Some of the best snow blowers we’ve tested can slice through 18 inches of snow and hurl it 40 feet or more, clearing a path as fast as you can push the machine along, and doing so in about a quarter of the time it would take you to shovel it. At Consumer Reports, we test almost 90 of these snow-removal machines (or snow throwers, as they are sometimes called) all year long. How? We create our own snowlike substance using sawdust to simulate the unique properties of the frozen flakes and evaluate which machine best clears a 30-foot-wide path.
In This Article
Three-Stage Snow Blowers • Two-Stage Snow Blowers • Compact Snow Blowers • Single-Stage Snow Blowers • Battery-Powered Snow Blowers • Power Snow Shovels • How CR Tests Snow Blowers • How CR Picked the Best Snow Blowers • Best Time to Buy
Snow blowers are either gas-powered (which are typically loud and require hearing protection) or battery-powered (which are quieter and require less maintenance but can’t plow as much snow). They are also categorized by stages. These distinctions can be confusing for new shoppers—we’ve saved you the research time by laying out the best models you can buy in each category that perform well in CR’s testing.
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If you want to understand these machines on a deeper level, start with our snow blower buying guide to find the style that’s best for you. As a quick primer, single-stage machines use a corkscrew-shaped auger to scoop and shoot snow out. Two-stage machines have an impeller, or a small fan, that helps suck up additional snow and shoot it farther. Three-stage machines add an accelerator, an additional motor to help the auger and impeller suck up and discharge even more snow.
In our buying guide, you’ll also find guidance on whether models with wheels or tracks are more appropriate for your landscape, a blueprint of parts common to most snow blowers, and maintenance tips to keep your snow blower working efficiently all winter long.
CR members can also jump right to our snow blower ratings to compare models. We highlight only products from brands that do well in our member surveys for reliability and owner satisfaction, and perform exceptionally well in our testing labs. You can find those selections below, plus a few snow blowers you’ll want to avoid.
Best Three-Stage Gas Snow Blowers
These powerful three-stage snow blowers, named so for a third component called an accelerator that assists the auger and impeller, can tackle heavier snowfall as deep as 18 inches.
Best Two-Stage Gas Snow Blowers
Two-stage snow blowers, which include an impeller, are just right for heavy snowfall up to 16 inches deep.
Best Compact Two-Stage Gas Snow Blowers
If storage space or maneuverability is an issue, these compact snow blowers are still more than adequate for removing heavy snowfall of up to 16 inches deep.
Best Single-Stage Gas Snow Blowers
These single-stage snow blowers aren’t as powerful but do a stellar job in areas that rarely receive more than 9 inches of snow.
Best Battery-Powered Snow Blowers
The top-scoring battery-powered snow blowers can work nimbly in a range of conditions. Expect quick clearing of snowfalls up to 9 inches or a little more time if the depth approaches 16 inches.
Best Power Snow Shovels
These battery-powered handheld shovelsare capable of clearing dustings of up to 6 inches.
Worst Snow Blowers
Performance varies from machine to machine. The exceptions are three-stage models, which perform uniformly well across brands and individual models, and corded electrics, which perform uniformly badly in our tests. In fact, we think no corded electric snow blower is worth buying because they’re so underpowered.
But you’ll see more variation across brands and models when it comes to single-stage gas and single-stage battery-powered snowblowers.
Case in point: The Ariens S18. This single-stage gas model is slow to clear, struggles to get through heavier snow, and can get bogged down, making it infuriatingly slow when used to tackle a mound of snow. It earns a poor rating in our plow pile test. You’re better off spending a few hundred dollars more on the top-rated single-stage gas tool from Toro, which sits an astonishing 41 points ahead of the Ariens.
Then there’s the single-stage battery-powered Greenworks 2600402. It bombs most of our most crucial tests, proving insufferably slow during use. It’s also incapable of working through even 6-inch-deep simulated snow or throwing it an acceptable distance. It earns an Overall Score of just 30.
How CR Tests Snow Blowers
No two snowflakes are alike, and that presents a problem for CR’s testing protocol. "We need to run our tests with something we can standardize, for consistency," says Dave Trezza, who oversees our snow blower testing. That’s why he and his team use a mixture of a certain type of sawdust, saturated with water, in place of snow. It’s a combination that can simulate a standard snowfall or be molded into a mound, similar to a plow pile, like the kind that town plowing trucks leave at the end of your driveway.
In each test, we time how fast a model cuts through the dense mixture and note how far the sawdust is thrown and how clean the surface is. The Overall Score for each model combines results from these performance tests as well as results of our survey of thousands of CR members, which informs our brand reliability and owner satisfaction ratings.
We test single-, two-, and three-stage gas snow blowers from brands including Ariens, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Honda, Husqvarna, Toro, and Troy-Bilt. And we look at lighter-duty, single-stage and two-stage electric blowers from brands like Ego and Snow Joe, as well as power snow shovels from brands like Greenworks and Toro. We also test power snow shovels in the same way we test snow blowers, but we use far less of the sawdust mixture because for anything deeper, you’ll want a traditional snow blower.
Watch the video below for more on how CR tests snow blowers.
How We Picked the Best Snow Blowers
The experts at Consumer Reports look for snow blowers that do the job quickly and efficiently—and that will prove reliable season after season. Here’s what our top picks have in common.
- They’re capable. All of the models selected here can work through 6- to 18-inch-deep snow, depending on the model’s number of stages.
- They throw snow far. The best snow blowers hurl snow a suitable distance so that you won’t have to make extra passes to clear a path or driveway.
- They’re quick. The gas models here work through snow quickly.
- They can handle a plow pile. All of the best models can tackle a large mound of snow that a snow plow might leave at the end of your driveway.
- They’re reliable. Top models are worth the investment only if you can count on them season after season.
When Is the Best Time to Buy a Snow Blower?
Whether you’ve yet to receive your first inch of snowfall or you’re on your third blizzard, it’s never too late or too early to consider a snow blower. In general, low snowfall can often translate to sales of snow blowers. In areas heading into that season, manufacturers and retailers look to clear inventory before spring. Keep in mind, too, that a snow blower isn’t a single-season tool. Many last a decade or longer with proper maintenance, meaning you’re not just buying it for this winter but for the next 10 or more.
Paul Hope
Paul Hope is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports and a trained chef. He covers ranges, cooktops, and wall ovens, as well as grills, drills, outdoor power tools, decking, and wood stains. Before joining CR in 2016, he tested kitchen products at Good Housekeeping and covered tools and remodeling for This Old House magazine. You’ll typically find him in his old fixer-upper, engrossed in a DIY project or trying out a new recipe.
