HOW TO SNOWBLOW THE END OF A DRIVEWAY AFTER A SNOW STORM(Without Killing Your Snowblower)
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- čas přidán 16. 12. 2022
- #garagegear #snowblower #snowstorm
HOW TO SNOWBLOW THE END OF A DRIVEWAY AFTER A SNOW STORM(Without Killing Your Snowblower). LAKE EFFECT SNOW gives every SNOWBLOWER a workout. Especially when the plows push a HUGE PILE of SNOW right into the END OF THE DRIVEWAY. In this video, I'll show you how I REMOVE LARGE snow piles like these EFFICIENTLY without working a snowblower to DEATH! Use these tips to save time, money and stress next time it snows. LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!!!
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Good morning from Town of Tonawanda
@@Silverface1987 awesome! GO BILLS!
As a rural mail carrier I can't express enough how much clearing the street in front of your box is appreciated! Our trucks are rear wheel drive and getting stuck is EXTREMELY easy. Thanks for addressing this in your video!
You got it HOWIE! Definitely dont mind helping you guys out! 👍
Other advantage with clearing the street to the edge of the curbing is the plow drivers cannot intentionally (or not) rebury your driveway. Pretty sure the plow drivers locally to me get their jollies on 'widening' the road and reburying everyone. Other fun tip is use automobile wax or ceramic coating on the inside of the snow blower, chute and auger.
I doubt there'll be a usps in another 25 years.
rural town i live in, if snow blocks mail box to much you get a nice little note telling you to clear it. Else you can come down to the post office to get your mail from now on til you do.
One of the best tips for clearing the end of a snow packed driveway that I've learned is to do it as soon as possible. If you leave it over night, the packed, compressed snow can freeze (depending on temperatures) and then it's even worse the next day. Great video!
Great Tip EP! Once it’s frozen life gets complicated! Thanks for watching my friend! 👍
Also, do the end of the driveway first. That way, if the machine breaks or you run out of gas, the hard part is done.
@@lloydfox5752 thanks for sharing Lloyd!
@@lloydfox5752 Also, if YOU run out of gas!!
Snow squalls yes I’m a western New Yorker in a snow belt of the south towns and so fa with 6 feet in one event and the current blizzard I’m glad that I bought a snowblower last summer!
ADDITIONAL TIP: Just as you're finishing your driveway, fake an injury, so your neighbors can't ask you to clear their driveways too. :)
Hahahah Brilliant! I have a neighbor that refuses to buy a snowblower! Man is middle aged and think he can dig is way out of every storm. Takes him forever. Thanks for the great tip MACE! Merry Christmas to you and your family bud!
@@GarageGear Same to you and yours, JB!
@@GarageGear That guy is me! Upper 40's. I used to dig on the railroad, so tis nothin'! (Though I am tired as hell later that day!)
lol - best pro tip!
Years ago I had two neighbours that wanted me to clear the three foot high snow. I just spent all morning and afternoon clearing mine and two other elderly neighbours. I yelled out ##### and go to hell. These two had and still have more money than you can have magine. Where's your lazy rich sons? Perfect timing as they still don't have snowblowers and we don't talk. ☮️
Another FEW TIPS & TRICKS: 1) Instead of using a shovel; run the snowblower parallel with the berm, shaving off 6-8 inches at a time. 2) Add a few 10lb weight kits to the cab; it helps keep the cab down. 3) In addition to giving access to your "Mail-Box", I recommend making sure: You give access to FIRE HYDRANTS, TELEPHONE POLES and WHERE THE POWER comes into your house... The Fire Dept & Utility Workers will appreciate you! We get a LOT of snow in New England... My Ariens Hydro Pro 28" with 420cc's has served me well (worth every penny).
Thanks for sharing JRF
I also use the parallel plow method, I find it easier to pile the snow on the boulevard between street and sidewalk going this way. Many places with no sidewalks won’t have this problem.
As a new snowblowing person, this was a great help to me. Also appreciate the cheery good humor. Thank you!!
Glad this video helped you out Winnie! Thanks for watching 👍👍
Man I do NOT miss that lol. I moved from CT to southern SC, by the shore and I feel for you guys up there. Having to shovel my whole driveway by hand as a kid. I finally got a snowblower. when I got my house and still was a lot. Then after your all done, the snow plow comes by and fills in the end of the driveway again! I loved snow when I was young, but you can have it now. Best tip I can give is, move south!! Jan 15 and just went for a bike ride in 70 weather.
Lol thanks for the tip!
Great content. Pro tip…always wait for the plow to go by, if not it will come by the minute you get inside.
Pro tip #2 Never had anyone say I think I bought too big of a snow blower…Go Big!!
Agree and agree! Thanks for sharing tc!
If you have time and are feelin' jiggy with it, start in the middle of the street and blow the whole street, so the plow doesn't have anything to push into your driveway! No, I rarely do it, but when there's a big storm and everything's closed, another crazy neighbor and I will blow out our short block!
@@tombeyer375 you Tom are a snowmaritan! Thanks for sharing!
@Garage Gear My pleasure! Always fun to make others smile!
Strangely enough I reclaimed my wheeled Ariens Pro 28 about 3 weeks ago. I had lent it to my sister who found it too big. The main things she had trouble with were:
1. Pull starting when she was too far from a power socket. The 405cc engine was too big for her;
2. Her drive way is fairly steep. That coupled with the fine balance of the Ariens caused the front end to rear up;
3. Traction on ice covered gravel was sometimes a challenge.
She now has an Ariens Compact 24 Rapidtrak that seems to have hit the sweet spot. The 223cc engine is easier to start yet has very good capacity. The tracks give better traction with less front end rear up problems. The overall lighter weight is easier to maneuver. The autoturn helps make it easy to turn and the Rapidtrak gives you the option of "wheeled" mode. The smaller unit is a better fit for her.
I plan to do the track conversion on the Pro 28 next spring. In the mean time I await enough snow to have some "real" fun. In reality the Pro 28 is more machine than I need, its just way too fun to not have.
I just found your channel, and subscribed quickly. I really appreciate the upgrades, and maintenance tips you show for snowblowers. I also appreciate people like you who do NOT shovel or blow snow out into the street. In just about every municipality, you can get a ticket for dumping on municipal property, and another ticket for creating hazardous driving conditions, both of which are quite expensive tickets. Most of the time it goes unnoticed, because nobody calls and complains about it, and often, the police just don't want to get out of their car in crappy weather.
Welcome to the tribe pagan! Thanks for checking out the channel! 👍
Doing allot of the street on both sides of the driveway also is good for when a plow comes by again, as there’s less snow that’ll end up back in-front of your driveway. Sub’d. 🇨🇦👍🏼
Good tip here Barry! Thanks for sharing!
Another tip if there’s a fair amount of curb between your driveway and your neighbor’s - snowblow the pavement *on the street* (yes, the street itself) the direction the plow will come from for about 10 feet, then the next time the plow passes you’re likely to have little to no snow berm at the end of your driveway. I swear the plows in my area wait until I’m done (or so I think) to come by for another pass…
Good tip thanks for sharing!
There is always the clean up process that happens after the storm. I have been doing the “UP stream process” since the 70s. Once the storm is finished the municipalities send out the “BIg BOYS” to open up the streets to the curbs. By clearing your property to the curb that pile”Up Stream” that would end up in your driveway during that process is deposited in your extra wide area. Which allows you to get out of your driveway without driving over the hard clump of frozen snow the next morning. If your mailbox is located in that”Up Stream” area your letter carrier will be your friend when they show up to deposit your mail. Now I am 76 and still try to work “Smatter not Harder” even more. My 2004 Ariens w/the cast iron transfer case is still working with me each year. I wish you all good luck this winter.
Been doing this for years. 🤞
I'm in South Buffalo. I've been snowblowing this way for years. My Ariens snowblower is about 16 years old and still running. ALWAYS change the oil n plug. They sell a plate behind the plastic housing above the drive plate to prevent snow from dripping in there, I made my own. I grease the auger and pull the wheels to grease the axcel. Share this insight about snowblowing as many don't understand it nor respect machinery (snowblower.) You've got a thumbs up from Pal.
Awesome Ed! Thanks for being a cool local fan! Go bills!
I live in Buffalo too (we are currently getting hammered again, as you probably know)... biggest tip I can give, as you did... keep a few cans of silicon spray handy. Spray the auger, auger compartment and chute before you use the blower. It also works well on your shovels. In a pinch, kitchen no-stick food spray (oil) also works.
Thanks for sharing csi! Go bills!!!👍
The key to dealing with the end of the driveway is to take your time. What I do is when making the initial cut I release the throttle when it starts to bog down and let the auger do the work and just inch my way through it.
Thanks for sharing Mike!
Yeah, we had a really heavy, slushy wet snow today and I had to let the auger catch up like that many times, and not just at the end of the driveway.
Rotating the chute back and forth, a bit jerky, helps to quickly dislodge slush buildup in the chute too.
Most time consuming thing today was clearing a snapped tree from the driveway before I could snow blow.
Maybe do a video on how to plow through tree trunks??! 😂
@@ttb1513 that would be a good one lol! Thanks for sharing!
And break it up with a square mouth shovel or even cut a relief channel through with it first especially if it's dense and trying to freeze up.
@@johnassal5838 I wore out a thick, classic, aluminum shovel doing this. Well this and scraping the street until it was totally BLACK and the sun making water vapor.
Bruh!! This is the second video about the snowblower & you just got a new subscriber!!! Thanks for the explanation, jokes & posting!!
Looking forward to watching what else you have going on in the garage!!
Awesome Aries! Got tons of snowblower content on here! You’re gonna be here a while lol! Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Rochester, NY here. You nailed it on cleaning the end of the driveway. Small bites at slow speed and don’t be scared to break it up with a shovel. After a good workout let that snowblower idle for a minute or two to cool off.
💯agree Thomas! Go Bills!
I understand what you were saying about wind direction, and I take that into consideration, most times, but I prefer to throw the majority of the snow, at the end, in the direction that traffic moves, otherwise you are going to have a huge mound blocking your vision when you pull off the driveway.
Thanks for watching gwine
It also helps to shovel out into the the road 8 feet and down the street about 20 feet in the direction the plow will come from.
This way you usually end up with a lot less snow at the end of your driveway, cause you’ve already done the work for the plow.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Hi from akron ohio , I just wanted to say I was scrolling through CZcams and came across your video at 62 years old I want to say thank you for the respect.with the first couple statements you made in your video this statement in particular Hey Guy's and( Gals) . I watch a lot of CZcams videos on how to repair things because it's me and my disabled daughter and in this situation you say this twice most of the CZcamsrs don't acknowledge women for say they just show you the how to video's.this is our first year of operating a snow blower that pull's itself and not shoveling due to we was blessed with it . Thank you for the confidence know I know we got this.
Thank you for watching and being a fan of the channel! I think it’s important to address both males and females. By day, I’m a teacher and have made it a habit to address both daily this way. I welcome all to the channel and I’m glad you found it to be useful.
No pre-shovelling for me. Point the beast, lean in, and push through. Then I marvel at the power of the beast and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done that I didn't have to do manually.
Thanks for sharing Jp
Great advice from Buffalo, thanks! That big mound of plowed snow at the end of the driveway is the 500# gorilla out there. Sometimes i do it twice, before and after the city plow, makes things easier!
That’s a good plan too! Awesome you’re from Buffalo too! Thanks for watching John!
Buffalonian (Williamsville) here! Great tips. I overworked my old reliable Ariens two-stager (and myself!) during Christmas blizzard. Should have gotten your tips earlier! Thank you. Key point, knock down the snow, versus wrestling machine into/under huge pile. Last year I bought an oversized Toro -- way too heavy. Bigger is not necessarily better. (Your unit is right-sized for two stager IMHO.) I returned the huge machine, preferred my old Ariens 5524. But I found if I use your "knock down" method, my single-stage Toro did quite well. I think single-stagers can be overlooked as pretty darn good (much lighter/maneuverable) solutions. Most snow fall is not blizzard 36". Bills Mafia would be wise to get out there a few times AS major snow is falling (like my Dad!) and one foot deep quick runs with single-stage *could* be optimal. Most snows are not over a few inches, even in Buffalo, at a time. Enjoyed the video! Go Bills!
Hey KN! Getting out there a few times definitely helps! Thanks for sharing this Information! Thanks for being a cool local fan! 👍 go bills!
In the southtowns it seems like every snowfall is 15 inches. Unfortunately I wrestled my Arians into the rocks yesterday. Hopefully no damage.
I always cut the bank down at the end of the driveway. See and be seen pulling out. I also have a fire hydrant in my front yard. I use my snowblower to clear access to that too. I take the bank away and 3 feet all around the hydrant. Also, if I don’t the city comes with a plow and tears up my front yard.
Good thinking gas man! Thanks for watching!
I have two snow blowers both 14 yrs old. I use my 8 hp to blow my driveway which is only 35 ft. long, and my 13 hp yardman
for my backyard and my sons driveway. The night before a storm, I spray silicon on the impeller, housing and chute, it makes a big difference. My one complaint about the yardman is that the 1st speed is too fast for deep snow for the first pass so I usually toggle the forward drive on and off in order to give the auger time to handle the snow.
Also, if your blower is not throwing the snow like it used to, it's usually because of the space between the impeller blades and the impeller housing. You can attach a piece of heavy belting to each of the impeller fins to close up the space, and watch that snow fly, and it also helps to prevent any clogging.
Thanks for sharing justice!
I always like to take the step of clearing the mail box a little further. I clear the road back to the curb along my entire property, helps with the banks creeping further and further into the road way, give that extra space for parking, and helps the plow driver know where his blade is when coming by.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! I know the mail carriers appreciate it.
Congratulations on going over 40,000 subscribers JB. After watching this video I'm heading out to snowblow the driveway. We only got about 6 inches in Vermont. Should be able to knock it out quickly. I will be slowly doing the end of the driveway. Thanks for the tip.
ROCK ON WHITIE! That snow doesn’t stand a chance against you! Appreciate you bud! Now onto 50k! Have a good weekend my friend!
30 years in SoBflo on Abbott Rd :: You've got a very good explainer for the burbs BUT in the city, there's a significant extra consideration. When the plow comes back to cut to the curb in the city, everything that was blown to the left potentially adds to what the plow redeposits in the driveway (or in the curbcuts) and everything blown to the right is plowed down the street and gone forever.
Thanks for sharing Gee! Go BILLS!
Thank you! My driveway is 1/4 mile long and we got dumped on. I should have watched this before making the first pass. Hopefully it will go easier tomorrow. Having it in high was not kind on my back.
Thanks for watching ak!
Soon as you said Buffalo I thought...yuppers...looks about right. We're here in Niagara and feel 'yer pain with the latest storm. My snowblower worked overtime last weekend as well - 2 hours to clear my driveway and sidewalk. It was brutal. Great channel - some really good tips! Cheers from Welland.
Awesome that you’re close by silent knight! Everyone’s machines did overtime for sure! Thanks for watching! Go bills!
@@GarageGear Go Ti-Cats! (CFLer here, lol)
Good tips! An additional step I take is to make a full width pass INTO my lawn along the driveway sides when it gets about 6” or more. That leaves a little more room to shovel the smaller snowfalls.
Great tip for extra room! Thanks for sharing!
Clever idea!
I live on one of the few hills in Chicago, so they salt the hell out of the street. When we get a heavy snow, I blow/shovel it all back into the street.
There's way more salt than I want to spray onto my plants/etc. Sure, I get some nasty looks from some drivers, but, hey, it gets people to slow down and it melts pretty fast. Plus, I clear all of my neighbor's walks, approaches, and some driveways.
The method you show here is what I started doing at age 10 when I all I had was a shovel. Growing up in the upper Midwest, I learned early on that if you get out early and often, you can avoid the (usually) inevitable freeze that tends to follow a heavy snowfall. Once that bank of slushy stuff sits for a few hours, it can become a solid ice wall. When we get one of those storms rolling in, eat a good meal,. take a nap, get out and shovel/clear, have a snack, take a nap, get up and lather, rinse, repeat. Much easier doing 5" 3x than waiting for it all to pass and having 12 - 20+ inches. Just some random experience from a old Swede geezer for anyone who is new(ish) to this part of the country. :) Besides, It's usually a) warmer when it's snowing and b) quieter out at 3am.
Oh, and always salute the plow drivers.
Thanks for sharing this string!
I have four driveways on my little estate, outbuilding, main, service and golf/recreation area entrance. Was snowed in one winter, weekend, no need to go anywhere, planned to have sexy time for two days straight, no interruptions. The morning of the second day, Sunday, he decided to get out and stretch his legs, get some snow blowing done. Opens the garage under the house, rolls out the old, but rock solid, 1980's 828 Snowbuster by Simplicity, snow blower, makes the first path up the driveway and encounters the Fire Department Supervisor SUV blocking his way to the street, two pumper trucks blocking the rest of the driveways, firemen out with axes going toward my front door. "Hey buddy, you smell gas? We got a call you need a welfare check for no shoveling and someone smelling a gas leak from your property." My husband said, "No, it's the neighbor across the street, see their grill on the deck? Go talk to them and stop blocking my driveways. We know what you are up to. No we aren't selling this house to you, them or anyone else." Another time they showed up to get us to let them in to take wall temperatures, because we had the audacity to run one of our two wood fireplaces. We've had police ask for our work orders, saying people here don't do their own yard work and us out there without uniforms or a truck made us suspicious. Turns out we are not white enough for the neighbors taste AND the wrong religion. "You are white, what is he anyway?" Who said that to us? Our district's sitting State of Michigan Representative, standing in my great room, leaning his greasy fingers on my baby grand piano. Oh and the trick to keeping that old snow blower running perfect? A new $12 adjustable carburetor every season, off Amazon. I even 3D printed a little air cleaner housing for it. The box cover was always a pain to deal with and the key got swapped out for a switch up near the handles. You can find them on Amazon by searching for this (8HP Tecumseh) : AUTOKAY Adjustable Carburetor for Tecumseh 8HP 9HP 10HP Snowblower Re#640349 640052 640054 640058 640058A
Debbie, thanks for sharing this incredible story! I’m glad the snowblower is fixed! Lol Merry Christmas and Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear No problem, love your content, guys like you make it so I don't get taken advantage of with repair shops and parts vendors. Buying parts on Amazon is amazing compared to driving to the locals and getting someone that does not know anything or a old guy that thinks women should leave the repair work to men or "professionals". With CZcams, creators like you, I can call their B.S. and make sure the job is done right... by me! I even changed out the timing belt and water pump on my daily driver Lexus RX. Everyone said you have to go to a shop to change it out because of the Jesus Bolt on the crankshaft. I spent a few evenings learning about the process from CZcams, went on Amazon and bought a high mass socket to take it off with my electric impact wrench. Easy as heck to do when you have a little collector fleet like mine, just drive another car while you figure out the issue with the one you are repairing. Lexus tried to sell me a new radiator and everything associated with the coolant drip on my garage floor. It was the weep hole in the water pump and I avoided the dealership scam of fixing everything near the repair and then "saving" you at the end with fixing the real problem. Lean condition with my Honda SUV and they tried to tell me it was the Mass Air Sensor, bad injectors, needs an ECU. CZcams searched it after that with some help from the owners club forums for that truck and voila, it is usually a cracked plastic intake spacer. Yup. Fixed it all with a $30 OEM spacer from Amazon and a few hours of wrenching. Guys like you are priceless and deserve more credit than you could ever know. Merry Christmas to you and yours! 😇
@@debbiestimac5175 appreciate your kind words! Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas! 🎄👍
I have an old craftsman snowblower that was built by Murray. They were actually kind enough to put a guide on the shifter notches telling you which speed is best for different types of snow. Nobody Does that anymore unfortunately.
I know what you mean Robert! The new PowerSmart blowers don’t even tell you if you are in a reverse gear lol! Thanks for watching bud!
I can’t stand the husqvarna that doesn’t have indicators or notches or anything for the gears. Just this crescendo symbol that doesn’t even line up with first gear.
If it is hard to break up the snow, you can even use a smaller spade shovel or a garden shovel (metal) and break smaller chunks at a time. It will take longer, but it is even easier on you.
Right on Billy! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip about the end of the driveway. We share the driveway with the neighbor, all cement, so I am usually the one out there trying to clear it. Also, being the Good Neighbor, I clear my sidewalk and the sidewalks on either side of us.
Thanks for sharing!
Nice video Jake. Always need a shovel LoL. Somedays I will shovel the snow from the top of my garage area down 8 to 10 feet into a bigger pile on the days we only get 6 to 8 cm and push it all in from the sides to the middle and then blow it all. Saves me about 10 min of blow time and less gas used.
Good tip my friend! Thanks for sharing!
Being a mail carrier, you are Absolutely right! We do appreciate clearing the approach to the mailbox!! It helps immensely!!
Hey John! Thanks for all that you do my friend!
I've always found going out at least twice is so much easier. Also, I do my whole street frontage. Then there is so much less plow-packed snow to deal with.
Thanks for the awesome tip! Right on! Thanks for watching too!
After finding your Chanel I made and installed an impeller kit. I was disappointed with the performance until I realized I had a broken shear pin! We had a bit of a snow storm…….real heart attack snow……very wet and sloppy. I cleaned a bunch of laneways for the neighbours. My goodness the wet snow flew like never before!! Thank You!
Awesome Rick! Glad the kit worked out well for you! Thanks for watching!
i see u got the big boy out, no battery crap. 70 here in fl. Im sure the mailman loves you, im a retired mman and we would just pass up blocked boxes and sidewalks that were not shoveled ur the best
ROCK ON RAY! I try to make life easy on my mailman. The plow pushes a lot of snow around my corner and in front of my house! Gotta help the guy out! No batteries making it through this mess. Thanks for watching my friend! Enjoy the sun!
@@GarageGear i hope that u r staying safe and warm up there. it went down to 28 here for the low a few days. come on down I have a xtra bedroom
@@raynorczyk5497 all good here my friend! Appreciate your offer! 👍
‼️‼️Thanks for the tips 💯💯. I never really went into battle with a strategic plan. Lol just went at it 😂 Didn’t think about all the damage I was doing to my snow blower. Just thought it was a machine that was built for anything in front of it. 🤦♂️ Now that I’m older I want to make sure I get the longevity of my equipments. Slowly learning the hard way. 💸 Thanks again!
You got a plan now Michael! Thanks for watching!
Having a heated space that you can let your snowblower thaw between uses makes everything a LOT less stressful.
You got it! Thanks for watching!
Our little community on Lake Erie provides a "service" of plowing the sidewalks. That's great, but it makes an extra wall at the end of the driveway. So this is a doubly handy video.
Thanks for sharing craig!
Also in the 716. I also make a point of cutting back snow in the road on the left side of the driveway to minimize the amount of snow that is available to the municipal plows to push into the end of my driveway.
Good point!
Best thing you can do, if possible, is to do several shifts during the snowfall as opposed to waiting until it’s done. Of course it depends on the expected snowfall duration but whatever your able to do will make the overall removal easier.
This is a great idea as well! Whatever makes the job easier. Thanks for watching!
Exactly what I do when I can. I have a single stage toro, a regular size two car driveway.our neighbours are early 80’s, so I always try and get theirs done before they get out and try shovelling.
@@pjfan173 thanks for sharing!
@@pjfan173 now that's a great neighbor
Been in Watertown since 2014 but this is only our third winter as homeowners and my Ariens has saved me a ton of work. I've learned some of the tips you mentioned by trial and error, and made sure to listen to the machine so I don't bog it down. Definitely smashing the subscribe button so I'll know what to do if my blower ever freaks out on me.
You got it John! You guys get a lot of snow over there! Thanks for watching bud!
I use a a long flat shovel for breaking up the snow and they work much better than snow shovels on packed snow and ice. For light snows (an inch or less) when the sun will be out soon, a couple of stripes showing asphalt is enough to make the rest melt. I usually do the perimeter and 2 more leaving 3 strips of snow. Lastly, during heavy snows, I snowblow the shoulder of the road on the oncoming traffic side and the plow drops less on the end of my driveway. The town drivers pull their wing back and slow down at my driveway because I always wave and back off the road when they come by in either direction. At least that's I was told by a driver I was talking with while waiting to get our covid shots, so we could keep our jobs.
Good tips here John! Thanks for sharing!
Good luck to people with battery powered machines...
Haha yeah they’re gonna need it getting through piles like this! Thanks for watching monte! 👍
Can't teach stupid lol
They’ll get thru it, they just better have a couple spare batteries!
Cold weather is a killer for batteries
@@wildmanofthewynooch7028 having no power is a killer for batteries🤣
My 1974 Ariens will be 50 years old next year...and yes it still outperforms the newer other brand blowers!
The golden years of snowblowing! Those machines are tough as hell! Thanks for sharing
The old blowers usually had Tecumseh engines which were designed for snowblowers. Tecumseh tech manuals often referred to various models as Snow King engines. The old models were heavier to really handle heavy plow truck snow. Nowadays corners are cut everywhere in blower production to decrease costs and increase profits.
Yes let the shovel knock it down and let the machine move it out.
Make sure to move the snow while it's still wet before it turns to ice.
Be sure to clean out fire hydrants and street drains
Thanks for watching bob
One more tip for snow removal on driveways. With the tall banks, how do you open the door and get out?? I blow a good 3-4 feet off of each side of the driveway, to leave extra room to get out of vehicles! Last, but not least, thanks for remembering the mail carrier!!
Thanks for sharing and watching Tom!
In order to avoid high banks near the road, I usually cut a path out to the road then blow from the road in towards my house, throwing the snow away from the road area. This prevents high banks that reduce or completely cut visibility of oncoming vehicles. If I need to build banks near the road I do so on the side away from oncoming traffic, i.e., the right side facing the road. I can still see the oncoming vehicles when I pull out.
Good tips! Thanks for sharing Hobby!
My driveway is an incline to the road. Hard to plow up that incline in low gear.
After snow blowing the driveway, I also clear the area at each corner even though it’s my lawn. Otherwise, after several storms (or one big one) combined with the incline, my view of road traffic is obscured. I can’t see them and they can’t see me pulling out. Wish my neighbor would also do this.
Our mail carriers won’t deliver if the area in front of mailbox & beyond isn’t cleared.
Also need to clear a path for oil delivery even if it is over the lawn.
Good tips.
Good tips. Another thing that helps, especially when the snow is heavy & wet but temps have dropped well below freezing, is to periodically make sure the auger itself isn't getting clogged up with frozen snow. If it's really struggling to bite in, just pushing snow in front of it, this is probably what's going on.
Thanks for sharing daddy bean!
Tip - snow sled also useful in de-bulking evil EOD snow. Another tip - wear hi-viz when working at the road. Thanks for the vid.
Thanks for sharing! 👍
Pro Tip 🔨- when you go our to clear the driveway and the plow has not come to do your street, go plow 4 feet of road on the side before your driveway, where the plow will be blocking it. My pile at the end is always WAY less than all others. I try and help my neighbours out.
Thanks for sharing seen
I also live in buffalo ny too I took your advice and bought my first snowblower
ROCK ON William! Bet you’re loving that thing! Thanks for watching! GO BILLS!
What'd you buy?
I’m in Buffalo too and was having a horrible time clearing the end of my driveway, thanks for the advice to shift it into lower gear. I’m still trying to get my sidewalk done but I need a break today, will tackle it tomorrow.
This snow is tough! Super heavy and dense! A workout for any machine! Thanks for sharing jasmine!
West seneca here this last storm sucked
Wait a couple days and it will all start to melt.
@@jamesvandamme7786 ha yeah I’m a week it’ll be gone! Thanks for watching
A cab is great to keep the wind and snow off my face. When I'm doing my driveway I start in the middle and go back and forth long way. This way I don't have to turn the chute. Lastly clear three feet around your nearest fire hydrant. The house you save may be your own.👍
Thanks for sharing sgt
The only thing that I was concerned with in the beginning of the video is that you were throwing snow on your Toyota truck when parked on the street. What a recipe for nicks and dents from debris on the street. I'm glad that you finally moved it on the driveway. Good video.
The taco is all good! Thanks for looking for out for me lol! 👍
Do it with an ego 24” snowblower electric! So many people praising them. With a track Honda you can just ride right threw. I learned tracks won’t ride up like wheels. I owned both
Do it with a gasoline snowblower that does not start. Wheels better than tracks for overall use, that is why you do not even see track walk behind snowblowers sold any longer.
@@tommak6516 only Hondas now! Only the best
I’d be willing to give it a shot but my hopes are not high. Batteries just can’t hack it in cold weather and their power consistency is really only half what companies claim. For a few bucks less you can get a super powerful ariens. Jus’ sayin’! Lol! Thanks for watching bud!
@@GarageGear just sold my older Honda hs1332 tracks for $2650. Paid $895 for it. Tripled my profit. Trying to trade up towards the best Honda they make brand new
@@GarageGear no worries. I could get the most expensive ariens right now after selling my 10 year old Honda or get a brand new Honda. I think I’m going Honda haha
I occasionally run the throttle at 1/4 to 1/2 to run the wheels a little slower on the hard to snowblow sections. The governor will nicely regulate torque thru the difficult areas and the slower travel makes the augers take smaller bites. Many times less is more.
Thanks for sharing stp!
Great video JB! Back when I only had my single stage snowblower I would use this same method more often then not at the end of the driveway. Now I own a single stage and a 2 stage snowblower so when the banks get high the 2 stage comes out!
ROCK ON my friend! Having a second blower is helpful! Thanks for watching andy!
I still use single stage snowblowers.
I put small screws into the end of the rubber and they act like studs....
A studded rubber paddle chews up the snow and ice like nothing.
My single stage has 12" clearing height
@@leadnsteel1428 thanks for sharing the tip!
Instead of anti-stick spray, I applied expired linseed oil to the auger and chutes. I don't know how good that is for the steel, but it lasts a lot longer than silicon, used motor oil etc.
Thanks for sharing steve!
After you guys getting nailed by that lakes effect storm, I figured you'd have some kind of tip to share. We got some here in Minnesota, but not near what you guys got. Keep'r throwin' and blowin'!
Winter is just getting going David! My mind is always thinking about content! Thanks for watching my friend!
every one has there preferred method. with drift cutters and a similar plow pile i make one full pass out of the driveway and then partial passes after that. let the blower do the work. Tracks help with those big dumps.
Thanks for sharing
Just got done with my driveway after the blizzard we had in Buffalo. This was me for about 3 hours. 6' drifts plus the plow at the end of the driveway. Using the shovel to break things up is the only way.
You got it Andrew! Thanks for watching
I did mine that exact same way, then I got smart and sold the house and moved to a apt where someone else takes care of all maintenance ✌️
Ha thanks for watching kman!
We got whacked in Amherst this weekend. Great tips! You have a new sub. I’m curious to know if you have an opinion on top/best blowers. I have a 24” craftsman model.
Thanks for checking out the channel and being a new sub! Can’t go wrong with an Ariens. They have a variety of sizes and prices points that all work well. Go Bills!
I just moved to a area with big snow. Getting close to buying a machine, but first I will be hanging out on this channel to get some tips. Excellent share. Thank you.
It’s the place to be when you are for a machine! Plenty of tips to go around! Thanks for watching!
Get a honda 928 or 1332. with maintenance you will be good for 25 years or longer.
@@benson098123 thanks for sharing
@@benson098123 I can vouch for a Honda. Using the techniques demonstrated, that I learned on my own and being raised on a farm in Minnesota, I had that machine 31 years and never sheared a shear pin. Going slow and taking partial cuts will get the job done much faster and easier.
I spray the inside of my snow blower with ceramic car coating, other sprays wear out very fast. Do the front and impeller thoroughly and do the inside of the chute. This will be so slick that wet snow to pass through without sticking and jamming the snow will also be thrown much further when sprayed.
Thanks for watching robo!
Loved my Ariens.. was my back-up for the Kubota tractor with the midpoint PTO Blower. It was as you said an "ANIMAL"!! 100 foot drive way.. no problem. West Coast of Michigan but NOT Buffalo!
You got a great line up of equipment my friend!
Another helpful tip that I do is try to blow the driveway before the plow comes. I live on the west side of the street and my driveway is on the south side of my lot and the plow comes down my street from north to south so before the plow comes I actually snowblow the street from my driveway to the north to my neighbors driveway, about 30-40 yards from a little more than the center of the street all the way to my curb. This helps drastically reduce the amout of snow that is pushed into my driveway from the snowplow.
Good tip mark! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks. I watch your video's every winter I'm in Michigan near the St. Clair River. We don't get the snow you do. The most we ever get is 15 inches. But I bought an old Tekamah snow blower and your summerize video helped me tremendously.
Awesome Rj! Glad these videos are helping you out! Thanks for being a cool fan!
Put it in low... let the machine do the work. 35 years of Wisconsin snow. Your back will thank you. Drift blades like he's got will help a bunch. Ive got a Toro 521 that's as old as I am.
Thanks for the tips and thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear inside listening to subzero winds howl. Stay warm!!
Now that is what I am talking about! The Upper Peninsula of Michigan gets deep snow and plows create mountains of snow across driveways. This would be a great test for the EGO battery blowers! Tired of watching battery powered blowers gliding over 4”s of snow!
Hey old guys! No way can batteries handle this kind of snow. And definitely not on one battery.Thanks for watching.
One thing I do to make life easier is to blow the snow off the road to the curb about 50 feet before my driveway. That way when the plow comes down the street there is less snow for it to push into my drive way. My street isn't very busy though so it's safe for me to do this
Thanks for sharing will!
I find two things helpful in situations like this. One, take a metal spade (pointed shovel) and chop at the pile a bit to break or loosen it up. Two, work at the edges of the pile with the snowblower, putting only about 50% of the blades into the pile at a time. Don't have the plow problem, but I have a hedgerow that acts as a snow fence and causes snow to drop right across the opening of my driveway. It's not unusual after a windstorm to have a hard crust pile over four feet high. This procedure handles it pretty well.
Thanks for sharing Alan!
Really good content and advice. Fortunately I live on the 3rd attic floor of an old house. I do not own my home and I do not drive a car and I do not need the snow blower :)
You never know. Thanks for watching!
If it's deeper then the machine for the initial pass I generally push down on the handlebars and ride up a couple feet then back up and scape down. Repeat this until breaking through going slowly and letting the auger do the work rather then powering through. Then half the bucket the rest of the way. This method ditches the shovel all together allowing the machine to do the work.
Thanks for sharing Jesse! Good tips here
Around here they use a lot of salt and brine so I tend to do the plow roll first as then the clean snow in the driveway cleans out any leftover salt etc left in the auger housing and chute etc. so less chance of rusting
Good tip sole! Thanks for sharing
Excellent video JP. My wind does same thing blows west to east most days, but I’m about an hour south of Lake Ontario and 20 minutes north of Canandaigua Lake so sometimes the wind swirls south to North. Western NY certainly is a challenge. I’m just south east of Rochester NY. Thanks again buddy
Appreciate the positive feedback Mark! You’re not too far away! Thanks for being a cool relatively local fan! 👍
With wet heavy snow, I also add some silicone spray to the chute to prevent it from plugging up.
Good tip! Thanks for sharing
Older blowers fill the front differential with 90 weight gear oil they last forever. The newer ones are junk imo. but it just requires a lot more attention. starters getting loose, bottom belly pan falling off and screwing up the belt pully system etc.
The new ones just don’t compare to the older models! Thanks for sharing leek!
So many "newbies" think the ramming method is best. My Christmas wish is for all of them to watch this video. 🎄⛄
Hahaha a lot of truth in this comment! Thanks for watching bud!
I agree with your suggestions. I've used them myself at times. One difference, I use a snowblower with tracks. This gives the option when the snow is deeper than what the chut will take, to use the tracks to ride up on the snow, but that depends on the density of the snow. Knocking down the snow is the best suggestion in this video, and the only way to deal with drifts and deep snow.
Thanks for sharing
Good video, love my ariens. Getting ready for snow season here in upstate ny!
Appreciate you JD! Thanks for watching
You did exactly what I did last winter in Connecticut when we received 18 inches of snow, but the end of the driveway (1/10th of a mile long) which was about 30 inches deep. Fortunately, this year while Buffalo is getting a lot of snow, Connecticut so far has had two snowfalls of one inch each - a record low. Don't know how long this will last but I did take my snowblower out of storage and it is ready to go if I need it (silicon grease is a must!).
Thanks for sharing Sam! Definitely a weird winter for many!
VERY IMPORTANT: As you stand on your driveway looking out at the road, blow the snow to your RIGHT. That way when the plows come by again, they push the snow past your driveway, NOT in front of it.
Thanks for sharing
Potter County, PA - Hit that snow 12 inches at a time and it's easier. My Twp snowplow wall never gets that high when I move the snow 12 inches at a time. Snowvember 2014 gave us two and a half feet. Moving snow at 02:00 was worth it cutting the job in half. I don't have anything close to pavement, so I have to leave an inch behind.
Thanks for sharing camp!
Good info.
You might add to blow the salty/gravelly stuff first. So your blower cleans itself off with the cleaner snow.
Good tip thank you for sharing
I always try and clean out as much snow off the street 'before' the driveway, to reduce what the City plow pushes in front it. In other words, I'll go double the 15' you mentioned for the USPS, so the plow 'cleans' itself of the big push it has in front of itself, before it actually gets to my apron.
Thanks for sharing Mike!
This is the way
The storm we had last week 😢 I really need to invest in a snowblower.
I heard they are sold out everywhere my friend! They are helpful to have ! Thanks for watching
I was already subscribed and now hearing your also in buffalo just made my day! I’m sure you did well over this holiday weekend! I’ve been telling all my friend to use wd40 after every use. Happy holiday to you man. #gobills
Awesome my friend! Can’t go wrong using wd40! Happy new year! Go bills!
I can’t wait for the father of my children to fix our snowblower for this upcoming snow season.
Thanks for watching!
I'm telling you the county plows wait until I'm done blowing snow and then plow and put up the frozen ice chunks berm requiring a second session at the top of the driveway.
Thanks for sharing Virginia!
One thing you forgot to mention, If you have a Fire Hydrant either in front of your house or reasonably close by, clear around the Hydrant a minimum of 3 Feet all around the Hydrant, to make it easier for the Fire Department to get to and access the
Hydrant in case of a Fire this is from a gormer Firefighter 😊
Thanks for sharing Kenneth!
I have found it a good practice, when possible, to blow the snow at the end of the driveway in the direction where a snow plow will not push it back in my driveway. That is, with the flow of traffic, a plow will find my clean driveway before the snow I blew further down the street. One must take wind and the location of any neighboring driveways into consideration. This seems to be opposite of what you do in the video.
Yeah if I blew it the other way the wind would have put it back in my face. Thanks for sharing!
When you’re finished, go inside, get comfortable and grab a cup of coffee. Then…… look out the window and watch the snowplow fill it all in again
Hahah yep round 2 lol
I have an electric snowblower and use many of the techniques described in this video. They all work well.
Thanks for sharing
For breaking up snow banks with a shovel, the best thing to use is a small square metal garden spade! It slices up snow banks like butter!
Thanks for sharing