I'm already getting fed up of shovelling snow and the idea of spending $479 on a Home Depot special is tempting.
However, no one else in my street has one, and I don't want to be labelled as "The flash git with the snowblower" so how much shovelling time in minutes warrants one?
My driveway and pavement outside of my house takes me no less than 30 minutes and another 15 minutes for a shower after

Presumably you mean this: http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...k=P_PartNumber ?

Thats a single stage machine (e.g. it pulls itself along and blows snow in one action as opposed to a dual stage machine which has a set of augers to break up the snow and a high speed impellor to throw it.) So only, AFAIK useful for light snowfall. Anything above 10cm & I think you'd struggle. So it all depends on how much snow you get locally. More info here: http://products.howstuffworks.com/sn...ying-guide.htm

Certainly it would be as much use as a chocolate teapot here. Somewhat more muscle is required......

OMG What is under all that snow? your drive?

Thanks for the info, the snowfall isn't that heavy here so the cheapo one will be fine if I do break down and buy one.

Danny - an ATV and blade would make more sense. It won't gather dust for 8mths of the year Might stretch your budget though.

Danny, Stay with the shovel. It's great exercise. As the only owner in your area, you will be called upon to do quite a lot more than just your own drive way..

Given the size of Danny's driveway and front sidewalk I'd say an ATV and blade would be definite overkill.

See post #19 this thread: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=497666

Very likely to evoke just the response he's trying to avoid.

Sure it's overkill, but what Danny really needs is an ATV, so he can come out to play

I had it easy lasy year compared to some.....

Is that your place?

Fortunately not. Downtown St Johns after last February 20th Blizzard.

That's got to be photoshopped surely? I have never in my life seen so much snow as that

LOL, I'd love to get an ATV plus a winter blade, can you imagine my neighbours reaction then

I think I'll just keep on shovelling until someone else buys one or my back can take no more

Oh no, very real I'm afraid. More here: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm...allery&cid=233
It wasn't an exceptional storm in terms of snowfall - around 50cm, but it came down fast and was very windy so there was a lot of drifting.

What about one of those small hand held 'leaf blower' style thingies? (see, dead technical, me) - I've seen shop owners and town council people clearing pathways with those round here ...

Just shovel this winter, then go to some estate auctions in the summer and pick a blower up for $20. We managed that last year, so far we don't feel we have had enough snow to get it out. (will probably find it doesn't work lol)

Some of British Columbia's mountains get far more snow than anywhere else in Canada. The highest average annual snowfall recorded at a weather station is 1471 centimetres (48 feet) on Mount Fidelity. The station sits above the Trans Canada Highway at 1875 metres (6150 feet) elevation on the west side of Glacier National Park. This is also where snow falls most often in the country, averaging 144 days a year.

The country's snowiest town is Stewart, a coastal community in northwest BC. It gets 572 cm (18.75 feet) of snow over a typical winter.

I just thought you'd like to know.