frogdujour t1_iyto7dy wrote on December 4, 2022 at 1:59 AM

You can still do well with a used unit sold as fully refurbished, for waaay less than a new one.

A number of years ago I made the switch to a snowblower from hours of shoveling, but started inexpensively with a used refurbished unit advertised from a motor repair shop - $200 for a 24" Simplicity 2-stage, 8hp I think, with electric start (highly recommend!), probably late 90s vintage.

Well, it's about 7-8 years on, and it has worked flawlessly every season with plenty of use (upper midwest), starts right up every time, and I haven't had to do anything to it since I got it. I have about ~2000sqft to clear. A "little" snowfall of 2-4 inches I can do in 15-20min, a 12" snowfall maybe an hour, going at the slowest speed. For your place maybe a 28" would be optimal for weight and ease of maneuvering it around vs cleaning speed.

You don't necessarily need to drop $2k+ on something brand new, unless your budget makes it not an issue of course.

Edit: one more note... I start mine once about every 1-2 months in the off season, and let it run a few minutes till it gets hot. I run it dry at the end of winter, and then to start it in summer, I just add a very tiny bit of gas, and run it dry again. Best to not let ethanol fuel sit in the carb for months, or it WILL gum up and corrode things.

icysandstone OP t1_iytqpsu wrote on December 4, 2022 at 2:19 AM

This is really great information, I appreciate your thoughtful reply.

Good call on the ethanol... I've rebuilt carburetors before, and it's not a task I particularly enjoy doing.

And thanks for the time estimates! It really gives me a sense of what to expect. So much of this is being a rookie. After two good snowfalls, I'm sure everything makes much more sense. :)