Cool Snow Blower Features

Operating Today’s Machines can be a Wintery Blast

Today’s snow blower is no longer the bare-bones yard machine of yesteryear. There are several features to help you do a more effective job and be more comfortable doing it. First things first: Always read and understand the Operator’s Manual that came with your equipment.

A well-equipped snow blower can be such a pleasure to operate, don’t be surprised if you clear your own sidewalk, then help out your neighbors—the whole length of the block.

Where the Rubber Meets the Snow

Hard snowpack or icy conditions put traction demands on your snow blower that no lawnmower ever faces.

While some lightweight single-stage snow blowers may roll on plastic wheels, these machines rely on their augers for traction.

Dual-stage snow blowers, propelled by drive-wheels, are mounted with tires that have deep, heavy treads to bite into the white stuff. Most models can also be fitted with tire chains for improved traction in the very worst conditions.

There are even a few models on the market that use a track drive with rubber treads, like a scaled-down earthmover.

Lights
Lighting has become common—usually standard on larger dual-stage models—and is practically a necessity for early-morning or late-afternoon clearing outside the brief daylight hours of winter. Lower-end models tend to offer incandescent flood lamps, while halogen lights or LED are standard on more sophisticated dual-stage models.

Clearing Tool
Most dual-stage models provide a plastic clean-out tool for clearing blockages from the chute. It’s a useful addition because 1) under extreme conditions, clogs can happen and 2) you should never put your hands into or near the discharge chute. Ever. Also, make sure you shut off the engine before you attempt clearing any blockage.

Electric Starting
Gas-powered dual-stage models are available with electric start, either optional or standard. Some models carry an on-board battery, just like a car or motorcycle. Also common are 110v AC units—instead of using a battery, you plug into a household outlet and hit the one-touch button for quick and easy starts.

Multiple Speeds Forward and Reverse
Most single-stage machines, because of their relatively light weight, offer forward speeds only. Dual-stage machines start with two or three forward speeds and a single reverse gear, but higher-end machines, built to clear snow in a variety of conditions, can feature as many as six speeds forward and two reverse.

Drift Cutters
These are mounted on either side of the auger housing on dual-stage units and extend upward to slice through tall drifts. They also help you align the path for straighter clearing.

And don’t forget the creature comforts.

An enclosed snow cab shelters the operator’s head and upper body from the icy winter winds and blow-back from the discharge chute—a handy addition if the arrangement of your walks and drive force you to blow snow against the direction of the prevailing winds. Most cabs consist of a steel frame mounted with heavy-duty, freeze-resistant fabric and have clear vinyl windows for visibility.

A snow shield (again, fabric-and-clear-vinyl over a metal frame) is a simple upright barrier, similar in size and shape to a motorcycle windscreen.

An engine block heater (optional) quickly brings the motor and lubricants up to operating temperature, helping reduce engine wear from cold engine start-ups and generally promoting quicker starts.

Available synthetic oils are designed to flow more easily at low temperatures, helping spare your engine stress during cold start-ups—a real must for homeowners who store their machines in unheated garages or outdoor sheds. Briggs & Stratton® SAE 5W30 Synthetic Oil is specially formulated for use in our engines.

Heated handgrips keep fingers toasty when the temperature dips. Fingers tightly gripped around the handle bars have reduced circulation and are especially prone to the effects of cold. This is one of those features that, once experienced, you’ll never want to do without.

All the controls at your fingertips. On the latest designs, you can control almost every function within easy reach of the handlebars.

On dual-stage models, trigger controls assist tight turns by letting you independently direct power to one drive-wheel. This function takes a little bit of practice, but it’s a skill that, once acquired, pays off in reduced physical effort on you, the operator.

The most sophisticated dual-stage snow blowers offer “power steering” systems that can sense when you’re beginning a turn and automatically alter the speed and traction of the drive-wheels to assist you—you’ll never break a sweat.

While you may still need to angle the discharge chute by hand on smaller single-stage models, larger dual-stage units let you reposition the chute via cranks and linkages on the operator’s control panel. The most sophisticated models electronically aim and rotate the chute at the mere touch of a button.

For safety, all snow blowers feature operator present or “dead man” controls that require that the operator be in the intended operator’s position for the auger and traction drives to move —when you release pressure on these controls, the auger and impeller stop spinning. For safety, never interfere with these controls.

As controls become more elaborate, it’s vital to familiarize yourself with the workings of your snow blower before you buy. You also want to make sure you’re comfortable with the height of the handles, overall accessibility of the controls and general ease of use.

Dealers and retailers can often provide test models you can study up-close and even try out. As with the purchase of any large piece of lawn equipment, always take along on your shopping trips everyone in the household who will be responsible for operating the machine.