Anyone who buys a snow blower is often faced with a large number of products. From very cheap ones to very expensive equipment for daily use as a professional service provider. Here are five tips I learned from this review website.
1. Snow quantity and clearing area
First of all, you need to know what amount of snow you can expect in an average winter and what area you will have to clear with your snow blower in the future. A large garden, sidewalks or driveway require more power. For small areas and little snow, a blower with little power (possibly a cheap one with electric drive) is quite suitable. But even in deep, heavy and wet snow, a lot of power is always an advantage.
In addition, you must also pay attention to the clearing width. The larger the clearing width, the faster they are ready!
2. Single-stage or two-stage snow blower
A single-stage snow blower is sufficient for little snow or areas that are only covered with light powder snow. Please make sure that you do not work with a single-stage product on loose ground (gravel and similar), as the auger touches the ground directly for clearing. The single-stage machine is lighter and more compact than its multi-stage sisters.
The multi-stage throwers is always used when deep and compacted snow is required. Single-stage throwers are now of very good quality and are perfectly adequate for most homeowners.
3. Operation of the snow thrower
When purchasing the machine, pay attention to large and easily accessible controls. In winter they will use a snow blower with thick gloves. If you want it to be very comfortable, buy one with heated handles! If you have an external socket, you can rely on a device with an electric starter. This saves a lot of effort when starting the machine in cold winters.
Do you have to turn around often? Do you have a lot of bends to clear? Then look out for a product with power steering! This makes the work much easier.
You don’t always want to put the snow thrower right back in the shed. Some may want to share it with neighbors. In this case, always make sure that there is a cover to protect the machine.
4. Safety
Always make sure the blower has been tested and complies with the necessary safety regulations. The purchase of branded goods is recommended here.
Good products have front lights. This way you can always see where you are going, even during heavy snowfall or in foggy mornings. Especially in single-family settlements with little or no public street lighting a great feature!
And think of hearing protection for your own protection!
5. Wheels and ejection of the snow blower
The size of the wheels determines the possible grip of your snow thrower. For even better traction (especially on slopes, on undulating ground or in very snowy areas) it is advisable to purchase a machine with crawler drive.
The ejection and its adjustability determine the direction and width of the ejection. Two-stage snow blowers are naturally more powerful and achieve a higher range. But single-stage machines can also achieve 10 meters in most cases.