My aching muscles are finally feeling better after the marathon snow storm we had last week. I have a house full of able-bodied guys but I like to pull my own weight. After multiple rounds of shoveling at our house and at neighbors who needed assistance, on Tuesday morning I heard the sweet sound of an approaching snowblower.
It was my neighbor Frank with the blower he shares with other neighbors. After doing several sidewalks and aprons, he needed a break. He generously topped off the gas and showed me how to operate the snowblower so I could do another neighbor’s sidewalk and apron. I did a few aprons and the back of our driveway. It was so much fun I didn’t realize two hours had passed.
I am thankful for Frank and the other owners for being so gracious with their snowblower. I have been thinking about how sharing the blower makes so much sense. No one needs a snowblower for every storm so it seems like a big expense and space-user for something that doesn’t get used that often. I didn’t grill Frank for the details of their specific arrangement but I did come up with some things to think about if you want to ask neighbors to purchase and share a snowblower with you.
Considerations for Sharing Ownership of a Snowblower
- Make, model and price
- Where will the snowblower be stored?
- Who is in charge of maintaining the unit? What happens if it needs repairs?
- Who gets to use it first?
- Who buys and stores the gas and oil?
- Can the snowblower be accessed if the garage owner isn’t home?
- Do non-owners get to use it?
- What if someone gets injured while using it?
