The best snow blower for heavy snow is a two-stage machine with an intake near 21 in, because packed snow needs a housing that swallows it instead of riding up on it. I clear a farm lane, a gravel yard and a concrete pad when snow comes, and here it often arrives near freezing, wet and heavy.
These are the five two-stage models I rank, four on gas and one on a pair of battery packs, with the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower on top. After them I show how to match intake height, width, drive and gravel to your own drive.
Best Snow Blower for Heavy Snow Reviews 2026: 5 Top Models for Deep, Packed Drifts
These are the five two-stage machines I picked for deep, settled snow, each with an intake of about 21 in. A conventional single-stage machine typically takes in only 12 to 13 in, so none made my list. Four run on gas and one on two battery packs, and every review says who should skip it.
1. Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower Best Overall
Deep, packed snow needs a bigger bite than a single-stage machine takes, and the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) has one: a 21 in housing behind a 28 in bucket, with a 306 cc engine to drive it. It joins that depth and width to electric start, a gravel set-up in the manual and a mid-range price. I recommend it to anyone whose drifts are taller than the 12 to 13 in a single-stage machine takes in.
WHY I CHOSE THIS ✓
I put it first because it handles the most jobs of a heavy-snow drive without a premium price. The 21 in housing and the 306 cc engine take the deep, settled snow, the 28 in bucket cuts the passes, and the manual gives a set-up for gravel as well as for hard surfaces. For a long drive that mixes stone and pavement, it is the best snow blower for heavy snow I can recommend at a mid-range price.
Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower Specs
Key Features:
- 21 in housing: The opening is 21 in tall, so a drift or ridge near that height comes down in layers, the top first, with slower travel and overlapped passes when the pack is hard.
- 28 in clearing width: Each pass opens a wider strip, which cuts the trips down a long drive or lane.
- 306 cc AX engine: Ariens lists 15.0 lb-ft of gross torque, as rated by the engine maker, for the auger to lean on.
- Serrated steel auger and impeller: A 14 in auger breaks the pack, and a 14 in impeller turning at 1,083 rpm throws it.
- Auto-Turn steering: The axle locks on a straight pass and frees in a turn, so the heavy frame comes round without a fight.
- Six forward and two reverse speeds: The slow gears give the auger time to clear a thick drift before the wheels push into more.
- Shear bolts and clean-out tool: Two shear bolts protect the auger, two spares ship in the box, and the clearing tool clips to the housing.
The drift that the hedgerow drops on its lee side is the deepest snow on my land, and it lies across the lane I open to the first plum rows for winter pruning. The Ariens took the top of it down to the housing height first and the packed base after. The 21 in housing is the size of the opening, so anything taller comes off in a second pass, and gas two-stage machines of this class work best up to about 16 in of snow. According to Ariens the chute throws 3 to 55 ft, but heavy snow and wind shorten that.
The weight shows at the end of the farm road, where the track meets the gate and the machine has to come about. Auto-Turn locks the axle on a straight pass and frees it in a turn, so the 267.5 lb frame swings round with one hand still on the controls and I stop wrestling it. In a thick drift I drop to the lowest of the six forward speeds, so the auger clears what it cuts before the wheels push in more.
The farm road out to the public road is the second job, and it is open ground where the wind piles snow and then refills what I cleared. When the southeast wind we call the Košava blows, throwing into it sends the load back over the clean strip and over me, so I swing the 200 degree chute downwind and shift the line of the pass to throw across it. I clear after the wind drops, and I throw onto the open grass and the gravel edge, never against the base of a young tree or the pump-head shelter.
Adjust the scraper first and the skid shoes second, and check both before the first big snow. Ariens says the other order wears the blade and housing fast.
The exhaust carries carbon monoxide, so this machine starts and runs outdoors, and a garage with the door open does not count. Fit hearing protection before the first start and keep people, pets and windows out of the throw.
A frozen chunk in a ridge can snap a shear bolt, which is the design protecting the gearcase: stop the engine, take out the key, wait until every moving part has stopped and the hot parts have cooled, then fit one of the two spares from the box, and use only genuine Ariens bolts. If the auger or chute jams, release the controls, stop the engine, take out the key, wait until every moving part has stopped and the hot parts have cooled, and use the clean-out tool, never a hand. Use fresh unleaded, 87 octane or higher, with no more than 10 percent ethanol, because Ariens voids the warranty above that.
Buy it for a long drive or lane that collects drifts or a plow ridge, a surface that mixes stone with pavement, and snow too deep for a single-stage machine. Skip it for a small paved drive with an inch or two of powder, for a shed too small for it, or if you want a quiet machine with no fuel to manage.
FINAL VERDICT
The Deluxe 28 SHO is the gas two-stage I pick for a drive with deep, settled snow and a stretch of gravel. Its 21 in housing, 306 cc engine and 28 in bucket do the heavy work at a mid-range price. Choose it when your drifts are taller than a single-stage machine takes in.
It is the wheeled gas two-stage I put first for deep, settled drifts.
2. Honda HSS928AATD 28-Inch Track Drive Two-Stage Snow Blower Best Premium
Rubber tracks, a hydrostatic drive and a thumb lever that sets the auger height make the Honda HSS928AATD the machine I recommend for a sloping drive buried in settled snow. That drive system is what the extra money buys. The 28 in bucket and the 21.7 in clearing height are ordinary for a two-stage gas machine, and the track drive is where it earns the price.
WHY I CHOSE THIS ✓
I rank it second because the drive system is the reason to pay. Tracks, a hydrostatic lever and a thumb-set auger height give control on a slope and in settled snow, and Honda backs the machine with 3 years of residential cover. Pay for it only if your drive slopes and has no gravel.
Honda HSS928AATD 28-Inch Track Drive Two-Stage Snow Blower Specs
Key Features:
- Rubber tracks with cleats: According to Honda, they give balance on inclines, uneven ground and ice.
- Hydrostatic drive: One lever sets any speed forward or in reverse with no gear shifting, and ground speed does not change auger speed.
- Steering clutches: Pull one lever to turn, or pull both and the machine rolls free by hand with the engine off.
- Thumb-set auger height: Three marked zones, low for hard snow, middle for normal work and high for deep snow or transport.
- Honda GX270 engine: A 270 cc engine with the first oil change at one month or 20 hours and then every 100 hours.
- Electric start from the machine’s battery: A key start with no extension cord, and a recoil starter as backup.
- Remote chute joystick: An electric joystick aims the 198 degree chute and its deflector from the handlebar, with an LED work light for dark starts.
On the packed-earth track to the gate and along the slope that falls toward the ditch, the tracks kept their line with the bucket full of snow. Honda sets a limit of 20 degrees for slopes, so I keep to the gentle ones. The steering levers cut power to a track and do not brake, so I never count on them to stop the machine on a slope.
The hydrostatic lever gives one control for any speed, forward or reverse, so I can creep through a thick pack while the auger keeps its pace. The thumb lever sets the auger height in three marked zones, and for snow taller than the auger Honda says to slow down, clear a narrower swath, overlap the passes and take it in first, second and third passes. Treat the 21.7 in clearing height as the size of the opening: a gas two-stage of this class handles about 16 in of snow at a time.
My crushed-stone yard is the one surface the Honda does not touch. Its manual says never to use the snow blower to clear a gravel road or driveway, because the machine picks up rocks and throws them with enough force to cause serious injury. I keep it on the concrete work pad in front of the machinery shed and on the packed farm road, and I clear the pad first so the shed doors open outward over bare ground. On the pad the steering needs a firmer pull than on packed snow, which the manual also notes for asphalt and concrete, and I shovel the snow off the gravel by hand.
Switch the engine off at the key when you finish. Left on with the engine stopped, the switch drains the battery, and Honda says to charge it if it reads under 12.9 V.
The exhaust carries carbon monoxide, so start and run it outdoors only, and a garage with the door open is not outdoors. Wear hearing protection, eye protection and non-slip boots, and never work under low branches or overhangs.
Honda wants fuel with a pump octane of 86 or higher and no more than 10 percent ethanol, and it says fuel can go bad in as little as 30 days. Before the first forecast storm I top the 1.3 gal tank with fresh fuel and stabilizer, and before summer storage I drain the tank and carburetor, as the manual asks for storage over three months. Beside the machinery shed I pull both steering levers and roll the 276 lb frame by hand with the engine off, which surprised me the first time. To clear a jam, release the controls, stop the engine, wait until every rotating part has stopped, pull the spark plug cap and use the clearing bar stored on the machine, never a hand.
Pick the HSS928AATD when the drive slopes, ices over or sits on concrete or asphalt, and the budget allows a premium tier. Skip it for a gravel drive, since Honda rules it out, for a shed too small for 276 lb, and for any buyer who wants more than shear bolts guarding the auger. Track tension, the track drive chain and valve clearance sit on the maintenance schedule, several of them dealer jobs.
FINAL VERDICT
The HSS928AATD is the track-drive machine for a sloped, paved drive that collects deep, settled snow. You pay a premium for tracks, a hydrostatic lever and a thumb-set auger height, and you give up gravel entirely. If the slope and the pack are your problem and stone is not your surface, this is the one to buy.
It is the tracked gas two-stage I pick for a sloping, hard-surface drive.
3. PowerSmart 24-Inch 212cc Two-Stage Self-Propelled Gas Snow Blower Best Value
The PowerSmart DB7108B puts a 21 in housing, a steel auger and impeller, and a 212 cc engine behind a 24 in bucket at the lowest price tier of the gas machines here. It suits a short to mid-length drive, where a narrower bucket only adds passes, and snow that is deep but not very wet or compacted. I recommend it to anyone who needs two-stage depth without paying for width or extras.
WHY I CHOSE THIS ✓
I put it third because it gives two-stage depth at the lowest price tier. The 21 in housing and the lowest gear take a settled drift in steps, and the box carries a clean-out tool and spare shear pins. The trade is a narrower bucket, which means more passes on a wide drive.
PowerSmart 24-Inch 212cc Two-Stage Self-Propelled Gas Snow Blower Specs
Key Features:
- 21 in housing: Per the manual, the opening takes snow up to that height, and anything taller comes off in several narrower swaths.
- Six forward and two reverse speeds: The lowest gear gives the auger time to clear a thick drift, and reverse backs the machine out of a tight corner.
- 120 V electric start with recoil: A push button runs the starter for 2 to 3 seconds a try, and the recoil handle covers a missing outlet.
- Steel auger and impeller: PowerSmart lists an all-steel auger, which suits packed snow better than a rubber paddle.
- Skid shoes with a gravel setting: The shoes move up for hard-packed snow and down for gravel, so the shave plate rides above the stones.
- Clean-out tool and spare shear pins: The pins break on purpose when the auger hits a frozen lump, and the tool clips to the housing.
- 180 degree chute: A crank handle and a deflector lever aim the throw, with an LED light on the front panel for early starts.
Against the shovel I used before, the DB7108B opened the 4 ft path from the house door to the machinery shed far sooner, and my shoulders and lower back took much less strain. The 24 in bucket also fits the gap beside the tool shed that a wider machine would have to skip. Where a drift stood above the housing, I took it in narrower swaths and overlapped the passes, as the manual advises. The real cost of the smaller bucket is passes, since the 21 in housing covers the depth.
There are eight gear positions, and the manual forbids shifting while the drive lever is held, because that damages the drive and voids the warranty. There is no neutral, so releasing the lever is neutral: I let go, shift, then squeeze again, and in a thick drift I stay in the lowest forward gear. PowerSmart claims 2,400 lb of snow per minute, a maker figure that changes with the snow, so I judge the machine by the drift in front of it.
The second winter was the lesson. The first start of the season was rough because I had left fuel in the tank over summer, and the manual says to use fresh gasoline and never to store the machine for long with fuel in the tank or carburetor. Now I drain both in spring and add stabilizer to the can for storage, which the manual allows. I also check every bolt before and after each use, because engine vibration works them loose and the manual suggests a thread-locking compound.
On gravel, move the skid shoes down so the shave plate sits slightly above the ground, and higher still for larger stones, as the manual says. Stones can still be thrown, so clear what you can first.
Keep people and pets at least 75 ft from the machine while it runs, and let no child under 14 use it. It runs outdoors only, because the exhaust carries carbon monoxide, and hearing protection goes on before the start.
The crankcase ships empty, so fill it with 20.29 fl oz of 5W-30 before the first start. Fuel is fresh lead-free gasoline, 87 octane or higher, with no oil mix; follow the ethanol limit in the engine manual. If the auger jams, release the controls, stop the engine, remove the safety key, wait until the auger and impeller stop completely, then use the clean-out tool that clips to the housing, never a hand.
It suits a short to mid-length drive and the paths around a house, snow that stays under the 21 in housing and is not very wet or compacted, since such snow can keep clogging the chute even at a slower feed, and a buyer who wants two-stage depth at the lowest price tier. Skip it for a very wide or very long drive, where the 24 in bucket multiplies the passes, for a steep slope, and for anyone who wants heated grips or power steering. The manual asks for a yearly dealer inspection that the 2-year warranty does not cover, so budget for it.
FINAL VERDICT
The DB7108B is the budget two-stage that still has a 21 in opening for settled snow. It trades width and power steering for the lowest price tier on the page. Buy it for a short to mid-length drive where depth matters more than speed and the snow is not very wet or compacted.
It is the lowest-priced two-stage I recommend for a short drive with deep snow.
4. EGO Power+ SNT2807 28-Inch Two-Stage Cordless Snow Blower Kit Best Electric
The EGO SNT2807 is the battery machine I would trust with a packed ridge: a 28 in clearing width, a 21 in intake and two 12.0 Ah packs arrive in one box. Width and intake are what a gas two-stage owner shops for, minus the fuel. I call it the best electric snow blower for heavy snow here for a long drive with a plow ridge across the gate. My review of the EGO SNT2807 covers the 28-inch cordless two-stage machine for long drives.
WHY I CHOSE THIS ✓
I gave it Best Electric because it brings the intake and width of a gas two-stage without a tank or a pull cord. I recommend it where you can charge two packs indoors.
EGO Power+ SNT2807 28-Inch Two-Stage Cordless Snow Blower Kit Specs
Key Features:
- 21 in intake and 28 in width: A deep, packed bite means a ridge comes down in fewer passes.
- Two 56V 12.0 Ah packs in the kit: EGO says to run both when snow is deeper than 8 in or very wet or icy.
- Overload slowdown: The auger slows under load; if that does not relieve it, the machine stops the auger and the light flashes orange.
- Electronic joystick chute: It aims 100 degrees each way and tilts the deflector from the handle.
- LED lights and heated grips: Deck and handle lights make a pass before daylight easier.
The ridge at my gate is the test for any machine. The SNT2807 took the face of it with the steel auger, then slowed on its own as the load built. On one pass it stopped halfway, the light flashing orange, and left a half-cleared strip until I eased the pace and cut a narrower swath.
Two packs are the rule for heavy work, and EGO’s manual says not to run a single pack in snow deeper than 8 in or very wet or icy. According to EGO, the pair clears a 32-car driveway of 8 in snow on one charge, a best case, and deeper snow takes more. Each pack holds about 670 Wh by my sum of 56 V times 12.0 Ah. The night before a forecast storm I charge both indoors, inside EGO’s 41 to 104 F window. I set this kit against a gas rival in my EGO SNT2807 vs Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO comparison.
Press the safety button first, then any electronic function, because in the reverse order nothing starts.
Clear a clog in the manual’s order: release the controls, stop the motors and power the machine down, take out both battery packs, wait 10 seconds until every moving part has stopped, then use the chute cleaning tool. Keep people and pets at least 100 ft from the running machine. Never use a hand, and keep it out of standing water and slush puddles, because the IPX4 rating covers splashing only.
At 181 lb before the packs go in, the weight showed on the turns where the lane bends at the orchard end until I started squeezing a turn lever to free one wheel. EGO allows gravel only after the skid shoes are adjusted for it, so I leave the crushed-stone stretch to a shovel. A battery at -4 F or colder may not start the machine, so a cold pack spends 10 minutes indoors first. I compare the 24-inch tool-only model with the 28-inch kit in my EGO SNT2400 against the SNT2807 comparison.
Buy it if you want gas-class width and intake without fuel, your drive is long, and you can charge two packs indoors. Skip it for a light dusting on a short paved drive, or for narrow walks and steps.
FINAL VERDICT
The width and intake do the heavy work, and the second pack carries it past 8 in. Pick it for a long drive with a place indoors to charge.
It is the cordless two-stage for a long drive and a stubborn ridge.
5. Honda HSS1332AATD 32-Inch Track Drive Two-Stage Snow Blower Best Heavy-Duty
The Honda HSS1332 AATD cuts the widest path on this page, 31.9 in of clearing width and a 21.7 in intake behind a 389 cc GX390 engine on rubber tracks. It suits a wide, hard-surfaced drive where deep snow must come off in few passes. Honda’s manual forbids gravel. My Honda HSS928 vs HSS1332 comparison shows when the wider tracked machine earns its weight.
WHY I CHOSE THIS ✓
I gave it Best Heavy-Duty because 31.9 in of path and a 389 cc engine are the two figures a wide, deep job rewards. I would buy it for a drive wide enough to waste a smaller bucket.
Honda HSS1332AATD 32-Inch Track Drive Two-Stage Snow Blower Specs
Key Features:
- 31.9 in clearing width: A wide cut shortens a long drive.
- 389 cc Honda GX390: The engine keeps the auger turning in packed snow, and the key starts it with no cord.
- Torque sensor with auger-lock light: On a heavy overload the auger and engine stop and a red light blinks.
- Hydrostatic track drive: Speed is infinitely variable, and ground speed does not change auger speed.
- Remote joystick chute: It turns 198 degrees from the handle.
The auger height lever matters as much as the engine, with zones for hard snow, normal use and deep snow. On hard-packed snow I set the lever to the hard-snow zone, and I move to the deep-snow zone only for a drift against the shed wall. Honda advises lowering ground speed, not engine speed, in hard snow. According to Honda, it throws up to 56 ft, a best case that changes with the snow.
A cold start has steps: shift to neutral, fuel valve on, choke closed, throttle fast, then warm the engine and squeeze the drive clutch lever for about 30 seconds to warm the transmission. The electric starter runs 5 seconds at most, with a 10-second wait before another try. The first time the auger caught the raised edge of the concrete pad, the engine stopped and a red light blinked, a controlled stop where I had expected a stall. The tank holds 1.5 gal.
Pull a steering lever fully or release it fully, because the clutches do not brake. On concrete the steering wants extra force.
Clear a blockage in this order: release the controls, stop the engine, take out the key, wait until every part has stopped, pull the spark plug cap, then use the snow clearing bar. Honda warns that an obstructed auger can move suddenly when it is freed.
I plan the first oil change at the first month or 20 hours from the hour meter, where 0.1 is six minutes. At 298 lb dry and 32.9 in overall, it left little room at my shed door, so measure yours. Run it outdoors only, never in a garage with the door open, with hearing protection from the first start. Refuel on a cool engine.
This machine fits a long, wide, paved or hard-packed drive that collects deep snow, for a buyer who accepts a heavy machine and a premium price for the width. Skip it for a gravel drive, a narrow gate or shed, a small drive with light snow, or if you cannot load 298 lb.
FINAL VERDICT
Honda’s tracks, sensor and hour meter back up a bucket built for volume. Choose the HSS1332 AATD for a wide, paved drive that deep snow buries, and do not use it on gravel.
It is the wide-track gas machine for a big paved drive.
How to Choose the Best Snow Blower for Heavy Snow
A box prints a width, an intake height, a throw distance and an engine size, and only some of them decide how a machine does in deep snow. I check seven things in this order, and the first is the intake height, since it sets the deepest snow the machine takes in one bite. For a long, wide drive, I compare five options in my roundup of snow blowers for large driveways.
Intake Height Against the Snow You Get
Intake height is the height of snow the housing takes in at once. When I look for the best snow blower for deep heavy snow, it is the figure I read before the width, because snow taller than the housing comes off in a second cut. The five machines here run from 21 to 21.7 in, and a conventional single-stage machine typically takes 12 to 13 in.
Height is not a depth rating. A gas two-stage of this class handles about 16 in of snow at a time, so a 21 in housing gives headroom for a drift or a plow ridge but not for a pile much taller than the housing. On a settled drift, the single-stage snow blowers I have used rode up onto the pile instead of cutting into it, and that is the clearest sign that the intake is too low.
Depth also hides weight. In a study of new snow at six mountain sites in Colorado and Wyoming, density ranged from 10 to 257 kg per cubic meter (1), and the table turns that into pounds. When low-level air was near or above about 27 F, the fluffiest snow, a ratio above 25 to 1, occurred less than 5 percent of the time (2), and a snowfall with more liquid water in it tends to be denser per inch of depth.
| Case in the study | Kilograms per cubic meter | Pounds per cubic foot, about |
|---|---|---|
| Lightest daily snow | 10 | 0.6 |
| Most daily snowfalls (72 percent) | 50 to 100 | 3 to 6 |
| Heaviest daily snow | 257 | 16 |
Equal depths of new snow can weigh very different amounts, so I judge a drift by how it packs under a shovel as well as by its depth. Wet snow adds load and a clogging risk, and how a machine copes depends on its documented limits as well as on depth. Slowing the drive keeps the load moving. I rank snow blowers for wet snow separately, because clogging decides that list.
Pro Tip
Push a yardstick into your tallest common drift or plow ridge before you shop, and compare the reading with the intake height on the box.
A leaf blower moves only light, shallow snow, and the guide on leaf blower for snow shows where it stops.
Two-Stage Design and the Impeller
In a two-stage machine the auger breaks the snow and pulls it to the middle, and a separate impeller throws it out of the chute. The auger rides above the pavement on skid shoes and a scraper bar. Makers rate this design for deep, packed snow and long drives, and all five machines here use it. I compare more two-stage machines, gas and battery, in my best two-stage snow blower roundup.
The risk sits at the auger and the chute. In a US sample of emergency department visits, about 22 percent of the hand injuries from clearing a clogged snow blower were amputations (3). Every manual I read gives the same order for a jam:
- Release the controls.
- Stop the engine and take out the key, or power a battery machine down and take out every battery pack.
- Wait the time the manual gives, 10 seconds in the EGO manual, until every moving part has stopped and, on a gas machine, the hot parts have cooled.
- On a Honda, pull the spark plug cap as well.
- Use the clean-out tool, or a stick when the kit has none, and never a hand.
The Honda clearing bar is the tool in its step. I keep the clearing tool in its holder on the machine, so it is within reach when a jam happens and I am never tempted to use anything else.
Safety First
Wear hearing and eye protection every time the machine runs, and keep people and pets out of the discharge path. Stay back from the running machine: 100 ft for the EGO SNT2807, 75 ft for the PowerSmart DB7108B. Before any jam work, follow the numbered order, including the Honda spark plug cap.
Engine Torque or Battery Capacity
On a gas machine I read the gross torque line before the displacement line. Gross torque is the engine’s twisting force as its maker rates it, and cc compares only inside one brand, so a bigger number from another brand proves little. I read torque first because it is what the auger leans on when the snow is packed.
On a battery machine the number to compare is watt-hours, which is volts times amp-hours, and not the voltage badge. Count the packs in the box as well, since a manual may rule out a single pack above a set depth.
- Gas: read the gross torque, the fuel rule and whether the starter needs a cord.
- Battery: read the watt-hours per pack, the pack rule for deep snow and the cold limits.
- Both: treat a maker’s throw distance and snow-per-hour figure as a best case, because snow type and wind change them.
Clearing Width Against Drive Length
Width decides how many passes a drive takes, and weight and gate size limit how wide you can go. Overall width runs a little wider than the clearing width, so read the dimensions in the manual before you measure. I stretch a tape across the farm gate before I look at any bucket width, because the gate decides the widest machine I can bring through.
| Bucket width | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| About 24 in | A short to mid-length drive and the paths around a house | More passes on a wide or long drive |
| About 28 in | A long drive or lane | Shed floor space and the weight to turn |
| About 32 in | A wide, hard-surfaced drive | Gate and shed door width |
Drive and Traction
A self-propelled drive does not free both hands, since one hand keeps the drive or auger lever engaged, and the manual says which. Of the machines I picked, the wheeled ones use gear speeds or a variable-speed lever, and the tracked ones use a hydrostatic lever that sets any speed. Slope rules differ: Honda gives 20 degrees, EGO a grade of 10 percent or less, and PowerSmart only cautions, so I keep those limits in mind when comparing snow blowers for steep driveways.
- Wheels: directional snow tread suits packed snow and hard surfaces, and a lighter frame is easier to turn.
- Tracks: they hold a line on a slope and in settled snow, at a higher price and weight.
- Steering: on some tracked machines a steering lever only cuts power to a track and does not brake it, so never count on it to stop the machine on a slope.
Footing matters as much as grip. Slips and falls caused 13.3 percent of emergency department visits linked to snow blowers from 2003 to 2018 (4). I put sand on the path beside the plum row for my own footing behind the machine, and I skip salt near the trees.
The Plow Ridge at the Gate
A passing plow leaves a hard, packed ridge across the gate, often with ice in it, and it is the densest snow on many drives. A conventional single-stage intake of 12 to 13 in is shallower than most ridges, so the job calls for a two-stage. All five machines here carry shear bolts or pins, which snap on a frozen chunk so the gearcase survives, and a snapped one is the design working.
Before the first pass I push a shovel into the ridge and lift out any frozen lump it hits, with the engine off. Check what spares come in the box and keep a few on the shelf before the first storm.
Skid Shoes and Gravel
Gravel works only where the manual allows it. Some makers rule it out completely and others give a set-up, and the cost of a set-up is a thin layer of snow left on the stones, with stones that can still be thrown. I recommend five two-stage machines for stone drives in my roundup of snow blowers for gravel driveways.
- Hard surface: the scraper bar sits close to the pavement and the skid shoes carry the weight.
- Gravel the manual allows: the skid shoes are lowered, moved down on the housing, so the scraper bar and housing rise above the stones.
- Gravel the manual forbids: shovel the stone surface by hand and keep the machine on the hard ground.
Before the first pass over my gravel yard I walk it and kick the loose stones off the line the chute throws across.
Key Takeaway
Read the gravel paragraph of the manual before you buy, because a crushed-stone drive rules some machines out.
The snow removal tools section lists the other guides on the subject.
Can an Electric Snow Blower Handle Heavy Snow?
The best electric snow blower for heavy snow on this page is the EGO Power+ SNT2807 28-Inch Two-Stage Cordless Snow Blower Kit, a two-stage machine with a 28 in bucket and a 21 in intake. It suits a long drive where you can charge two packs indoors.
According to EGO, the pair of 12.0 Ah packs clears a 32-car driveway of 8 in snow on one charge, a best case, and deeper snow takes more. The product review above has the pack math.
Lithium-ion packs lose available energy in the cold and their internal resistance rises (5). EGO sets the limits in its manual, and the table gives them. My battery snow blowers roundup sorts more machines by pack size and cold-weather limits.
| Item | EGO’s rule |
|---|---|
| Packs in deep or very wet snow | Two; no single pack above 8 in |
| Cold start | May not start when the battery is at -4 F or colder |
| Charging | Best between 41 and 104 F |
| Slope | Grades of 10 percent or less |
| Water | IPX4 covers splashing only, so no standing water or slush puddles |
| Weight | 181 lb without the batteries |
In a winter with only a few snow days, what I like about a battery machine is that there is no fuel to go stale while it waits in the shed.
An electric snow blower for heavy snow earns its place where two packs can charge indoors. Skip it where the packs must stay in an unheated shed.
Gas or Battery for Heavy Snow According to the Manuals
The best gas snow blower for heavy snow depends on the surface under it, because the four gas machines here differ most on gravel, drive and fuel. The manuals set the rules, and the table gives the fuel or charge rule of each machine.
| Machine | Energy | Rule in the manual |
|---|---|---|
| Ariens 921048 | Gas | Fresh unleaded, 87 octane or higher, 10 percent ethanol at most, stabilizer in all fuel |
| Honda HSS928AATD | Gas | Pump octane 86 or higher, 10 percent ethanol at most; fuel can go bad in as little as 30 days |
| Honda HSS1332AATD | Gas | Same fuel rule as the HSS928AATD, since one manual covers both |
| PowerSmart DB7108B | Gas | Fresh lead-free, 87 octane or higher, no oil mix; the engine manual gives the ethanol limit |
| EGO SNT2807 | Battery | Two 12.0 Ah packs, charged between 41 and 104 F |
Choose gas for a long drive with deep, settled snow, because a gas machine has no charge to plan around, and accept the noise, the weight and the upkeep. Choose the EGO when you can charge two packs indoors and want no fuel to manage, which makes it the best battery snow blower for heavy snow here. Hearing protection goes on before the first start of any of the five. My PowerSmart and EGO snow blowers comparison weighs a 24 in gas machine against a battery one.
All four gas machines start and run outdoors only. Ariens says never to run the engine in an enclosed area, and the exhaust of a small gas engine carries carbon monoxide. In a US referral series of poisonings from portable generators, 29 of 37 incidents had the generator run in the home environment, most often in the garage (6). I run mine outdoors and count an open garage door as indoors.
Gravel splits the gas machines. Honda’s manual says never to clear a gravel road or driveway with its snow blowers, because rocks are picked up and thrown. Ariens gives a spacer and skid-shoe set-up with a warning to take extreme caution, and PowerSmart’s manual says to move the skid shoes down for gravel. EGO allows gravel only after the skid shoes are adjusted for it. I compare five two-stage models for heavy snow and long drives in my gas-powered snow blowers roundup.
My Overall Verdict
I ranked these five on the figures that decide deep, packed snow: intake height, width, engine or battery capacity, drive and the manual’s word on gravel. The top three suit different drives.
1. Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower Best Overall
For a long drive or lane that mixes stone and pavement and collects drifts, with a 21 in housing and a 306 cc engine at a mid-range price.
2. Honda HSS928AATD 28-Inch Track Drive Two-Stage Snow Blower Best Premium
For a sloping drive of hard surface, where tracks and a hydrostatic lever earn the premium, and never for gravel.
3. PowerSmart 24-Inch 212cc Two-Stage Self-Propelled Gas Snow Blower Best Value
For a short to mid-length drive where depth matters more than width, at the lowest price tier of the gas machines, in snow that is not very wet or compacted.
A bigger bucket saves passes only if the gate and shed take it, so I measure those first and buy for the deepest drift on the property. The Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower handles the most jobs of a heavy-snow drive without a premium price, which makes it the best snow blower for heavy snow for most farm lanes and long driveways. If your drive is not a deep-snow one, my wider list of snow blowers for any driveway covers gas, battery and corded machines.
Why Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower Might Be the Best Choice
I put the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower first because it handles the most jobs of a heavy-snow drive without a premium price. Its 21 in housing sits behind a 28 in bucket, and Ariens rates the 306 cc engine at 15.0 lb-ft of gross torque.
The trade is weight and age. At 267.5 lb it needs floor space in the shed, and the model on this page is the 921048, the generation before the 921072 Ariens sells now, so match the model number to its manual before you order parts. My Deluxe 28 SHO review covers the 306 cc two-stage gas machine for wet snow.
What puts it first:
✓ Intake: a 21 in opening, well above the 12 to 13 in of a typical single-stage machine.
✓ Width: 28 in per pass cuts the trips down a long drive.
✓ Gravel: the manual gives a set-up with spacers and lowered skid shoes.
✓ Start: electric start from a household outlet, with a recoil handle as backup.
✓ Spares: two shear bolts ship in the box, and a clean-out tool clips to the housing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best kind of snow blower?
The best kind of snow blower for a deep, packed driveway is a two-stage machine, because an auger breaks the snow and a separate impeller throws it. A conventional single-stage machine typically takes in only 12 to 13 in and suits a short paved drive with light snow, while the five machines here take in about 21 in.
What size snow blower do I need for a driveway?
The size of snow blower you need for a driveway follows its length: a 24 in bucket suits a short to mid-length drive, a 28 in bucket a long drive or lane, and a 32 in bucket a wide, hard-surfaced drive. Measure the gate and the shed door first, since these machines weigh up to 298 lb dry.
Which snow blower throws snow the farthest?
The longest throw on this page is the EGO SNT2807 at up to 60 ft, according to EGO, ahead of up to 56 ft for the Honda HSS1332 and up to 55 ft for the Ariens. Each is a best-case figure from a different maker, so heavy snow and wind cut the distance and the gap between them says little.
How much snow can a snow blower handle?
A gas two-stage of this class works best up to about 16 in of snow at a time, and a battery machine such as the EGO SNT2807 is limited by pack rules and cold. The five machines here have an opening near 21 in, so taller drifts come off in layers with narrower swaths.
What is the best snow blower for heavy wet snow?
For heavy wet snow I recommend a two-stage machine with a 21 in intake, and the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (921048) is my first pick on this page for deep, packed snow. Wet snow clogs a chute when you push the pace, so slow the drive and take narrower swaths.
References
- Judson A, Doesken N. Density of Freshly Fallen Snow in the Central Rocky Mountains. Bull Am Meteorol Soc. 2000;81(7):1577-1587.
- Ware EC, Schultz DM, Brooks HE, Roebber PJ, Bruening SL. Improving Snowfall Forecasting by Accounting for the Climatological Variability of Snow Density. Weather Forecast. 2006;21(1):94-103.
- Hammig B, Jones C. Hand injuries associated with reaching into a snow blower to clear clogged snow. Am J Emerg Med. 2020;38(4):785-788.
- Loder RT, Solanki D. Events Due to Snowblower Use Seen in US Emergency Departments From 2003 Through 2018. Cureus. 2020;12(12):e11836.
- Jaguemont J, Boulon L, Dubé Y. A comprehensive review of lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles at cold temperatures. Appl Energy. 2016;164:99-114.
- Hampson NB, Zmaeff JL. Carbon monoxide poisoning from portable electric generators. Am J Prev Med. 2005;28(1):123-125.
Safety Note: Snow blowers throw snow, ice and hidden objects with force. Never reach into a clogged chute or auger. Shut the machine off first: stop the engine on a gas model, unplug a corded model, or remove the safety key and every battery pack from a battery model. Wait at least as long as your manual says, often 10 seconds, and until every moving part has stopped, then remove the key and disconnect the spark plug wire where your manual says so, and clear the clog with the clearing tool. Keep people and pets out of the discharge path, run gas models outdoors only, and read the manufacturer’s manual.