Snow Blower vs Snow Thrower What is the Difference?

Snow blower and snow thrower what’s the difference?  Don’t get hung up on the names snow blower and snow thrower.  Different companies use them interchangeably.  Some companies only use snow blowers or snow throwers for the two different type machines.  Some companies avoid the name all together and just call them powerful machines.  It can get confusing.  I’ll explain the differences below.

SNOW BLOWERS

A two-stage or dual-stage machine is usually called a snow blower.  The snow blower works in two stages.  In the first stage, the front auger sucks the snow into the back of the machine as it spins, where it keeps pushing the snow until it enters into a chute.  In the chute is an impeller, that’s the second stage.  Here the impeller moves at a high rate of speed and blows the snow up and out of the chute.

The impeller is moving at such a high speed it can blow the snow up to 25 to 30 feet high.  This ability is a big difference between a snow blower and a snow thrower.  This is a great feature especially if you have a lot of snow to move and the pile is getting high, turning into tall high snow banks. 

The front auger in the snow blower moves at a low speed because the impeller does the throwing.  The front auger’s job is to just lift the snow and bring it to the back of the machine.  Since the auger is moving at a low speed it has less chances of being damaged by something hidden in the snow.  If something should accidently happen to get pulled into the machine the front auger is protected by a shear pin.  If something should get sucked into the machine or jammed, under no circumstances should you stick your hand into the machine.

SNOW THROWERS

A single stage machine is usually called a snow thrower.  Snow throwers are called single stage machines because they only have the front auger.  Everything happens in one step, a single stage.  The front auger does all the work so it has to move at a high speed.  It sucks in the snow in as it rapidly spins and throws it out the chute in motion. 

As you would figure the snow does not go as far or as high as the snow blower.  It usually throws it only a few feet which can make you run out of room to pile up snow if you got a lot of snow to move on a big property.  Also the front auger can also be seriously damaged suddenly if something accidently got sucked into the machine because of the high speed.

A snow thrower is smaller in size and good in tight, small areas and on small properties.  They’re short overall small size, 18 inches wide and 12 inches tall, makes it ideal for pushing as long there isn’t a lot of snowfall.  It is easier and lighter to maneuver around by hand. 

A snow blower and a snow thrower may look alike at first glance but they are really different machines.  The snow blower is bigger, heavier, has bigger engines and is able to do more and a better job of it.  For example, the snow blower is able to shoot the snow farther and higher.  This feature alone is a must for bigger properties.

Snow blowers are better equipped for heavier snowfalls and have the option of being self-propelled so you don’t have to struggle with the heavier, wider machine through the thick snow.  This is good for moving through larger snowfalls and properties with hills.  Some snow blowers also have a reverse gear which can come in handy when you got to back up versus having to drag the machine backwards. 

The bigger the engine the more power you’ll get.  This is important if you got to move a lot of heavy snow.  A snow blower or a dual-stage machine is usually the choice under most conditions.  Snow blowers come with different size engines, machine sizes, features and options.  Snow blowers are much wider and bigger.   A snow blower can be as big as 4 feet wide and 2 feet tall.

Also, the snow blower or the snow thrower design is used for attachments for tractors.  They come in either single-stage or dual-stage attachments.  These attachments also come in different models and widths.  They fit most tractors.

Remember, like I said don’t get hung up on the name or “label” snow blower or snow thrower, because some companies use them interchangeably.  Some companies use only one name and say single or dual-stage snow blower or single or dual-stage snow thrower.   Or some companies just do away with the name or label and just call them powerful machines or powerful equipment.  As long as you know if it is single-stage or dual-stage machine then you’ll know what you’re looking at whether they call it a powerful outdoor equipment, a powerful machine, a snow blower, or a snow thrower.