Snow Blowing Tips for Efficient Snow Removal

To protect your safety and that of others, snow blowing your driveway, walkways, and sidewalks is a non-negotiable obligation. However, even though we know we have to do it, the reality of braving the cold, snow, and ice is not the best motivator. Fortunately, whether you are working with six or sixteen inches of snow, you can take steps to increase your efficiency and manage your workload.

Single-Stage, Two-Stage, and Three-Stage Snowblowers

If you buy a snowblower before winter hits, consider what type you need to handle the upcoming snowfall. There are three types: single, two, and three-stage.

The scale of your expected snow-blowing jobs will tell you which type of blower you will need. The differing mechanical parts between the three types alter the amount of power the snowblower uses to pick up and throw snow and ice.

Single-Stage: These blowers are suited for light workloads (eight inches of snowfall or less) and are incompatible with wet, heavy, or compact snow.

Two-Stage: These blowers are suited for medium to heavy-duty workloads (up to 12 inches of snowfall). Their design allows you to clear both snow and ice, travel across uneven surfaces, and throw snow a greater distance.

Three-Stage: These blowers are suited for heavy-duty workloads (16 inches or more of snowfall). Think of this type as a turbocharged version of a two-stage snow blower capable of removing heavy snow in nearly half the time as a typical two-stage.

Purchase the snowblower that will do the job for you, not just the most powerful or expensive one.

Winterizing Your Property

Before the first snow hits, prepare your property to make snow-blowing easier and more effective. Take the necessary steps to winterize your driveway(s), walkway(s), and sidewalk(s):

1. Inspect your property for possible obstructions that you could pass over while clearing snow, which can damage your blower or lead to personal injury. These items include:

Dog-Tie-Out Cables
Extension Cords
Garden Hoses
Light Cords
Rocks

2. Mark paths near your garden beds. Placing stakes around the perimeter of your garden beds will help prevent you from running over mulch, picking up rocks, and damaging your garden edging.

3. Mark the perimeters of the driveway and walkway with driveway markers. If the ground freezes before placing the markers in softer soil, use a masonry kit with a power drill to drill holes for the markers.

Throwing Snow Farther

Naturally, you will want to be as efficient as possible when clearing your driveway, walkway, and other paths around your property—the less time out in the cold, snow, and ice, the better. One way to improve your efficiency is to avoid throwing into the areas you have already cleared and the next area where you will continue your path.

To prevent re-covering cleared areas or bogging down your snowblower with piled-up snow and ice, try these tips that can help your equipment throw snow further and out of the way:

Apply non-stick spray to the chute to reduce the friction between the snow and the chute, making it less likely for the snow to jam your snowblower’s system.

Make narrower passes to control how much snow travels through the snowblower’s chute at any given time. Keeping a steady pace will also help prevent overloading a snowblower’s mechanics.

Set the chute at an upward angle for greater snow-throwing clearance. Depending on snowfall, geographic location, and snowblower type, finding the ideal angle for a job may take some trial and error.

Snow Blowing Early

Winter weather patterns can cause snowstorms and heavy snowfalls lasting hours, sometimes even days. To protect your equipment and make the job easier, do not wait until all the snowfall accumulates. If you expect snowfall over a prolonged period, commit to snow-blowing multiple times. While you may not be thrilled about additional sessions, you will thank yourself for splitting your workload into more manageable segments.

Keep Your Outdoor Equipment Fueled Up

When a job needs to get done, nothing is worse than losing time on simple maintenance and preparations for outdoor equipment and machinery. When fueling up is a challenge, it puts you behind schedule before you can even begin the work that needs to be done.

Fortunately, EZ-POUR® offers premium replacement gas can spouts, nozzles, and related parts and accessories to help you streamline your fueling needs. If you are looking to upgrade your old gas cans, shop the complete line of EZ-POUR® replacement spouts, including:

To learn more, please visit https://ezpourspout.com/faq/.