Some Tips For Choosing A Single Or Double Stage Snowblower
If you are living in an area where there is heavy snow during the winter or if you are a home owner who has trouble clearing snow by hand you could consider buying a new or used snowblowers. For regions where there is only light snow or for small areas a single stage snowblower should be adequate. If however your area experiences very heavy snowfall or you have a sizeable area to clear a double stage snowblower is perhaps a better choice.
Which Type of Snowblower Do You Need?
When thinking about the type of snowblower you will purchase take into account the size of the area carefully. Fit the width of the pathway you have to clear with the path width of the snowblower model, to minimise the passes you will need to perform. Also take into account the yearly snowfall in your region and how ‘packable’ the snow is. If you experience around 50 inches of snowfall each year a single stage snowblower is adequate for the job. For a lot more than this or for neighborhoods where the snow is typically wet through you will certainly need a double stage snowblower that has a motor of seven horse power or higher.
The Different Types of Snowblowers
A rotating drum, an auger, in a single stage snowblower cuts the snow then lifts it to be sent out by means of a chute. In a double stage snowblower the snow is cut but then the impellers work to toss the snow into the chute. In this way the snow is thrown further and with superior power and you will be able to clear the snow much faster. For both types of snowblower the discharge can be adjusted by direction and angle. A double stage snowblower uses more power so a larger motor is required which pushes up the manufacturing costs.
Single Stage Snowblowers
Carefully think about the clearing path when you are buying a snowblower. Single stages have clearing paths of only 20 and 22″ which is okay for small areas but would need many passes for a larger area. They are quite straightforward to maintain and being smaller and more compact are much easier to store than a much larger double stage snowblower. Also look at the wheels. Larger wheels improve propulsion as the auger blades can bite into the ground better and this helps to push the machine forwards. A single stage snowblower purchased new will probably be between $300 and $650 with the more expensive snowblowers generally having a more powerful motor and a wider clearing path.
Double Stage Snowblowers
For double stage snowblowers clearing paths usually vary between 24″ and 30″ with motors from about seven horse power to thirteen hp. Prices range from approximately $650 to in excess of $2000 for a robust, heavy duty snowblower for extremely large area such as public areas, parks and golf courses. For nearly all householders, with a larger area to clear, a more moderately priced medium range snowblower with a 7 or 9 hp motor and a clearing path between 24 and 36″ should be sufficient.
Motors
Craftsman snowblowers are equipped with Briggs & Stratton engines which require no pre-mixing of the oil and gas and have lower toxic emissions, less vibrations and noise. A lot of of the models have electric starters which are often easier to manage in colder weather than a recoil start. Honda snowblowers use Honda Overhead Cam motors which can run for about one and a half hours on one tank of gas.
Snowblower Weights and Sizes
Consider how heavy the snowblower is before you get it. Several are a great deal heavier than others and if you need to haul it up and down steps to store it a heavier machine will make this harder. Also check you have room to store your snowblower. Double stage machines are big and occupy more room than a smaller single stage machine.
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