Winter snow in many parts of the U.S. is as predictable as death and taxes (unless you have offshore interests). The options for clearing your driveway are not encouraging:
2. Walk up and down behind a snow-blower, which is sort of like a lawnmower that just keeps moving the grass cuttings around (for half the day).
3. Park on the street, so the city plow can bury your car (an hour to dig out)—or maybe even hit it. (Go back indoors and call your insurance company).
4. Keep an old pickup or Jeep with a great big honkin’ plow attached to the front, that you only use in winter or when hunting, so it's probably worn out and neglected.
Not very appealing options. A rather nifty little alternative to all this hoohah is the Chicago-built Nordic Auto Plow, which can turn your old winter-driver BMW into “The Ultimate Plowing Machine.”
The company has developed a plastic, light-duty plow that can be attached to any vehicle, including a 3 Series beater convertible, like this one. The plastic is hooked to the front of the car, or rear if needed, by using a pair of straps and bungee cords. The best part of the system? It only rests against the bumper rather than being attached to it, so it avoids any damage. Of course if you're driving an old 3 Series in the winter, that may not be much of an issue.
The overall setup weighs under 50 pounds and the company says it takes less than a minute to install. The total price for the innovative plastic is $700, possibly doubling the value of your winter car. However, look at it this way: What's your time worth? Figure out your hourly rate and I'll bet you can make this purchase make sense. ––Paul Duchene
Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gePba6yXCgs
