subject: The Snow Blower Saves Time And Your Back! [print this page] When we were kids, we used to grab a shovel out of our parents garage on a snowy winter day and get to work. First it was our own driveway that wed get cleared up; not only because it was proper etiquette, but almost as payment to our parents to use the shovel to go out and make some cash. We never thought to take some of the money made mowing lawns or raking leaves to go out and buy a snow shovel of our own! Most parents knew that you were going to use their equipment, and they were just happy that you were doing something constructive with your time.
As we grew older and became a little less lively, we started to find ways to work smarter and not harder. Walk-behind lawn mowers and conventional rakes began to give way to riding lawn mowers and leaf blowers.
And as we head towards middle age, we especially seek an alternative to the snow shovel. Manually shoveling after a heavy snowstorm can play havoc with our backs, almost to the point of putting us in traction for a few days!
Therefore, we sing the praises of the inventors of the snow blower who have gone a long way toward easing our winter burdens.
Origins of the Snow Blower
With necessity being the mother of invention, its not hard to understand that Canadians were the first developers of mechanized snow removal equipment. In the upper North American snow belt in the late 1880s, Ontario, to be specific a locomotive-powered snow removal machine was developed for removing snow from railroad tracks. An inventor named Orange Jull came up with the idea of using large fans to clear snow. But he didnt have the means to build the machine. So Jull enlisted the help of local manufacturers, the Leslie Brothers, to produce what is known today as the Jull/Leslie snow removal machine.
Around the same time period, Arthur Sicard was working on a dairy farm in Quebec also thinking about snow removal. Sicards desire was to keep transportation routes open for perishable dairy products even after heavy snows. Around 1925, Sicard had invented a large snow blowing unit that could be mounted on a tractor or truck. This was the first large-scale snow blower, and the Sicard company still produces snow blowing equipment today.
The Walk-Behind
Domestic walk-behind snow throwers came onto the market in the early 1950s. Toro lays claim that they are the first company to market these machines. Coming up quickly behind Toro were Ariens and Gilson machines. Then the flood gates opened up as we moved toward the 1970s. The competition between companies and the evolution toward higher levels of safety and functionality led us to the efficient snow blowers of today that include features such as halogen head lamps and heated hand grips.
Maintenance and Repair Concerns
Gone are the days when lawn mower repair shops only serviced lawn mowers. Leaf blower repair, snow blower repair, power tool repair and generator repair are just some of the services offered by todays all-encompassing lawn and garden equipment repair shops.
For those hesitant to buy snow removal equipment because theyre not sure where to get it serviced, snow thrower maintenance and repair is readily available through equipment servicing specialists located at convenient locations throughout the country. When it comes to the type of snow blowers they service, these repair shops usually support multiple equipment types and manufacturers.
So if youve been thinking that this is the year to buy a snow blower, the winter clock is ticking and the snows will soon be descending upon us. So go buy your snow removal equipment now to avoid facing the irony of having to manually shovel yourself out of your driveway.
