# Free snowblowing? Give a blower to a neighbor?



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I have a neighbor that his neighbor gave him his old real John Deere 5/22" blower. He said it's yours, you do your own driveway, you maintain it, only thing I ask is you do my sidewalk 75', and my 2 car driveway 30'. He liked the deal because he's been shoveling. That was a few years ago and he's still happy with the deal. However he's moving this year and is going to give me his snowblower. Unless there's a condition I continue, which I'll turn down, I'll get a customer maybe from it.

I have another neighbor that bought a snowblower with his neighbor, 50/50, on a new one. The deal was, this year I'll keep it at my house and do all the snows; next year you keep it at your house and you'll do all the snows. Well, his year came and he never did the snow on time or at all, work, dinner, family, cold, wet, tired, snow became hard and crusty, iced, it didn't work out. He bought out his share.

Another two neighbors, behind me, have an informal agreement to do each other's sidewalk when they are out, and one neighbor always does the very old lady whom lives between them, driveway.


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## FullThrottle (Apr 7, 2017)

He should give you the blower, you deserve it after the two years of doing the blowing for him,no questions asked,in my opinion I wouldn't take the deal either. 



JLawrence08648 said:


> I have a neighbor that his neighbor gave him his old real John Deere 5/22" blower. He said it's yours, you do your own driveway, you maintain it, only thing I ask is you do my sidewalk 75', and my 2 car driveway 30'. He liked the deal because he's been shoveling. That was a few years ago and he's still happy with the deal. However he's moving this year and is going to give me his snowblower. Unless there's a condition I continue, which I'll turn down, I'll get a customer maybe from it.
> 
> I have another neighbor that bought a snowblower with his neighbor, 50/50, on a new one. The deal was, this year I'll keep it at my house and do all the snows; next year you keep it at your house and you'll do all the snows. Well, his year came and he never did the snow on time or at all, work, dinner, family, cold, wet, tired, snow became hard and crusty, iced, it didn't work out. He bought out his share.
> 
> Another two neighbors, behind me, have an informal agreement to do each other's sidewalk when they are out, and one neighbor always does the very old lady whom lives between them, driveway.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

I do my neighbors on both sides. I had a deal with them that if I'm traveling, which I do a lot, and it snows, they do my sidewalk and driveway. I even offered to let them use my machine to do it. Just so my wife can get in and out of the driveway. It worked out fine with the last neighbor, he died. 

These new neighbors don't even come out when I blow their sidewalk. I'm thinking of discontinuing. 

Anyway, I think any deal with strings attached isn't worth it. I'll by mine, and if I do yours, it's a favor. I don't want to commit to doing anything.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

do what i do.

i have a sign that says. "Trespassers Will Be Shot. Survivors will Be Shot Again"

no problems with neighbors.


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## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

We have a neighbor that always pulls his ancient blower out of storage for the first time AFTER the first snow storm of the year. Thing is a disaster and he never gets it started. The three neighbor amigo always bail him out and make short work of his drive.

Come to think of it, I have never seen his blower run, just see him every year trying to start it. He may have a method to his madness.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Specific arrangements/agreements . . . 'this for that' (quid pro quo) are probably not the best thing to have, because at some point one of the parties to the agreement is going to fall short of their end of the bargain.

In our neighborhood, it is neighbor helping neighbor as the situation fits, no strings attached.


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## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

Don't ask to use my equipment and I won't ask to borrow your wife.


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## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

I dont have a neighbor to the right but the fella to the left is my brother in law, every storm he and I would come out and clean both of our driveways using one of my machines. The way our schedule is some times I get home early and some times he does and its tough for either of us to wait and not be able to use the driveway. So last year I gave him one my Yamaha YS624s, its usually very tough for me to part ways with Yamahas, this one is a jewel and I couldnt see myself selling it. Now he uses it on his time and I clean my driveway myself when I get home. 

The folks across the street have a late model Toro that they use pretty much every storm without an issue, every now and then if we get a wet slushy mix of snow/rain I help them out with the EOD stuff using the Honda, its not an agreement of any sort, more of a courtesy. 

The family living diagonally across the street from us has been shoveling their driveway for the past 10 years I have known them, it use to be the 4 young kids and their father and now its just the kids that have grown up. I usually help them out whenever we get a Nor'easter, again there is no agreement, if I am out and they are out at the same time I'll go over their and help them clean up. I find joy in using my machine and helping others, so far I havent felt like either of the neighbors feel like its my job to help them as they are very courteous and usually very thankful.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

russ01915 said:


> Don't ask to use my equipment and I won't ask to borrow your wife.


Pics of wife..


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

JL excuse me but I don't really see what your question would be? To take it or leave it? 
So I will add some comments if that is OK? I wouldn't want to clutter the thread up. 

No strings attached I would take it. I think the guy who gave it to him got the better deal? Just stand inside the nice warm house and watch his walk and drive get cleared.

You do it one year and I do it the next? One year you might get dumped on and the next year nothing? No thanks.

I used to do the Old lady across from me as her daughter use to try and shovel it all. They would reward me and the family with baked goods. She died and they sold the house. 

The others who shovel I try to help as much as I can and most go out and buy a blower after I do after they see how much easier it is instead of shoveling. I only have my 5 horse Craftsman and the old Snowbird so I won't do their ends of the drive as it puts too much wear on my machine. If it is light I will but the high, heavy, wet or icy snowplow pile at the end is theirs to do. There used to be a guy with a back hoe with a bucket ride around and do the end of your drive for $20 bucks a scoop. 2 scoops $40 bucks. He did quite well when it snowed deep. I have not seen him in a few years, I never had him do mine.

The guy who used to live across the street bought (I forget what it was I think it was a big Ariens?) it was orange with a real big, high horse powered big bucket machine, it had all the bells and whistles with the heated grips. Must have been an Ariens. He used to fire it up and walk it up and down the block where there are sidewalks like he was walking his dog. lol He was a giant of a man he would do it with a big smile too. lol Wish I had took a picture when he did walk it.
He would only buy the biggest and the best out on the market, he owned a construction company and would do the same for his dump trucks and other equipment. When the market crashed around 2008 he lost all he had, big mobile camper. house and company, all/everything the snow blower too. Sheriffs sale. I tried buying it from him but I was too late. 

So bottom line free? 
Yep I would take and sell or depending on what shape it was in take it and use it.
Or give it too someone in need.
Free? No strings attached? Yep a no brainer for me.:grin:


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Big Ed said:


> No strings attached I would take it. I think the guy who gave it to him got the better deal? Just stand inside the nice warm house and watch his walk and drive get cleared.
> :


I'd pay $1500 for a lifetime of snow removal. That's a steal.


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

I have a agreement with the 2 neighbours across the street to do theirs, there husband both made this before they passed on. My neighbour right beside me asked me once and I said i had to do the others first he was a bit upset then I said I have been doing theirs for 2 years and it is a paid job. Then he said they will not buy a blower and want to save money so they can go to Mexico every winter for a few weeks, there is 12 to 14 in in their yard now so by Feb 9 when they return I guess they will be busy. Did theirs last winter the day before they returned and did not say thanks for a month or so.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

ZTMAN said:


> We have a neighbor that always pulls his ancient blower out of storage for the first time AFTER the first snow storm of the year. Thing is a disaster and he never gets it started. The three neighbor amigo always bail him out and make short work of his drive.
> 
> Come to think of it, I have never seen his blower run, just see him every year trying to start it. He may have a method to his madness.


the madness belongs to the neighbors.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Hanky said:


> I have a agreement with the 2 neighbours across the street to do theirs, there husband both made this before they passed on. My neighbour right beside me asked me once and I said i had to do the others first he was a bit upset then I said I have been doing theirs for 2 years and it is a paid job. Then he said they will not buy a blower and want to save money so they can go to Mexico every winter for a few weeks, there is 12 to 14 in in their yard now so by Feb 9 when they return I guess they will be busy. Did theirs last winter the day before they returned and did not say thanks for a month or so.


one neighbor offered me $100 for just a week to keep their drive clean when they went to Hawaii. ( whether it snowed or not )

it ended up snowing 6-7 feet or more in that week ( NOT EXAGGERATING ) and i ended up blowing it 7-8 times. Maybe 10 hours total and about 7 gallons of gas.

boy, did i make out on that job. hahaha

this year hardly any snow and don't you know it......they are not going to hawaii.


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## Jeepetti (Jan 23, 2018)

This season was the first time we got enough snow to use my blower. I felt all the surrounding neighbor's eyes on me while I was out there and they were shoveling.... I would have helped them but the pullcord snapped after I got done knocking some drifts down with no backup to fix it. What's a guy to do :roll3yes:


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## Philip Waugh (Jan 19, 2018)

I bought the house we are in 18 years ago and shoveled for the first year then the second year the wife came home and said that there was a MTD 29" at our Walmart and if I wanted it to go and get it. The neighborhood we moved to had about 8 elderly couples that I would help by doing their laneways aand sidewalks for free. Some would offer some money or home deserts.I usually took deserts but only a few times the money----just the way I was brought up I guess. Now I usually do 13 to 15 laneways and sidewalks which take about 4 hours with blower but a few when I used my MTD 12hs lawn cutting tractor with 46" snow blade I mounted to back. Works great !!!!!!! Most of the time I use tractor unless it gets too heavy or too deep then I use blower.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

if it is free no strings attached i would have no problem taking it. has the neighbor asked the neighbor he got it from if he might want it back? that would be the first place he should probably be checking if he is moving. 

i generally just go around the neighborhood and do the driveways of the people i feel like doing. there is usually about 5 of them i will consider doing if they are not done already. no strings attached even tho the 1 neighbor usually gets me a gift card or something since i am pretty on top of keeping their driveway clear but it is attached to ours so it makes it pretty easy to do both at once especially since it allows me to throw some of the snow from our driveway onto their lawn which is easier than moving it around or over my vehicles.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

orangputeh, that is a ridiculous amount of snow for 1 week! Too bad you kinda took a bath on that deal  Several years ago we had a record winter here in MA, and we got about 9 feet for the season. That was tons for us, and admittedly it all happened in maybe 4-5 weeks, with very little melting between storms. So that helped it look big. 

But I can't imagine getting that much in a week, wow. 

I have no arrangements with the neighbors. But several neighbors don't have blowers, so I'll try to help with the EOD on significant storms, if I'm out there and they haven't cleared it yet. If it's dense snow, a few minutes and a few passes could save someone an awful lot of shoveling time. 

I do, however, try to make sure I have my driveway done first. If the machine develops a problem while helping a neighbor, I don't want to be stuck then spending a long time shoveling the rest of my partially-blown driveway.


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## Jeepetti (Jan 23, 2018)

RedOctobyr said:


> I do, however, try to make sure I have my driveway done first. If the machine develops a problem while helping a neighbor, I don't want to be stuck then spending a long time shoveling the rest of my partially-blown driveway.


Exactly. Always do your own stuff first. It is YOUR blower and YOUR time anyway, am I right?


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## Tumble2113 (Nov 20, 2017)

I’m afraid of commitment, I don’t mind helping a neighbor but I don’t like the obligation. I would rather buy a snowblower than pay for a free one. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

We "made a deal" when we bought the machine here. I get to travel some on my little consulting gig. When I'm gone, the next-door neighbor will clear our driveway with our machine. When I'm here and he's here, I do mine and he does his with our machine. Sometimes I do his while I'm out doing mine. Plus I do some of the private street and a few other neighbors' driveways if it's more than a casual push with a scoop for them. The co-op deal started with the neighbor on our other side, when he told us that his little electric single-stage flinger was a "community asset", just come grab it if we wanted to use it. We extended the bigger machine offer to him but in its three years now here he's never actually used it -- I go clear his for him when it's more than the flinger will do easily. It's all worked out pretty well. Until this winter...

The neighbor with the electric flinger moved across the country and (!!!) took the flinger with him. New folks moved in, and asked about "their share" in the "ownership" of the bigger machine. I told him I'd do his if it was deep enough, otherwise to carry his part of the partnesrhip he may want to invest in at least a flinger of his own. 

-----

A year or so ago we were looking at another house in the area, and the subject of the machine came up. K asked if we were going to move and leave it with the neighbors with whom we had "a deal". I didn't buy that house so didn't need to answer the question directly. But it speaks to how muddy and convoluted even the haziest informal "partnership" or duty-sharing arrangements can be. Like everything else in life, about 80% of every job is managing expectations. Our landscape guy will plow and shovel for $50-75 per episode. Based on our average years so far, that's about 4-5 years to payout on the machine just considering our own driveway. With the market doing what it's done the last few years, that payout time is really closer to some infinite number of years. I look at the thing as a kind of toy rather than an "investment". That way I can clear anyone's driveway I want to for free, and not worry about how it impacts the deterioration faster than the depreciation. That's my story anyway


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

Man, making 50/50 deals and similar type arrangements are the fastest way to making bad neighbors. Not saying it can't work but wouldn't go near it myself. As they say, 'Good fences make good neighbors'. I moved out into the country just to get clear of 'neighbors'. I used to live next to some real beauts.


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## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

I agree Barney. I would rather go 50/50 on a pair of under ware than a blower. Got to be careful who uses your machinery.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

neighbors can be a funny bunch. i never make deals with them. it's much more trouble than it's worth.

everything is fine and dandy when it's fine and dandy and then something comes up and everything changes. rule #1. never lend tools. you'll have to chase them to get them back. 2. never make financial deals. hardly ever works out. just like family and money does not mix. why do you think it will work with neighbors?

if you want to do a favor do something for free, that's the best way to go.

3. never mess around with the neighbors wife. that could get you killed.

last one is to see if you are paying attention.


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## RobertSX4 (Nov 17, 2017)

I snow blow my street's sidewalk, its only 6 houses long and these are small post war ranches. The narrow sidewalk is pretty much done with an up and down with my little S4. I figured its a waste to just do my own, easier to turn around at the corner too. This ended up helping me out because the guy on the corner now comes down all the way to my house in the middle to do my sidewalk if I haven't done it yet. No agreement, in fact we never even talked about it, but its nice to come home and have the legal part done already.


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## jonnied12 (Jan 14, 2017)

russ01915 said:


> Don't ask to use my equipment and I won't ask to borrow your wife.


 Unfortunately none of my neighbors have a wife that I would want to borrow.:devil:


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

I have an unwritten agreement with a neighbor. He's home during the days and if it snows enough to get the blower out he'll blow my sidewalk, If the reverse I do his and I usually do the area in front of his garage. There's also a half dozen widows or single ladies in the neighborhood. If it's enough to get the blower out I do theirs too. Couple have tried to pay me and I always refuse. The lady across the alley is persistent, we worked out an agreement that if I get the blower out I'll do her drive and in exchange if I ever have an occasion I need to park a vehicle while moving them I can use her drive. In addition her and her kids at times have a family gathering in the garage and if I'm around they offer me a beer. Works for me.


I believe in 'Pay it Forward' and the wife agrees and has no complaints doing the sidewalks etc. for those neighbors.


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## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

HCBPH said:


> I have an unwritten agreement with a neighbor. He's home during the days and if it snows enough to get the blower out he'll blow my sidewalk, If the reverse I do his and I usually do the area in front of his garage. There's also a half dozen widows or single ladies in the neighborhood. If it's enough to get the blower out I do theirs too. Couple have tried to pay me and I always refuse. The lady across the alley is persistent, we worked out an agreement that if I get the blower out I'll do her drive and in exchange if I ever have an occasion I need to park a vehicle while moving them I can use her drive. In addition her and her kids at times have a family gathering in the garage and if I'm around they offer me a beer. Works for me.
> 
> 
> I believe in 'Pay it Forward' and the wife agrees and has no complaints doing the sidewalks etc. for those neighbors.


Agreed. I started out with one machine 25 years ago just doing mine. I retired early so now do up to 26 properties with three machines. Some of my neighbours offer to pay me monthly so I looked at doing it professionally. But here in Canada at least the liability insurance is crazy for pro blowing. And you can't just blow, you need to scrape and de-ice, which I don't want to do. If you don't get insurance not only are you not covered, but their homeowner's policy is void because they paid you.

So I gave up and just blow snow as an early retiree and really enjoy it. They all bring me cakes and pies...roughly enough to replace the calories I burn doing their walks and some driveways. It's a balanced universe. 

Good on you for doing this for your neighbours too. If more people did stuff like this seniors could stay longer in their own homes. :smile2:


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

CalgaryPT said:


> Good on you for doing this for your neighbours too. If more people did stuff like this seniors could stay longer in their own homes. :smile2:


Here's an example of why I believe in 'Pay it Forward'. My Mother passed away a year ago last Thanksgiving and my Dad passed 7 years prior. Mom lived in a small town and was 92 the year before she went into the care facility due to a cracked pelvis, this happened while she was still living alone at home. She lived 250 miles from me so it wasn't easy to just drop in on her and that winter we had several blizzard level storms down there. She had found someone to do her driveway and walks but he wasn't the most dependable person to get it done in a timely fashion. In the middle of one of those storms I called her and there was a racket going on her end in the distance. When I asked her what was going on she told me it was the 4th time that day her drive and sidewalk were being cleaned since it started snowing that day. The beautiful part of that was all 4 times were done by 4 different people and not one of them was the guy she had hired, she couldn't even tell who was cleaning the snow off her drive and sidewalk! Later that year I happened to meet one of the guys that took care of her drive and walk that day, his comment was he's a disabled Vet and knew none of my brothers nor I were that close and being Vets also he wanted to give something back. I thanked him profusely, and he wouldn't take anything for it as most wouldn't. He parroted my feeling: He wanted to pay it forward and hopefully the day he or someone else needed help there would be someone there for them.


I strongly believe what goes around comes around and try to do my little part in this big world to make it a better place. I'm 68 and still working but some day that may change and I'm hoping if I ever need some help someone will offer.


Paul


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## Jatoxico (Jan 6, 2018)

I was doing my 3 elderly neighbors for a few years. All long hilly drives. The coolest guy (WWII pilot) passed but he left a bottle on the door step once and was always real nice and thankful.

Another would make cookies or something like the next day but always said you don't have to do that. we're fine. It really seemed to cause her more stress than anything else. I guess she didn't like being in my "debt" but I didn't want anything. Eventually she wrote a note that she was hiring someone and essentially said please stop so I did. Meanwhile she has a disabled husband I've never seen in >10 yrs and the cops, emergency services, oil burner guy etc etc are there all the time and can't get in sometimes so I still sneak a path to the garage door now and then.

The last one finally had to hire someone since her husband has been ill. I still do hers sometimes so someone can get up the hill in case of emergency before her guy gets there.


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## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

Jatoxico said:


> Eventually she wrote a note that she was hiring someone and essentially said please stop so I did. Meanwhile she has a disabled husband I've never seen in >10 yrs and the cops, emergency services, oil burner guy etc etc are there all the time and can't get in sometimes so I still sneak a path to the garage door now and then.


People can be funny sometimes.

But good on you for helping.


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## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

HCBPH said:


> The beautiful part of that was all 4 times were done by 4 different people and not one of them was the guy she had hired, she couldn't even tell who was cleaning the snow off her drive and sidewalk!
> 
> 
> Paul


Man, that's a great story. I want to live in this neighbourhood.


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