Know your throw

Your snow thrower should complement your current business equipment and do more than what you currently have. “The majority of the landscape contractors I’ve visited are using single-stage snow throwers,” says Angela Raddant, product marketing manager at Ariens. “Many of them choose our smallest machines because it’s easier to take in and out of the truck, cleans the pavement and it’s easy to maneuver and use.” Christine Cheng, product marketing manager for Toro, agrees, sharing that these smaller machines (roughly around 21 inches) are great to get around tight spaces and work well for finishing up a larger job.

Single-stage snow throwers are designed to be easy to move both on and off the ground. The point of them is to reach areas that are hard for larger machines to get to.
 

Durability is a must.

Generally, there are two types of durability to look for in a snow thrower, Cheng says – whether the machine can withstand wear and tear and the durability of the rotor system.

Frequently moving a snow thrower in and out of a truck, up and down stairs or pulling them up a curb can create wear and tear on all parts of the machine, but in particular the wheels, Raddant says. To compensate for this wear and tear, Ariens uses semi-pneumatic tires with an independent axle that can be removed, straightened and replaced.

According to Cheng, contractors should look for a snow thrower equipped with a rubber paddle that is heavy duty and known for its extended life. “The last thing you would want is that you're out on the job and all of a sudden the paddles are worn down and you can't (reach) the pavement, leaving a dissatisfied customer,” Cheng says.

Aside from the paddles, look for features such as bolted-on handles and a larger powered engine that is known for its reliability. To cope with the strain that ice and snow places on equipment, Bobcat uses gears to change the chutes instead of a chain. “We use gears because they don’t get iced up,” says Katie Althoff, Bobcat attachment product specialist.

Whether you’re changing spark plugs or simply doing a quick overall, it’s nice to have a snow thrower with equipment that’s both accessible and fairly simple to maintain. Raddant says that the Ariens single-stage systems are designed so that both the engine itself and some of the key maintenance points are accessible. “Our single-stage machines are left open to both the maintenance points and the service points of the machine itself, including the oil drain, spark plug and recoil - all of the types of things that you would need to service quickly in the field,” she says.
 

The right machine for the job.

Despite the value in single-stage machines, there are times when a larger machine is better suited for the job. If you are cleaning up terrain like gravel, both Raddant and Cheng recommended using a two-stage unit. “In a two-stage unit, the metal augers are somewhat elevated off the ground so they don't actually pull the gravel in,” Cheng says.

Recently, Ariens installed a new steering technology, Auto Turn, on its product line. This steering technology is similar to all-wheel drive in a car, with the slip differential sensing the operator’s input and automatically locking and unlocking axles for the driver when taking a corner, Raddant says. Advancements in engine output and power transfer technology have increased the overall efficiency in snow throwers, she says.

However, if snowfall is limited, Raddant says the right tool may not be a snow thrower at all. In fact, she says a power brush may be the perfect piece of equipment. Power brushes can be used for multiple applications from light snow removal (less than 6 inches) to dethatching a lawn. This equipment not only cleans snow but can also remove debris that may be left at the end of a snow season.

“Power brushes are becoming very popular among landscape contractors mainly because more consumers are looking for greener initiatives for ice and snow,” Raddant says.

Before making that final investment, take the time to consider both the snowfall and terrain in your area. Purchasing the right machine for the job can help increase your company’s productivity and profitability.

The author is a freelance writer in Ontario, Canada.