Just about everyone likes the first snow fall of the season.

Almost everyone rejoices at the first snow of the season. As winter wears on all the shoveling begins to get tiresome. The job of clearing snow from your driveway and sidewalk can be much easier if you have a snow blower. There will be a few things to consider when determining which model will do what you need.

The two main types are single stage and two stage snow blowers. Single stage models will weigh less and require less maintenance. They use an auger made from metal and rubber which spins to scoop up the snow and throw it off the path. The biggest drawback of using a single stage snow blower is that a lot of pollution is created by its two stroke engine. They do not have as much power as a two stage snow blowers. They are not recommended for areas which regularly get more than six inches of snow at a time or snow that is wet and heavy.

Two stage snowblowers are typically more expensive and weigh more than a single stage model. Two stage snow blowers clear snow by using a slow turning metal auger that lifts the snow, pulls it through an impeller and then throws is out of the way using a discharge chute. They are great for deeper snow as well as heavy snow. They have a four cycle engine which is less polluting than a two cycle type engine used by single stage snowblowers. Once you figure out which type of snow blower is best for you you will then need to determine how wide a clearing path you want. When snow blowers have a wider clearing path they will take up more room in your garage.