• InsideOut
Page 8 April 8, 2021 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor
Which snowblower is for you?
W
e survived the latest round of snows in northern Colorado. Who knows when the next blast will arrive but it could be yet this year or next snow season. Many people (including me) were very thankful they had a snowblower in their garage when they looked out at three feet of snow in previous weeks. Snowblowers come in all shapes and sizes. One of the Surveyor Columnist first decisions to be made when buying one is whether to have a one-stage, two-stage or three-stage blower. A single-stage snow blower is the lightest smallest and easiest to handle. They have a single high-speed auger that scrapes the snow off the ground and propels it up through the discharge chute. These blowers are typically 18 inches to 22 inches wide. The manuals say singlestage machines are designed to handle average snowfall depths up to six inches on driveways up to two cars wide by two cars long. My personal snowblower is 20 inches wide. The early March storm put it to the test. I had to push into the snow, pull back and push again. I swear I heard it say, “I think I can, I think I can.” Bob A two-stage machine has a slower-turning corkscrewMcDonnell like augur that gathers snow. The snow is pushed into a high-speed impeller that propels it out the chute. Two-stagers are designed to handle snowfall depths up to 12 inches on larger driveways up to two cars wide by three cars long. Most are self-propelled with multiple forward speeds. They are more efficient and faster than a single stage machine and handle more snow in a shorter period of time. The width on the two-stagers usually starts at 22 inches goes up from there. Three-stage machines also have a slow-turning auger that gathers snow and moves it toward the center of the housing. However, the secondstage auger is designed to propel the snow into the impeller at a faster rate than a typical twostage machine. A three-stage snow blower can remove heavy snow almost 50 percent faster than the same size two-stage machine. Threestage snow blowers are designed for heavy snowfall depths up to 18 inches on driveways up to three cars wide by four cars long. Some models of snowblowers have a choice of gasoline-powered or electrical-powered. The electric ones used to require a heavy-duty outdoor power cord. Now, many are the type that plugs into an outlet in the garage to charge, ready for use when it snows. Most of the electric snowblowers I have seen are for lighter snowfalls. Many gasoline-powered snow blowers have a rope-pull start, much like a lawnmower. Sometimes, many pulls are required, which can be strenuous. If this is a consideration for you, check out ones with an electric start button. Gasoline engines come in two-cycle and four-cycle versions. The big difference is that oil needs to be mixed with the gas in a two-cycle. Tubes of oil may be purchased at hardware stores to add to the gasoline can before using a snowblower. A few years ago, I discovered pre-mixed fuel. A can of it contains gasoline and oil in the ratio needed to run the snowblower. Before I switched to premixed (which is more expensive, by the way), I would try to start my blower for the first snow of the year. t would not start. t seems gasoline goes stale when it sits in the tank and fuel lines. I have had no problem starting my snowblower after it sits for months once I used the pre-mix. The only thing worse than not having a snowblower is having one that does not work when you need it most.
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Did you know?
Special to the Surveyor
Disinfecting garden tools can help ensure the long-term health of plants and vegetables. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, plant pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, cause diseases that can damage and even kill plants. These pathogens can be transferred to plants and infect them through bits of soil and plant debris that get stuck on common gardening tools, including shovels and pruners. Pathogens are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye, which is why even tools that appear clean may still contain harmful substances on their surfaces that can prove life-threatening to plants. Disinfecting tools at the appropriate time, such as when the tools are being stored in fall or before using them in spring or after using them to remove infected plants, can prevent the damage caused by invisible pathogens. Avoid using strictly bleach to disinfect garden tools, as the UME notes that bleach corrodes metal and can therefore render tools that require sharp edges ineffective. A homemade solution that’s nine parts water and one part bleach can be used to effectively clean shovels, spades and rakes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) in concentrations of 70% or more can effectively disinfect surfaces for bacteria, fungi and viruses. Such a solution can be used to disinfect hand pruners and other small hand tools. Store-bought cleaners with an active ingredient that is .1% alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium saccharinate also can be effective when disinfecting small hand tools as well as small pots and saucers.
