# sloped driveway



## s002wjh (Sep 15, 2015)

just curious how much the hassle when using single stage blower on few degree sloped concrete driveway


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

How much snow?


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

how much driveway ?


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I have a toro powerglide single stage and a sloped driveway and it SUCKS. (the sloped driveway, not the thrower) Very slippery/icy. Looking forward to using a bigger 2 stage machine with drive gears, will be MUCH safer.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

I've used an ss blower on fairly sloped *sidewalks* with very little problem. Not the ideal situation but still, not too bad. Our neighbor has a pretty sloped sidewalk. I blow it off for him all the time. He's kind of old so I try to help him when I can. It works ok. When it gets deep I just switch to two stage blower.


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## s002wjh (Sep 15, 2015)

about 20' 2-3 car wide, its fairly sloped and if i walk after clean, its slippery.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Just another consideration... Ss blowers will usually operate as fast as you're willing to walk. Much faster than most 2 stage blowers.


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## Kilty (Nov 25, 2012)

s002wjh said:


> about 20' 2-3 car wide, its fairly sloped and if i walk after clean, its slippery.


I have a Honda HS720 I purchased last year. I have a sloped 30' two-car blacktop driveway that is very smooth and also somewhat pitched where it meets the road. Going downhill the blower does have a tendency to want to follow the path or least resistance. It's less of an issue when going uphill or when blowing deeper snow. Like Joe said, you just need to control your speed a bit.


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

It can be a pain that's for sure. On my sloped driveway sometimes I have to go side to side instead of up and down. I'm considering a new single stage soon. Any in my wanted engine choice seem too heavy to push back up my drive. So I keep looking and I'll probably settle for less width and engine than I want. However I actually wish I had a little more slope so a new tracked snowblower was a must have toy. I dream of having both a Honda and Yamaha tracked together and blogging about all my fun!


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Not directly related to this, but I have seen a lot of reports of people with steep, slippery and icing issues talk about adding cleats to their boots. I have never tried them myself, but having spikes on the bottom of your shoes seems like it would help out to me.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I've experienced this plenty of times heading down the drive. The machine ends up pulling you on those icy mornings. I've lost control more than once...


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

I'm in Wilmington, so my weather and accumulations are pretty similar to what you receive in the Gem city. 

That aside, I would be extra cautious with a SS on an sort of slope. The part that actually engages the ground is usually the paddle. Whereas with the 2-stagers, the scraper bar is the main engagement with the surface. And while SS usually have a paddle that rotates faster, it also tends to burnish(for the lack of a better explanation) the snow into the texture of the concrete. Now, if you are like 75+% down here, they have a black topped drive. These tend to be smoother and have less of a likelihood for the burnishing effect, unless it's uneven of in poor repair. 

And of course, the slope of things means everything. So, it really just depends on what sort of slope that you are dealing with.


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

Shryp said:


> Not directly related to this, but I have seen a lot of reports of people with steep, slippery and icing issues talk about adding cleats to their boots. I have never tried them myself, but having spikes on the bottom of your shoes seems like it would help out to me.


We got Yaktrax last year. They are literal lifesavers. Highly recommended.

https://www.yaktrax.com/


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## topher5150 (Nov 5, 2014)

This was precisely why I bought a two stage self propelled blower, and it works great on our driveway that drops off pretty bad. I think it really helps having a two stage, just don't forget to make sure it's gassed up or you might have to lug it up the hill. 
I've had it several times this past winter where the wife will hog the level part of the drive way, and I'm on a 15*-20* angle and my little suv will slide down the driveway.


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## s002wjh (Sep 15, 2015)

topher5150 said:


> This was precisely why I bought a two stage self propelled blower, and it works great on our driveway that drops off pretty bad. I think it really helps having a two stage, just don't forget to make sure it's gassed up or you might have to lug it up the hill.
> I've had it several times this past winter where the wife will hog the level part of the drive way, and I'm on a 15*-20* angle and my little suv will slide down the driveway.


mine is not steep like that probably around 54-7 degree, car will slip(FWD) if I don't clean all the way to concrete. 

is there any single stage that has self-propel?


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## Slinger (Oct 9, 2014)

Toro Snowmaster is kind of a SS, although the auger does not touch the ground. It is self propelled (Toro personal pace) and has a scraper bar that supposedly clears to the pavement but this is a brand new model this year and no one has any real in-snow experience to say exactly how it performs. The Toro guide to choosing the right snowblower for your application shows it as being good for steep slopes, so there's that. I don't know if it would just coast down a hill though, so the jury is still out on this one.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

There was a craftsman that was a two stage, that used the augers to pull it forward. I do not think that they make that model anymore, but they can be found out there.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

db9938 said:


> There was a craftsman that was a two stage, that used the augers to pull it forward. I do not think that they make that model anymore, but they can be found out there.


Ariens has the 2+2 model that uses the same concept.


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## Kilty (Nov 25, 2012)

Shryp said:


> Not directly related to this, but I have seen a lot of reports of people with steep, slippery and icing issues talk about adding cleats to their boots. I have never tried them myself, but having spikes on the bottom of your shoes seems like it would help out to me.


I bought a pair of Yak Tracks I'm going to try this winter. If those don't work, I'm simply going to screw some sheet metal screws into the soles of my boots.


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## Snowzer (Oct 14, 2015)

If your like me your thinking now is the time of year to raid a sand and gravel bin somewhere! Of course I mean something that would be considered public. I am thinking of going to the beach and getting that stoney sand myself. I have a 30 degree sloped driveway about 20-25 feet long.


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

Snowzer said:


> If your like me your thinking now is the time of year to raid a sand and gravel bin somewhere! Of course I mean something that would be considered public. I am thinking of going to the beach and getting that stoney sand myself. I have a 30 degree sloped driveway about 20-25 feet long.


I scoop gravel from my driveway and make a pile in a spot that is protected from the snow. Then when it gets icy I spread some of the gravel. Come spring, my gravel driveway is covered in a layer of... gravel.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

The only thing, is that around here, we only have public beaches at lakes that have their sand trucked in. We don't have the advantage of mother nature providing us an unlimited sand source, without digging for it.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

Kilty said:


> I bought a pair of Yak Tracks I'm going to try this winter. If those don't work, I'm simply going to screw some sheet metal screws into the soles of my boots.


REmember to take them off before walking on the hardwood floors :icon-hgtg:


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