It would be very hard to travel during the winter months without the assistance of helpful snow blowers. These trucks help clear the way from any wintry residue and keep motorists from sliding out of control. If you have a large area that you need cleared, this is the piece of equipment you need to easily remove that wintry residue from your property. This very helpful machine is now very common in the United States since it hit the market back in the 1950’s.

Inventor

In 1925, Arthur Sicard, who was a farmer and a road contractor in Quebec, Canada, was credited with the invention of the snow blower. Living on a dairy farm, he was inspired when he saw how a grain thresher gathered grain in the field. He modeled equipment from what he saw and built a self-propelled blower, which is considered the first such machine. The equipment consisted of a four-wheel-drive truck chassis with two engines – one for the truck and the other one for blowing the snow.

In 1980, people started using truck-mounted versions in rural areas and even in mountainous areas, clearing the current wintry deposit from the roads and helping motorists have a safer drive. A blower powered by the vehicle’s engine can clear a path of seven feet wide by three feet tall, throwing the snow up to 40 feet away in any direction other than the rear.

Features

Snow blowers can be gas-operated or electric-operated models and come in all different sizes, shapes and forms depending on exactly what you need. Listed below are important features and "must have" requirements for your blower:

1.Power – This is one of the most important features you would like to look at in a blower. The power you need greatly depends on how much you typically need to move during wintry weather. As far as the engine is concerned, the more power you need, the pricier the engine gets.

2.Safety – Dead-man control is the best and a ‘must-have’ for your blower since this feature makes the machine stop if it senses that something is inside other than snow. This control prevents the machine from clogging, which is the leading cause for a breakdown.

3.Storage – These blowers are only used when there is wintry weather, so it is very important to consider storage. Although most of these machines are not built bulky, it is recommended that you get the most compact in design. Most blowers are defined as well-rated that have this feature.

4.Blade – Dealing with ice and stiff snow conveniently, it would be best to get a blower that has an auger blade. This blade helps to ease the process of removing snow by breaking and quickly removing ice from the ground.

Gas-Powered Types

Single-stage and double-stage are the two types of gas-powered versions. Single-stage is lighter and smaller; hence this machine is easy to maneuver and is perfect for getting rid of anything on flat surfaces. Single-stage has only one high-speed auger for scooping and throwing out the snow.

Dual-stage is for medium and large jobs and is best for heavy and deep snow as well as efficient operation on graveled or uneven terrain. Often the auger consists of two different blade types: serrated blades and smooth blades with one to break up hardened icy debris and the other to scoop and lift the snow into the machine.

Conclusion

If you’re planning to get a snow blower truck or you already possess this helpful winter machine either for personal or business use, the best way to prolong its life is putting a little maintenance into it. After the winter season and/or when the machine is idle, it is wise to perform regular preventive maintenance on the blower’s engines. This will keep your machine ready at all time to help blow your snow problems away!