Do you want to learn exactly how to use an electric snow blower but you don’t know where to start? This guide is for you.
Although they aren’t as powerful as gas-powered models, electric snow blowers are gaining popularity because they are cheaper, lighter, easy to use, and suitable for those of us who are environmental conscious.
Built for clearing piles of snow from driveway, sidewalks, decks, and patio, just the right model can shovel up to 10 inches of snow, leaving the area snow free, clean, and safe to use.
Different from power shovels, electric snow blowers feature powerful, stable motors that can throw up to 700 pounds of snow every 60 seconds. They include small, rugged wheels for stability and easy maneuverability, and a chute that easily discharges the blown snow.
While power cords will sometimes get in the way, especially when you’re just getting started with electric slow blowers, you should be able to use an electric snow blower just fine after sometime.
How Do Electric Snow Blowers Work?
Before we look at how to use an electric snow blower, let’s first make sure you understand exactly how the equipment works.
Knowing how an electric snow blower works before using it will make it easy for you to run it more efficiently for better performance.
An electric snow blower can be a one-stage, a two-stage, or a three-stage machine. Let’s look at each type in the following section to help you understand the working process.
a) Single-Stage Electric Snow Blowers
Also known as a snow thrower, a single-stage electric snow blower can be either corded or cordless. The corded models limit how far you can reach while the cordless ones allow you to blow snow from just about any sport farther from a building.
Powered by an electric motor, a single-stage snow blower uses a spinning auger to scoop snow and throw it directly out of the chute. While they’re readily available and affordable, these models are suitable for flat surfaces with light snow that doesn’t exceed 8 inches in depth.
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b) Two-Stage Electric Snow Blowers
Two-stage electric snow blowers are quite a rarity. But Ergo Power Plus is the first of its kind model that falls into this category. The working concept is similar to that of a one-stage model, but with an additional high-speed, spinning impeller.
Here, the auger brakes and gathers snow and passes it onto the impeller, which adds more force to throw the blown snow.
With the spinning impeller included, two-stage snow blowers tend to clear more snow, not to mention they have a higher snow throwing distance.
Two-stage electric snow blowers are better than one-stage because they have a wider clearing path. And given their performing power, they are the best to consider if you wish to blow heavy and/or wet snow.
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How to Use an Electric Snow Blower the Right Way
This guide doesn’t just teach you how to use an electric snow blower the right way. We also include some tips that can help you operate the machine while ensuring your safety as much as possible.
1. Develop a Snow Blowing Plan
Determine where you want to clear snow from and the suitable spot to throw the snow. Decide whether you want to blow to one or both sides of the driveway. Obviously, you don’t want to blow the snow towards people, homes, or vehicles.
Check the weather to determine whether the conditions are suitable for the job already. It’s fine if there’s no wind. But it’s better if there’s even a small breeze to help your effort in clearing snow from your area.
You might want to consider using spikes as marks so you don’t go off the track when throwing snow. This is particularly significant if you come from a region with regular and deep snowfall.
2. Prepare Your Snow Blower for Work
Make sure you know exactly how the model of your electric snow blower works.
Check the manufacturer’s manual for references on controls, chute direction, drive clutch, and auger before starting the machine. Inspect the belt, scraper blade, shear pins, and skid shoes to ensure they’re in good condition.
Wear the right gear to protect yourself from the cold. Instead of a rain poncho, wear an insulated jacket, a pair of Thinsulate gloves, and warm snow boots. Note that you will also need a pair of sunglasses to keep snow from blowing into your eyes.
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3. Blow Snow to Make Usable Paths
Position the snow blower for a pass and start the engine. Adjust the chute and use both hands to engage the controls to propel the blower in a forward motion to get the auger to start throwing.
You will have to make chute adjustments from time to time for consistent passes and keep engaging the controls to continue clearing the snow.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much power does an electric snow blower use?
In this case, you will need to plug the device into a power outlet that is at least 2,000 watts. Electric snow blowers are more power efficient and quite easy to maintain.
Do electric snow blowers work for deep snow?
If you have twice as much deep snow to clear, you should consider investing in a gas-powered snow blower instead.
When should I use my electric snow blower?
Now that you know how electric snow blowers work and exactly how to use one, it should be easy to figure things out on your own without the need for expert advice.
All you have to do now is to choose the best snow blower to replace that snow shovel and then get down to work.
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