now and then.
The same applies to moving snow. Two machines are better than one. Personally, I am not a fan of truck-mounted plows. They definitely have their place if you move snow commercially or have a big area to clear around your home. Most of us have a driveway and a parking area. Those areas require a snowblower and a decent shovel.
A big aluminum scoop shovel works quite well for moving bigger snows and the pile in front of your door that just was pushed from your roof. The thing about moving your own snow is this: One can’t be allergic to work. Our house has one big porch and four small ones. Plus, there is another door and porch to the dog kennels . The key to shoveling is a light tool that can pick a fair amount of snow and a shoveling pace that fits your abilities.
You think you only need a little snowblower because of your small drive ... and then the neighbor calls. His drive is drifted in; the fun and lack of power becomes apparent. A good gas, two-stage blower is worth the money and extra weight involved. We have a 20-year-old Yamaha track machine that starts and runs like new. Sure, there are a few idiosyncrasies that have arisen over the seasons, but the machine still performs well.There are many good blowers on the market.
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