Home Snow Removal

[OW]

How do you do it?
How long is your Driveway?

Do you get a workout?
Use a machine?

[Sean Malone]

How do you do it?
How long is your Driveway?

Do you get a workout?
Use a machine?

I moved to FL just so I don't have to. Scouts honor.

[OW]

That's cool Sean.....
My hair is steaming.... It's a good workout...

And THANK YOU for no wgaf...which I expected :thumbup:

[Sean Malone]

My last snow in VA back (below). My bro-in-law broke down and bought a blower so I gave it a whirl.
It paid for itself the first snow storm by having his teenage son do all of the older folks driveways in the neighborhood.

They say to be extra careful when shoveling due to risk of stroke or heart attack. I remember a couple of times I thought I over did it and I was only in my 30s and in decent shape.

You can barely make out the CART emblem on my hat. :)

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/7845/p1010051mh5.jpg.

[nrc]

Two cars wide and 30 feet or so long. The old fashioned way:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ys8-cPA8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[Methanolandbrats]

Deluxe roof rake, snowblower and shovels. Three car wide and fifty feet long. The City plows three foot high by three foot wide wall across the bottom that is like wet cement. We have already had over a foot which melted, now 6 inches tonight and another foot tomorrow night. I get a massive workout raking the roof, blowing and shoveling small areas. I used to shovel, but I never finished before the next time it snowed. :D Now I can clean the driveway, the cars and the roof plus help the neighbors in about an hour and thirty minutes. Shovel or blow kinda depends on the climate, if you get over 100 inches a year and a lot of it is wet, then it's insane to shovel.

[OW]

Two cars wide and 30 feet or so long. The old fashioned way:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ys8-cPA8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

My wife actually heard me from inside giving it the Karate "Hua's" as I was outside giving it the old fasion way too.
But I like it..at 52 I don't think I'm in the Heart attach zone yet

[OW]

Deluxe roof rake, snowblower and shovels. Three car wide and fifty feet long. The City plows three foot high by three foot wide wall across the bottom that is like wet cement. We have already had over a foot which melted, now 6 inches tonight and another foot tomorrow night. I get a massive workout raking the roof, blowing and shoveling small areas. I used to shovel, but I never finished before the next time it snowed. :D Now I can clean the driveway, the cars and the roof plus help the neighbors in about an hour and thirty minutes. Shovel or blow kinda depends on the climate, if you get over 100 inches a year and a lot of it is wet, then it's insane to shovel.

Yeah - wet makes a difference

[SteveH]

long, wide and uphill in both directions

[Don Quixote]

SteveH, you left out the part about doing it barefoot.

I used slave labor (teenagers) for years. Now they are all away at college and pops does it. My wife wants me to get a snowblower, but I will hold out. Besides, if Joe Sakic can nearly cut off his fingers, I know I could do the same thing.

[Indy]

Snowblowers are sweeeeeet. What was I thinking not having one before? :gomer:

[anait]

Mr anait has a 'reconditioned' snowblower he bought from my best friend's dad, who improves/modifies everything he owns. I don't actually know how this one is modified...but it's old, and still works great. I'm not strong enough to handle it, so I use a shovel. The driveway is 70' long, 20' wide, gives me a good workout. :thumbup:

[sadams]

Driveway is 1/4 mile long with a large turn around area near the house( big enough to turn a 40' semi)

I use a Dodge pickup with a Fisher 8' snow plow for most of it and a Bobcat for the walkways.

[Andrew Longman]

I have a little Toro 2 cycle snow "shovel" I use for the walks, but my neighbor has a F150 4x4 with a plow he like to play with. He always just comes over and clears out my driveway and just about everyone else's on the street. Sweet.

And OW, take the heart attack thing seriously. I don't recall what it is but there is something about snow shoveling (I think it has something to do with lifting above your heart) that is particularly hard on the heart. A colleague of mine in his early 50s with no known history of heart problems died shoveling a few years ago. Left behind two teenage daughters

[dando]

I have a snowblower with a newspaper jammed inside. :saywhat: When the 2' snowfall happened last year, I gots stuck shoveling it myself. :(

-Kevin

[chop456]

I have a snowblower with a newspaper jammed inside.


Shoulda' had Joe Sakic come over and clean it out. :gomer:

[extramundane]

My last snow in VA back (below).

What a difference 50 miles makes. It hasn't snowed more than a dusting here since 2000, 2001 or something like that. I'm not upset over not having to shovel, but the cold-ass winter rains might be even worse.

[TKGAngel]

I have a snowblower with a newspaper jammed inside. :saywhat: When the 2' snowfall happened last year, I gots stuck shoveling it myself. :(

-Kevin

How does one get a newspaper stuck in the snowblower?

And I still can't believe Sakic's stupidity with the snowblower. Ours has big giant diagrams showing "don't put your hand here, moron." Did Sakic need a giant robot to wave it's arms and go "danger, Joe Sakic" to fully grasp the concept?

[Elmo T]

How does one get a newspaper stuck in the snowblower?


Newspaper + snowblower = $$$ repairs

Usually for us, the newspaper at the end of the driveway gets covered by the Township plows. I look like the ski patrol in rescue mode after the avalanche - trying to find my paper.

[G.]

2 wide driveway, about 2.5 car lengths long.

Really long front sidewalk.

Four stroke snowblower.

Last week I found the plastic bag of dog poop that was frozen to the driveway. That was cool. Hope my neighbor appreciates it as much as I did. :D It flies a bit further than you'd imagine.

The bag, however, tends to stay behind and get all wrapped up.

Pull the plug wire before clearing that out.

[Insomniac]

3 cars wide. About 40' long. Just got a snow thrower a couple years back. It doesn't snow that much though.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GSSY135VL._SS400_.jpg

[dando]

How does one get a newspaper stuck in the snowblower?


Very carefully. :gomer: :( Paper gets dropped @ the end of the driveway. We had ~12" of snow before Xmas last year and it got scooped up with the snow while I was clearing the driveway 1/2 awake. :( :saywhat:

-Kevin

[dando]

Newspaper + snowblower = $$$ repairs


Which is why it's not fixed yet. :(

-Kevin

[Ankf00]

Two cars wide and 30 feet or so long. The old fashioned way:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ys8-cPA8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

this.

nice part is it doesn't snow too much on Quixote's and my side of the mountains, so aside from a month in winter, maybe once a week, 15 mins and job's done.

[Wheel-Nut]

Down here in Houston we sit and watch it in amazement and just let it melt. :D

[Methanolandbrats]

Down here in Houston we sit and watch it in amazement and just let it melt. :D You can do that in Wisconsin too, but our snow is the kind that takes months to melt. :)

[Don Quixote]

nice part is it doesn't snow too much on Quixote's and my side of the mountains, so aside from a month in winter, maybe once a week, 15 mins and job's done. Don't listen to this rubbish. In Denver, it snows all winter long, non-stop. We have to dig out of our houses every morning. The temperature seldom gets above zero, and the sun never shines. So, don't move here, especially if you are from California, Philly, or Chicago. :D

[stroker]

Flamethrower.

It's hell on the car paint, though...

[JLMannin]

Down here in Houston we sit and watch it in amazement and just let it melt. :D

Unfortunately, the same strategy is employed by counties and municipalities in central Indiana. :shakehead:thumdown:

[oddlycalm]

Flamethrower
That's what I use on ice. We only get snow that stays around long enough to bother about once every 10yrs or so. Ice is a bigger issue. We broom the snow off and use the weed burner to deal with ice. Most years the snow is gone the next day, this year not so much. No warm weather in sight.

We had a heated driveway at the former house which was great. Turn it on when the storm starts and the snow never accumulated. Not exactly your "green" feature, but it probably didn't use any more energy than a snow blower.

oc

[Ankf00]

Don't listen to this rubbish. In Denver, it snows all winter long, non-stop. We have to dig out of our houses every morning. The temperature seldom gets above zero, and the sun never shines. So, don't move here, especially if you are from California, Philly, or Chicago. :D

Oh, err, right! Horrible, horrible...

[emjaya]

We had a heated driveway at the former house which was great.
oc

Heated driveway. :eek:

I don't have a heater for inside my house, much less the driveway. :gomer:

[Indy]

I rented a house once with a heated driveway. The landlord paid the electric bill. That freaking driveway was toasty all winter long. :laugh:

[Cam]

What is this "snow" you speak about? :confused:






:p

[dando]

What is this "snow" you speak about? :confused:


:p

Just ask someone from Vega$. 3.6". :eek:

-Kevin

[OW]

http://http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/Current.aspx?animate=true&location=USIL1114

sorry live radar won't transfer

Forget this cell

[cameraman]

radar (http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/Current.aspx?animate=true&location=USIL1114)

one http:// is usually enough...

[Elmo T]

use the weed burner to deal with ice.

oc

OT - but I cringe when I hear weed burners. I investigated this over the summer. He was using a weed burner to kill weeds around the front of his barn, but he never got to finish those around the back. :rolleyes:

http://www.offcamber.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=4&pictureid=90

http://www.offcamber.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=4&pictureid=91

[G.]

OT - but I cringe when I hear weed burners. I investigated this over the summer. He was using a weed burner to kill weeds around the front of his barn, but he never got to finish those around the back. :rolleyes:

were all of the firefighters ok after this battle? No children or animals hurt?


I need to know if it's ok to laugh at the barnowner.

[Don Quixote]

Weed Burners: The real cause of Global Warming. You heard it here first. :gomer:

[Elmo T]

I need to know if it's ok to laugh at the barnowner.

Feel free. No injuries to anything other than all of his tools, his boat, his 100 year old barn, and one weed burner.

[SteveH]

We had a heated driveway at the former house which was great.


oc, I was thinking about you, or more accurately your driveway as I spent the last two hours removing over an inch of ice from mine.

:soreback:

[oddlycalm]

OT - but I cringe when I hear weed burners.
Yeah, tools in the hands of idiots, an ageless story. :laugh: If you really want a scary thought think about ag chemicals in the hands of this same moron. :eek:

I've always preferred goats to deal with weeds, particularly around structures, and the "weed burner" to light my BBQ pit and deal with ice on the front walk. Not much chance of the snow drift catching fire. I did my time on the rural fire department so I'm familiar with the aftermath of bad decision making. :(

oc

[oddlycalm]

oc, I was thinking about you, or more accurately your driveway as I spent the last two hours removing over an inch of ice from mine.

:soreback:
Yeah, I hear ya. It was really wonderful for the occasional snow or ice storm every few years but it was installed back when electricity was cheap and plentiful. Not a big deal if the monthly electric bill jumped from $35 to $50. We were replacing the old slab regardless so putting in the cable cost very little. I didn't run it for the last few years we lived there, but then we didn't get much snow. The hot setup now would be a solar driveway heater.

oc

[Methanolandbrats]

This works better around structures than a flamethrower
http://www.starnursery.com/images/items/721140.jpg

[Insomniac]

Yeah, I hear ya. It was really wonderful for the occasional snow or ice storm every few years but it was installed back when electricity was cheap and plentiful. Not a big deal if the monthly electric bill jumped from $35 to $50. We were replacing the old slab regardless so putting in the cable cost very little. I didn't run it for the last few years we lived there, but then we didn't get much snow. The hot setup now would be a solar driveway heater.

oc

It used a wire instead of fluid?

[Gnam]

This works better around structures than a flamethrower
http://www.starnursery.com/images/items/721140.jpg

I didn't know Roundup was flammable. :gomer:

[Indy]

Where do I get one of these weed burners? I am thinking there is some fun to be had with one of those. :gomer:

[ChampcarShark]

I didn't know Roundup was flammable. :gomer:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[G.]

Where do I get one of these weed burners? I am thinking there is some fun to be had with one of those. :gomer:

more fun with flamethrowers (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081223/ap_on_fe_st/odd_blowtorch_fire;_ylt=AocVKXj5Zdl1VmFarW8fff4DW7 oF)


NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – Fire officials in New Bedford, Mass., say a man using a blowtorch to melt ice on his back porch ended up setting his house on fire, causing up to $30,000 in damage.

Fire Capt. Scott Kruger tells The Standard-Times of New Bedford that no on was injured during Monday's incident at the three-story home.

Kruger says the man was using a torch hooked up to a 20-pound propane cylinder.

[cameraman]

Where do I get one of these weed burners? I am thinking there is some fun to be had with one of those. :gomer:

2050°F of toasty fun...

http://www.flameengineering.com/Assets/torch_images/BIG-BP-2512-C.jpg

[Elmo T]

more fun with flamethrowers (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081223/ap_on_fe_st/odd_blowtorch_fire;_ylt=AocVKXj5Zdl1VmFarW8fff4DW7 oF)

I'd love to see the warning labels that go on these things. "Danger - emits flames" or something like that. :rolleyes:

[oddlycalm]

It used a wire instead of fluid?

Yup, heating cable in the slab. The entire system consists of a precipitation sensor, the heating cables and a controller. The controller we had was from Norway.

oc

[cameraman]

I'd love to see the warning labels that go on these things. "Danger - emits flames" or something like that. :rolleyes:

Well they do include this gem:


Do not apply flame to cylinders to check for leaks or to increase gas pressure.

If you need to be told that:eek:

[oddlycalm]

If you need to be told that:eek:
:rofl: Yeah, and they've only recently tightened up the controls on selling dynamite. It comes with the warning sign "caution explosive" as if there's a non-explosive version. Dynamite has always been popular in farm country for blowing stumps, the odd excavation project or just a relaxing afternoon fishing. Not sure how it would work clearing driveways but it be entertaining to find out...:gomer:

Here's just the thing for someone that needs a bit more range. This Red Dragon jet burner has a pilot light and will shoot a flame a good 5ft. at the squeeze of the handle so you can stand well back from a particullary menacing weed....:gomer:
http://www.flameengineering.com/Assets/torch_images/JET-410-C.jpg


oc

[Andrew Longman]

If you need to be told that:eek:

Not more than once. ;)

[Don Quixote]

I'd love to see the warning labels that go on these things. "Danger - emits flames" or something like that. :rolleyes: :rofl: Yeah. It probably says not to point it at yourself, other people, or pets.

[Ankf00]

:rofl: Yeah. It probably says not to point it at yourself, other people, or pets.

all I want for christmas is one of these and Bob Stoops passing by on the sidewalk :gomer:

[Don Quixote]

I'll take some of that action. :D

[cameraman]

If you are going to move some snow you might as well do it right.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/blower1.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/blower2.jpg

The finer points

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[Andrew Longman]

If you are going to move some snow you might as well do it right.

Well that will certainly wake the neighbors :D

And it will have no problem "processing" the morning paper. ;)

And small children and pets

And I know it would not be hard to pry most teenage boys away from the Playstation to go out and throw some snow.

[Methanolandbrats]

Well that will certainly wake the neighbors :D

And it will have no problem "processing" the morning paper. ;)

And small children and pets

And I know it would not be hard to pry most teenage boys away from the Playstation to go out and throw some snow. Ya, that thing would be loud, a snowblower with an F1 motor would be much cooler :D

[nissan gtp]

Here's just the thing for someone that needs a bit more range. This Red Dragon jet burner has a pilot light and will shoot a flame a good 5ft. at the squeeze of the handle so you can stand well back from a particullary menacing weed....:gomer:
http://www.flameengineering.com/Assets/torch_images/JET-410-C.jpg


oc

I have one of those. Good fun :D

[G.]

Do not apply flame to cylinders to check for leaks or to increase gas pressure.


If you need to be told that:eek:
I do know people that check for natural gas leaks in lines with a match.

Soapy water works for me.

[SteveH]

p1iqeEg7ufw

more here (http://www.v8snowblowers.com/index.html)



This one is pretty impressive as well
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as well as this
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[SteveH]

and then there's this :rofl::laugh::rofl:

CktICaG32Ps

[Insomniac]

Yup, heating cable in the slab. The entire system consists of a precipitation sensor, the heating cables and a controller. The controller we had was from Norway.

oc

That's pretty cool. The systems I've seen used pipes and fluid. They just circulated the fluid while re-heating it as it came back through. Just used a wall switch in the garage. ;)

[Gnam]

I'd like to send the guy raking leaves with a snowblower one of those weed burners. Maybe he can mow his lawn with it...:gomer: