If you live in an area which gets a great deal of snow, you probably own a snow shovel and get a lot of exercise shoveling all that beautiful white stuff off your sidewalks. If you're fit, then certainly you'll have no problem with that shoveling...unless you've got three sidewalks and a driveway to do! Everyone reaches a point when its best if they don't do that kind of hard physical activity - and that's where the snow blower comes in.



A snow blower is a machine that does all the work for you. You simply stand behind it and push.

There exist different types of snow blowers - single stage or two stage. Most homeowners will only need a single stage machine - rental property owners who have a responsibility to their tenants will be the ones who most likely use a two stage machine

Single Stage

A single stage snow thrower works with a single high-speed "impeller" – usually two or more curved plastic paddles - that suck the snow into the machine, and then forces it out of the discharge chute into the adjacent yard. These snow blowers are very light and not fit for snowfalls of more than a foot or so.

Two Stage

As its name implies, the two stage snow thrower gets rid of the snow in two stages. An auger is used to break up the snow first, and then it is sucked into the impeller and blown out through the discharge chute. This type of thrower is used if your area typically gets snowfalls of more than a foot or more at a time.

Properly used, a snow blower can save you a lot of time and back ache. There are many manufacturers, including Honda, John Deere, Sears-Craftsman and Toro. The best time to buy a snow blower is after the season has ended, when they all go on sale.

Qualities to consider when buying a snowblower are its clearing width, throwing distance, and the poundage of snow it can handle at one time.

Take care

Whenever you use a snow blower, it is imperative that you wear ear protection and eye goggles.

As with any bladed tool, snow blowers can be dangerous if not used properly. If your snow thrower jams...turn it off and disengage the clutch. Even then, do NOT reach in with your hand to clear the jam - use a sturdy stick or broom handle to do the job. A lot of people each year use a finger to a snowblower blade because they do not follow these simple precautions.