Snowblowers are incredibly useful tools that are primarily used for moving large amounts of snow from roadways, driveways, and even sidewalks.
If you’re someone who lives in an area that is accustomed to a lot of snow, you’ve either seen one in motion before or used one yourself.
With that being said, even though we know that you start the machine and push it to move snow, it makes us wonder, how do snowblowers work? As such phenomenal devices that are more useful than you might think, knowing what makes them work is essential for repairs and diagnostics.
How Do Snowblowers Work?
There are a few different types of snowblowers, but all of them contain a common element, an auger. Thus, understanding how an auger works is the most important part of answering the question “How do snowblowers work?”
If you’ve ever looked at the front of a snowblower, you’ve undoubtedly noticed an array of blades that rotate once the machine is turned on and they can be made out of many different materials ranging from plastic to steel.
The horizontal blades inside of an auger will rotate in a helix pattern across the entire width of the snowblower and serve various purposes, as some are designed for chopping through the ice and heavy snow while others simply move snow from one area to another.
When you start searching for the ideal snow removal machine, you’re going to have to think about the length of the auger, as this will determine how much snow is moved in a single swipe. The longer the auger, the wider the path.
Single-Stage Snowblowers
The least expensive snowblowers on the market are single-stage models that will bring snow into the auger, break the snow up, and then throw it through a chute. With that being said, they are also seen as the least effective snowblowers simply because they do not have the hefty design for heavy and thick snow; however, they are quite useful for dealing with a light dust of snow.
In most cases, you’ll find that a single-stage snowblower will clean a path of up to 21” and they will throw the snow approximately 15 feet away from where you are, which makes them ideal for working on driveways and the sidewalk in front of your property.
One thing that you might find to be convenient about single-stage machines is the fact that it will likely run on electricity, as it doesn’t require as much power as a larger snowblower.
Two-Stage Snowblowers
It’s important that you consider two-stage snowblowers since they are becoming more popular amongst homeowners with larger properties. The first stage of the snowblower acts similarly to a single-stage one, but it also has a second job that blows the snow away. Instead of the auger throwing the snow to a particular area, you’ll find that the snow will be blown out of the chute at the top of the machine.
The first benefit you’re sure to experience with a two-stage snowblower is the fact that it easily removes snow, especially when compared to a single-stage snowblower. This helps you to get through more snow on your property in far less time, and it will typically have a very wide auger, which is great for clearing wider paths than you would get with a less extensive model.
Two-stage snowblowers are also phenomenal for dealing with ice and large chunks of snow because the ribbon-designed auger blades will easily chop through thick materials in order to get the most snow off of your property. Unfortunately, the machine won’t be able to get all of the snow off the ground, though at times, they have a special mechanism that scrapes away excess snow and ice as you walk.
It’s also important to remember that two-stage snowblowers are more powerful than single-stage ones; meaning, you’re going to have to rely on gas for a reliable source of power in comparison to electricity.
Three-Stage Snowblowers
Although these devices aren’t recommended for absolutely everyone, especially as they are the top tier powerful snow removal machines, they do boast an ample amount of power that might be tempting. In comparison to the other designs, you’ll find that a three-stage model will have two augers with an induction accelerator in the middle.
These augers will work to push all of the snow to the middle and then bring it into the induction accelerator, which is then responsible for breaking up the heavy snow and ice.
The most interesting aspect of three-stage snowblowers is that since the augers only have to bring the snow to the middle and the rest of the machine does all of the work, the augers are also incredibly useful for getting rid of ice and excess snow that might be left behind.
Also, these machines tend to lift far more snow than either of the two other snowblowers, and it will dispense the snow up to 50 feet away from where you’re standing.
Final Verdict
Now that you’re aware of the three main types of snowblowers and how they work, you’ll be on a mission to find the perfect model for your residential or commercial property. The important thing to remember is that you’ll not only want to make sure that you choose a snowblower that is affordable but one that also offers the perfect amount of power that you need to clear your property.
For homes, a two-stage snowblower may be preferable, whereas, for condo balconies, you might want to use a single-stage model. Individuals with very large properties might benefit more from a three-stage snowblower, but it will be quite an expensive purchase.