If the massive snow and ice storm blanketing 25 US states doesn’t kickstart your motivation to buy a snow blower then nothing will. The month is February and the year is 2023. We’ve all had enough due to the pandemic but winter is far from over. You’re reading this because you have a question circling in the back of your mind, and — the simple answer is “NOW,” in response to the central question of this article : “When is the best time to buy a snow blower?”
You may have noticed that most snow blowers are sold out due to the winter storm affecting half of the US. When it snows everybody rushes online or to their local hardware store in an attempt to ‘get lucky’ and find a snow blower. Problem is that everybody else in your town or city has the same idea. This is not the right strategy. Waiting for a blizzard is an act of futility.
This panic state of buying will get you nowhere. You need to prepare ahead of time. You need to bite the bullet sooner rather than later and just buy a snow blower ASAP knowing that one day soon you will need to use it. It’s inevitable. My rule is to always prepare for the inevitable. But to prepare, means you have to spend your money before you actually need the snow blower — and for most people this causes a lot confusion and incites procrastination.
Hey, “Why spend the money now if you don’t have to. I’ll just wait.” Ok, how did that work for you in February 2023; when this massive storm shut down your town and neighborhood? Not too well is my guess. You have to spend the money now. Find the model you want and buy it immediately, then put it in storage and I assure you that another storm will come to town and you will be thankful that you listened to my common sense. And besides a snow blower, you need to also buy yourself a portable generator because the power will also inevitably go out if the snow storm is bad enough. Just ask the 4 million people in Texas who are dealing with no power even as I write this.
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Repeat / The Time to Buy is…NOW!
When is the best time to buy a snow blower? Well, there are many ways to answer the question. I’m going to give you a variety of guidelines to think about before purchasing a snow blower. I feel that most people searching for the best time to buy a snow blower are likely thinking about price. In other words, at what time of the year can you buy a snow blower for a cheap price, or on sale? Otherwise, the short answer is — so you don’t have to read the rest of the article, is simple — buy a snow blower before it snows, or go out today and buy one as a means to prepare ahead of time. Why wait for a snow storm to shut down your city before deciding to invest the money?
But as I said earlier, you probably want to know when is the best time to buy a snow blower for the cheapest price. Let’s be honest, we all want a deal on the things we buy.
When is The Best Time to Buy A Snow Blower?
Here’s the truth, in my opinion. The absolute best time to buy a snow blower is before you need it, and before it snows, even if that means you buy it in the middle of winter. The whole point in investing in a snow blower is to clear snow and in order to do that you need to have it prior to a snow fall. So, if you haven’t purchased one yet and it’s mid-November, and you live in a snowy part of the world then I would buy one today.
The mistake too many people make is waiting until it snows before making the purchase and by then it’s far too late. You see, everyone else is also in a panic when the weatherman announces a major snowfall, and so what happens is that everyone scrambles to the local Home Depot or Lowes, and they sell out of their stock quickly. Perhaps you get lucky and find a snow blower on the shelf, well, that’s great but the truth is that snow blowers are relatively large and so the storage space is quite limited in your local hardware store.
Fortunately, with the efficiency of online shopping, you can quickly have a snow blower shipped directly to your door from Amazon, and other online retailers. But the same rationale also applies to buying a snow blower online — when a major snowfall is announced, everyone goes online and orders a snow blower. Eventually stock will run out and you’ll be kicking yourself for not buying earlier — either at your local hardware store or online retailer.
Buy a snow blower before it snows!
If you want the absolute best price on a new snow blower then the best time to buy would be at the end of the winter season as most retailers will be putting all of their remaining stock on clearance, and if it’s been a relatively warm winter you’ll find a great selection of snow blowers to choose from. This is especially true if you find yourself at the end of winter and it’s barely snowed. This does happen from time to time and I would take advantage of it when it occurs because you’ll be able to get a fantastic snow blower of your choosing.
Retailers hate having stock remaining at the end of the season, they’d rather sell out early and disappoint their customers than to have a warehouse filled with snow blowers that nobody wants.
Also, The beginning of the winter season is also an excellent time to find a snow blower on sale because retailers always have sales for the new seasonal products. You’ll find every retailer has a weekly flyer and probably around September and October snow blowers will start showing up at sale prices.
Snow Blower Buying Guide by Consumer Reports
You have to understand that retailers order their snow blowers 6 months to a year in advance and their goal is to sell out their inventory before the snow season is over. This is why thy advertise early in the season. The last thing they want is to be left with a lot of stock by the time spring comes.
Buy the Floor Model Snow Blower
Ask to Buy the Floor Model. You can often save a lot of money if you buy the model they use in their showroom or the one on display. you might save 15% because it’s out of the box. These models are never used so you can be assured they are brand new. They also have the same warranty. I always ask to buy the floor model for any product I’m interested in, and at the end of winter when retailers are clearing their stock for spring, they will happily sell you the out-of-box snow blower at a premium discount.
Personally, I would happily pay full price for the snow blower I want and have it available to me before the first snowfall than to wait for a big sale. The truth is that the whole point in investing in a snow blower is have one so you can use it to clear snow when it snows. It’s for peace of mind. It’s a tool that you use, especially if you live in a region of the world where you get heavy snowfall. And the weather has become increasingly more unpredictable.
For example, for the 2018/19 winter forecast for the USA, meteorologists are predicting, on average, a warmer than average winter. This might make you think that it’s unlikely to snow but the fact of the matter is — that it will definitely snow, and massive blizzards are still highly likely. But in between those cold spells, the temperature will be warmer, on average.
Weather Forecast Projection : Winter 2018/2019
Have you Considered Buying A Used Snow Blower
If you’re not in a rush to buy a snow blower, then it might be worth your time to look on Craigslist from time to time and see if there are any lightly-used snow blowers for sale. It’s very possible to find a ‘barely-used’ snow blower in the classifieds, as we used to say in the old days. Now they call it Craigslist. Sometime people buy a snow blower, or any other item, use it once and decide they don’t want to store it or perhaps it’s never been used. These things do happen but you have to seek them out. You have to put a little time into finding them.
I DO NOT recommend purchasing an old snow blower that has been well-used for the past 5 years. It’s not worth the risk. The only time you should buy a used snow blower is if it’s in ‘like new,’ condition. Too many things can go wrong with these machines and if you buy a lemon then you’ve just wasted your money. Also, only buy from a trustworthy seller. If you smell a liar then don’t waste your time. A short conversation on the phone can give you a good indication of the type of seller you are dealing with.
If you have any doubt, then walk away and buy a new snow blower. Again, it’s not worth the risk.
Which Snow Blower is Right for You?
There are two main types of snow blowers, and they are : single-stage snow blowers and two-stage snow blowers.
Single-stage snow blowers are great for light-duty snow clearing, up to about 8-inches of snow. The rubber auger literally scoops up the snow, which is then discharged through the chute in a single motion. These are lightweight snow blowers, often made from durable plastic but not always. Some of the higher-end models are composed of steel.
On the other hands, a two-stage blower uses a heavy-duty serrated auger to draw snow into the machine and break up chunks of ice. Then, an impeller (stage-two) throws the snow out of the discharge chute.
Two-stage snow blowers are excellent if you live in an area with heavy snowfall. They are also ideal for clearing heavy wet snow. A single-stage snow blower doesn’t have enough power to clear wet snow make sure you invest in the right type for your needs. If you need to clear snow above 8-inches deep then you really need to invest in two-stage snow blower which are typically gas-powered but there is a battery-powered 2-stage snow blower for you to consider : Snow Joe ION8024-XR, which is a rarity but modern battery technology allows it to be powered strictly by battery.
