Amateurs. 
ETA
4 Likes
Works well where the snow is dry but, in areas like around the East Coast you need something that can move what is more like piles of mashed potatoes.
12 Likes
This post is about the race to the bottom in quality with Amazon, right? They sell things that look like things that work. I hate that. But we egg them on by buying the lowest-priced item that appears to do the job.
4 Likes
Whereas with the wet snow we get here, I find it works better.
Brushes just end up with big snow clumps in them in seconds and you are either constantly knocking them clean or just adding snow to a different spot. This is just like using a spatula to clean out a bowl.
It all depends on the type of snow you deal with, which tool works best.
8 Likes
My rule of thumb is a avoid plastic at all costs, unless I see it riveted to metal. Plastic sturdy enough to deal with being riveted usually holds up. If I can squeeze the handle, or bend the plastic anywhere I just don’t get it.
I know that the right plastic can hold up because I’ve seen some incredibly tenacious strong plastics since I used to machine them exclusively, so I can tell when something is garbage pretty quick too.
Avoid anything made out of polypropylene. It’s garbage plastic. If you can find anything made out of nylon or abs, it will last.
Tangential question- I’ve been hearing for years about some kind of instant windshield de-icer fluid, that you spray on and it immediately wipes out snow and ice. Has anyone used that stuff, and does it work?
2 Likes
4 Likes
That is why I tape a hairdryer to mine! 
Jokes aside, I was house sitting in Maine over Christmas and did consider using the leaf blower for a moment when I saw it in the shed next to the shovels.
2 Likes
Amazon doesn’t actually manufacture any of the items it sells, apart from its branded devices (and even those are contracted out). It does sell a crapload of third-party goods of varying degrees of quality and price levels. Caveat emptor.
Yeah, the thing your purchased looks like crap, sorry.
I bought this one a few months back. Very sturdy and high quality:
Most retailers don’t manufacture the items they sell either, but their buyers take the time to stock only items that won’t make their customers angry by breaking after one minute of use. That’s how Amazon (and Walmart by extension) are driving the race to the bottom.
2 Likes
If I had the house and the money, my first experiment would be to set up a driveway with a heated flooring system under the pavers.
5 Likes
Narrator; They are.
ETA: Thank heaven I don’t live where it snows anymore. I moved away for a good reason.
7 Likes
I read about that earlier today!
4 Likes
This is awesome! Now I just need a house.
6 Likes
So, if there’s snow on your car windshield - do you just not drive until it melts on its own? Or do you get on with driving while you wait to find out what’s in front of your car?
2 Likes
It’s the BirdSnow Box challenge!
3 Likes
It is! For example, the following “dry” link to the all-round best camera for most hobbyists should automatically pick up the House Code.
3 Likes
For the longest time I owned the domain “crapgadgets.com” but never did anything with it and set it free. If I were to go down that route again, I think I’d use “notchamacallit”
5 Likes
Yep, Pittsburgh…But, what’s more important - a quality “brush” or a quality snow chair?
2 Likes
I was going to say: anything to do with winter, we get Canadian brands. That’s the North American equivalent of going for Scandi/Nordic brands.
3 Likes
