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For a couple of years after I graduated from school, I labored at MTD Merchandise, a producer that assembles powered garden tools, resembling snow blowers, garden mowers, and string trimmers.
Having constructed, torn aside, and refurbished numerous snow blowers, I’ve turn out to be acquainted with how they work.
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That will help you take advantage of knowledgeable shopping for resolution, I will break down all the key variations between snow blowers. That manner, you will not lay our a fortune on a machine that is not best for you.
1. Mannequin sorts
There are 4 principal forms of snowblowers: single-stage, two-stage, three-stage, and powered shovel. The stage refers to what number of augers a mannequin has — the extra augers, the extra highly effective a mannequin. A powered shovel is precisely what it seems like: a snow shovel with an influence supply that appears like a hybrid of shovel and blower. Every mannequin kind has its execs and cons.
Single stage
A single-stage snow blower is likely one of the smallest fashions accessible. It is known as “single stage” as a result of it solely makes use of one auger to type, scoop, and throw snow. They’re the weakest kind of blower, meant for brief driveways or areas that get a couple of inches of snow. Their compact design makes them straightforward to retailer.
Two stage
A two-stage machine makes use of two forms of augers to deal with snow — a principal auger to interrupt up and collect, and a secondary screw that throws snow to the aspect. These blowers are the most well-liked selection, as they will deal with nearly any driveway size and deep or heavy snow. They’re additionally comparatively reasonably priced, with 24-inch fashions usually costing underneath $1,000.
Three stage
Three-stage snow blowers are beasts. They use three augers to interrupt up heavy snow and even ice accumulation and blast it out of the chute. Some three-stage fashions, like these from Cub Cadet, can throw snow 50 ft to the aspect and 20 ft into the air.
Powered shovels
These are very small — about 12 inches extensive — handheld snow blowers. These powered shovels are nice to have round for clearing stoops and communal walkways. Plus, they’re compact, in order that they’re straightforward to retailer within the low season. The Greenworks 80V and the Ryobi 40V shovels are nice choices.
2. Tub measurement
Most manufacturers supply 24-, 26-, 28-, and 30-inch tub sizes. Though it’s doable to search out bigger fashions, these tubs are meant for business use or — just like the John Deer 100 Collection and Husqvarna electrical carry collection — are designed as attachments for driving lawnmowers.
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Mower-attachment fashions have benefits — they do not have an engine to take care of, and so they can clear heavy snow rapidly. Nonetheless, they could be a ache to arrange, since it’s important to manually take away the blade deck out of your driving mower and fix a collection of belts to the drive pulleys.
Usually, it would not matter how extensive your tub is, as the facility of a blower lies in its augers. A 24- or 26-inch mannequin, just like the Troy-Bilt Storm 2420, is as extensive as most individuals want.
3. Fuel vs. battery
Most snow blowers are gasoline-powered, which suggests you may have an engine to take care of, together with common oil modifications, gasoline remedies, spark plug cleanings, and extra. Newer gas-powered snow blowers additionally characteristic push-button or electrical begins, which is an enchancment on rip cords. Gasoline can be a extra dependable gasoline supply, since you do not have to fret about chilly climate draining batteries.
The plain benefit of battery-powered snow blowers, just like the DeWalt 60V Max, is that they run cleaner and you do not have to fret about storing gasoline. There is not a lot distinction in energy, since battery-operated tools has made large strides ahead. In case your metropolis has emissions restrictions, a battery-powered mannequin is the higher selection. If not, a gas-powered mannequin will work simply as nicely.
4. Wheels vs. tracks
Monitor-drive snow blowers are gaining popularity as a result of they’ve higher traction over hard-packed or moist snow than conventional wheels. However track-driven fashions are usually dearer as they’ve extra intricate builds and transferring components.
Single-stage blowers have small, plastic wheels with shallow treads, which suggests they are not nice in deep snow. Two- and three-stage fashions have inflated tires with deep treads, much like what you’d discover on a lawnmower.
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The tank-like monitor fashions have extensive treads and tall, wedge-like protrusions to chew into hard-packed or ice-covered snow for superior traction. Wheeled snow blowers use pivot-turn controls for higher maneuverability over track-drive fashions.
In the long run, your selection of wheels or tracks comes all the way down to choice and funds. When you’ve got the cash to spend and need further traction, go for the tank-drive mannequin. If you wish to spend much less and do not thoughts sustaining conventional tires, a daily wheeled snow blower is healthier for you.
5. Manufacturers, high quality, and when to return an merchandise
In case you can title some garden mower manufacturers, you principally know who makes snow blowers. And I will allow you to in on somewhat secret: there is no motive to take care of model loyalty, as a result of it might price you cash that you simply needn’t spend.
Most blowers are stamped from the identical metal, use the identical engines and wiring harnesses, and so they all work the identical manner. Certain, high-end manufacturers resembling Cub Cadet have fancy options like heated deal with grips, motorized thrower chutes, and serrated tub edges for reducing by way of drifts. However the primary construction of nearly each snow blower is sort of equivalent.
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Now, this {hardware} similarity doesn’t suggest branding is irrelevant. In case you like a specific model as a result of they provide nice warranties or good customer support, by all means, keep loyal.
Buyer critiques shall be your largest asset when searching for a snow blower. I comb by way of one- and two-star critiques first, as they provide you an thought of frequent issues, resembling lacking {hardware} for meeting, mechanical failures, or customer support points. You may as well weed out poor critiques that don’t have anything to do with the product itself, resembling delivery points, in-store pricing, and different elements past a model’s management.
As soon as you’ve got recognized any frequent issues, you’ll be able to transfer on to reviewing four- and five-star critiques. I examine critiques which have been edited after a buyer has had the merchandise for some time. These critiques offer you a transparent image of how troublesome meeting is likely to be, the minor points that will crop up, and the key failures that may happen after heavy use.
When you’ve got a snow blower delivered to your own home with out knowledgeable meeting — and also you discover lacking {hardware} or broken, non-critical components — do not return the unit to the shop. Name the model’s customer support or after-market components line to get a alternative. Keep in mind, issues occur: stuff will get forgotten on the meeting line, or components fall out of the crate in transit. Nonetheless, these points aren’t well worth the problem of returning your entire unit.
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In case you can wait a couple of days for an element to ship to your own home or the closest dwelling enchancment retailer, accomplish that. If not, shops like Dwelling Depot and Lowe’s usually have small components like shear pins or wheels in inventory; simply name forward to examine. In case you discover main harm to the engine or augers that might make the snow blower unsafe to function, return it to the shop for a refund, restore, or alternative. However a barely dented tub will not harm something, and it will not look good after you utilize it a couple of instances anyway.
6. Shopping for with confidence
When you’ve got questions on a snow blower you are contemplating, it is best to contact the model’s customer support for those who’re purchasing on-line, or ask a retailer affiliate to clarify the options and pricing. And upon getting your new blower delivered and assembled, you’ll be able to say goodbye to getting up at 4 a.m. to shovel the snow.
Sure, you need to use a snow blower on nearly any kind of driveway, together with gravel. However to make sure that you do not unintentionally scoop up a bunch of stones that may break your augers or throw chute, you may need to set the skid sneakers — the little plastic items on the perimeters of the bathtub — up a bit greater to offer you some floor clearance.
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In case you stay in a rural space with a protracted driveway, a truck- or garden mower-mounted plow could also be a greater possibility than a snow blower. For starters, you will not need to take care of wind blowing advantageous snow again into your face and driveway, and you will not get chilled to the bone inside your truck.
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Plows are additionally a good selection for unusually formed driveways, resembling these with giant curves or round designs. Whereas newer snow blowers have pivot controls that make them simpler to maneuver, it nonetheless is likely to be troublesome to clear curved drives.
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