Best Snow Blowers in Canada | 2022 | Trusted Brands | Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide
What is the best snow blower? First and foremost, choose a trusted brand to avoid buying low-quality equipment. The most powerful models are those powered by gas. They will get the job done, irrespective of the snow you are dealing with. However, electric models are more user-friendly, much quieter, and don’t need refueling. Also, they require a lot less maintenance. So it’s up to you to decide! Secondly, we recommend choosing a two-stage device as it perfectly handles heavy snow and is more maneuverable. And finally, consider the unit’s clearing width — the wider it is, the fewer passes you will make.
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In many parts of the country, it won’t be that awful long before inches and inches, or even feet of snow, start falling from the sky. We’ll talk about them a little bit today, and you’d be surprised how much more there is to this than you may have initially thought.
If you’ve never owned a snowblower, you probably don’t give this idea much thought, and that’s understandable. But if you live in an area where you get a lot of snowfall, you owe it to yourself to get a snowblower.
Shoveling snow is back-breaking, thankless manual labor, and if you have a sizeable driveway especially, it’s time to take the bite out of this curse with the help of technology. A snowblower removes the back-breaking labor aspect, simply blowing the snow away. While they can be a little heavy, the work is far less intense.
Types of Snowblowers
First, let’s talk about the different types of snowblowers because there are some differences in a few ways. The most obvious one is going to be their power source, which can either be electrical or gas-powered. Both have their advantages and their disadvantages, and we’ll talk a little about those first.
Electric snow blowers lack some of the power of gas snow blowers but are much quieter and don’t need refueling. They also involve much less maintenance than gas snow blowers, as internal combustion engines are very complicated.
Depending on how the power is provided, cords can be a menace, though we’ll get to that in a moment.
Gas snow blowers are much heavier, more complex, and much louder. However, they’re more powerful and don’t need charging or to worry about potential cords.
- One-stage, two-stage, and three-stage models
Another difference is the number of stages with existing one, two, and three-stage models. Now, you may be wondering what these stages are, and that’s understandable because “stage” is a bit of a misnomer. A snow blower works because a spinning spiral cylinder called an auger immediately moves the snow straight out of the snowblower.
A single-stage snowblower does this and only this, and you have to move it yourself and shovel angled slopes and stuff into it. With a two-stage snowblower, there are power-assisted wheels that help propel the snowblower (thus eliminating weight problems) and make the whole affair much faster. These also tend to have additional automation internally, which can get at those angles better, thus providing self-propelled, stronger power all-around.
A three-stage snowblower doesn’t add functionality but just puts a second stage into overdrive, throwing the snow further, moving more volume and so on. So, these stages are all about raw power and convenience, not so much how they work.
- Corded vs. cordless snow blowers
When it comes to electrical, there’s a little bit more choice. Cordless electric snow blowers are a bit newer because it’s only in the past few decades that batteries with the capacity to power them for any length of time have become small and lightweight enough to be practical.
Cordless snow blowers are convenient, but they’re often less powerful, and they do take a lot of charging to keep them running. However, these can be very helpful if you’re in an area where you need to move six or fewer inches of snow on average at a time.
Let me tell you a small tale of the perils of cords on these things. A friend of mine (who is a popular YouTube personality, but I won’t say whom) grew up in New Jersey. It snows a lot there. When he was young, his father had just bought a brand new snow blower, which he was very proud of. He trusted the lad with the thing, and within 30 seconds, he ran it over the cord and effectively destroyed the snow blower.
On wager, if you’re a fan of his show, you’ve already figured out who he is. But yeah, be wary of cords with tools like this.
Read more about battery-operated snow blowers in our article.
How Snow Blowers Differ in Power, Efficiency, Usability, and Maintenance
- Power. There’s not that much variation in power, productivity and so on across snow blowers, at least not anymore. There are some intrinsic differences brought on by their power supply and the number of stages.
- Energy-efficiency. Obviously, the most power-efficient ones will be compact gas-powered single-stage snow blowers. There’s a little more muscle power to these, and internal combustion is still generally more potent than electric motors because of, well, physics.
- Maneuverability. For maneuverability, a two-stage or higher gas-powered snowblower will be the best for handling. They tend to be a bit heavier, but it’s really a non-issue if it’s at least a two-stage blower.
Maintenance. A corded electric snowblower is your best friend. It’s much simpler, requires much less maintenance, and has fewer moving parts to break down. They still need oil, but that’s about it. - Productivity. It really just depends on you, your driveway, and the weather you get. If you have huge amounts of snowfall at a time, as in more than a foot, you’ll probably be best served by a three-stage snowblower of some sort. Conversely, if you’re only getting a few inches (which can still be enough to get in the way), then you’re probably fine with a one or two-stage.
As far as which is superior by way of power, that’s purely preference. It is worth noting that electric ones aren’t quite so loud, and if you have to do this early in the morning, your neighbors will appreciate you not being godawful loud with things like a snowblower. Yes, you can’t help it, you have a job to go do, kids to take to school potentially, and a generally responsible adult life to lead. Still, people don’t like loud, obnoxious noises at the crack of dawn.
It all really comes down to your specific situation, there’s just no such thing as a “one size fits all” for a snowblower, as is the case with most tools. If you live in an area where you get more than a couple of inches of snow at a time, you definitely owe it to yourself to get a snowblower, but which ones are best suited for your needs are entirely dependent on your specific circumstances.
When in doubt, the general rule is to aim for a stage more power than you think you need, better to be overpowered than to be underpowered in all honesty. And, aim for corded electric if you’re unsure which power supply is most ideal. Even if you think you might need the power of a gas snowblower, you can still move higher volumes with a wee bit of patience, electric isn’t that anemic. Beware the cord, though, lest you suffer the same fate as my YouTuber friend.
Which Type Of Snow Blowers Is The Best?
This is a redundant section if we’re being honest with ourselves. I’ve already said that which one works best is primarily dependent on your particular situation and climate. But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to look at the general situations for which different ones are most suited.
First, let’s sort by the stages.
- Single-stage snow blowers are best for fairly short driveways, walkways and sidewalks where less than six inches of snow tend to fall.
- Two-Stage: These are best for heavier snow, between six inches to a couple of feet, and where maneuverability is more crucial due to contours, curves or other geographical features.
- Three-Stage: This is for huge volumes or very long driveways/walkways. My grandpa had to use one of these for his 300-foot driveway on his farm just outside Aspen. It’s a ski town, you can imagine the snowfall there.
Now, let’s talk about power supplies.
- Gas: Gas has a disadvantage because internal combustion motors are harder to work in the bitter cold. Given this is a device used exclusively in the winter, you can imagine the frustration that can ensue. However, they’re very powerful, which means if you have a lot of wet/sticky snow, or massive snowfalls, this is your best option.
- Cordless Electric: This is for medium or small snowfalls on long pathways where an extension cord will be a problem. The trade-off here is in keeping the darn thing charged.
- Corded Electric: This is best served for heavier snowfalls where the range isn’t a prerequisite if you don’t want to use gas. Electric will work more efficiently the colder things are, because the absence of heat optimizes magnetic fields and conductors.
Trusted Manufacturers of Snow Blowers
I’m not going to spend much time on this because it’s a moot point, to be completely honest. Nobody makes “the best snowblower”, because snowblowers, as I’ve said umpteen times at this point, are suited for different scenarios. You can judge the snowblower’s quality by the brand’s overall reputation and market demographic.
Briggs & Stratton, Toro, Honda, and Husqvarna are known for their gas-powered heavy equipment, so you’re going to get a quality motor and engineering if you want gas-powered.
Snow Joe is a dedicated snow blower brand, so you’ll probably see more new ideas being put into play with these than other brands. PowerSmart, Greenworks, and Ego are medium-market brands, so you’ll be getting a mix of build quality, affordability, and durability across the board.
I’m personally fond of Briggs & Stratton, which is kind of the Cadillac of this kind of equipment and is commonly used by professional services and maintenance crews. They’re not cheap, though!
Briggs & Stratton Dual-Stage Snow Blower Review
This puppy isn’t cheap, possibly a problem for many people. But when I think of snow blowers, I think of environments where enough snow falls that you literally can’t pull your car out, even with a little effort.
Briggs & Stratton builds powerful equipment that lasts, so you’ll get decades of winter out of this thing if you take good care of it.
Features
- Power: Gas (250cc!)
- Stage: Dual.
- Self-propelled: You bet.
- Mechanisms: High-radius auger and high-intensity blower.
- Noise: About like a riding mower.
Performance
I’ve seen this snow blower model in action before or at least a previous year’s take on it. That thing threw snow out of the way like it was just baking flour. The man using it must’ve been 80 years old, too, and he strolled leisurely, like it was nothing.
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Best-Selling Snow Blowers in Canada | Comparative Table
Most Popular
Snow Joe 24V-X2-SB18 18-Inch 48-Volt 4.0-Ah
- POWERFUL: 1200 W brushless motor clears up to 14 tons of snow per charge
- DURABLE: 4-blade rubber-tipped Steel auger clears a path 18” wide x 10” deep in a single pass. Store the battery pack in a cool place, ideally at 59°F (15°C) and charge full
- 48V POWER: Included 2x 4. 0 Ah batteries offer up to 40 minutes of rechargeable runtime
Products with a 5-star rating
Testing & Customers Reviews
Here are the reviews from YouTube bloggers who tested the snow blowers and have found them effective and worth buying.
Litzy Lowery: "Living 20 miles south of lake superior, we get a lot of snow 116 inches. Since October, I bought this unit to move the snow off my large deck, tired of scooping it. The unit was very easy to put together, manual also easy to read, but had to wait a bit before we got snow.
I tried it on the first three inches of wet snow. It worked well. This morning I looked out to a lot of snow on the deck, it worked like a champ again, even tackled the 15-inch drift in front of the door deck.
I think it may work. Excellent product, easy to assemble, and has a great two years and 90-day warranty. No running over an extension cord that's usually hidden under the snow because this one is cordless. I am very impressed with Snow Joe 20 inches 40v. Better machine. The Snow Joe didn't quit a bunch of times like the Greenworks. Snow Joe handled the snow better too.
Selena Knapp: "This morning about Greenworks 20-inch 120 volt snow thrower. So, this guy has a 10-inch clearance high clearance height, it'll clear up to 10 to 20 inches wide.
It's a nice compact design. Where these cam locks here, out you, lock them allow you to fold this thing up. So, you can store it for winter or for the summer season.
It comes with LED lights. That allows you some good visibility in low-light conditions. You also have you know the shoot angle here that you can adjust just by the click of a button. So it's got a great design throw snow about 25 feet all around.
Great snow thrower for the price."
Snow Blower Maintenance Rules
These are pretty basic. You need to clean the auger often to ensure debris and ice buildup aren’t there. The wheels should always be aired up, and tire maintenance is given the same care you’d give a mower or other equipment.
For gas, it should be run a few times a year, including for a few minutes around midsummer, to ensure the parts aren’t seized and the lines check out. The oil should be changed annually before winter begins for both electrical and gas.
That’s generally about it, any more complex issues with gas snow blowers should be handled by someone who really knows engines.
What type of snow blower is suitable for cleaning wet snow?
A two or three-stage snowblower will generally work pretty well for wet snow, and gas-powered snow blowers have more oomph behind them, as wet snow is less cooperative and often heavier. If you have exceptionally slushy, wet snow, you may consider a push plow or something like that so as not to gum up the works.
What are the most common problems with snow blowers?
With gas, it’s getting them started in frigid climates. For electrical, it’s snags or ice forming around moving parts. With modern designs, none of these are common enough to worry about, though usually.
What is the difference between a snow thrower and a snow blower?
A snow blower uses an actual blower to propel the snow and provide additional suction to pull the snow in, whereas a snow thrower uses the auger and possibly a caterpillar track to toss the snow. Snow throwers are considerably quieter but also significantly weaker. You don’t see small snow throwers in use that often because if snow is deep enough to need to be moved, it’s generally going to need some horsepower behind it to move it at all.
Reason to Buy a Snow Blower
To some, it’s a charming accent to the more festive and intimate part of the year. But to many, it’s also a time when there’s real insult added to injury, thanks to the damn snow. Yeah, it’s pretty, and during Christmas (and Christmas alone), I miss it briefly down here in Florida. Nothing says holidays like snow-dusted landscapes with Christmas lights adorning houses, chilly weather, and hot drinks.
For children, it’s a promise of the occasional extra day of being spared the drudgery of school and a veritable playground for snowball wars, building forts, and snowmen. But for the everyday working adult, that snow is something so much more annoying.
I remember it. I wasn’t raised in a place with snow, but we spent our holidays at my grandpa’s house in Aspen, which is a ski mecca. But I also remember being an adult in the northwest, where it snowed like crazy some years, and how horrible that ordeal could be.
There’s nothing quite so awful as having to get up before dawn to shovel your driveway so you can leave your house and do a job you hate. It’s bad enough when you just need to scrape ice off your car, but when you have to perform somewhat heavy manual labor just to clear a path, it’s infuriating.
I actually lost a job over this myself. I just got to a point where I hated that job, getting up at the crack of dawn, and shoveling snow. So, I first called in, and spent all my sick days. Snow still hadn’t abated. I used my personal days. Still, it snowed. Finally, I just resigned, telling them I wasn’t going through all that for their job.
Well, unfortunately, you can’t make the snow not fall, and we’re a couple decades away from heated driveways being common in most homes, if not a century. The good news is that we can at least take the bite out of having to clear driveways, thanks to snowblowers.
If you a looking for a big and powerfull machine, read about 24 inch snow blowers.
