I am looking to buy a snowblower but know nothing about them. Will I have problems with it shooting stones on to my grass as I have a gravel driveway? What is a two stage snowblower? Give me your thoughts on snow blowers.

 

i retail the single stage(rubber paddles) and the 2 stage..usually a primary auger to bring in the snow..and then a secondary auger to actually throw the snow...single stage units will throw rocks and basically destroy themselves..in that kinda of workin environment....the rubber paddle is responsible for bringing in the snow and throwing it..they normally have a spiral design on the outer portion the bring the snow in and flat centers to toss the snow..they or non propelled(save for the auger suckin it along) usually 2 stroke engines..they are less expensive of the 2 .. les h.p. no height adjustment..and normally plastic housings..
ok 2 stage...higher h.p. ... 4 cycle engines...height adjustability..wheel driven....and made from steel!!..but they cost..
....single stage units usuall retail from 399 to 800 and 2 stage unit retail from about 700 to 3000...i sell toro honda and snapper units....honda being the very best and the most expensive...ya can check out me website @ www.midwestequip.com i may not have the snowblowers up there yet...

 

Every spring I have to rake rocks off my lawn. Shovelling the snow puts almost as many rocks on the lawn though so it's no big deal.
To me, one thing that I would never do without on a snowblower is a remote adjustable chute. Being able to aim the height of where the snow blows is very important to me and having to adjust it using tools would be a real pain.

 

Yep, I doubt there's much to do abt the gravel. No matter how we remove our snow, we get stone everywhere. Tractor with a plow, or a shovel, doesnt make too much difference. I would get a depth adjustable blower and leave a little bit of snow, I would imagine that would avoid throwing too many stones, but I don't think its 100% avoidable.

 

A 2-stage blower is definitely the way to go. It will have the capability of throwing the snow a great distance. As far as brands go, you more or less get what you pay for. Higher hp engines throw the snow farther. Track-drive machines can push into deeper snow with less operator effort, but they are
harder to maneuver if you have a curving walk or driveway.
I service and repair outdoor power equipment, but I don't sell anything, so I am not in a position to comment on one brands superiority over another. However, if you have more than 2 snowfalls per year each with more than 4-5 inches of snow, you have to get a 2 stage machine.
Also, you must use Stabil or a similar fuel preservative in your fuel.
As a repairman, I see very, very few mechanically failed machines. What I see 97% of the time is a machine that was used 2 years ago and the gas was left in it. It goes bad and varnishes the fuel passages. Good for me, the repairman, but bad for the customer as it takes more than an hour of labor to properly clean even the simplest of carburetors.
If you live in the snow belt, get a name brand like John Deere or Simplicity, etc. with good dealer support. And just be d***ed sure you are carefull about letting the fuel gat stale!

 

You didn't input where you are or how much snow you get, or how big the driveway is, but I'll take a stab at it for you.

If you have a small driveway 50 X 10 or less, a single stage 5 - 8 HP, 20 - 26 inch blower would be the most versatile. It will clean a 2-5" snowfall in 30 minutes or less and will get you down the walks and thru gates with no problems.

If you have a driveway over that and up to 150" a two stage 10 - 12.5 HP , 26 - 32" will do it in 30 minutes or less, doing walks and going thru gates can be cumbersome.

Anything over 150" and parking area will best be done by a yard tractor with a 36"+blower with a snow cab or a small HP tractor 17 to 28 HP diesel with a rear blower or FEL or rear angle blade. Or put a blade on the front of that Ford.

With regard to the stones on the driveway, its best to have the driveway bladed to get the ruts out of it prior to winter snow removal. Try and keep finished stone size to less than 3/8 of an inch. Pack down first snow with your wheels or snow machine and let it set up for a day before removing excess snow. Set your depth runners to 1/4 in and leave a little snow for base. After you have an inch or so of base then you can lower the runner down.

A lot of surburanites are using 4 wheel ATV's with a snow blade on front, an excellent dual purpose machine. Just remember to push the snow off the drive an extra blade width to allow for the "next time".

Stick withe the green "John Deere" or try Sears for Craftsman. Usually, if you buy one from them they will let you trade it back in if you bought the wrong size for your snow load, usually the first or second week after purchase. Ask them at the time of purchase if they will trade up or down within a reasonable time.

 

My Gravely snowblower has adjustable feet on it. They also have caster kits for them too. This will keep the gravel out of them. Besides making a mess in the yard(on the roof of my house for that matter), the gravels tear up the blades in the blower.

If you don't mind tinkering with used equipment, the older Gravely machines are some of the finest out there. Plus you can mow grass and plow the garden in the summer, and it also does a fine job pushing snow with a Gravely push blade if you have dual wheels and ag tires.

I wasn't kidding either about the gravels on the roof. This thing really blows the snow, and it also has the remote output chute adjuster someone else mentioned. If you want to see what they go for, look on ebay for "gravely". You might think they are a little bit high in price, but people are starting to collect them, they are such a good machine.

 

we usually get about 4-5 feet of snow every year and have been snowblowin for a long time and rocks are totally unavoidable. one hit from a pro is to aim your shute low so it blows them close to the driveway..(less distance to rake.lol) and 2 stage is definitly the way to go. if you have a large area to do it is almost worth it to get an old gilson with transmission rather than friction drive cause they handle the load alot longer.. and you can beef em up!!! had a snowblower with a 440 kawasaki snowmobile motor on it and it flat out cranked!!!!! never had a problem 1 with the tranny but would not last with the old friction disc.

 

Try to get one that has more then one reverse speed. Mine just has one reverse speed and is very slow. Sometimes you want to go backwards fast. Mine has adjustable feet.
I usually let the snow bild up a bit before blowing but you will still in the spring be picking up stones. The nature of the beast.
Jim
CYWG
77 F150

 

Being over 70 yrs, I decided to start pampering myself (last year) and bought a two stage 11 HP model. Being a newbie was quite an experience. That thing threw the snow, my river rocks and gravel 40 feet away. Darn! Was I impressed. Oh well, this winter I'll make some adjustments, thanks to the advice above. ,......now, if I could just find a good place to park it all year long.

 

The Idea On The 2 Stage Units, Is To Adjust The Skids On The Side To Keep From Throwing The Rocks..on A Gravel Driveway..you Cannot Clean Totally Down To The Surface..i Set The Skids So That They Are About 3/8 If An Inch Above The Surface..on A Gravel Drive That Will Suffice.

 

In Response To 123michigan.....gilson Has Been Out Of Business Now Fer About 10 Yrs..parts Are Almost Impossilbe..and That Trans With The Brass Gear Is A Very Weak Link....AND THE FRICTION DISC HAS BEEN USED FOR ABOUT 30 YRS..AND IS PROLLY ONE OF THE MOST BULLET PROOF DRIVE SYSTEMS ON THE MARKET....BEING IT WAS MADE BUY A GOOD MANUFACTURER AND NOT MTD,YARDMAN,ETC...

 

I looked at a lot of the quality brands like Simplicity, Deere, etc and bought the Ariens because it looks like it's made a little tougher. My father-in-law has had an Ariens for over 30 years in over 200 inches of snow a year. I'm sure they're not made like they were then but they still look better than the others.

 

I have a 5hp Ariens 2 stage I bought it back in the 80s it's served me well. up here in Minnesota we get some heavy duty snow storms.
It works well on a single driveway but if I had a double driveway I'd go for the bigger machine. but the small machine has it's advantages it easier for my wife to run, even though they're self propelled it still takes a little muscle work to maneuver them.
Ya they'll throw rocks but the height is adjustable on the impeller box, you can start the winter high and when the driveway gets packed down you lower the machine because you less likely to pick up rocks.

 

I got the 11.5hp 28" Ariens (11528). I paid $1300 for it at Home Depot. I usually like to use local places but they would not come down at all and I wasn't paying $150 more just to buy local to support an arrogant attitude. I figured it was the biggest my wife would be able to comfortably handle. Hopefully it will be OK for her, she hasn't had to use it yet.