Hello World! Welcome Friends! Did you know that heart attack rates go up after heavy snowfalls? It’s because people get out after or even during a heavy snowstorm and overexert themselves trying to shovel snow by hand. There’s no need to risk it — if you get heavy snowfalls at all in your area, and have a driveway or private road to keep clear, you should buy a snow blower.
But what do you need in a snow blower? It depends on how much snow you usually get, how big of an area you have to clear, and what features you want. A snow blower is a major purchase, so you should know what to look for before you go shopping.
Get the Right Size Snow Blower for Your Needs
Snow blowers come in three basic sizes: one-stage, two-stage, and three stage. One-stage snow blowers are the least powerful, and they’re really only appropriate for paved areas. The auger on a one-stage snow blower scrapes the ground, so if you use it on a gravel surface, it will scrape up all the gravel and throw it everywhere. One-stage snow blowers are good for small, one- or two-car driveways, but they can’t handle more than about six inches of snow, especially if it’s the sticky, wet kind of snow.
Two-stage snow blowers are more powerful and more suited for clearing two- or three-car driveways. The auger does not scrape the ground, so you can use a two-stage snow blower on gravel. Two-stage snow blowers have an impeller fan behind the auger that helps suck up snow and throw it out the chute. They can usually handle snowfalls of up to 12 inches.
Three-stage snow blowers are the most powerful models — they can handle snow falls of up to 18 inches or more in three- and four-car driveways and longer private roads. They’re also best for areas that get deep, wet snowfalls and they can be used on gravel surfaces.
Consider What Features You Need in Snow Blower
Snow blowers today have all kinds of bells and whistles, and most of them are pretty useful. An electric start can save you from pulling the start cord over and over in the cold, and potentially flooding the engine. A headlight is practically a necessity, because if you work during the day, you’re going to be doing your snow removal in the dark. And while you may not necessarily need features like heated hand grips or an automatic chute rotator, they can be really nice. Heated hand grips allow you to wear thinner gloves, so you can maintain the dexterity you need to operate your snow blower. Automatic chute rotators make it easier to change the direction of the chute, so you don’t have to fight with a manual crank every time you want to turn the snow blower around.
You should also consider the width of the snow blower models you’re looking at. In general, less-powerful snow blowers are also narrower, so they clear less snow at one time. Larger, more powerful snow blowers can clear large swathes, but will be bulkier and harder to store. You can get two- and three-stage snow blowers that are narrower and more compact, if you don’t have much storage space.
When looking at snow blowers, you should go for a snow blower that has a plastic chute and auger. That sounds counterintuitive — wouldn’t steel last longer? Not necessarily. Steel is more likely to get brittle in the cold and break. Snow will also stick to the inside of a steel chute, so you’ll have to keep stopping to clear it. Plastic chutes are slick and snow won’t stick to them as badly.
Choose Between Gas and Electric
If you want to move snow quickly but don’t want to fuss around with gas and oil, an electric snow blower from a brand like Ego will do the trick. In the past, electric snow blowers haven’t been as powerful as gas models, but now they’re catching up. And if you don’t want to drag an electric cord all over your driveway, you can get a battery-operated model. It’s better for the environment, weighs less, and requires less maintenance.
However, a large, powerful gas snow blower might be best if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow. You can get gas models with an electric start feature that requires you to plug them in for a few minutes, but lets you bypass the often tricky pull start. And if you already have gas lawn equipment, you may decide you don’t mind dealing with gas and oil — especially because you can buy gas models with four-cycle engines.
A snow blower is an absolute necessity in many areas. Get the right size and type for your climate conditions, and save yourself from snow-removal-related injuries.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
How to Be Able to Afford a New Car
The Main Reasons Why People Decide to Invest In Properties
Turn Your Simple Apartment Into an Elegant Home
Things to Do After the Death of a Loved One
Should You Buy A Condo or An Apartment?
How to Build an Energy-Efficient Home
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Toodles,
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