Snow Blowers, Single-Stage and Two-Stage

A single-stage snow blower uses its auger to both pull in snow and throw it out in one motion, which keeps the machine light and simple but means the auger makes contact with the ground. That works well on paved driveways and light to moderate snow, but it isn't suited to gravel, since the spinning auger can pick up loose stone along with the snow.

A two-stage snow blower separates that job into two steps. The auger pulls snow in, then a separate high-speed impeller throws it out through the chute. That extra stage handles deeper, heavier, or wet snow that would bog down a single-stage machine, and since the auger doesn't need to touch the ground to throw snow effectively, a two-stage blower can run safely on gravel driveways as well as paved ones.

Power source follows the same tradeoff seen elsewhere. Gas snow blowers handle the deepest, heaviest snowfalls and run for as long as the tank lasts, which matters most in areas with frequent or heavy snow. Battery snow blowers trade some of that peak capacity for a quieter machine with no pull cord or cold-weather starting to fight through, better suited to lighter, more regular snowfalls.

Husqvarna covers the widest range on this page, spanning both single-stage and two-stage gas blowers along with the parts to keep them running. Greenworks covers the battery side, with both single-stage and dual-stage models built around its 82V platform.

If you're not sure which snow blower fits your driveway, give us a call and we'll help you figure it out.