Best Snow Blowers in 2024 – Buyer’s Guide

If you belong from a place where the winters are harsher and wetter, one thing that emerges in your mind when the first winter winds blow is snow. The thought that follows is that of buying the best snow blower in the market! Because, one cannot move outdoors without using a snow blower to clear the white wet powder jamming his doorway, courtyard, the road and walkways. And for that a snow blower is a must! For those who want to get a complete and comprehensive user guide of this machine, and also those who are not well acquainted with the snow blower, its uses and importance in harsh winters, here are all the things you need to know pals…..

Well, What’s a Snow Blower?

A snow blower or a snow thrower machine  has been specially designed to remove heavy unwanted snow from areas like roads, walkways, court yards, railroad tracks or runways and most important of all, the driveway so that one can at least move outside. The auger or impeller fixed in front of the snow thrower throws the snow away either in unused areas or where it can be melted by the Sun rays since the snow cannot be blown away and vanish like  whoosh in the air as the name snow blower suggests; which actually is a misnomer for the term snow thrower.

The machine can operate from fuels like diesel or gasoline and also from electric power supply provided by line power or battery.

While choosing the right snow blower, one has to keep in mind multiple factors that matter in the quality of the machine to wipe out unnecessary snow. Among these factors, the size and power of the machine and the kind of fuel used to run it matters the most. Even the power of the machine also sort of depends upon the fuel used to run it.

Snow blowers run from gasoline, diesel or electric power supply provided by the line power or battery. Among these, gas and electric blowers are used most commonly. Before buying the electric or gas blower one has to keep in mind some pros and cons of both types.

History of Snow Blowers:

There was no concept of modern day snow blower a century and half ago until in 1870 RTober Crr Harris invented a railway screw snow excavator. However, Arthur Sicard is credited as the inventor of practical modern day snow blowers. In 1927 his snow blowers were sued to remove snow from the roads and highways of Outremont town; a borough of Montreal. This was the version that is closest to the snow blowers used today.

Snow blower and Snow Thrower- The Difference Explained:

Despite the fact that two terms i.e. snow blower and snow thrower are used interchangeably there is a difference between both of them. This variation also marks the difference between the capacities of these two and is also the basis of the two basic types of blowers. First, type is the single stage blower that uses an auger to lift the snow and throw it out of the spillway to clear the path. This type is often referred as a snow thrower and all electric shovels are snow throwers since they fall under the type of single stage blower.

A double stage snow blower on the other hand, uses an auger to collect the white powder and an impeller (a fan like structure) to blow it out of the chute. The impeller is able to throw the snow much faster and farther out of the chute than the auger does. Two stage white powder blowers work best over dirt, sandy and rocky surfaces since they do not get in contact with the ground surface.

Guess what, there is a three-stage snow blower also! Though it operates the same way the two stage beast does but contains an accelerator which makes it a heavy duty machine cleaning heavy, wet white powder within a couple of minutes out of your spacious yard and driveway.

The snow blower or Thrower, Which One Is the Best:

While choosing between the single stage and a two stage action, one has to keep in mind the amount of snow he usually needs to clear off the path ways. In areas of heavy snow fall, a two stage action works best for a number of reasons. Since the auger isn’t involved in the dual action i.e. the action of picking the snow and throwing it out of the chute it will work more efficiently, quickly and will clear large areas of deep snow.  Moreover, the two stage blower is able to throw the snow much farther with an impeller than the auger in single stage blowers does.

Also the two stage blower is self propelled which enables it to use the engine power for moving backwards and forward unlike its single stage counterpart that can only move forwards due to the one sided rotation of the auger. But for people living in areas having lesser and occasional snow fall are recommended to use single stage snow blower because it is easily manageable and maintainable. While purchasing a blower also consider the area you want cleared of snow. This will also help you in selecting the right and the best type of blower, according to your requirements. The most amazing fact is that the latest sophisticated technology used in these machines makes them to work without much assistance.

Electric Versus Gasoline Snow Blowers:

While comparing an electric and gas snow blower one needs to keep in mind that it is an electric shovel is easy to use, environment friendly, less noisy and a portable machine that will effectively wipe away less thick and less wide snow paths. Gas snow blower, on the other hand is expensive, can disturb your neighbours from its  grinding noise while operating and is not that much environment friendly since it operates on a fossil fuels i.e. gas and oil for lubrication and spreads noise pollution also. However, a gas snow blower is a heavy duty beast unlike the one operating with electricity that can blow away huge swathes of thick, deep snow in less time. Gasoline snow blowers with large engine capacities and long life battery can quickly clear expanses of land covered with deep snow thus making mobility easier in heavy snow fall areas like Scandinavian states, Canada, New York or some cities of Japan etc. On the other hand, an electric blower is not going to work in case the paths are covered with heavy and deep snow since they are not as powerful as gasoline snow blowers are, and also because most of the electric blowers are single stage blowers. In fact, another thing besides engine that makes gasoline blowers heavy duty is that most of them are two stage machines that have the capacity of quick and heavy snow clear out.

Furthermore, an electric snow blower, on the other hand will work best in clearing your tiny winy yard and driveway. Since due to global warming many countries especially in the European region have been less cold than before and experienced considerably mild seasonal snow falls from almost the last three years, which is why more people here prefer electric snow blowers. If you are new to a snowy area you must also ask your neighbors about the intensity of snow fall so as to take an informed decision while buying the right type of blower for yourself. It is to be noted that most of the electric blowers are single stage blowers and are not that efficient in cleaning huge swathes of land covered with heavy snow, whereas, gasoline snow blower, on the other hand, is not preferable for less snowy areas. An electric snow blower requires less maintenance which means that it is not going to put a pressure on your pocket unlike the one running with gas which requires quite a lot of maintenance. The best thing about an electric blower is that it starts with a touch of a button, whereas its gas counterpart requires a tedious procedure to start.

Do we need the same sized snow blower every time?

Well, the answer is no. Since, the amount and density of the snow varies and so, the sizes of these blowers. They come in various sizes and capacities to clear different types and amounts of snow spread. The small portable machines are used to remove small thin snow 457 to 50 mm path which is most commonly used by the householders. Whereas, the heavy duty snow blowing machines are used to throw heavy snow from large areas. These are capable of removing as wide as 20 feet snow from the paths and as deep as 6 feet. These beasts are often used by the city/ area authorities to clear thick snow blocking the walkways and roads.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT SNOW BLOWER

Up till now the countries like the United States (US), Canada, Japan, Alaska, Northern parts of the United Kingdom (UK) and Scandinavia etc have experienced the first snow fall of this season and if not, the snowfall season is not that far. Northern and western parts of the continents will start experiencing snow falls shortly. So if you are among those pals who are new in a snowy town or your snow blower has retired, here are few questions that you need to ask yourself while purchasing the best snow blower in the market that might as well won’t be a burden on your pocket.

1-What is the snow fall rate of your area of living?

For clearing a flat small driveway and up to 2 inches thick snowfall, its best to buy an easy to use portable electric snow blower that will clean your way.

If you live in a plane area with medium snowfall or your driveway is not that big, is paved and flat then single stage gas throwers will be the best choice for you since they have the capacity to clear medium or small sized  i.e. up to 20 to 22 inches wide area and not that thick snow.

If you belong to a city where the winter is likely to be harsher, wetter and snowy, you have a long, lonely driveway to your home or you own a large bungalow then you will have to buy a two-stage gasoline snow blower to clear the expanse of your cottage, as per consumers report. The same choice is recommended for those living in mountainous areas.

2-Well, can I really handle THIS Snow Blower?

This question is a must ask as some of the heavy duty gasoline snow blowers are quite weighty to move and manage while operations. So make sure to take a test drive before finally picking up the best snow blower according to your requirements. Make sure that its handles are not too high and the blower moves swiftly so that you might not get into real time difficulty while clearing snow from your court yards. Usually the single stage electric snow blowers are easier to operate and movable than their gasoline counterparts.

3-Am I ensuring my safety?

This is perhaps one of the most important questions to ask yourself while buying and especially using a snow blower. While buying a gasoline snow blower make sure to read its safety guide and also start your machine in outdoors to prevent suffocation or any unpleasant occurrence. Make sure that you buy among the top 10 best snow blowers in our list specially designed for you so that you don’t have to clean the clog in the machine with the broom. The 10 best snow blowers have been selected from the latest models and have a special tool to clear clogs. Also never clean the machine especially the auger or impeller with your hands and by using your feet. Clear the clogs with a cleaning tool that comes with the blower. And, before clearing them, make sure that the blower’s main power is switched off.

4-Am I ensuring maintenance of my snow thrower?

The two stage and gasoline snow throwers require a lot of maintenance. Make sure that you know the right method and amount of gas and oil to fuel and lubricate the engine. Because if you don’t know how to mix these fuels you can get your engine burned which can cost you even more than entire maintenance cost of your blower throughout the season. Also make sure to check the air filters of the machine frequently since dirty air filers mean poor performance of the engine affecting the eventually slowing the performance of the blower, says Lou Manfredini at Ace Hardware. He also recommended changing the spark plugs every 2 years to. It is recommended spraying Water Displacement 40^th formula WD-40 on the moving parts especially the impellers and levers of the thrower to keep them lubricated and rust free.   

Some Do’s and Don’ts for using a Snow Thrower:

1. Do check out that there are no items like pebbles, rocks, small toys, or a piece of cloth like socks, or pieces of wood etc in the area where you are supposed to use a blower  because there is a likelihood of stray items getting stuck in it.
2. Don’t wear loose clothing especially pants or long sleeves etc. to avoid any accident in case they get stuck in the blower.
3. Make sure that you are wearing appropriate foot ware while operating the blower and also the laces of your boots should be properly tied. It’s advisable to avoid wearing laced boots since they can get stuck in the thrower and may invite an accident.
4. Read the manual of the blower containing the instructions to use it in the best possible way.  
5. Once you are done clearing the white powder off your place, clean the blower especially its blades, auger and impeller etc with a cleaning tool. While cleaning, make sure that the machine’s main power is switched off to avoid accident. 
6. Check the weather conditions before cleaning your yard. In case there is a likelihood of another mother nature’s white storm, don’t go for cleaning your place then since you will have to clear it all over again the next day if the white storm hits again.

 

Final Words:

So now you have got all the important information and users guide regarding the best snow blowers available to buy, Check out top 10 best electric snow blowers and buy the one that you find best among them and enjoy winter afternoons in your glistening clean courtyard with your family, friends or in the company of solitude and a steaming cup of tea to enlighten your mood.