# minimum amount of snow to blow



## jims94vmx

Just curious, do you guys blow 2" or more? I guess my question is what is the least amount you would use your snow blowers in? Can it do a couple of inches. I never had one before and have one coming in. A CC x3 hd 26".
Obviously the last 20" would have been great to have a blower! LOL, I am still sore! Can't wait for it to arrive. Probably won't snow again this year after it comes!!! I do need to make a path thru my yard to my pole barn however so it will get used one way or another!!! Thanks

Jim


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## detdrbuzzard

two inches of snow is enough for a single stage snowblower but i don't think it would be enough for my little 521 two stage and a total waste of time for the 826


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## Spectrum

It first depends on your surface and skid setting. If (like me) you leave 3/4 behind on gravel 2 inches is better left to pack. If you have a clean pavement fetish then anything is enough.

If it is thin and wet it may fluff up into the chute and clog. Some times too little is a problem.


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## sscotsman

I generally let it get to 4" before I fire up the snowblower..
Most of the time, that happens with just one snowfall..4" or more in one shot.
but sometimes we get a string of days where we get only an inch or so a day, several days in a row..in those cases, 1 to 3" on the driveway dosent hurt anything, so I just let it build up..

also, many of the times when its small amounts of snow , its because its warm out..(30 degrees F or higher) and the snow is going to melt soon anyway..so again, no point in bringing out the snowblower..

Scot


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## jims94vmx

That makes sense....thanks.


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## J_ph

Hi Jim

Congrats on the new machine, I have the model w/o the metal chute. Of course you need to get out there, it's a brand new toy 

Actually I only just figured out how to do a little snow with the 3x.... Go fast, it likes a lot of snow in the auger housing to toss it out, otherwise it's a weak display. The other option is to drive it foreword for a bit fill up the front and then engage the auger.

Have _fun!


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## MnJim

New blower Ariens 28 Deluxe old blower was a Craftsman 5/24
Either one I blew 2" or more on a smooth blacktop drive, The new larger Ariens blows the small snow better then the Craftsman I just run at a higher ground speed.
Just before the New Ariens I purchased a new 30" Snowplow shovel($60) for the less then 2" snowfalls and it does a quick job.
We are suppose to receive 1-3" of snow appx every other day this week so we will wait and see which gets more use Snowplow vs Ariens.


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## Shryp

The other thing you can do is use a hand plow / shovel to push the snow into a couple piles and then get the blower to throw the piles.


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## HillnGullyRider

I'm a fan of the hand plow for small amounts of light fluffy snow...It's faster than a blower, and the idea is to keep the blade on the ground and PUSH snow to the edges, never lift the snow if you don't have to. Like Shyrp said, you can always use the machine to lift the snow if the piles are still too intrusive.


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## J_ph

hold on.... are you guys telling me that if you got a brand new snowthrower you wouldn't be out there with 2 inches of snow? Jim is going to get a new machine delivered any moment. I might even shovel some of my neighbors snow, put it in a wheelbarrow and keep a pile ready for when it arrives!


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## J_ph

Jim

btw - the joystick... I was not a fan when when I first tried it. By the time I got back in the house my hand was aching. The problem is that you have 3 things to do with one hand, squeeze the trigger for rotation, move forward and back, and side-side. I initially found myself stabilizing it with both hands so that it didn't move front or sideways when I was trying to go in the other direction. The answer for me is that it's easiest to always pull it all the way back, squeeze the trigger and set the direction left or right (in the back position you won't need to stabilize the forward/back motion), then move it forward to set the deflection. And, now it's a simple one handed action, and can easily direct the chute while the snowthrower is moving.


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## jims94vmx

J_ph said:


> hold on.... are you guys telling me that if you got a brand new snowthrower you wouldn't be out there with 2 inches of snow? Jim is going to get a new machine delivered any moment. I might even shovel some of my neighbors snow, put it in a wheelbarrow and keep a pile ready for when it arrives!


 Your probably right! LOL


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## jims94vmx

J_ph said:


> Jim
> 
> btw - the joystick... I was not a fan when when I first tried it. By the time I got back in the house my hand was aching. The problem is that you have 3 things to do with one hand, squeeze the trigger for rotation, move forward and back, and then side-side for the deflector. I initially found myself stabilizing it with both hands so that it didn't move front or sideways when I was trying to go in the other direction. The answer for me is that it's easiest to always pull it all the way back, squeeze the trigger and set the direction left or right (in the back position you won't need to stabilize the forward/back motion), then move it forward to set the deflection. And, now it's a simple one handed action, and can easily direct the chute while the snowthrower is moving.


 This machine has the metal chute with the crank turn....the joy stick is only for the flap angle.....think I have that right. The cub 3X non hd model uses the joystick for both operations (I could see that getting old) and the poly chute. Don't have it yet, name is on a list when they come in in a week or so.


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## Mr Fixit

I bought one of those 42" wide scrapers. Similar,, to what your Home Depot retails. Every little snowfall gets slanted to one side into a windrow. 5 minutes? Two passes does the 30' drive way most times. Once there is 20" plus high on the side, I start the blower. Keeps ice from building up from car traffic. 
True Temper 36 in. Snow Shovel-193025400 at The Home Depot


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## J_ph

Hi Jim



> This machine has the metal chute with the crank turn....the joy stick is only for the flap angle.....think I have that right.


I forgot about that. Have you seen this? Apparently your model also comes in red.

WOLF Garten Snowthrower 3X CZ


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## HillnGullyRider

J_ph said:


> hold on.... are you guys telling me that if you got a brand new snowthrower you wouldn't be out there with 2 inches of snow?


The snow pusher cost less than those little skids, it clears snow as fast as you can run, and takes up a very small storage footprint


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## J_ph

and here's a preview of the 2015 3x model:


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## J_ph

HillnGullyRider said:


> The snow pusher cost less than those little skids, it clears snow as fast as you can run, and takes up a very small storage footprint


but it doesn't make a lot of noise and shoot snow into the air


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## cmb

Our 230' driveway's too darn steep with no way to get "momentum" before turning into the bottom and heading up the hill. 2" is PLENTY enough for me to blow, especially since I'm an old broken-down Drywall Mechanic I'll make whatever adjustments I need to keep enough snow in the box to feed the impeller.


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## jims94vmx

Now that Airport blower a couple replies up is unreal! WOW


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## Kielbasa

That is an impressive piece of machinery! 



J_ph said:


> and here's a preview of the 2015 3x model:
> 
> Schmidt | TS 10000 Airport Snow Cutter Blower - YouTube


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## Sid

On the how little snow to blow, it depends if it is the first snow of the season, or the last.
Sid


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## FairfieldCT

We got about 4 inches here today. After I did my drive I went up and down the road and cleared out 3 completely buried fire hydrants. No joke it was hard to find them... I thought I knew where they were, but a couple feet one way or the other in a 4 foot snow bank and it is not so easy. If the snow is deep where you are, consider clearing around the hydrants for everyones safety. i know its never going to happen on your street, but its better to be safe than sorry.


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## db9938

FairfieldCT said:


> We got about 4 inches here today. After I did my drive I went up and down the road and cleared out 3 completely buried fire hydrants. No joke it was hard to find them... I thought I knew where they were, but a couple feet one way or the other in a 4 foot snow bank and it is not so easy. *If the snow is deep where you are, consider clearing around the hydrants for everyones safety. i know its never going to happen on your street, but its better to be safe than sorry.*


Agreed. Even if its not deep, I want to make sure nothing impedes those folks.


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## Shryp

It can and does happen. I had 2 separate car fires on my mothers street over the years. One was right in the middle of the street about 2 houses down and one was down at the other end of the street in a driveway.


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## FairfieldCT

J_ph said:


> and here's a preview of the 2015 3x model:
> 
> Schmidt | TS 10000 Airport Snow Cutter Blower - YouTube


This thing HAS to be a HONDA!


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## Rusherman2112

sscotsman said:


> I generally let it get to 4" before I fire up the snowblower..
> Most of the time, that happens with just one snowfall..4" or more in one shot.
> but sometimes we get a string of days where we get only an inch or so a day, several days in a row..in those cases, 1 to 3" on the driveway dosent hurt anything, so I just let it build up..
> 
> also, many of the times when its small amounts of snow , its because its warm out..(30 degrees F or higher) and the snow is going to melt soon anyway..so again, no point in bringing out the snowblower..
> 
> Scot


4 inches sounds like a good minimum to fire her up. Thank you


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