That $300 snowblower I scoffed at saved my back last winter

I used to think snowblowers were for people who just didn't want to shovel, total waste of money. My dad always said to just get out there and push the snow yourself, build character. But after that 18 inch storm hit our driveway in Buffalo last January, I spent 4 hours shoveling and could barely walk the next day. My neighbor rolled out his machine and cleared his whole driveway in 20 minutes, looking smug as anything. I broke down and bought a used one off Facebook Marketplace for $300 that week. Now I realize it's not about being lazy, it's about not wrecking your body for no reason. Has anyone else given in and bought a tool they swore they'd never get?

3 comments

3 Comments

torres.thea24d ago

Oh man, that's fair. Your mileage may vary but I'd say that's money well spent. Your back will thank you later.

matthewdixon24d ago

350 bucks for a chair and I still sit like a shrimp. Money well spent my back says otherwise.

spencer_coleman24d ago

See I gotta disagree with you a little bit on this one. I bought one of those $300 snowblowers two years ago and it broke on the third use, wouldn't start no matter what I did. Spent another $150 getting it fixed at the shop and it still gave me trouble the next winter. Ended up just giving it away and buying new for 800 bucks, which hurt my wallet way more than my back ever did shoveling. I think sometimes people get lucky with used tools but a lot of those cheap snowblowers are just somebody else's headache waiting for you to take it home. Not saying shoveling is great either, I still do it on smaller days. But for me that 300 dollar machine was just a different kind of pain.