I would say that depends on whether you are blowing wet or dry snow. You can blow 4 inches of dry snow with no problem. OTOH, 2 inches of wet snow is a lot different. We have had 4 inches of wet snow that has clogged my 2 stage snowblower with over 10HP. OTOH, my single stage unit can blow 4 inches of powder with no issue.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Depends on the density of the snow.

Fresh fluffy powder weighs practically nothing. Just use the snow shovel as a plow and push it away. A good Leaf blower works well also.

Wet heavy snow is a different story. Every shovel full is heavy and can be difficult to toss. If not shoveled before it freezes, you got ice and that doubles the work.

I bought a 2 stage Ariens about 4 winters ago and I've never looked back.

The last 3 winters we've been getting 1-2' storms 2-3 times a year with multiple smaller dumpings in between.

What use to take 2-3 hours of labor on heavy snow now takes less than 30 minutes and is almost fun. I even clear a path around the house and yard for the dog to do her business. The snow blower works surprising well on the ground/grass.

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Question Authority before it Questions you.

Yea wet snow can be a problem.
But a couple of tricks I've learned.
First the chute is cleaned and siliconed every year, with an occasional touch up.
Most times I can clear it by engaging and disengage the auger a couple of times, works on the little 2-cycle too.
Last keep moving, by keeping the snow moving through the chute it doesn't clog as much. The Simplicity will many times clear itself by just forcing more snow in there.

BUT never use your hand to clear the auger or chute !!!

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

Yes. Wife's friend learned that THE HARD WAY. Good thing she wasn't bi or lesbian. It would have made certain functions more challenging.

From what I see the newer units have a digging tool for that reasons. One of my neighbors has that and what did he stick into the chute the other day? Moron was trying to dig the snow out while using his foot to cycle the auger. Ah well, my wife can use a laugh.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Step-father decided to poke the wet stuff out of his 25hp Case 2-stage snowthrower.

25hp don't stop for nothin'

*CHUNK!*

"Oh 5h!t!!!"

He pulls the glove off and two pieces of "sausage" come out onto the ground (He was already starting to suffer frost-bite on the hands when the brain froze...)

I picked up the pieces along with a handful of snow, grabbed a shoebox off the garage shelves, dropped in the pieces, packed more snow on top and yelled like hell for mom (I wasn't old enough to drive yet...about 12-13), she comes down...just about faints, then wraps numbnut's hand in a kitchen towel and down the road the two went.

6 hours later, they're back. He has the largest wad of gauze I've ever seen outside a mummy horror movie on his left hand and mom is still whiter than the freshly driven-over snow.

Two dead in the ER when they arrived (Heart attacks from shoveling that morning, 3 more were being transported in...so THEY had to wait.) so the priority was on ADOAs (ALMOST DEAD ON ARRIVAL), major snow-blower amputations & births being decided by coin-toss, then minor snow-blower amputations.

Because of chop-location and time...the tips were lost.

Needless to say, LOTS OF CHICKEN SOUP (Lite on the chicken, heavy on the noodles/juice) the next few days...no hot dogs or sausages to be had. Mom's orders.

LESSON?

DON'T STICK LIVING TISSUE IN OPENINGS THAT CONTAIN HIGH-SPEED-ROTATING PARTS!

HIGH-SPEED-ROTATING PARTS WIN EVERY TIME!

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

That's great! We tend to get wetter, heavier snow here in southern New England so that may have been the issue. Or it could just be the Simplicity design flowed better than the Wheelhorse one.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Words to live by. Often literally!

Hell, with 25 hp that thing would probably lop off a 2x4.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Thanks for the visual BURG..

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I do have a hankerin' for some sausages now, though.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

There have been times at Church Pot-lucks that I've passed by the "meat table" for that very reason...thank you...NOT! (No reason offered, descriptions were self-contained.)

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

I could be swayed over to a snowblower only if it was awesome, like this:

I'd prefer it with a 616/617 on it though.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

That's one helluva job!

And I'm still upright today with full use of both arms!

It actually wasn't too bad. I took my time, had the iPod cranking, no one bothering me, my brother having to cover any of my calls.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

With the thought in mind that I am not getting any younger, with back problems, COPD, and 53 years old, I sprung for a John Deere Model 928E two years ago. Quite expensive, but with your life in jeopardy shoveling a large driveway and four drivers in the house, it is a cheap and logical purchase. 28" cut, 9HP Briggs, electric start, 2 stage, head light, 24" depth and motorized thrower adjustment (so no screw type which slows you down). Have used about six or seven times this season alone, starting in December. 20"+ snow in December. Several 4" to 6' snowfalls with several 2" and 3" snow in between. Moves wet and dry snow with equal enthusiasm with no auger clogs (yet?). Highly recommended if you can afford it.

Secret to having a clean driveway and sidewalks is to get to the snow before anyone in the family drives/walks on the fresh snow. Solar heating will do the rest as I do have alot of cracks in my driveway which causes the skids on the bottom to quickly raise up and leave a small amount of snow behind. A 60'X18' driveway with sidewalks takes about twenty minutes to do. Kind of fun and you can easily blow snow 20' to 25' away.

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flymehomenow

1983 300 SD

My folk's owned two 'flat' roof apartment buildings with fiberglass mesh/hot tar/pebble roofs. Standing water was an occasional problem because of freeze thaw expansion resultant in roof leaks around protrusions. I was up on one of the roofs during thaw one winter applying cold tar one winter to wet area protrusions. The only access was up the aluminum ladder at the 1.5 story height. Somehow, I luckily stopped one roof leak doing that. The folks (parents) were in Mexico for 3 months at the time. I'm not a construction guy, btw.