Snow Blowers of the Future?

Ever wish you had your own personal snow removal service to take care of slushy cold messes for you? The best part of waking up may be your coffee, but the worst is having to shovel the mountain of snow in your driveway before trekking through the same said frozen crud to get to your favorite place in the world - work.

By the time you make it home, you'll likely have to start all over again. By the time you're finished, you're exhausted and ready for bed. Then, if you're lucky, you wake up the next morning to do it all over again.

It doesn't have to be that way! Snow blowers make clearing your driveway and sidewalks much easier and much faster. They even come with electric start and hand warmers. If you don't want to be snowed on, you can also get an attachable snow cab to protect you from the wind and snow.

The really exciting news is a breakthrough in snow blower technology. Istanbul Technical University mechatronics associate professor, Emin Faruk Kececi invented a remote-operated snow blower robot called the SnowBYTE. It's a small, all-wheel drive, gas/electric snow blower with electric start that you can operate from the warmth of your home. The gas engine powers the snow blowing system (front blades and snow blowing chute), and electricity powers the all-wheel-drive motors that move the SnowBYTE up and down your driveway and walkways.

If you want to sit on your sofa with your feet up, that's fine. The SnowByte features an integrated camera system which provides you a view of what's being cleared away as you go. So even as you're lounging on the couch sipping your hot cappuccino, you can still navigate precisely where you want the machine to go.

The SnowBYTE is still in development mode, and the prototypes have not been perfected yet. The biggest problem is that it's compact and lightweight. Without the size and weight of a full-sized snow blower, it cannot effectively handle deep, heavy snow. 

This may be a fun alternative for lighter snow, but for the real thick stuff you should probably stick with a 2-stage snow blower.

Power Sweeping

Whether you have a large driveway, several walkways, or even a parking lot that needs to be swept clean, a broom will be insufficient for large jobs.

While power brushes are popular for commercial snow removal, all-season power brushes are very effective for sweeping gravel, salt residue, leaves, grass clippings, and other debris from dry surfaces.

These are great machines for cleaning large surface areas quickly and effectively. You won't have to spend hours sweeping with a broom and watching the debris blow right back where it came from.

Power brushes consist of rotating wire bristles that literally flick every bit of dirt and debris away with speed so you can be certain the job is done right. They're perfect for small businesses that like to keep their lots and walkways clean, and even better for cities looking to keep their sides streets, alleys and sidewalks clean year-round.

When to Get a Good Deal on a Snow Blower

The majority of snow blower manufacturers only make a set amount of snow blowers each season. Once they're sold, they don't produce anymore until summertime because they're making lawn mowers.

Large home improvement stores only stock up on as many as they project to sell, and rarely have any left by the time spring rolls around. They do this because they don't want any leftover stock that has to be discounted.

New snow blower models are usually introduced in May or June, but aren't being produced yet. However, you can back order a brand new snow blower before it's released.

By back ordering a new model of snow blower that's just been introduced, you tend to get a nice discounted price. You also get a brand new snow blower, which is arguably much better than settling for a used model that may have problems and that doesn't come with a warranty

Later, as winter is approaching, you'll receive your brand new snow blower at just about the same time as others are starting to shop around. You may be the first person in your neighborhood prepared for that unexpected early-season snowfall.

If you're interested in buying one now that's still in stock, you can find a better selection at Snow Blowers Direct than you can at a big box store.

How to Store a Snow Blower

Just one more time pushing that snow blower before you can put it away for next year. Snow is coming to the upper Midwest and Northeastern United States, and it will definitely be enough to justify breaking out the snow blower one last time.

However, that looks to be the last big snowfall of the season. So you'll likely be interested in how you can go about properly storing your snow blower through the summer. You definitely don't want to just push it to the back of the garage and forget about it.

Below is a list of things you should do to ensure an easier start next winter:

1. Drain the Fuel - Use a gas can to store it over the winter with some fuel stabilizer. If you don't want to, at least add fuel stabilizer to the tank.

2. Remove the Spark Plug - Follow the spark plug wire to find where it's attached, then remove it with the appropriate sized socket wrench. Store it in a clean dry place where it wont get lost.

3. Consider pouring a small amount of oil onto the pistons through the spark plug hole to prevent rusting or corroding of engine parts.

4. Cover it with a snow blower cover to make sure it stays clean and protected.

Shop for Maintenance Kits

Titan Storm Spreads More Snow Coast to Coast

Winter Storm Titan

I'm sad to deliver bad news, but more cold winter weather is on its way.

Winter storm Titan, the latest ice and snow storm, is scheduled to dump more snow and ice across the US from coast to coast on Sunday and Monday.

Snowfall is expected to exceed 6 inches across the majority of Ohio. If you think that's bad, there's also a band of much heavier snow that will follow, dropping approximately 10 inches of snow somewhere. Meteorologists still don't know where that snow will fall.

The National Weather Service states that winter storm Titan is set to drop heavy snow from California to New England. It's also possible that it may drop sleet and freezing rain from the Plains all the way to the Mid-Atlantic States.

While most of you likely have gotten a snow blower by now, those of you who haven't likely won't worry about it until next winter. With winter nearing the end, and it is (only a couple of weeks left), many of us need to consider what will happen to all of the snow when late March or April showers begin washing it away.

Sump pumps are the concern now. I know I personally need to get a battery back-up sump pump because I live on a large pond in a neighborhood that often floods. My pal Jim is a sump pump expert over at Sump Pumps Direct, and he's great when it comes to finding you the perfect pump for your needs.

Keeping Up Appearances - How to keep your snow blower looking new.

Ariens Touch-up Paint

As you use your snow blower, it inevitably gets scratched and dinged, often times stripping small amounts of paint from the metal.

Leaving the scratches and dings unattended to may seem okay, excusing it as average wear and tear, but what if they begin to rust? Without the protection of the paint, the metal is now exposed to harsh environmental factors such as water, ice, and salt.

You change the oil, you add fuel stabilizer, you buy and use maintenance kits, and you keep it sheltered and covered during the off-season, so why leave it rust when you put such effort into keeping everything else on it so nice?

Cub Cadet Touch-up Paint

I spoke with one guy who told me how he keeps his snow blower looking great from year to year and prevents rust and corrosion.

With a stainless steel brush, he brushes off any rust or corrosion that's there, and smooths out the area that's missing paint.

Once it's clean, dry, free of rust and corrosion, and smoothed down, he takes a matching color of snow blower touch-up paint and sprays the spot. As long as you keep using a matching color of paint, which comes in brand specific colors at Snow Blowers Direct, it'll look great.

By doing this after each season, he gets to start the next season with a brand new looking snow blower, keeping his neighbors wondering why his stays so nice!

What Does the Groundhog Say?

6 More Weeks of Winter - Time for a Snow Blower!

The groundhog said, "Bring more snow."

Winter's far from over, and more snow is on its way. A snowstorm is sweeping through the country from Denver, Colorado to Maine and New York.

The strongest portion of the storm will stretch from Kansas City to Vermont and New Hampshire, bringing with it 6-12".

Omaha, Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, and Boston will be seeing around 3-6" of snow between tonight and Wednesday. And Denver, New York, and Philadelphia will only see around 1-3".

If you're in the more severe strip, you're probably wishing you had a snow blower right about now. If you don't have one, it's not too late to get one in time for clearing that 12 inches of snow off of your drive and walkways.

If you're in the lighter areas between 1 and 6 inches, you may be fine with a single-stage snow blower as long as you keep on top of the snow as it comes. Anything more though, and you'll want a two-stage snow blower with a bigger opening in the front for taking in snow deeper than a few inches.

If you've got a city plow that likes to come by and plow your driveway shut with a pile of frozen slush, you'll be happy to see we've got the all new three-stage snow blowers in that can handle that frozen mountain with no problem.

Take a look around Snow Blowers Direct, and visit the Buyer's Guide for help finding what you need.