# Blowing Your Own Snow - A Good Investment



## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

Sure, it costs money to buy and maintain a good machine, but it costs a lot more money to pay someone else to do it. I figure the money I saved over the past 30 years is at least $10,000 if not more. I'm not even sure what they charge to clear a two-car driveway these days.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Oh, easily, Dann. I talk to my neighbors about what they pay for a decent snow fall and it's often north of $125. My sister in law does a flat rate deal where they pay $1500 at the beginning of the season. That covers them 100% unless there's some monster snowfall. The past few winters and sparse snow fall has given them little return for the money paid up front. This winter is looking to be the same. The plow guys have had some _very_ lean seasons since 2014/15.


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

Wow around $30-40 in mass every 3+ in


Noma 10/29
Cub cadet 5/26 conv to 8/26
Toro 8/24
Husqvarna st230p


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

"$1500 at the beginning of the season. That covers them 100% unless there's some monster snowfall" 

WOW

Thats a decent new machine every year for the DIY'er


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## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

$1,500. Wow. I had no idea. There's gold in them there snowbanks!:blowerhug:


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

I may not save a lot when you consider my time but at least I can put the snow where I want it. Also I can get rid of the wife sooner in the morning, don't have to wait for those guys.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

tdipaul said:


> "$1500 at the beginning of the season. That covers them 100% unless there's some monster snowfall"
> 
> WOW
> 
> Thats a decent new machine every year for the DIY'er



Some like to blow snow, others don't.


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

uberT said:


> Oh, easily, Dann. I talk to my neighbors about what they pay for a decent snow fall and it's often north of $125. My sister in law does a flat rate deal where they pay $1500 at the beginning of the season. That covers them 100% unless there's some monster snowfall.


Wow, around here it's ~$30 or so each time. What size driveways do your sister & her neighbors have, and what is the annual snowfall? I'm sure they know $1,500 is a new snowblower every year if they wanted to DIY.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

if I paid someone to blow my snow my neighbors that I take care of would have to do the same. some around here charge as little as $25 but most home owners won't sign a contract for snow removal


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## groomerz (Feb 7, 2015)

I’ve heard some use the plowz and mowz app for big snow when they want a one time driveway done. No contract 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Homesteader (Jan 12, 2019)

Some people can’t be bothered to cut their own grass, replace HVAC filters seasonally, get oil changes done on time - never mind do it themselves. Snow removal is probably the most annoying of situations to a majority of the population with this mindset.

How long is your driveway? How many inches a year do you get? Is it uphill? Are cars parked in the driveway when trying to remove snow? Are cars and walkways to be cleared off? Does the customer want ice melt? 
All these factors are under consideration when pricing a snow removal job and $1500 a season isn’t unreasonable depending on snowfall and her property type.

Are you healthy enough to do it yourself? Do you have a place to store a snow blower? Do you want to do it? 

Personally I love mowing my lawn, snow blowing and working on my trucks. Some people can’t be bothered and provide others the opportunity of having a profession, lawncare/snow removal, they can be proud of and feed their families with. 

I like doing it but I don’t look down on those who hire contractors.


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## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

So I do snow removal commercially. All work is done with blowers and shovels. Plowing can make more work at residential homes unless there is the perfect set-up for it which is rare. Especially if the winter has many large snowfalls. 

My price range is $40 - $100 a house per storm. That includes any and all work the customer wants. Drives, walks, stairs, brush off cars, ect. I will spread I will spread ice melt but the customer must provide it.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Homesteader said:


> Are you healthy enough to do it yourself? Do you have a place to store a snow blower? Do you want to do it?


 
Homesteader, yes, EXACTLY. There's no shortage of people out there who'd never consider buying/operating a snow thrower. I suspect they're in the majority.


Nothing unusual about my s-i-l's situation. I guess they pay based upon "normal" snow falls for the area. The snow guy has no problem signing people up at that flat rate. In fact, many in my area try to get subscribers at that flat rate deal vs. a per-event charge.


Their driveway is flat, maybe 200' with a bend - - nothing unusual. 


Ohh, btw, they own an nice 24" Ariens that doesn't appear to have ever been used, 20 yrs old, I'd guess. I always admire it when I pass by it in their garage. FWIW, due to health concerns, he's not really supposed to be out trying to move snow so they have their plow guy.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

it's a cool investment for the soul!


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Some friends have a driveway that's longer than ours, but still very doable with a walk-behind. We've talked about blower options, but they have stuck with their plow service. 

By now, I'm sure they've spent enough on the service that they could have bought a nice machine. But it's their money, and their choice, not mine. Even if it has cost them more than a machine, at least they don't actually have to spend the time to clear it themselves, and they don't have to worry about blower maintenance. I can understand the appeal of that. 

It's not the approach I'd take, but it doesn't have to be, we all get to choose how to approach things. Their yard is bigger than ours, but they upgraded to a 30" walk-behind mower a few years ago. It's a nice machine, but I would have gone with an inexpensive used tractor (like mine), you'd be done quicker. But again, their house, their choice.


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

uberT said:


> FWIW, due to health concerns, he's not really supposed to be out trying to move snow so they have their plow guy.


That's a pretty good reason to hire it out! About five years ago when mowing the lawn I had to stop four or five times on a hill to catch my breath. Hmm... didn't have to do that last time I mowed. Being a retired first responder this was a huge red flag so I called my doctor. To make a long story short, two days later I had two overlapping stents in the LAD in my heart to relieve the 90% blockage there, AKA "the widowmaker". Whoa, dodged a bullet on that one! An interesting side point is that almost every nurse in the cardiac unit commented that I had come in before the heart attack. Evidently most guys wait until they're on the floor gasping for air. So if you have any doubts, go to the ER or at least call your doc. I promise, they won't call you a wuss.

So that's when I gave away the lawn mower to my wife's nephew & family, who had just bought a new-to-them house anyway and hired a guy to do the mowing. I mistakenly believed that I'd never be mowing grass again, let alone dealing with snow.

After going through some rehab, changing some lifestyle issues, diet (I eat lots of salads now) the doc says it's okay for me to resume all that including blowing/shoveling snow in part because I'm at the gym three or four days a week. We had gotten lucky that first winter, didn't have any snow or more than maybe an inch, I forget, so moving snow wasn't an issue then.

As always, YMMV.:wink2:


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Wow. Glad to hear you're doing better!


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

I charge a minimum of $50. usually more. I like the exercise. 

so you save more than money. you add years to your life because blowing snow is exercise and cleaning up with a shovel is good also. I feel pretty good after blowing and shoveling.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

WVguy said:


> That's a pretty good reason to hire it out! About five years ago when mowing the lawn I had to stop four or five times on a hill to catch my breath. Hmm... didn't have to do that last time I mowed. Being a retired first responder this was a huge red flag so I called my doctor. To make a long story short, two days later I had two overlapping stents in the LAD in my heart to relieve the 90% blockage there, AKA "the widowmaker". Whoa, dodged a bullet on that one! An interesting side point is that almost every nurse in the cardiac unit commented that I had come in before the heart attack. Evidently most guys wait until they're on the floor gasping for air. So if you have any doubts, go to the ER or at least call your doc. I promise, they won't call you a wuss.
> 
> So that's when I gave away the lawn mower to my wife's nephew & family, who had just bought a new-to-them house anyway and hired a guy to do the mowing. I mistakenly believed that I'd never be mowing grass again, let alone dealing with snow.
> 
> ...


I have a doc appt in April. will ask about some kind of test.


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## sturgissteele (Feb 7, 2019)

orangputeh said:


> I charge a minimum of $50. usually more. I like the exercise.
> 
> 
> 
> so you save more than money. you add years to your life because blowing snow is exercise and cleaning up with a shovel is good also. I feel pretty good after blowing and shoveling.


Yeah, I like the exercise that comes with blowing and shoveling, but it's getting a bit tougher now. Having been diagnosed with degenerative back issues, my lower back just can't take it like it use too!

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk


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## bearman49709 (Apr 27, 2015)

I know at least four guys who would plow my driveway if I asked them to and none would charge me, but they would have to take $10.00 or $20.00 for gas money or they would not be back.
My oldest granddaughter and her husband have been on me all winter to let someone do it for me, but I can still do it myself even if it takes me a couple of days.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

sturgissteele said:


> Yeah, I like the exercise that comes with blowing and shoveling, but it's getting a bit tougher now. Having been diagnosed with degenerative back issues, my lower back just can't take it like it use too!
> 
> Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk


Being a Boy Scout since 1964 I highly recommend finding one in your neighborhood to help out. Boy Scouts are supposed to do a good deed daily but you can also throw a little cash their way so they can earn for summer camp.

good luck.


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## bigredmf (Jan 16, 2018)

You can get a reliable plow contract here for $250 or less for a decent size drive. 3 wide x 3 deep.

BTW our average snowfall is 112”

Some places $ are nuts!

Red


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

bigredmf said:


> You can get a reliable plow contract here for $250 or less for a decent size drive. 3 wide x 3 deep.
> 
> BTW our average snowfall is 112”
> 
> ...


It's about $800 minimum here and goes up up up with size of driveway. we have received over 100 inches in the first 9 days of this month alone. another 6-10 today and 8-12 tonight.

I LOVE it!


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

WOW, over 100", in 9 days??? We got a bit over that during the 14/15 winter, and we broke records  I can't imagine getting that in a week and a half. At least you have the equipment for it! 

Send some over here! We've probably gotten under 18" total this winter.


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## m.breen (Dec 30, 2018)

I can't imagine what my neighbor paid for a heated driveway, and the cost to run it.....but, it is pretty awesome. Too bad the water flows onto my driveway, and either makes the snow int slush, or just freezes and creates an ice rink.


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## Ian Ariens 924 (Dec 22, 2015)

In my area commercial guys charge approximately $550 for a double car driveway for the season.Some guys have their own snowblowers but can’t do any maintenance. In the last few years,snowblowers have only gotten used 6 times a year,just not enough snow. 

Anyway,it makes for a great used market as most in the area sell their not running units in 5 or 6 years and buy new ones.
I buy up the old ones, fix and resell.

Regarding your point,you can buy good used blowers here for $500,and with a little maintenance,they will last 10 plus years. Sounds like great investment to me.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

orangputeh said:


> It's about $800 minimum here and goes up up up with size of driveway. we have received over 100 inches in the first 9 days of this month alone. another 6-10 today and 8-12 tonight.
> 
> I LOVE it!


come on post some pics!

.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

tdipaul said:


> come on post some pics!
> 
> .


i'll post some tomorrow. they upgraded the 12 inches tonight to 12-18.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

orangputeh said:


> i'll post some tomorrow. they upgraded the 12 inches tonight to 12-18.


Wow, that is NUTS! When you have to snowblow around the house so that you can still see out your windows, then you know it's serious. Good luck!


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

RedOctobyr said:


> Wow, that is NUTS! When you have to snowblow around the house so that you can still see out your windows, then you know it's serious. Good luck!


That's why this is Honda country. I was not exaggerating when I posted that 90% of the snowblowers here are Honda's. Two winters ago we received over 500 inches at our house. They got over 700 inches at the 7000 foot level .

this winter started slow but is roaring now. Last Monday we received 30 inches in about a 30 hour period. So far today about a foot with another 12-18 inches tonight. I love it because it keeps me busy doing our drive and a couple other driveways in the neighborhood. And people come over every day for shear pins or minor repairs that I can help with.

i can stay out in the garage and out of the Wardens ( wife ) hair. that's a bonus right there.......haha


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i usually charge people about $20 for a 2 car driveway and up depending on size of the area i got to clear as people need it done. they just text or message me when they think they need it done and i will drop by and do it. definitely make some good money when you get hit with some crazy weather. i was getting about $50/driveway when we were getting hit with that ice storm last winter but i was going through a tank of fuel every other driveway and i did develop blisters on my hands with how hard i was having to work my machine. it was definitely a lot more work than the average snow removal job.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Man I wish I were 40 years younger. We would clean up in more ways than one around here. Major storm just came thru and dumped big time. See pick up trucks all over with a blower in the back . Guys going around cleaning up driveways and berms and getting good money.

Last one I did took about an hour and I told them $70 and they insisted that I take $100.

I usually get $50-60 if it takes less than an hour. And usually I get a tip. Lots of vacation rentals up here. Sounds like a lot but I figure half for me and half my the Honda and the Tacoma that I use to haul it around. You'll go broke in the long run if you charge too little. After so many hours of operation you are spending a couple in shop for some maintenance. 

my 2 cents.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

orangputeh said:


> i'll post some tomorrow. they upgraded the 12 inches tonight to 12-18.



oh my gosh look at all that!

cant imagine tacking that with anything less than a good throwing Honda


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

tdipaul said:


> oh my gosh look at all that!
> 
> cant imagine tacking that with anything less than a good throwing Honda


This is from last night from front deck door. I have a tank HS55 for this. No PROBLEMO ! 

Between front deck, driveway, berms , and neighbor drive , looking on all morning work. Loaded up on pasta last night and chicken soup this morning.

sorry pic is sideways for some reason


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

Amazing accumulations. 

How do you handle the snow on the roof?


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I suspect you just embrace it, and accept that you're living in an igloo  

I can't imagine getting that much, so quickly. If you don't keep up with it, you'd be screwed. The blower can handle maybe 2 feet at a time, give or take (thinking in part about bucket height, not just power). But if you're away, and you come back to 4-5 feet, you could have a real mess on your hands, even with a high quality machine. 

orangputeh, I can totally understand why people don't scrimp on a machine, when you're dealing with that! Buy once, cry once. And 500" in a season?? That's wild


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## SayItAintSnow (Dec 15, 2017)

orangputeh said:


> _Man I wish I were 40 years younger.........._



Lol...Me too brother! And for a bunch more reasons other than just taking care of snowfalls......:devil:

Forty years I ago, I was absolutely fearless about tackling _*anything*_. Now.....not so much. I plan much more. I consider each step in a process, along with contingencies should something go wrong (experience), and I seriously question the risk/reward ratio, which includes my physical well being. :icon_scratch:


About a year ago, my chimney needed major repairs. It is about 3 stories up, on a roof that has a steep slope. I went up there to have a look, and didn't enjoy it one *@^$% bit,  but I decided to give it a try. I built a simple scaffolding on the roof so I could feel secure while I worked, and got a safety harness kit, that attached to the ridge. Those kits are really just designed to keep you from getting killed, should you make a mistake, but you're sure as heck still going to get the crap beaten out of you, if you fall, one way or the other.


It all went pretty well, in the end, but each time I approach my house I look up at that chimney and say to myself: _"Never again! What the #^%$ we're you thinking?!". __:icon_wow2:_
_._
_._


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

60 inches in last 6 days but at my daughters house only 5 miles away but about 600-700 feet higher elevation they got about 100 inches in these 6 days.

minus 8 degrees this morning. anyone have tips about snowblower maintenance or tips for prepping your blower in extreme cold?


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

SayItAintSnow said:


> Lol...Me too brother! And for a bunch more reasons other than just taking care of snowfalls......:devil:


At 20 a 2 hour task took 2 hours, now @60 it takes 6 hours and it's a job.


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## Snowbelt_subie (Dec 20, 2016)

its probably cheaper around here to pay someone. yearly snowplow contracts are under $200 they come multiple times and anything over 3".

so 10 years of paying it is under $2k the cost of a good machine.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

I have been living where I am since I was born. A two family house with an "L" shaped driveway. If you totaled it up in running feet... which I wish it was, it would total up to about 230' running feet. Boy... do I wish it was straight and easy...

I have been maintaining it on my own since 1985 with the same... 1971 Ariens Sno Thro. So that is about 34 years or so? I started helping when my dad told me to get outside and shovel... which was probably around 7 or 8 years old. 

I can only imagine the amount of money it would have cost to have it cleared for all of those years. Holy Cow... But I do not think a plow could clear it like a sno thro does. There are too many jogs and shortages of areas to put snow. 

In fact my cousin has been plowing for over 35 years. When I asked him what I would be paying if I was to have a plow guy come and take care of my driveway. He told me... plow guys wouldn't want to do my driveway because of the obstacles and the set up I have. Oh.... lovely I said. 

Thank God... for sno thros... And my mom always let's me know that she used to shovel the whole driveway for about 5 years before my dad bought the sno thro. I feel for her everytime I go out to clear.


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## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

I like saving money and getting a workout at the same time!! Its a two for one deal. As long as I got the equipment and my body works - I'm going to be out there. Strangely at almost 64 years young, I love a good snow storm - it brings me back to when I was a young lad.


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## broo (Dec 23, 2017)

It could be cheaper to hire someone, but where's the fun in that ? Maybe when I get older or disabled I'll have to resort to getting someone else do it, but meanwhile I'll enjoy doing it myself.

I don't have the best machine for the job, but I make do and have some fun doing it.


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## Robert A Fierro (Jan 24, 2018)

When my Dad bought his BobCat 820 in 1961, we lived in a 2 family house with 120 ft of front sidewalk and a 3 car wide x 2 car deep driveway in front of an oversize garage. Snow blower used to get moved to inside the door from the back of the garage and it would "work" it way out. If you have your own blower, you get to clear your property WHEN you want it, not when the contractor gets around to it. I now live in a house with 150 ft of sidewalk and a circa 1925 single car driveway that is 30 ft long and a 50 ft alleyway. I pay $125 each time to shovel out the drive ( to one car long) and a single car space @ the front by a neighbor (ironically) with a BobCat front loader... when he gets to it.

As posted elsewhere, I picked up my Dad's snowblower which has not run in over 10 years and am going to rehab it over the summer. Engine turns over easily and has compression. Known problem(s) is fuel leaking out of the carb at other than full throttle and a possible broken (ORIGINAL!!!) belt. Also missing is one of the split rims and the bolts to attach it to the hub ( bolts, not nuts on studs). And someone stole the chains last summer.

For us, owning a snowblower is more about not being at the mercy of someone else to get our property cleared rather than (just) the money.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

It depends on your snowfall, space to clear, schedule and other situational factors. There is no definitive answer.


If you care to own one and use it, it often comes down to secondary considerations such as; Do you want to wait for a contractor (or can you)? Do you want to control what happens on your property? Around here snowblowers for hire are rare, it's almost always a plow truck. That means pushing snow back onto the lawn and hacking up the turf. These are things that transcend the hire vs. buy and maintain equation. Do you want to clear odd areas that are hard to hire for.



It's a lot like my scuba compressor. Even with a sweetheart deal I got, I could probably buy a lifetime of dive shop air fills for less. However, being able to fill at my convenience without running around town and filing them just the way I like means enough to override the financial equation.


Pete


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## pr0cess0r (May 25, 2014)

around here iyou can have a contract for 300$ per winter... the have nice tractor with large blade and snowthrower and will come every time it snow.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

And my dad paid $371 for our Ariens back in 1971. 



pr0cess0r said:


> around here iyou can have a contract for 300$ per winter... the have nice tractor with large blade and snowthrower and will come every time it snow.


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

Kielbasa said:


> And my dad paid $371 for our Ariens back in 1971.


According to the inflation calculator at bls.gov that is equal to $2,346.36 now, January 1971 to January 2019. Not exactly cheap.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Even using the adjusted (today) value, though, that's $50/year. Still seems like it's gotta be cheaper than having a service come.


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## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

Beverly Ma snow plow rates are $60 for 60'x24' driveway per pass 6 inches. Additional passes $$


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Spectrum said:


> It's a lot like my scuba compressor. Even with a sweetheart deal I got, I could probably buy a lifetime of dive shop air fills for less. However, being able to fill at my convenience without running around town and filing them just the way I like means enough to override the financial equation.


I can relate to this. I often like to invest in the equipment to do something myself, vs paying someone else. 

My welder, for instance, has probably not been a net cost savings, vs replacing broken parts, or paying someone. 

But it's let me fix things that otherwise would have been a problem to address. Whenever I need to. And since I don't have to decide whether it's worth $xxx to have someone else do it, it's also more likely to get done. 

I do have to remind myself that this isn't always the way to go, though  Sometimes you should just rent the tool, even if buying a used one isn't all that much more. You don't have to store rented equipment.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

It's always cool to see what something purchased years ago would cost today.

Thanks for the link. I'm going to bookmark it.



WVguy said:


> According to the inflation calculator at bls.gov that is equal to $2,346.36 now, January 1971 to January 2019. Not exactly cheap.


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## Honda1132 (Sep 2, 2016)

About 10 years ago, before l bought the blower, I was paying $520-$540 / year for driveway snow removal for a contractor that had a blower on the back if a tractor. I still had to do the walkways plus clean up in front of the garage so I bought a blower after a couple of years. This was in a city about an hour and a half from where I live now.

I had to hire a contractor again 5 years ago when I was laid up after surgery and it was $30 per storm (truck with plow).

I like having the blower, I have steps and a patio to do anyway and with the slope of my driveway I am fussy and like to have it scraped down to the asphalt. I also do the fire hydrant next to the house.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

Before I built my home I got 2 estimates for plowing; $20/push and $30/push, this was in 1990. After living here for 28 years, conservatively I would have paid between $400 and $600 per year to have my driveway cleared. These are 1990 numbers.

$11,200 to $16,800 over 28 years...at 1990 greenbacks. Geeze...and according to my upper Michigan brethren, I'm in a lower-snow area of Michigan...:surprise:

At times I've felt a little guilty about spending $1,400 on a Honda snowblower in 1991, but after doing the math I'm glad I did what I did, plus I got out and stayed active doing it.

I have to admit it has been easier for me to clear my own driveway since I've worked from home for most of those years (23 of the last 28), so I was able to get out on _my_ schedule, not just in the wee hours of the morning or late at night.


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## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

Homesteader said:


> Some people can’t be bothered to cut their own grass, replace HVAC filters seasonally, get oil changes done on time - never mind do it themselves. Snow removal is probably the most annoying of situations to a majority of the population with this mindset.
> 
> How long is your driveway? How many inches a year do you get? Is it uphill? Are cars parked in the driveway when trying to remove snow? Are cars and walkways to be cleared off? Does the customer want ice melt?
> All these factors are under consideration when pricing a snow removal job and $1500 a season isn’t unreasonable depending on snowfall and her property type.
> ...


Ditto!!!


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