With just a dusting of snow in the area, sales of big snowthrowers have been slow so far, but shovels are flying out the door. "More people are coming in for scoops and pushers," said Craig Kimps, store manager of Kimps Ace Hardware in Howard. Nylon pushers are becoming popular.
Snow doesn't stick to them like metal ones and they leave no rust marks on the garage floor, he said. "We've also been selling a lot of ice melt, since the snow gets packed down by the end of the day," he said. Northeastern Wisconsin has received only light snowfall so far, spared from a major winter storm packing a big punch like the 16-inch blast that clobbered southeastern Wisconsin last week.
At Ambrosius Sales Service in De Pere, general manager Steve Nohr said business has increased in the last month on repairs and sales of snowthrowers. "Most people now ask for electric start," he said. "We also have some models with built-in hand warmers.
" Elroy Nelson, sales manager at Paulson Power Center in Ashwaubenon, said some customers preferred preseason sales so that they were ready to go when the real snow comes. "This past weekend was the best so far," Nelson said. There are plenty of snowblowers on selling floors at most places, but throngs of buyers are only one snowy blast away, one dealer said.
"It definitely takes snow to stimulate them," said Tony Kohl, manager at Kitz Pfeil Hardware, which runs stores in Appleton and Menasha. For some homeowners, an electric-powered snowblower with prices starting around $300 might be sufficient for relatively light or dry snow up to four inches. But the heavier, wetter snows sure to come may demand the brawnier gasoline-powered machines, particularly when it comes to clearing away mounds the snowplow left at the driveway entrance.
Single stage units pick up snow and throw it in one operation. Two stage machines feed snow into an auger, then blow it out the chute in separate steps. "A two-stage is the best if you're going to have only one snowblower," said Ann Lamers, service manager at Carstens Ace Hardware in Kaukauna.
"You want a good all-around snowblower that's going to clean up down by the curb and do the driveway." Kohl said the single stage snowblowers have been greatly improved and now toss snow up to 25 feet, more than twice as far as they used to so the operator can clear a surface in one pass. Kitz Pheil is a Toro dealer.
Carstens sells Ariens. But buyers can shop for lower-priced models at big box retailers and other outlets as well. With regular maintenance, they can be expected to provide reliable service winter after winter.
He said the trick is to change the spark plug and oil every year, run with fresh gasoline and keep a spare pair of shear pins on hand in case one snaps off hitting an obstruction in normal operation. "And don't wait to start it up when the first snow hits," he said. "Make sure it starts before you need it.
" Ditto for drive belts. Make sure they're not frayed or worn and either replace them or have them replaced, he said. "We have a good selection but some models we're down to one of," she said.
"I look at a snowblower as a 20-year investment so I usually recommend an electric start." "Snowblower sales are a bit soft," said Mark Naperala, Ariens' director of marketing. "Obviously, based on weather conditions that we've seen.
Typically if we have a solid season the year previous and inventory levels are low or sold out, it creates a fair amount of pent up demand in the upcoming pre-season for snow activity." One of the most popular is a 5-horsepower model in Ariens' compact series that plows a 20-inch swath, Naperala said. A quality snowblower that's well cared for "is going to last generations," he said.
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