Which snow blower to buy can depend on how much you need it and whether or not you have a large garden. Essentially, the main factor when deciding which one to buy is how much ground you’re willing to cover with the machine. This is because they are classified by how many stages they have. The more stages the better but there’s no real science behind this. Basically the more the blades the bigger the machine so obviously the more stages the bigger the cost.
Obviously if you have a very large area to clear then you’re far better off buying a gas powered blower. However, even then it’s not absolutely necessary to buy an electric start. Many electric starting machines come with an automatic drive, which means you don’t need an electric start. The automatic drive also means that the machine is far easier to use because there’s no longer a need to manually load the blades and drive them forward which can be quite tedious. The blades are also far quieter, which is a great selling point for electric machines.
Now single stage blowers are available in several different styles. You can get ones with cordless capabilities. These are the most popular as they are very easy to use and require no cords. Often these have an extendable handle that allows you to reach higher areas such as driveways. They are also available in corded varieties but cordless ones tend to be more compact and easier to handle.
For clearing snow from the driveway, an electric driven snow thrower is the best. These are often referred to as walk behind augers. Instead of an extendable handle, you have a long cord attached to the front which ends in a push button which activates the auger. There is also an automatic stop button which stops the unit as soon as the snow has been cleared. In addition, the snow thrower can be plugged into a power outlet meaning no cords are needed.
Another popular type of snow-clearing machine is the double-axis. These tend to be less expensive than the single-axis and as well as being easier to operate they are also quieter. Some models can be fitted with an automatic trigger that is pressed when the cord is run from the machine. These are a good choice for people who don’t want to deal with trying to manually clear a driveway or parking lot.
If your local area is particularly bad at clearing snow then you may prefer to go for the pro level snow clearing machines. A good example of these would be the chute clearing auger. These chute leaders have two long poles with a brush attachment at the bottom that rolls over chutes and clears snow faster than any other option.
When selecting a chute clearing auger, you need to decide if you want the softest and highest clearance snow blowing system or if you want the fastest possible snow removal. The latter option is achieved by pushing the brush attachment of the auger forwards and backwards. There is a trigger attached to the machine, which activates the system. As the brush moves forward and backwards, the snow is dislodged from between the bristles and then falls into a collection container below. This is the most effective method of snow removal and only requires two people to operate the machine.
Finally, we come to the 4-cycle engine. A common feature of the modern day wet snow blowers is the presence of a dual-cycle engine. In this design, the rotors are linked to the drive wheels via a rotor chain. It is a very efficient design and produces super quiet and super fluffy snow quickly.
