snowblowers

[james]

so this is the third year i've been debating getting one. our driveway is huge and we get a crazy ass amount of snow every winter. even though i'm not in a northern area, i'm up in the mountains so we get 50~60 cm dumps at one time sometimes.

every year i've forestalled getting one because the prices on them here are absolutely ridiculous. 60 man for something that would retail for $1400 new in canada.

i've been looking around on yahoo auctions at used stuff and also found some of those cheapass chinese made electric snow throwers but i'm reasonably sure they'd be useless out here.

has anyone here bought used? how'd it work out?

[Samurai_Jerk]

[GuyJean]

Originally Posted by james

.. i've been looking around on yahoo auctions at used stuff and also found some of those cheapass chinese made electric snow throwers but i'm reasonably sure they'd be useless out here..

The cheapass Chinese blowers in Tokyo seem to get the job done..

Just curious, but have you tried to buy during the offseason? Maybe wait one more year, then buy in the summer?

GJ

[canman]

James don't get the Chinese electric ones. They are not strong enough for the wet snow that we get here. I'm fairly certain you get the same type of stuff we get each year. I too keep thinking about getting one, and have been checking out the Misawa base online yardsales. Every once in a while one comes for sale, but they go like hot cakes. But you need one with a motor to move the wet sloppy stuff we get. A friend had one sent by sea. He bought it in the States and had it sent, it ended up being a lot cheaper than here in Japan.

[james]

Originally Posted by canman

James don't get the Chinese electric ones. They are not strong enough for the wet snow that we get here. I'm fairly certain you get the same type of stuff we get each year. I too keep thinking about getting one, and have been checking out the Misawa base online yardsales. Every once in a while one comes for sale, but they go like hot cakes. But you need one with a motor to move the wet sloppy stuff we get. A friend had one sent by sea. He bought it in the States and had it sent, it ended up being a lot cheaper than here in Japan.

yeah, i have no intention of buying a cheap piece of chinese crap. we get all different kinds of snow here like you guys in aomori and hokkaido and lots of it so power is needed.

just got fbc's flyer today and after seeing their ad remembered that they can send stuff from the u.s. including heavy stuff like appliances etc so i may make an enquiry to see what their shipping service would cost. i can let you know what i find out if you like.

these ripoff prices for snowblowers here are pissing me off. if they were 30% more or whatever, then fine but 3x~4x is absurd.

[canman]

I forgot about FBC, a few years ago my wife wanted a mailbox that was only sold in the US and Canada. I asked FBC, had it shipped here, and the shipping wasn't that bad, since they just put it on a ship with all their other stuff. Now there is a big difference between a mailbox and a snowblower, but they are one option that is for sure. If I remember correctly I bought it and it delivered to their warehouse in Los Angeles. Then they shipped it to Japan and sent it up here to Aomori.