Shovelling—who needs it? Here’s the lowdown on snow blowers

EVEN FOR those of us who profess a mostly harmonious relationship with the natural world, repeated trouncing by winter storms triggers a survivalist instinct. In order for us to commute to work, to get groceries—and just to be safe—the driveway needs to be cleared, and clear it we will. We gird our loins and do battle with the elements, because being snowed in would amount to defeat.

Unless you possess extraordinary physical endurance and an abundance of free time to devote to shovelling (or perhaps just a blessedly short driveway), some mechanical assistance may be in order.

De-icing decisions

Once you’ve done the grunt work of clearing the snow from your driveway and walkway—and possibly the sidewalks adjacent to your property, depending on the bylaws where you live—you are faced with the ongoing challenge of keeping the area free of ice. Temperature fluctuations in the Atlantic region often create a cycle of freezing and thawing, and compounded by icy precipitation, may lead to slippery surfaces that present a serious safety hazard.

If you are content to let some packed snow accumulate on your own walkway, this rough path will only occasionally require a sprinkling of grit or de-icer to provide traction. The cheapest and most environmentally benign choice is probably sand; it’s an inert substance, and you can simply sweep it up in the spring. Some traditionalists use ash from the wood stove, which is actually a beneficial soil amendment. Ash has the added advantage of causing ice to disintegrate when the sun hits it, but it’s messy, and some people would sooner risk a broken ankle than see the stuff tracked into their hallway.

If you are determined to keep your walkway clear right down to bare pavement, you will need some chemical assistance. The cheapest option is plain old rock salt, or sodium chloride. This is the same stuff we put on our food, so we tend to think of it as environmentally harmless, but when flung around in great quantities, road salt poses a risk to plants, animals (including pets traversing your walkway) and the aquatic environment. For this reason, several less-harmful compounds—including calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, and potassium chloride—are used in some commercial de-icing products, but these formulations are not without their own environmental effects. The best you can do is read the label, be aware of the risks, and use in moderation.

Born in New Brunswick

The invention of this quintessentially Canadian machine is partly attributable to Robert Carr Harris, of Dalhousie, NB, who patented the “Railway Screw Snow Excavator” in 1870. Not coincidentally, New Brunswick is currently the snow blower capital of Canada, with more than one third of households owning one. Newfoundland is not far behind, while Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island come in around the national average of 20 per cent.

Power

Of course, the size and type of snow blower you need depends upon the area you intend to clear. At one end of the spectrum, there are light-duty single-stage electric appliances, sometimes called electric shovels, which are only suitable for removing snow from a small area such as a walkway. These may have plastic or rubber-edged augers, to prevent damage to wooden decks or decorative patio stones.

Most driveways, however, require the power and the manoeuvrability that come with a gasoline engine. If you have been out of the small engine market for the past few years, you may be surprised to find that the various models are no longer rated based on horsepower, but on displacement as measured in cubic centimeters (cc), like motorcycles. Small gas snow blowers, formerly in the range of four or five horsepower, generally carry a rating of about 180 cc (although there are some smaller models on the market), while the largest, formerly identified as 10 or 15 horsepower, may have an engine displacement of more than 400 cc (which is very powerful, although not quite into Harley-Davidson territory yet).

A single-stage gas snow blower might be adequate for your needs if you have a mid-sized, level, paved driveway, but these models work best in light to moderate snow and, because the only thing propelling them forward is the auger, they can be hard to push.

Two-stage gas models are propelled by engine-driven wheels, and are therefore much easier to manoeuvre in heavy snow. And, because the auger doesn’t touch the ground, two-stage snow blowers are safe to use on unpaved or gravel driveways.

These models also have, in addition to the auger, a spinning “impeller,” which forces the snow up through the chute. This is especially important in a climate like ours that frequently delivers wet snow, which—along with the really heavy stuff left at the end of your driveway by the plow—is likely to jam up and block the chute on a single-stage machine. (To avoid having a finger or two “impelled” across the yard, please resist the temptation to reach into a plugged chute with your hand; today’s snow blowers often come with a plastic clean-out tool for just this purpose, which is to be used only when the engine is off.)

Clearing width

Snow blower tires usually have aggressive treads, and some models even have bulldozer-like tracks instead of wheels. As long as the front end is clearing snow properly, traction at the rear will rarely present a problem. If you find you’re losing your grip on hills, you can get tire chains, which jangle as they bite into the icy ground, lending a butch aspect to the whole enterprise.

Especially for large models, it’s desirable to have steerable drive, which means you can direct power to one wheel or the other to execute a turn. Without this feature, you have to pivot the machine manually by hauling on the handles. If you are a large person, this may not be a problem. If you are of modest size, you should not make a purchase until you have tried guiding the machine, to determine whether the handles are ergonomically suitable for you.

Starter and maintenance considerations

Another feature that’s particularly attractive for some users is electric start. Whether you’re intimidated by pull cords or you just like the convenience, firing up the snow blower at the touch of a button is very appealing.

Some models are equipped with a battery to crank the starter, but cold weather and infrequent use can make it hard to keep the battery charged. To avoid this problem, there are models that come with a 120-volt AC starter that plugs into a standard electrical outlet; this works great when you’re in the garage, but it will require a long extension cord if you need to re-start the machine at the far end of the driveway. In either case, you can fall back on manual recoil starting.

Another attractive, but not critical, feature is power-assisted chute control. Having a gamer-friendly joystick to adjust the direction of snow discharge is pretty cool, but if you have a reasonably strong arm, the time-tested manual crank will serve you well over the long term.

And one more maintenance consideration is the location of shear pins (sometimes called shear bolts), which are designed to break if the machine becomes jammed, disengaging the augers or impeller to prevent mechanical damage. Shear pins are cheap, and they’re supposed to be easy as well. Make sure they’re located where you can get at them, so you can replace them quickly with the spares you keep on hand.

Storage

Finally, you should consider where you are going to store your snow blower. During the winter, you’ll want to park it somewhere easily accessible so it’s at the ready. Eventually, the snow will come, and you’ll be glad you’re prepared.

And as a new snow blower owner, you should also be prepared to find yourself more popular than ever with your neighbours—or with the teenager in your family who’s keen to get out after a snow storm and make a few bucks.