How To Choose A Single Or Double Stage Snowblower

If you are living in a neighborhood that has heavy snow during the winter or if you are a property owner who has problems clearing snow yourself you might want to think about buying a new or used snowblowers. For areas where snowfall is light or for smaller backyards a single stage snowblower should be sufficient. If on the other hand your area frequently experiences very heavy snowfall or you have a sizeable area to clear a double stage snowblower is perhaps a better choice.

Do You Need a Single or Double Stage Snowblower

When deciding on the type of snowblower you will buy consider the size of the area carefully. Match up the width of the pathway you want to clear with the path width of the snowblower model, to minimise the number of passes you will have to perform. Also take into account the annual snowfall in your district and how ‘packable’ it is. If you receive in the region of 50 inches of snowfall each winter a single stage snowblower is probably up to the job. For any more than this or for districts where the snow is typically wet you will certainly be better off with a double stage snowblower that has a motor of 7 horse power or above.

The Different Types of Snowblowers

In a single stage snowblower an auger, which is a rotating drum cuts the snow which is then lifted to be expelled through a chute. A double stage snowblower works in the same way, as the snow is cut but impellers then work to toss the snow into the chute. As a result the snow is thrown further away and with greater power and you can clear the area much faster. For both types of snowblower the discharge can be adjusted by direction and angle. A double stage snowblower needs more power so a larger motor is needed which, of course, increases the manufacturing costs.

Single Stage Snowblowers

Carefully consider the clearing path when you are buying a new snowblower. Single stage models have clearing paths between 20 and 22″ which is fine for small areas but would require a lot of passes for a large area. They are fairly straightforward to look after and being quite compact are a good deal easier to store than a bulkier double stage snowblower. Also examine the wheels. Larger wheels assist propulsion as the blades of the auger can bite into the ground better and help to drive the machine forwards. A single stage snowblower purchased new would be between $250 and $550 with the higher priced machines frequently having a more powerful motor and a clearing path that is wider.

Double Stage Snowblowers

For double stage snowblowers clearing paths usually vary between twenty four to thirty inches with motors from about 7hp to thirteen horse power. Prices range from in the region of $650 to over $2500 for a sturdy, heavy duty machine for very large area such as parks, golf courses and public areas. For most householders, with a large area to clear, a more moderately priced middle range snowblower with a 7 or 9 hp engine and a clearing path around 25″ should be sufficient.

Motors

Craftsman snowblowers are equipped with Briggs & Stratton engines which need no pre-mixing of the gas and oil and have lower noise, toxic emissions and vibrations. Many of the models have electric starters which are often easier to use in the cold than a recoil starter. Honda snowblowers are fitted with overhead cam motors which can operate for roughly an hour and thirty minutes on a single fillup of gas.

Snowblower Weights and Sizes

Check how heavy the machine is before you get it. Some are much heavier than others and if you need to lug it up and down steps when you store it for the summer a heavy machine will make this harder. Also make sure you have room to store your snowblower. Double stage machines are bulky and occupy more room than a compact single stage machine.

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