Nurture Your Shovel Sloth

Enjoy Your Time Here on Earth by Indulging in a Walk-Behind Snow Blower

I think it was Dante who damned the lazy to shovel snow in Hell. Perhaps I’m just projecting my own personal fears in the matter. The idea of actually shoveling snow all day long — the sore arms, crooked vertebrae, frozen feet and deluge of sweat and tears — sounds like something Satan would spring on me for eternity.

A similarly grueling existence must have inspired Canadian milkman Arthur Sicard to throw down his shovel one day and go invent the walk-behind snow blower. Big snowfalls kept delaying his dairy business, so he invented a simple, walk-behind mechanical snow catapult in the 1920s that would change the way we could clear snowy driveways and sidewalks — without a shovel and a sore back.

Today, blowers have evolved to include almost every customer’s application. They come in two main configurations — single- and two-stage throwers. A single-stage unit has an auger with rubber coating to clean right down to the pavement. This high speed auger breaks up the snow and throws it out. Two-stage units are bigger, heavier units where the auger breaks up the snow and feeds it into a high-speed fan that throws it out. Both single- and two-stage units have chutes so you can direct the snow right where you want it.

“Lightweight, single-stage snow blowers are the perfect choice for the home where a paved driveway and walks need to be maintained and where snowfalls average less than 12 in.,” explains Clay Yeatman, senior engineer at Honda Power Equipment. “By extension, those living in harsher environments, where more aggressive snow clearing is routine, should probably investigate a mid- or fuller-sized, two-stage model capable of larger clearing paths.”

With that extra power, professionals can easily expand their winter operations, clearing confined spaces on worksites or offering snow removal services to customers. These little snow troopers can cut snow in widths of 17 to 45 in. Honda, Husqvarna, Ariens, John Deere, Simplicity Mfg. and MTD are all big names in the walk-behind snow blower business. Popular varieties include wheels or tracks. Units with tracks usually cost a few hundred dollars more, but come with the benefits of extra traction and the ability to adjust the height or pitch of the unit. A tracked walk-behind snow blower is better suited for working on rougher surfaces (gravel roads, grassy fields and mountain passes).

Other interesting extras include electric start, drift cutters, transmissions, lights, accessories and (thank the gods) heated handgrips. Before you pick your method of payment, consider your many winters past. “If they have a lot of snow or heavy, wet snow, they're going to look for a wider cut and a deeper cut. You’re going to be looking for a stronger engine. You’re going to be looking for more durable components. If you have very light snow, you’re going to want to get a light, wheel-type snow blower,” explains Rock Reed, manager of marketing and product planning at Honda Power Equipment. Similar self-research will ensure you find a fitting walk-behind snow thrower for your particular winter jobsite. Once you find that right blower, you can trash that pesky snow spade and save the shoveling for when Hell finally freezes over.

Keith Gribbins
Managing Editor
kgribbins@benjaminmedia.com

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