Snowthrowers Save Aches, Pains And Times

Shoveling snow is good exercise for the young, but after a certain age it only makes sense that a snow blower be used to clear that mass of stuff blocking your sidewalk. There are two kinds of snow blowers.

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.
Andrew Caxton is the copywriter of http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . A website with tips on snow thrower, amongst many related topics.

Truck-Mounted Snow Blowers

 

Truck-mounted snow blowers affix to the front of a pickup or sport utility vehicle. Drawing power from the vehicle engine, a truck-mounted snow blower can eat a path 7 feet wide and 3 feet tall, throwing the snow 40 feet in any non-backwards direction. With its 2-cylinder, 4-cycle, 27-horsepower gas engine, a truck-mounted snow blower carries the same amount of power and force of six full-size push units. It’s no wonder people have been using them religiously in mountainous and rural areas since 1980.

The snow blower manufacturer Hanson is credited for first introducing pickup truck-mounted snow blowers; Hanson continues to be the only manufacturer actively marketing them. Based on a long tradition of tractor-mounted snow blowers, Hanson truck-mounted snow blowers are powerful, solid, and efficient.

If you’re thinking about buying a truck-mounted snow blower, there are some things you should consider first.

A truck-mounted snow blower weighs 800 pounds. Your truck or SUV must weigh at least half a ton, preferably ¾ or a full ton, to support its weight.

Your vehicle must be a 4-wheel drive and have automatic transmission because at low speeds, operating a manual transmission and the snow blower simultaneously can be very difficult.

Truck-mounted snow blowers are compatible with most plow mounts, including Meyers, Western, Fisher, and other common brands. Before buying a truck-mounted snow blower, contact Hanson and tell them what kind of a plow mount you’re working with, just to be safe.

Truck-mounted snow blowers take their power from the vehicle engine. All the controls are wired into the truck cab, including the electric key start, choke, throttle, discharge chute rotation and deflection, and hydraulic snow blower lift. Imagine the power of having all these controls in the cab with you as you heroically clear all the snow from your neighborhood roads. They are also great for small road contracting businesses.

Three alternatives to truck mounted snow blowers are:

Truck mounted snowplows: If you live in a more densely populated area, you don’t want to be launching tons of road snow onto your neighbors’ walkways, driveways, vehicles, and pets. It’s usually better to get a plow, which merely pushes the snow off the road.

Tractor-mounted snow blowers: If you live in a rural area, a tractor-mounted unit is best. Chances are you have a lot of area to clear, so you’ll need the snow moving power of a tractor.

ATV-mounted snow blowers: The Snow Hogg (not to be confused with Snow Hog, a maker of snow tires) is a big snow blower that attaches to your all-terrain vehicle, making for one hungry-looking snow chomper. Smaller than a truck-mounted unit, but still more powerful than most push units, the Snow Hogg can clear a path 42” wide and almost two feet deep, with a chute rotation range of 210°. The Snow Hogg weighs almost 400 pounds, but thanks to a built-in suspension and traction system, the machine only puts about 10 to 15 pounds of stress on your ATV frame.

Snow Blowers Info provides detailed information about electric and truck-mounted snow blowers, snow blower parts, and reviews of best snow blowers. Snow Blowers Info is affiliated with Original Content Web