All snow blowers were not born equal!

Snowblowers have been around for a long time. Here is an appreciation based on the use of several different models tried here in a northern region of Quebec.

What is important when using a snowblower:

1- Ease of cold starting.

2- Snow ejection performance.

3- Direction of ejection.

4- Traction.

5- Speed.

6- Ease of maintenance.

7- Maneuverability

We are fooled by advertising. What does performance mean when it comes to a snow thrower? Is it throw distance? Is it the quality of the clearing? Is it the amount of snow ejected per unit time? Or is it a good total for all these characteristics? From the outset, we can say that the power of a snow blower's engine is not the only asset in achieving adequate performance. It can be said that the quality of design of a snow blower has more importance on its performance than the power of the engine. Before buying, you must look around and identify the snow blower that seems to eject all kinds of snow efficiently and scrapes well. Talking with its owner is also a source of valuable information on the qualities and faults of the machine. The performance of a snow blower is not evaluated in a showroom.

What's more, the increase in power goes hand in hand with the increase in the difficulty of manual starting and in fuel consumption, not to mention GHG emissions.

Horsepower governs the amount of snow per unit time the machine can blow. Thus, if we installed a more powerful engine on the frame of the same snow blower, it would not blow farther but it would be able to ingest the snow faster. In short, to simplify the matter a little: if you have a small area to clear, a little power is enough. If you have a large area to clear then opt for more power if you want to save on snow clearing time. The informed reader will have understood that the advantage of power can be lost if the travel speed of the snow blower is too low.

Bigger is not always better

Too many people make the mistake of buying a snow blower that is too wide. The wider the snow blower, the more difficult it is to handle. What's more, a wide snow blower doesn’t picks up snow very well in a driveway where there are bumps and holes. The wider the snow blower, the more it tries to deviate from the desired trajectory, and this imposes more effort on the operator.

It should also be considered that a large snow blower does not fit through all the shed doors and that it takes up a lot of space all year long.

The wider the snow blower, the poorer the scraping performance because this is often the same tractor that push it behind. On top of that, clearing time isn't much shorter with a wider snow blower.

Three phases, really?

The strangest thing arising to the snow blower market is the third phase. It's totally unnecessary. This screw spins fast and is very exposed. This increases the risk of injury and damage to the snow blower as well as to nearby objects. A lot of 2 stages snow blowers shows very interesting performance.

Adjustment is necessary

There are small skids at the bottom and on either side of the snow blower's mouth. They are adjustable in height and they define the amount of snow that will be left on the pavement. If they are too high, the snow blower will be difficult to move forward and will tend to grab on the ground. The operation will be much more difficult. In addition, the bottom blade may wear prematurely. If they are too low, the snowblower will leave too much snow on the ground. Finally, these skid shoes wear out relatively quickly so it may be necessary to adjust them during the winter. The recommended adjustment is ¼-3/8 inch. To achieve this easily, place a ¼ inch block under the blade when the snowblower is on a flat surface, loosen the skid shoes and lower them to the ground, then re-tighten. That's it.

Transmission’s clutch and chains can also be adjusted based on component wear.

Torque limiting bolts ("Shear pins")

There are very important bolts on the augers and sometimes on the fan. These bolts break when a hard object enters the snow blower preventing heavy and costly downstream damage to the snow blower mechanism.

These bolts are sized very precisely to be able to withstand the best and break when it is really too hard. Do not make the mistake of using bolts different from those provided by the manufacturer because you will certainly regret it. Also make sure you always have these specific bolts on hand because it is normal for them to break quite regularly and when this happens, the snow blower no longer clears the snow.

For these bolts to break at the correct torque value, it is essential that the augers are not seized on the drive shaft by corrosion. It is therefore advisable to lubricate the augers regularly to get out the water and the calcium that seeps inside. Before each season, it is advice to remove these shear pin to make sure auger can be turn manually. Then, Shear pins will then be able to protect your machine correctly.

Maintenance is the key to durability

Do not hesitate to grease the various components of the snow blower in the fall, during the winter depending on use and in the spring before storing it for the summer. Its lifespan will be significantly extended.

A snow blower is exposed to aggressive corrosive agents and all its organs suffer the effects. For this reason, it is common to replace bearings and bearings quite regularly.

At spring, before storing the snow blower for the summer, close the valve under the gas tank and let the engine run until it stops by itself. This will postpone carburetor problems significantly. In the fall, reopen the valve and wait a few minutes for fuel to reach the carburetor before attempting to start the engine. Ideally, the old gasoline should be flushed out the tank.

If a drive belt breaks, only opt for an original belt. In addition to having a shorter lifespan, generic belts are often too long or too short and hinder the performance of the snow blower.

Avoid getting water or snow in the gas tank. In extreme cold, the water freezes and the snow blower no longer works. This appends very often. Ideally, the gas tank should be emptied in the spring to avoid restarting with gasoline that will have aged all summer. Store the snow blower in a dry place to avoid condensation from the humidity of the summer air.

Avoid the gadgets

As in many other things, the more gimmicks there are on the snow blower, the more reliability is affected. We have seen a multitude of cables emerge to operate the angle of the ejection chute, the differential lock, the forward speeds, the clutches etc. This is to be avoided when possible. After a while, these cables freeze easily, corrode over time, and are expensive to replace. It's frustrating. You are only a few inches behind the snow blower, so the operation is not really more difficult without all these gadgets.

A customer even remarked one day that he preferred traction tracks because it allows you to operate the machine on the stairs. Seriously, never do that.

Weight: friend or foe?

The weight of a snow blower can be an ally. In addition to improving traction force, it allows better scraping in hard packed snow.

He is also an enemy. With ever-increasing horsepower, excessive width, and added gadgets, snow blowers are getting heavier and heavier. It then becomes difficult to maneuver. The reaction of the manufacturers was to make them more complex and heavier by adding self-locking differentials, hydrostatic transmissions, batteries, etc. The price and reliability are then badly affected. Handling bars are subject to breakage on heavy snow blowers.

What is a good snow blower?

A good snow blower is a simple one. On the dashboard, it has a gear lever, a traction clutch lever, an auger clutch lever, and an orientation crank for the chute. That's all.

The traction clutch lever should preferably be on the opposite side to the chute orientation crank. Check that it is possible to lock the operation of the auger with the traction clutch lever. This advantage frees up one hand to correct the angle of the discharge chute with the snow blower running.

A differential is an important device to have. It allows a drive force on both wheel without affecting the ease of turning. If more traction is needed, the differential can be locked up by a button located inside one of the wheels (left). A locked differential does not really complicate handling on snow-covered ground with a light snow blower. Some manufacturers don’t install a differential into their transmission and allow a wheel lock on one side instead. Then, since there is no differential, the drive is only on a single wheel. This affects the maneuverability and performances significantly.

Generally speaking, an engine having a power of 8 HP is sufficient if the snow blower is well designed. A width of 24 inches combines maneuverability, speed and scraping quality. In Quebec, a width of 28 inches is maximum for a very large driveway. It is preferable that the distance between the front of the snow blower and the center of the wheels is small to increase maneuverability. It is also a guarantee of performance but this may lower the front weight. If the auger touch heavy snow, the snow blower will then tends to lift. A machine equipped tracks can be configured on the fly if such situation arises.

If the snow blower is stored in the cold, opt for a synthetic engine oil and an electric starter (120Vac). Getting started will be much easier.

A friction disc transmission is more than enough. The reverse speed must be high enough because snow blowers generally do not reverse fast enough. Avoid plastic transmissions absolutely.

Traction can be improved by choosing the right tires. In doubt, opt for traction chains rather than weights, but be careful, chains can leave indelible rust marks on paving stones and they add constraints to the transmission.

And finally:

Even if you opt for a recognized manufacturer, the overall performance of a snow blower can be poor. Snow blowers with identical appearances can also provide very different performances. Only a trained eye, a test run in the snow and the above few tips will help you choose your snow blower.

Ratings found on the Internet:

"Top 10" sites found on the Internet often deal only with new snow blowers, and price is often a factor that weighs too heavily in determining which machines make it to the podium. There are #1s that turn out to be pure lemons. A good machine will last you over 20 years of good service. What's more, don't make the mistake of confusing warranty and reliability. The warranty is often just a matter of price, whereas a reliable snow blower will ensure that your driveway is clear at all times. Using a badly design machine can be very frustrated. On the other hand, using a well designed one can turn a heavy job in a funny task.

Our climate is very hostile and ensures that reliability goes hand in hand with simplicity.