MADISON, Wis. -- A snowblower is a homeowner's best friend this winter if one can be found.

Snowblower dealers across the Madison area said they've been slammed by sales this winter, WISC-TV reported.

The Engelhart Center said it sold 400 of the machines in December and sales have stayed strong right through mid-February.

As of Monday night, the company had only eight dual-stage snowblowers on hand.

Service on the machines has also been busy this winter, officials said.

Repair experts at Engelhart Center said that many people think snowblowers can also handle chunks of ice, when they can't.

"The biggest issue we've run into from a service standpoint is people running their snowblowers into ice this year," said Michael Sonn. "Ice is causing a lot of damage; a lot of broken belts, a lot of broken auger shoot pins, those types of things."

Sonn also warned homeowners to be aware of where they use the machines so they don't accidentally run over phonebooks, dog chains or Christmas lights. full story and survey