I hear you. Unfortunately, the blower I got 16 years ago was the lightest two stage Toro I could find. Living on a mountain means traction is limited and humping it around is sometimes necessary. It’s a pull start by necessity. Just to get off the topic, screwing hex head sheet metal screws into the tire treads ( and boots) really helps traction. I agree about the battery use. Use them or loose them.
I Have A Different Snow Removal Problem.
I can’t plow. We usually get lots of snow before the ground freezes and if I miss the edge of the paved driveway or road I tear up the yard. Also, I would soon run out of places to put the stuff because of the layout of our house/garage. The piles would become too high.
The county doesn’t show up to plow the road at the base of my driveway until long after a heavy snowfall (sometimes a day or two) so I am responsible to clear the road where it terminates at our driveway. We live at the end of a cul-de-sac and the school bus turns around on this big paved circle that I clear.
Most of my neighbors clear the road in front of their homes so we can get to the highway only 8 houses away. The county usually plows there if you give them a while.
I shopped for a blower that was capable of picking up snow and really throwing it far, 35 - 40 feet. My old Toro would pick it up, but not throw it far enough and I’d have to blow it a second time. Usually a storm comes in with wind and I play that to my advantage. I have water on 3 sides of my property (I’m on the end of a penisula - lake in front - canal in back and one side) and aim for that when I can get it that far.
I hear you about man-handling the blower. I have to do that too, fighting deep snow on icy ground. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. One of these days I’ll buy a tractor/blower with heated cab like another neighbor has or I’ll get the heck out of hear in the winter.
CSA