# Blow Once, Twice or Thrice - Neighbors



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

Next door neighbor comes out to blow like 2-3 times........I'm the type that just waits it out till it's done and I do it once.

Each time he's out, he comes over to do our side, which ultimately leads to me going out 2-3+ times instead or just leaving it alone..


Anyone in the same predicament :nerd:


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

If he is clearing your side, ... win for you ..lol

I wait, as I am only going out there and doing it once, but then again, my blowers can handle any amount. I know people that have the smaller blowers, and they have to go out more than once, as there machine can not handle the big stuff....


----------



## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

My contract clients I clean them early morning if required and again as needed thru the day as needed til evening. Providing the weather will possibly allow it. There is a limit when you have to shut down and wait it out. When I have trouble getting around or wind is too extreme its time to back off and wait it out. Those people arent able to be out either when it gets to a point. I do have a Dr who is on call at any time. I do the best I can there. There have been a couple times that the town had to go open him up to get him to the ER. Most of the time its all good.


----------



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

Uggh...When it's blowing up a sandstorm, why would you not want to wait till it's settled down....and just be done with it once. 

He's sorta forcing me to go out multiple times as I don't want to -owe him- and how do you politely tell him to just leave my side alone. Granted if I'm out and I'm done with mine and I see some snow on the sidewalk on the left or right, I will attend to that and then some. But my preferred means is just blow once and let it be.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

When I had a smaller, lower-powered machine, I pretty much had to go out multiple times, or it would struggle the entire time if I let it get too deep. 

Now I prefer to wait until it's done. Especially if it's windy & drifting. But there have been times (like in 18" storms) that I kinda realized my mistake, and I might have had an easier time if I did it in 2 sessions. But it still went OK clearing it once, at the end. 

Nobody else does my driveway, so I don't have to worry about seeing a neighbor try to clear my stuff if I'm still waiting it out.


----------



## rfw1953 (Oct 11, 2017)

mobiledynamics said:


> Each time he's out, he comes over to do our side, which ultimately leads to me going out 2-3+ times instead or just leaving it alone..


In our neck of the woods, when it snows, it usually snows big...Therefore, I like staying ahead of the snow, especially if we need the driveway, and if the plow has gone by creating a berm EOD. In doing so, I can usually clear the drive is about 30 minutes. 

If I understand your point correctly wrt your neighbor blowing snow 2-3 times per event, I read this to mean that he is blowing snow on your driveway. Yes-No? If yes, well, I would kindly ask him to be a bit more considerate by not blowing snow onto your driveway...just a matter of personal courtesy.


----------



## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

I used to Go Out Twice until I built a Machine that Can Handle the Larger Amounts. 1976 10-32 Ariens w/Tall Chute and Impeller Seal Gets it Done in one Shot.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

depends on snowfall. anything less than 18 inches. one shot. we have had periods of 24-36 inches in a 24 hour period so if i know that is happening will go out 3 times.

also will go out again for the eod berm before it freezes up.

is your neighbor retired? if so that's why.

or he has OCD.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

I go out once. I'm hoping with the new machine it will be easier to just do it once. Much bigger than the old one.


----------



## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

lucky you, my younger neighbor bought a new sb, when we had a big storm a couple of years ago i was shovelling and he was using his new husky toy, i struck up a talk w/him on his sb. once he was done he put it away and he never did offer to help be do my driveway, s.o.b.


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

I got into a lot of problems helping out some neighbors. Hidden chains,wood, metal under the snow. Then they play dumb like nothing happened.


----------



## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

I wait until it's over unless I need passage. I have a neighbor that likes doing our adjacent driveway ends, I thank him when I see him and reciprocate when I can.


----------



## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

It depends on the storm, but I try to do it just once, right now there is a bunch out there but it’s still coming down mixed with rain so no way am I going out into that lol I’ll wait until it stops in a few hours, ST1027 chews through it pretty good


----------



## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

russ01915 said:


> I got into a lot of problems helping out some neighbors. Hidden chains,wood, metal under the snow. Then they play dumb like nothing happened.



I have to share your concern.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

russ01915 said:


> I got into a lot of problems helping out some neighbors. Hidden chains,wood, metal under the snow. Then they play dumb like nothing happened.


that's why i never loan out my blower.

no good deed goes unpunished.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

russ01915 said:


> I got into a lot of problems helping out some neighbors. Hidden chains,wood, metal under the snow. Then they play dumb like nothing happened.


That's a good point. I've helped clear for neighbors. Usually when they're out, and I can ask if it's OK to help. But in at least 1 storm last winter, the snow was so brutally heavy that I cleared EOD for a few people who had been shoveling, but were back inside. 

It worked out OK, but it's a good reminder that I could have sucked something in and damaged equipment, or damaged something on their property. It can be a tricky situation, even if you're trying to be helpful.


----------



## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Talk to your neighbor. Let him know what you are thinking after finding out what he's thinking.


----------



## Sblg43 (Jan 18, 2014)

orangputeh said:


> is your neighbor retired? if so that's why.
> 
> or he has OCD.


I was thinking the same thing!:wink2:



I have a couple of machines that can handle it all at once, but I sometimes go out multiple times just because I like to play in the snow. 

I also do my neighbor's drive - he is retired and also has physical issues - I am happy to help him in any way that I can.


----------



## sciphi (May 5, 2014)

If it's a large storm. Otherwise, why bother until it's over. 

I will help out neighbors on occasion.


----------



## 88-tek (Nov 5, 2017)

If it's under a foot, i'll wait it out. 

If it's more....well...ugghhh....


----------



## Boston_Rob (Feb 24, 2017)

Anything under 18" is a one-and-done for me....unless my mother in law is staying due to the storm. Then I'm out there scraping the blacktop in multiples.


----------



## Money_man (Feb 16, 2015)

My neighbour's 24" ariens deluxe regularly goes out in snow so high you can only see the chute. 

I actually hated being neighbour's with someone who owned a snowblower and refused to do my EOD snow so now that I have my own I always do my immediate neighbour's EOD snow because I know how it feels to be the shovel guy.


----------



## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Sounds to me like he just likes to play with his machine in the snow... more power to him. Maybe offer to fill up his gas can now and again when you're on your way to fill up yours anyhow as thanks.

Here at the Hill we're on call 24/7 so the option to wait is often erased by the sound of the telephone... the only hours it really hurts anymore is between 01:00 and 03:00.


----------



## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Well, there is the 'kid in a candy store' aspect of wanting to get out and use our machines.

Depending on time of day of the accumulation, I may go out at about 2/3 of the predicted amount. Other times, when it snows overnight, I take it all at once.


----------



## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I only go out one time unless there is more than 18" on the ground and they are predicting a bunch more. 26" 1983 Large frame Cub Cadet with 11hp honda clone 12 volt electric start with 20lbs on nose weight, roller skids, posi traction axle and drift cutters weighing in at 275lbs gets through even the deepest EOD piles.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

mobiledynamics said:


> Uggh...When it's blowing up a sandstorm, why would you not want to wait till it's settled down....and just be done with it once.
> 
> He's sorta forcing me to go out multiple times as I don't want to -owe him- and how do you politely tell him to just leave my side alone. Granted if I'm out and I'm done with mine and I see some snow on the sidewalk on the left or right, I will attend to that and then some. But my preferred means is just blow once and let it be.


 so when you are out blowing snow and see snow on his property do you blow it? if you do then he feels he owes you, don't know which of you got this started but that's why he does yours. most of my neighbors are elderly ( 70+ ) widowed ladies and to pay me back for blowing snow for them they will shovel snow for me if its only a couple of inches or less. I won't take gas money from them either


----------



## weirdtolkienishf (Feb 2, 2015)

I try to do my neighbors as much as possible, but only if I know if they don't have their own snowblower or are elderly. For the most recent storm I did my neighbor's walkways and did an ok job on their driveway ( could have gone over it a few times, but it was enough to get their car out). It was late and I was cold as beep.

Before I got a blower i had neighbors who would always do my driveway and walkways when I was out suffering with a shovel.

I really hate knowing that an elderly neighbor could be in trouble because emergency crews couldn't get to them in case of an emergency.


----------



## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

I watch the forecast. If a big dump is coming I bring the blower down from the garage which is a hundred feet away and park it by my back door and cover with a tarp ready to spring into action *only after the storm is finished*.* I don't get the blower out for anything under 6 inches.*


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

I only do mine and my two elderly neighbors. Last night hit two frozen newspapers at one of them. They came out like confetti!


----------



## Rickster55 (Dec 11, 2017)

Well, seven years ago, I broke my leg at work. My retired neighbor kept my driveway clear for me. As (bad) luck would have it, that summer he developed esophagus cancer and I mowed his lawn all summer. He has since recovered and cleans my driveway, if needed, before I get home from work - whether it be shoveling or blowing. When I am not working, I do his when I beat him outside. Works out well.


----------



## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

I have a neighbor that's handicapped, he has a blower and when he's home and it snows he does my stuff. When it's reversed, I do his. I also have a number of retired and disabled people on both sides of the street and across the alley which I blow when I have the blower. We help each other when and where we can.

In fact I have an agreement with a lady across the alley. I blower the area in front of her garage and she lets me use her space to occasionally park a vehicle when I need to move them around. a Win-Win situation.


----------



## Koenig041 (Dec 18, 2013)

Like the other poster if its18 to 20 or less. One Trip. When I used to have to do it by myself I would do a few trips, if over 10 inches. I have enough machines now that three of us are out there at the same time , we just wait until its over.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Heh, 3 at once on one property, that would be funny to see. I'm just glad I now have a machine with enough power that I can reasonably wait until the end of most storms, without it being a problem. As opposed to my first machine, where if I waited too long, oh boy, it was going to be struggling.


----------



## Mudflap (Sep 13, 2015)

I have no idea. This is my third winter of snow thrower ownership, and I've used my thrower once :/


----------



## Koenig041 (Dec 18, 2013)

Red, our driveway is 1k long. 1 time down, I do the end of driveway hard pack. The boys clean up back up the driveway, then cut a path to the kennel, another 1k feet in the opposite direction. We forster dogs so we have to cut a walking path. When I was doing it by myself I could be out there for 4 or 5 hours. Now about 2 hours. I make the boys go slow, easier to control the machines.


----------

