Yard Machine Snowblower - A Review of My Dad's Latest Purchase
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Can a Yard Machine snowblower really be as great as my Toro Power Shovel?
Against my well-researched advice, my dad DID NOT purchase the Toro Power Shovel.
Instead he purchased a Yard Machine snowblower... the Yard Machines 31B-040-800 Snow Fox 12.5-Inch 8.5 Amp Electric Snow Thrower, to be exact.
I was waiting for my dad to call me the next time it snowed and say, "Well, you tried to tell me, but I didn't listen..." Well, that's what I was secretly hoping for, anyway.
But, the next time it snowed, he didn't call.
So, I called him. I asked him how his Yard Machine snowblower purchase worked out. He said it was the best electric snow removal tool he's ever used.
His reply certainly piqued my curiosity, and I wondered how I could try it out for myself.
But I got busy with other things, and after a few days forgot about the whole topic... but, it was always in the back of my mind, especially when I used my Toro Snow Shovel.
Then, as luck would have it, this past November we were staying over at my dad's house. At about 9:45 pm, it started snowing. The pace began to quicken... and then it started dumping. It was then that I knew that I would finally get to try out my dad's new Yard Machine snowblower.
The next morning at about 7:00 the sound of my dad's Yard Machine snowblower woke my wife and I out of a dead sleep. My wife just groaned and rolled over. I, on the other hand, bolted out of bed, put on my jeans, shoes, coat and ran outside to see this machine in action.
I immediately took over. The controls were a little different from my Toro Power Shovel, but easy enough to figure out.
The Yard Machine snowblower is electric like my Toro Power Shovel, so I experienced the same challenge of rearranging the cable as I went along. As a side note, this seems to be the primary thing that I hear from all electric snowblower owners.
My dad's Yard Machine snowblower cut through the 9 inches of snow like it was butter. Just like my Toro Power Shovel, the Yard Machine snowblower was able to handle more than the advertised 6 inch maximum depth.
When it was all said and done, I decided that my dad's Yard Machine snowblower (the Yard Machines 31B-040-800 Snow Fox 12.5-Inch 8.5 Amp Electric Snow Thrower) was equal to my Toro Power Shovel. The Yard Machine snowblower seemed to be built just as well, too.
The real competition will be how long each of them lasts. Months? Years? Decades?
I told my dad that we should put ten bucks on it.
He told me that I was a dork.
He's right.
So, if you prefer the Yard Machines brand, go for it. I think the Yard Machine snowblower is fine machine that will rival any quality electric snowblower.
Enjoy the snow!
Click here to read more customer reviews of the Yard Machine snowblower at Amazon.com.
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Wow... So, someone stuck their hand in the device and mangled themselves? That's very sad. How did that happen?
My Toro Power Shovel has a trigger mechanism, a lot like "weed eater" for lawns. You take your hand off the trigger and the Toro stops. I can't see how someone would be able to stick their hand in there... or a leg for that matter.
The Yard Machine snowblower has more of a lawn mower safety, with the two metal bars that must be squeezed together for it to work. You let go of the bar, the machine stops.
So, yes, there are some safety features.
I'm not a snowblower guy but I believe they get clogged and then instead of using a stick or turning something off they use their hands? 8 hand amputations in the Madison area in one day! If that is common after a snow I'm not sure. Kind of makes me want to keep shoveling, maybe with one of those power shovels!
JBeadle 2 years ago
Very well written hub. I'm a shoveller myself. You might get a kick out of a hub I wrote - quick hit dec 9 - about snowblowers versus shovelers. I have a snow blower from my sister... broken and in the garage. Wish I'd have gotten that thing going before the 18 inches of snow we got on the 9th! They said Madison had to do 8 hand amputations that day. That is nuts. Does the power shovel you have or your dad's 31B-040-800 Snow Fox 12.5-Inch 8.5 Amp Electric Snow Thrower avoid that risk?