The house we're moving into (everything's done but the final closing and moving in) is a corner lot with lots of sidewalk, and winter's a-coming to New Jersey!

I'm looking into getting a reliable pushable snow blower/thrower to save our backs from shovelling all that snow in the winter.

Is there a real difference between gasoline and electric powered models?

Are there any particular brands that you'd recommend? Tthe only one I could think of was Sears' Craftsman brand.

Though I lived in Alaska for six years, I can't recommend anything to you. I was the snowthrower hehe.

My dad swears by Toro.

My father-in-law gave me his old Ariens and I love it. It's like 25 years old and runs like a champ. It's on its second engine, but it's solid and powerful. I can remove frozen plowpiles at the end of the driveway with little effort.

Don't forget salt to put on the sidewalks and driveway after you clear them off. Black ice can set in nastily. Can't really recommend a snowblower as I always do it by hand. Good exercise that I need. :D

In any sort of wet weather condition I'd recommend gas over electric.

I always hand shoveled (one of the reasons I moved to CA), but neighbor swore by his Toro as well.

We just have a plow on the front of the suburban.
But when we do snow removal its two parking lots and our driveway (Which is effectivly a 20 car parking lot as well.)

HMMMM Lets see. Snow.....Electricity......Darwin here I come!

j/k

Seriously I have no advice for ya.

Flamethrower

Don't laugh - I could easily get one of the torches they use on road construction when doing paving work...

I'd rather not tempt fate tho