In Brief: In Brief: What are two-stage snow blowers?
Simply put, two-stage snow blowers are those snow blowers that come with both an auger for drawing in snow and an impeller fan that discharges snow through the top-facing chute. Compared to other types of snow blowers, two-stage machines are more versatile and can be used both professionally and at home.
For heavy-duty residential snow removal, you’ll most likely encounter two-stage snow blowers.
Briggs & Stratton , one of the world’s most renowned manufacturers of outdoor power equipment and snow removal tools, defines two-stage snow blowers as a machine that uses an auger to draw snow into an impeller fan. The impeller fan discharges the snow through a chute at great distances to keep your workspace clear.
They general clearing width range is between 24 and 30 inches, though some models can go slightly wider. The height range is between 16 and 30, with more models sporting shorter intakes.
Two-stage snow blowers are equipped to handle snow of any texture (wet, powdery, compacted) on any surface (concrete, gravel, etc.) without tearing the ground to shreds.
These are ideal for wide driveways due to their large intakes, skid shoes, and their powerful snow-and-ice-crunching serrated augers.
These machines also come with a wide range of convenience-adding features.
Such features include power steering, auger-assisted propulsion, forward and reverse gears, heated handlebars. LED headlamps, and remote controlled chute deflectors.
For the price, you’re paying more for a two-stage than a single-stage snow blower for the added convenience and enhanced productivity.
With a two-stage snow blower, there’s very little risk of the chute getting clogged, of the intake getting stuck in snow mounds and having to manually pull it free, and of your fingers getting frost-bitten.