There are two main types of snow blowers: Single-stage and Two-stage. The first is a light duty machine, which uses a single high-speed impeller (a rotor inside a tube) to pull in snow and expel it from a discharge chute. Two-stage snow blowers on the other hand, are heavy duty and have more than one low-speed metal auger that pull the snow into an impeller, which then discharges the snow into a chute.

If you are planning on buying a snow blower, keep in mind the typical amount of snowfall your area is subjected to. For example, remember that two-stage, gas powered snow blowers are most suitable for long, wide or hilly driveways and areas with heavy snow coverage. Some of these units can clear swaths 28 to 30 inches wide; and since the auger doesn't actually touch the ground, they are also most preferred by users who have gravel driveways.

For flat and medium-sized driveways, single stage gas-powered snow blowers are more appropriate since they are lighter and more user-friendly; and because the auger makes contact with the ground, they are ideal for paved driveways. Two-stage snow blowers range in power from a few horsepower to over 1000 horsepower (750 kW) blowers powered by diesel engines. However, these powerful snow blowers are only used for commercial purposes like airport runways, national highways, etc.

The lightest and quietest models are single-stage, electric-powered snow blowers, most commonly used for short and flat paved driveways. These units are most suitable if you have less snow coverage of 4 inches or less.

Blowers provides detailed information about blowers, backpack blowers, blower fans, blower motors and more. Blowers is the sister site of Electric Pressure Washers.