Snow blowers are a clever various for eradicating snow from pathways, entrance walks, and driveways. Choosing between single-stage snow blowers vs. two-stage is crucial in the case of snow depth clearance, snow throw distance, kinds of terrain, and naturally, value.
Uncover out about your single-stage snow blower vs. two-stage decisions.
Single-Stage Snow Blower vs Two-Stage
Snow blowers are each single-stage snow blowers or two-stage.
Single-stage snow blowers resolve up and throw the snow using one half: the auger. Two-stage snow blowers resolve up snow with the auger, nonetheless they add an impeller to throw the snow.
Snow Blower Auger
The snow blower auger is the massive, spinning corkscrew-shaped half on the doorway of the blower liable for pulling the snow from the underside.
- Single-Stage Snow Blower: The auger every picks up and discharges the snow. The snow discharge distance is generally restricted to about 36 inches. On account of the auger touches the underside, it is lined in rubber to protect the ground. Augers are good at selecting up snow nonetheless a lot much less environment friendly at throwing snow.
- Two-Stage Snow Blower: The auger solely pulls up the snow from the underside. A separate half contained in the snow blower, the impeller, discharges the snow from the chute. This allows the snow blower to ship the snow a bigger distance—as a lot as 60 inches—than with single-stage gasoline snow blowers. On account of the auger would not contact the underside, it is all metallic (not rubber-tipped, as with the single-stage fashions).
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Auger gathers and throws snow
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No fan impeller
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Auger touches flooring
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8-inch most snow depth
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36-inch throw distance
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Good only for slight inclines
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Clean rubber-tipped auger
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Paved surfaces best
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Auger gathers snow solely
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Fan impeller throws snow
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Auger would not contact flooring
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24-inch most snow depth
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60-inch or additional throw
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Steeper inclines okay
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All-metal auger
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Paved, gravel, or mud surfaces
Single-Stage Snow Blower
With single-stage fashions, the spinning auger cuts into the snow, gathers the snow, and discharges it from the chute.
Single-stage snowblowers under no circumstances can be found in self-propelled sort. Nonetheless the spinning of the auger does barely help to tug the snow blower forward as a result of the auger contacts the ground.
Single-stage snow blowers are often not advisable for areas inclined to heavy snowfall or moist snow. They merely would not have ample vitality to maneuver deep or moist snow. With a single-stage model, an 8-inch snowfall is throughout probably the most depth that the blower can cope with.
Single-stage snow blowers are best for areas that solely experience gentle or common snowfalls and for homes with paved small- or medium-sized two-car garages and driveways.
Two-Stage Snow Blower
With two-stage gasoline snow blowers, the auger that sucks up the snow would not contact the underside. This allows two-stage snow blowers to clear paved surfaces, plus crushed stone or gravel driveways.
Given that auger would not contact the underside, a thin layer of snow or ice will keep. This can be scraped or shoveled by hand or dealt with with ice soften.
Two-stage snow blowers can clear a wider flooring than single-stage blowers can: often as a lot as 30 inches in a single transfer.
Engine-driven wheels or tracks propel two-stage gasoline snow blowers. The particular person solely steers the machine and would not have to push it.
Low-End vs. Extreme-End Snow Blowers
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Broad functionality—as a lot as 30 inches
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Always have electrical begins
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Choices like headlights, heated grips, improved steering
Single-Stage Snow Blower
Lower-end single-stage snow blowers are inclined to have slender clearing paths—spherical 21 inches intensive. Among the many lower-cost single-stage fashions might require you to tug a twine (like some lawnmowers) to start the machine.
Bigger-end single-stage snow blowers can have wider tracks, electrical starters, and additional choices harking back to headlights and semi-pneumatic tires.
Two-Stage Snow Blower
Many lower-end two-stage snow blowers are mainly the an identical as single-stage fashions other than one distinction: the individually powered snow thrower.
As two-stage fashions attain the upper end of top quality, they’ve clearing widths ranging from 30 to 40 inches and a bigger snow-throwing distance. All upper-end two-stage fashions have electrical begins.
Lots of these premium snow blowers have choices harking back to dual-grip steering, heated grips, dash-mounted chute rotation, low-temperature starting capacities as little as 20 ranges beneath zero, and tight turning ratios.
Worth
Gasoline-powered snow blowers begin at spherical $500 for single-stage wheeled fashions and peak at spherical $4,500 for two-stage track-mounted fashions.
An affordable heart value stage for snow blowers ranges from $800 to $1,200. The lower end of this value span brings you 24-inch to 30-inch dual-stage snow blowers with electrical starters.
The upper end affords you helpful extras like LED headlights, heated grips, and a bigger number of gears.