Your Outdoor Living

from Smart Living Rockford - February 10

Right in Our Region ................Cover

Tips for Choosing a New Snow Blower

When buying a snow blower, it’s important to get the correct model and size for your needs. Tim Kinney of Lincoln Rent-All & Lawn Equipment Sales, 3110 Auburn St., Rockford, offers a few tips for buyers.

First, determine what size snow blower you need. They come in two basic types, single-stage and two-stage.

Single-stage: This model is ideal if you have a flat, midsized paved driveway and walks; it easily handles snowfall up to 8 inches. It’s fairly light, easier to handle than a two-stage, and takes up about as much space as a lawn mower.

Single-stage models usually clear an 18- to 22-inch swath, with rubber paddles that contact the surface to sweep the snow up and out of a chute in one quick movement. The rubber parts are forgiving on blacktop and concrete driveways, Kinney says, but since its auger contacts the ground, don’t use it on gravel driveways.

Two-stage: This type is best if you have a long, wide, or hilly driveway. It can take on a lot more snow than a singlestage and clear a swath 24- to 32-inches wide. A metal auger funnels the snow backward inside the machine, where a spinning impeller throws it out of a chute at high velocity, typically 10 to 15 feet farther than single-stage machines.

“If you’re in an area with a lot of drifting, a two-stage is better,” Kinney says.

Metal skids can be height-adjusted, depending on the surface. Since the auger doesn’t contact the ground, a two-stage model is needed for a gravel driveway.

Next, decide what features you need. Both types come in electric and gas models, and controls can vary. “Can you handle just a pull start, or do you need an electric start?” Kinney asks. “The electric start doesn’t have a battery, so you do have to plug it in, but once it starts, you unplug it and you’re good to go.”

Engine type is another consideration. Lincoln Rent-All sells only Toro snow blowers, which have four-cycle engines. That means you don’t have to mix the gas and oil, as you would with a two-cycle.

If you just need a machine to clean off sidewalks, a deck, or even a very short city driveway, consider a smaller, all-electric model. They’re less powerful but convenient and require little maintenance. ❚

Pain Relief and Other Treatments Introduced

By Peggy Werner

Circle of Wellness is always looking for the newest advances in technology to help people control their pain while avoiding surgery and medications, says Leila MacQueen, founder of the business located at 3626 E. State St., Rockford.

In recent months, she’s added equipment, products and services to help people pursue pain control and overall better living.

The Stem Cell Machine, a non-invasive way to treat painful musculoskeletal problems, degenerative conditions and chronic pain, is one of the newest items at Circle of Wellness.

“This machine is FDA-approved,” says MacQueen. “The non-surgical treatment can help eliminate pain, restore mobility and significantly improve a person’s quality of life, when used with other medicine and treatments,” she says.

High-energy soundwaves are applied to an injured or painful area to encourage healing by enhancing blood circulation that repairs damaged tissue at the cellular level. Beneficial effects are often experienced in one or two treatments and people with plantar fasciitis, muscle pain, carpal tunnel, shoulder injuries, tendonitis and arthritic joints are helped by this treatment, she says.

The clinic also uses Cynosure Laser Treatment for the removal of hair and spider veins, and to treat scars, brown spots and sun-damaged skin.

This machine does hair removal on all skin types of skin, she says. Spider veins and old veins causing discoloration can also be removed.

The machine helps to smooth out top layers of skin damaged by sun and treats facial lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin color caused by aging.

In addition, MacQueen has added a full line of chemical-free and metal-free organic products for skin and hair that contain essential oils.

MacQueen sells er brand skincare products including a face cleanser, toner, moisturizer and products for acne and antiaging. More products by er are in development.

“I started using these products myself. I’ve tried a lot of brands and I like these the best because you don’t need a large amount to get a big result. And they smell good because they contain essential oils,” says MacQueen. ❚