When it is winter and there is much unwanted snow on such places as pavements, roads, sidewalks etc., there is a very useful and convenient machine to get rid of snow. This type of gear is usually called snowblower or snowthrower. However, there is a slight difference between snowblowers and snowthrowers. A snowthrower is a single-stage equipment while a snowblower is a two-stage machine for snow removal. An engine is one of the most important snowblower parts. Its power greatly affects overall snowblower performance. The engine can either use electric power or diesel fuel.
There are many different snowthrower manufacturers offering various models. The most famous are Craftsman snowblower and John Deere snowblower. Snow throwers vary from the small ones, able to remove slightly several centimeters of snow in a 46 - 50 centimeters way, to large machines, installed on a powerful vehicles and able to remove 3 meters of snow or more up to 3 meters deep. Snow blowers are usually classified into two groups: single stage and two stage.
Single-stage snow throwers utilize a single high-velocity bucket wheel not only to move snow inside and outside of the machine. The bucket wheel usually has the form of several (usually two) elbowed paddles moving the snow inside the machine in the direction of a discharge spout. Single-stage snow throwers are generally electricity-driven small machines for home use.
There is one exception in single-stage snow throwers - large rotary snow throwers utilized by the rail ways to remove snow on tracks in winter. Such rotary machines utilize one or two huge bucket wheels covering the whole width of a train and throwing the snow aside.
Alternatively, two-stage snow blowers possess one or two snowthrower augers breaking the snow and moving it into the fan (bucket wheel). The fan blows out the snow with large force. All snow blowers are, as a rule, two-stage gear. The power of two-stage snow blowers varies from several horsepower in small machines to a thousand and more in large equipment propelled by diesel engines. Such powerful machines are used to clean the roads and landing strips in airports. They can remove significant amount of snow very quickly.
Two-stage machines for home use are usually self-propelled, using either large wheels equipped with tire chains or, in some cases, tracks. These are usually single-purpose machines, though some are detachable front ends that can be replaced with other implements, such as a rotary tiller.
The auger drive is usually equipped with a shear pin. If a major jam occurs in the auger, this pin will break. This controlled failure prevents damage to the auger drive gears. Once the pin has failed it must be replaced before the machine can be used again, this is generally a relatively simple process.
Two-stage snow blowers are generally self-propelled units utilizing huge wheels with chains or tracks. There is a shear pin installed on a snowblower auger drive. It prevents drive gears from damaging. Replacement of the shear pin is a simple process. Another vital parts are snowblower belts and snowblower skids. They ensure proper work of a snowthrower. Usually it is possible to buy snowblower parts in every specialized store.
