Last week we took a look at single stage snow blowers so you could decide if it was the right machine for you. And this week, Snow Blower Source will be going a little deeper by checking out two stage snow blowers.
A Little More Size, A Little More Power
There are a few criteria you can use when determining if a two stage snow blower is the right one for you, but essentially they’re like Goldilocks: not too big and not too small, and just right for most everything. Consider getting a two stager if:
- You have a big driveway. If you can park about a half dozen or so cars in your driveway, then a single stage snow blower just isn’t going to cut it. A driveway that’s pretty big in volume is going to need a machine to match it to do the job fully and efficiently.
- You have a driveway made of gravel, concrete or asphalt. The auger on this type of snow blower doesn’t actually make contact with the ground, so it doesn’t matter if your driveway is made up of little gravelly pebbles or not. It’ll simply suck up the snow and pass it through the chute via a fan, unlike their single stage siblings.
- You get deep and heavy snowfalls. If you live near a lake where you get heavy, wet snowfall (or live anywhere else with similar snow conditions), this machine is built for that type of snow. You can use about half a foot or more as a baseline for depth, and wet/clumpy snow as a marker for heaviness (i.e. how humid is your area?).
- Your driveway has a slope to it. Many, if not all, two stage snow blowers come with power-assistwheels for added control. If you have to go a bit up or down hill, then you can rest easy knowing your machine is more than capable of following along.
Different Kinds of Two Stage Snow Blowers
Not all two stage snow blowers are created equally, so let’s take a look at what you can expect to find when browsing for one.
Entry-Level
- Horsepower: You get about 5 or so horsepower with entry-level two stage snow blowers, as they’re powerful enough to cut through snow but not so powerful they can take off on their own.
- Throwing Distance: You can expect these to throw snow at a distance of 16 or so feet, depending on the make and model.
- Cubic Size: They’re about 170cc in size, give or take a bit.
Medium-Level
- Horsepower: There’s a pretty big jump in horsepower here, with about 15HP or so average for medium-grade two stage snow blowers.
- Throwing Distance: The auger on this type will throw snow about 20+ feet.
- Cubic Size: Just like horsepower, the cubic size displacement on this also takes a big jump to about 200cc or so.
Professional-Level
- Horsepower: Expect to get horsepower well in excess of 15.
- Throwing Distance: These ones can throw snow again in excess of 20feet, depending on how big the snow blower is.
- Cubic Size: You’re getting into motorcycle territory now, with average cubic displacement in the 300 range.
