Blow Me, Snow
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (92463)
United States
February 15, 2021 4:47pm CST
Ever since I moved to southern Illinois from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we don't get a whole lot of snow here. So, my "tackling" of that white stuff has been different for me.
It used to be that just before Thanksgiving I would break out the snow blower, get it prepped and ready to go, so that when the first snow hit all I had to was fire it up and blow my snow.
I did that for the first two years in southern Illinois. But then I never really had enough snow to fire up the snow blower. So, I got laxed.
And then a couple of years later (last year), we got enough of a dumping that it warranted pulling out the snow blower...
But it would not start.
I thought it was just the spark plug, but after replacing it there is something else going on with it, and it happens to be beyond my pay grade to figure out what that something else is.
Now, we got dumped on by quite a lot more snow than usual and it is still coming down. And of course my snow blower is still kaput.
So, I broke down (just now) and bought a corded electric snow thrower on Amazon. A SnowJoe. Only $112 ($122 after tax). Much cheaper than a new gas powered one, and I figure it this way...
I don't have to do anything with it to make sure it is ready to go in the event I need it. I just store it, and if I get enough snow, plug it in and it should do the job.
No need to prime it, gas it, winterize it...
So, I think this was the right decision. Now I just hope I get it in time to give it a go. If not, no harm no foul. We will be shoveling tonight. And probably a little tomorrow.
But one day this $122 will be money well spent and will prove itself worth my while.
If this solves my problem, I may not even bother having my gas powered one fixed.
12 people like this
11 responses
@lovebuglena (44717)
• Staten Island, New York
15 Feb 21
Sounds like a good deal and a great investment.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44717)
• Staten Island, New York
15 Feb 21
@porwest Certainly better than shoveling.
1 person likes this
@porwest (92463)
• United States
16 Feb 21
@lovebuglena Tell me about it. Besides, my back is shot and shoveling just aggravates it.
@LindaOHio (181320)
• United States
16 Feb 21
As long as your cord is long enough, it's better than dealing with a gas powered one. Good luck!
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (35721)
•
17 Feb 21
I have a snow joe too. One of my best investments. Easy to use and store. No running out for gas. And it does a really good job of snow removal.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (35721)
•
20 Feb 21
@porwest It's not really designed for heavy snowfall but I have used it when we had18 inches one time. Obviously, it takes a little more effort but it beats shoveling and my back is really happy I bought it 
1 person likes this
@porwest (92463)
• United States
20 Feb 21
@dgobucks226 If i was interested in "heavy snow," I'd get my "real one" fixed. I hope this one just "does the trick."
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
16 Feb 21
We have a shop in town and maybe more than one that fixes and tune ups lawnmowers and snow blowers. Although I wouldn't be able to get mine there is much too big and almost to big for me to manage any more.
We have an electric start one with gas powered that works fairly well. It took me several years to remember what to do to get it going but now I have it down finally. We never winterize it.
One year I threw out an old string mop head. But it never made it into the trash it was on the side of the garage by the door. My husband barreled through a mound of snow and that mop got wrapped in the blade. It took me two years sitting in the garage trying to cut it out. I think I put it off the first year. I finally bought some poultry shears to cut through the layers of frozen mop to clear the blade.
I've been using it ever since.
1 person likes this
@porwest (92463)
• United States
18 Feb 21
This reminds me of a segment they used to do on one of the morning shows in Milwaukee. It was called, "I shot it through my snow blower." The segment would have callers call in and they would share a funny story about something that went through their blower, and then they'd ask, "How far did it go?" lol.
1 person likes this
