When shopping for a snow blower, it is a wise idea to first check out some snow blowers reviews. Snow blower reviews can be easily found online and you can find both professional reviews and reviews written by people who have purchased a particular model.
First of all, however, it is important to understand a bit about the terminology that is likely to be used in snow blower reviews. A review that cannot be understood is not likely to help you much.
Different types of snow blowers
There are several kinds of snow blowers and snow throwers as follows:
Power shovels (hand-held electric snow throwers)
Single stage electric throwers
Singe stage gas snow throwers
Two stage gas snow blowers
Tractor snow blowers (mounted on a regular tractor or lawn tractor).
The kind of machine that will be best for you will depend upon your particular circumstances, i.e. how much snow you get, what kind of snow, how big an area you need to clear and how much you have to spend. Here, I give you a quick rundown of each of the different types of machine that you might consider.
Power Shovels
If the area you live in does not get a whole lot of snow in the winter, then the chances are you only need a power shovel.
Power shovels are light, easy to push, easy to handle and some of these can even shoot snow up to thirty feet away. These machines:
can be used for small areas that do not have a lot of snow.
cost around 0 or, sometimes, even less
some models also double as a 'power broom' that can be used year round.
should be used only on level surfaces.
clear snow that is up to 6 to 8 inches deep.
Electric Snow Throwers
These can be used on larger areas; they are useful in moderate or even heavy snowfall. Electric snow throwers are easy to maneuver and operate and are not overly pricey to purchase or maintain.
Electric snow throwers are limited to accessing areas that can be reached with the supplied cable and/or extension cord. The machine should ideally come with a heavy duty power cable, but if it does not, then one can purchase this type of cable separately. Using a residual circuit breaker is strongly recommended.
Electric snow throwers:
are not overly noisy.
are ideal for a medium sized yard, driveway or walkway.
do not need a lot of maintenance.
work best on flat surfaces.
can clear snow that is up to ten inches deep.
Gas Snow Blowers and Throwers
There are two different kinds of gas powered snow blowers.
Single stage gas powered machines are smaller and are also known as snow throwers. These blowers use an auger to break down the snow and then throw the snow off to the side.
2 stage gas powered blowers break up the snow which is then drawn into the machine itself via the auger. The snow is later blown by means of an impeller out through the discharge chute. These machines use an authentic blow action and are really the only genuine 'snow blowers'
Gas powered snow blowers are more expensive than their electric counterparts. They are heavy duty pieces of equipment that can handle large amounts of snow. They need more maintenance than electric machines and the cost of gas can add up quite quickly as well.
Single stage snow throwers are ideal for a yard that is not overly large; two stage blowers can be used for large yards and properties.
Two stage blowers can generally handle rough terrain or operate where there is a loose surface, such as gravel, as these types of blowers are made with an auger that does not directly touch the ground. Therefore they are usually sturdier and more durable than single stage snow throwers.
Two stage blowers are useful for breaking up and removing ice. They have large, wide augers and a large throw range.
Many two stage machines come with at least 4 forward speeds; this helps to prevent the snow blower from getting clogged up. While two stage blowers run on gas, they usually come with an electronic start. These blowers may also come with speed controls that can be easily adjusted, two wheel drive that enhances traction and a trigger release that aids in wheel control.
Gas snow blowers come with two stroke or four stroke engines. A single stage snow thrower can clear up to 12 inches of snow. A two stage gas powered model may be able to clear up to nearly two feet of snow.
Tractor Mounted Snow Blowers
These are larger than the average walk behind models and can clear up to five feet of snow. They are usually attached to a tractor or lawn tractor and work in a similar way as the two stage models described above, although they draw power from the tractor.
Tractor mounted machines are made by John Deere and a number of other manufacturers. They are ideal for large areas and remove snow rapidly and efficiently.
Conclusions
When purchasing a snow blower, therefore, consider how large an area will need clearing, how much snow the area gets in the wintertime and what model or make might be affordable for you.
You should then have an idea of which of the types of machines described above is likely to suit you. Thereafter you can carry out your research and study the snow blower reviews that you will find online in a more focused and directed way.
