Joe560

"I agree on most with MountainMike about the toro powercurve 1800. I bought mine in 1996 and it's still running. When I bought it I had a concrete driveway and lived on Long Island, NY where the snow was rarely very deep. It got used maybe 2-3 x per season and did a good job. It does blow snow a good distance and for a lightweight snowblower it's a tough little machine, except when it encounters thick slushy stuff which bogs down most snowblowers. Unfortunately, I now have a gravel driveway. All that Mike said also happened to mine, except it still works. The gravel tends to get caught in the blade which jams it to a halt with an awful screech. The plastic blade then gets all chipped up and cracks too. I just bought a brand new blade on ebay and after having trouble figuring out how to install it, was finally successful. The new blade is now cracked due to gravel getting stuck after two uses. This spring I'm going for an asphalt driveway and will buy another blade so the 1800 can last another 10 years. (I hope) But seriously, it's not a toy, but if you live in a heavy wet snow area or have a gravel driveway, get a gas powered one with a metal blade. Yes, the long cord is also a nuisance, but it always starts (unless the power is out). " more