It is, indeed, a decision that has to weigh many factors. Having 600' of crushed stone driveway and several hundred yards of tractor/wood roads I keep cleared in central Vermont, and already having a 60" rear blade, I opted for a 47" front mount 2-stage blower for my 4115. Some of my reasoning was that plowing dug up my driveway and always some of my lawn, I have no neighbors close enough to worry about throwing snow (or stones...) on their property or cars, and the edges of the drive don't build up so deep I need to wing it back several times a winter. The blower, as I found out this winter, does take some maintenance and I do have to manually adjust the skids a few times per winter, depending on how soft or frozen the ground is. As for getting wet or covered with snow, I have Carhartt extreme coveralls, ski goggles, knit cap, and various gloves or heavy mitts. Blowing is definitely slower than plowing but I love seeing those plums of snow shoot 50' off into the woods and the clean edges of the driveway. When needed, I use the rear blade to clean the piles of snow, dirt, and gravel the town truck leaves at the end of the drive.