If you live in a place where there is frequently a large amount of snowfall, and you have a reasonable-sized driveway or walkway, then a snow blower can be absolutely invaluable when it comes to clearing your walkways and keeping yourself safe from slips and falls.
However, with so many different models of snow blowers on offer, it can be a daunting task to choose the right one! If you’re considering buying a snow blower, there are a few points you should think about.
Get Started Early
As with anything, the prices and availability of snow blowers are governed by supply and demand.
If you’re shopping for a snow blower before the snowy season, you’ll have access to a huge range of makes and models, no matter which retailer you choose. It’s also likely that you’ll be able to snag yourself a bargain price, as retailers don’t want to have bulky items of stock around for longer than they need to.
However, if you wait until the first storm of the season to go out and buy your snow blower, it’s highly likely that everyone else will have beaten you to it! This will mean that you will be limited on choice, and you’ll be disadvantaged by the price.
Start your shopping early if you want to find a great snow blower at a great price.
Single-, two-, or three-stage?
When you start looking at snow blowers you’ll notice that you can get blowers that are single-, two-, or three-stage.
It’s important to understand the difference, as this will impact on how well the snow blower works for you:
- Single-stage snow blowers work by scraping snow off the ground and sending it out through a discharge shoot. A high-speed auger allows this to happen. Single-stage snow blowers are designed for properties with a reasonably flat area to be cleared, with average amounts of snowfall.
- Two-stage snow blowers use both an auger and an impeller to break up the snow and send it up and out of the shoot. They are often self-propelled and have an option to choose the speed they operate at, which makes them a good choice if you are working on a slope.
- Three-stage snow blowers, as you might expect, are even more powerful again. They can quickly clear large areas of snow, even if there has been heavy snowfall.
Do you need power steering?
You might not think that you need power steering on a snow blower, but it can actually be a great add-on as it protects your back. If you are doing a lot of twisting while using the snow blower (which you can end up doing without power-assisted steering) it can cause back pain. If you’re likely to be clearing snow regularly, it’s worth choosing a snow blower that will help protect the health of your back.
It’s also important that you take regular breaks, as with any exercise, so that you don’t over-exert your muscles or strain them.
Plastic or steel chute?
Steel chutes might look hardier, but they’re actually not as good an option as plastic. Over time, steel can rust and tarnish, whereas plastic won’t.
Plastic is also more flexible, which means that it won’t crack in cold weather.
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