Clear Your Sidewalk With A Snow Thrower

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 contributes adding long articles on lawn care for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . You can find more information and resources on snow thrower at his website.

Finding the right Snow Blower for you!

OneFinding the right Snow Blower for you!

There are all kinds of snow blowers, but the trick is finding one that fits your potential workload. If you've got a long, wide or hilly driveway and you get frequent, heavy snow coverage, you'll want to look into a more powerful snow blower.

Consumer Reports recommends two-stage gas powered snow blowers if you fit this profile. These blowers have wide augers that gather snow and an impeller that throws it. They're also essential if you have a gravel driveway since the auger doesn't actually touch the ground. Some of these machines can clear swaths 28 to 30 inches wide. Prices for two-stage gas snow blowers range from about $600 to $2,100.

If you've got a flat, mid-sized, paved driveway and you don't get heaps of snow, you probably don't need a heavy-duty snow thrower. Consumer Reports recommends single-stage gas blowers for this type of property.

These machines are lighter and easier to handle and most can clear swaths 20-22 inches wide. However, these are best for paved driveways since the auger makes contact with the ground and could scoop and throw stones from an unpaved driveway. (Yikes!) You can expect these blowers to cost $300 to $900.

For short, flat paved driveways and snow coverage of 4 inches or less, you may want to look into a single-stage electric blower. These models are smaller, lighter, quieter and easier to handle than gas-powered blowers. They clear swaths about 11-18 inches wide. Prices for these lighter-weight models range from $100 to $300.

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