frosty_freeze
frosty_freeze t1_iyscemm wrote
Reply to comment by icysandstone in Help me buy my first snow blower! What am I going to regret in 2 months? by icysandstone
There were some drawbacks:
- It sucked to convert from lawnmower to snowblower and back twice a year. Especially in the fall. Had to use the lawnmower to suck up leaves until right before the first snow, so the switchover was always cold, the lawnmower deck weighs a ton (as does the snowblower), the rubber bands that gave the tire chains tension were hard to manipulate. It got to be such a pain I eventually bought a second tractor so I wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore. And then we moved! LOL
- At least with my setup, the snowblower could only lift a couple of inches off the ground. My driveway was pretty flat but if you have much incline be aware that this might be an issue.
But if I had to do it again I’d definitely go that route. So much easier physically and faster, since the snowblower was 45 or 50” wide!
Not my video but here’s a good idea of how it works:
frosty_freeze t1_iys4sit wrote
If you have a garden tractor, get a snowblower attachment for it. If you don’t have a garden tractor, get a garden tractor and then get a snowblower attachment for it. And chains. And suitcase and wheel weights. But once set up I was throwing snow into my neighbor’s yard, plowing through ice and sloppy wet snow, and the stuff the plow left at the end of my driveways. I had a Bercomac snowblower on a husqvarna tractor. Electric lift was nice.
frosty_freeze t1_iysg3ga wrote
Reply to comment by icysandstone in Help me buy my first snow blower! What am I going to regret in 2 months? by icysandstone
Well, I bought both tractors and the snowblower used. I want to say I had 22 or 24 hp tractors? Pretty powerful. They’d still chug a little like the one in the video if you really pushed through heavy wet snow. I think bercomac has recommendations for power and that limits the width of the snowblower you can use? BTW, husqvarna and other tractor makers make their own snowblower attachments. But I’ve never used one and in the spirit of the sub the Berco snowblower was BIFL. Super thick gauge steel. I bought some sheer pins and a spare belt and some transmission oil but it would take a lifetime to break or wear out anything important on it. I was very happy with my Husqvarna tractors too. Pretty sure I sold all for the same amount or more than I paid after years of use!