Snow Blowers
Every year without fail during the winter season, you use a shovel to remove snow from the driveways and walkways for smoother passage. It’s a cumbersome job doing it everyday during that period. This year will be different as you’ve thought of removing snow with the help of a blower. Allow us to guide you to some of the best snow blowers for you to pick so that winter will not be a big inconvenient for the whole family anymore.
Snow Blower Buying Guide
1) Single Or 2-Stage?
Single stage snow blowers are suitable for use when there is light snowfall in your area, perfect for clearing driveways and walkways. They use an impeller (high speed rotor) to collect the snow for discharge from the sides.
2 stage snow blowers use both an auger and impeller to do the blowing. The auger breaks up the snow first before moving them to a separate impeller for discharge through the sides. They are usually used in areas where there is considerable or heavy snowfall.
2) Electric Or Gas Powered?
Electric snow blowers need electrical power source to work and as such may be restricted by the length of the cord. At most they can work up to 40 ft from the mains and hence may not be suitable for long driveways above 40 ft. Electric snow blowers are suitable for use on areas to clear snow up to 6" in height. They are often light, compact as well as easy to use and maintain.
Gas snow blowers have bigger engines and as such able to carry out the snow clearing jobs faster than the electrical version. They are suitable for use to clear thick snow more than 6" in height and being portable as well, they are the preferred choice when the snow affected areas to be removed are large. Unfortunately though, gas snow blowers are also heavy, bulky and requires regular maintenance.
3) Engine Power
The higher the engine power, the more efficient is the snow blower. The choice of engine power you have to decide depends on the amount of snow that needs to be taken out. For areas with snowfall of between 50" - 75", a 5.5 - 7 HP engine capacity single stage snow blowers should get the job done with ease. For areas receiving more than 150" of snowfall, 2 stage snow blowers of at least 8 HP is required.
** Wet snow requires more power than dry snow.
Snow Blower Reviews & Ratings
We discovered the best snow blower reviews from Consumer Reports and Popular Mechanics. Professional reviewers there tested some of the best snow blower models from high-quality makers such as Ariens, Craftsman, Honda, Husqvarna, John Deere, MTD, Murray, Simplicity, Toro, Troy Bilt and Yard-man. Snow blower ratings based on snow removal speed, distance thrown, surface cleaning and controls will decide the best snow blowers in their class.
Best Snow Blower (Electric)
Snow Blower Reviews #1: Blowing past rivals with impressive snow blower reviews from consumers and pro testers is the best rated Toro Snow Blower 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve #38025. In a hurry to clear away snow? This Toro snow blower, with 18" width snow removal per pass, can clear up to 4" of snow in a normal driveway in just 10 minutes! Throws up to 30 ft in distance.
Best Snow Blower (Gas, Single Stage)
Snow Blower Reviews #2: Setting high standard with great snow blower reviews from users and expert testers is the best rated Toro Snow Blower (#38515 CCR 2450 GTS Recoil 5 HP Single Stage Gas). Clearing heavy snow? This Toro snow blower gets the job done easily. Patented Power Curve system which features curved rotor and inverted funnel housing throws more snow quickly, up to 1700 lbs per minute at distance of 30 ft.
Best Snow Blower (Gas, 2 Stage)
Snow Blower Reviews #3: Blowing its way to greatness with top-notch snow blower reviews from professional testers and users is the best rated Toro Power Max 1128OXE. Power! Power! Power! The 11 HP, 4-cycle engine Toro snow blower provides all the power you need to clear even the heaviest of snowfall. Patented Power Max technology monitors snow intake for maximum amount of snow clearance. With 28" snow clearance per sweep, this best snow blower from Toro is more than capable of removing 2200 lbs snow per minute at 45 ft distance easily.
Snow Blower Reviews #4: Breezing past competitors with top reviews from snow blower expert testers and users is the top rated Craftsman Snow Thrower 71-88790. Make light work of your snow removal task with this gas-powered Craftsman snow blower. Maneuvering through thick snow is easy since it’s wheel-driven equipped with trigger-controlled power steering. With its easy weight transfer system, it can bulldoze through hard packed snow without fear of losing balance. Features 28 inch clearing radius with 12 inches impeller / auger to clear snow in less time.
Resources: Snow Blower (Wikipedia)