So near the end of last winter, my trusty old Cub Cadet lawn garden snow thrower attachment gave up the magic smoke. Well it didn’t actually smoke, but it did strip out the gearbox splined output shaft into the second stage fan. So basically it doesn’t blow snow any more. No problem I thought, I’ve got all summer to fix it or get something else. Well summer went by fast and we are pret near on top of snow season (well it’s pret near on top of us I guess would be a better way to say it.) And it’s time to get a new snow thrower!
So I was browsing Home Depot’s web site to see what they had. The first thing I noticed is that the units sold at the store are only the lower priced ‘consumer grade’ units. Those are fine for most home snow throwing jobs, but we get a fair amount of snow here and I have a large area to clear. So I wanted something quality and with at least a 30″ clearing path.
Then I spotted the Ariens Professional Series 2-Stage 32 in. Gas Snow Blower Model 926039. After comparing all the various models, I chose this Ariens. It is heavy, up around 350 lbs, so I know there’s lots of strong metal in there. I comparied it against the next size up, a 36 in. model. The specs were the same, except the 36″ of course is four inches wider — but cost $500 more too.
Then I spotted the special financing offer of 12 months no interest on the Home Depot credit card. And I thought, “self, you have a Home Depot credit card. In the very wallet you’re carrying!”. And the rest was Internet history.
But not without a small hitch of course. I placed the order for the snow blower and also the cab. I don’t hear anything for a few days and then I get a ship notification. And I’m super excited. But then I notice only the cab has shipped. And then I get a fraud protection call from the Home Depot credit card. It turns out my credit limit got cut at some point and I didn’t realize it. (I hadn’t used the card in several years). So they shipped the cab for the snow blower, but not the snow blower itself. So I got the credit limit bumped back up, and Home Depot said they would try the charge again.
I can’t wait for the snow blower to arrive. Every man loves a nice piece of new machinery. I’m already daydreaming about assembling it, changing the oil, running it in, etc. One minor dissapointment is that I assumed the engine would have a pressure lubrication system with a spin on oil filter. But it doesn’t; it’s splash lube.