How to Get Your Snow Blower Ready for Winter

Ideally, you either drained the tank of your gas snow blower or filled it with stabilized fuel when you retired the machine for the season last spring. If you didn't, here's hoping your snow blower will forgive you by starting up now.

If it does, you'll have dodged a pretty big bullet since old, unstable fuel can gum up the carburetor and fuel passages.

Don't push your luck any further. Instead, drain the old fuel using a siphon or turkey baster. Then fill the tank with gas and top it off with a fuel stabilizer, available at home centers and gas stations.

This step obviously doesn't apply to you if you own an electric snow blower.

With older snow blowers, you used to have to mix the oil in with the gasoline on many single-stage snow blowers. With today's models, there's a separate oil reservoir and dipstick, just like you see on a car. Start by checking the oil. If it's dark and dirty—which it probably will be if you haven't replaced it in a year—it's time for a change.

Most reservoirs have a bolt that you unscrew; then you tilt the machine back and drain the old oil into a container. Screw the bolt back in place and refill the reservoir with clean oil, referring to your owner's manual for the proper type and grade.

We're starting to see multistage snow blowers with airless tires. Troy-Bilt's leading the way.

But unless you have one of these newer machines, your snow blower has pneumatic tires, and there's a good chance they're low on air. "Most of the larger snow blowers use pneumatic tires that will need to be topped up before the season," Galeotafiore says. "Underinflated tires can make handling the machine more difficult, especially when turning."

Check the tire wall or your user's manual for the recommended tire pressure; most manufacturers recommend between 15 and 20 pounds per square inch (psi). A  bike pump will do the job, if it has a built-in gauge. Otherwise, you should use a separate tire pressure gauge to make sure you get the pressure just right. Too much air and the tires could pop; too little and the handling will be compromised.

This step applies only to multistage snow blowers. Shear pins are small bolts that are there to protect the transmission in case the auger jams, say, after it scoops up a large stone or chunk of ice. If the pins show signs of corrosion or wear and tear, replace them with new ones. (Many snow blowers come with extras, or buy them online or at a home center). The pins slide in place and tighten with a bolt. Never use bolts without shear pins, since bolts won't break under pressure, increasing the risk of a damaged transmission.

As a final measure, tighten all nuts and bolts, especially around the control, since they tend to loosen as a snow blower vibrates. And lubricate all cables and moving parts as identified in the owner's manual.

To test snow blowers every year in time for you to buy one before it snows, Consumer Reports gets creative. 

Because we don't get enough snow early enough in the season at our headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y., we use hundreds of pounds of sawdust that has been soaked in water to mimic deep, heavy snow. This approach allows us to manipulate the mixture, creating deep piles and snow banks for our rigorous battery of tests for removal speed, throwing distance, and surface cleaning. 

And unlike snow, sawdust doesn't melt or change consistency with the weather, which makes for fair comparisons.

To identify the top performers in the marketplace, we test models from a wide swath of brands, including Ariens, Briggs & Stratton, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Ego, Honda, Husqvarna, Poulan, SnowJoe, Toro, Troy-Bilt, and, Worx. We rate one-, two-, and three-stage blowers, and there are more than 70 models in our snow blower ratings. If you're not sure which type you should consider, check CR's snow blower buying guide.

Read on for CR's ratings and reviews of the best models from our tests.

For clearing up to 18 inches or more

For clearing up to 16 inches of heavy snow

Troy-Bilt Arctic Storm 30
Price: $1,500
Overall score: 91
Ranking: 1 of 28
CR's take: It's hard to imagine a snowstorm this blower couldn't handle. It plows effortlessly through high snow banks, turns and pivots easily, and lets you adjust the chute with a single lever—helpful if you want all your thrown snow to end up in a single pile.

Ariens 921032
Price: $1,300
Overall score: 88
Ranking: 3
CR's take: For $200 less than the best two-stage blower from Troy-Bilt, this Ariens clears almost as well. The lone blemish on its report card is a still admirable Very Good in our surface-cleaning test. That just means it leaves slightly more compacted snow in its path. It's up to you whether you can live with that if you save $200.

For clearing up to 16 inches of medium to heavy snow

Cub Cadet 2X 24" HP
Price: $950
Overall score: 78
Ranking: 1 of 15
CR's take: To get a great snow blower for less than $1,000, this relatively compact Cub Cadet will still clear snow up to 16 inches deep, even if it's a little slower than other models. It clears a path 2 feet wide. That may require a few more passes, but you'll appreciate its narrow footprint when you're finished—it takes up less space in the garage.

For clearing up to 9 inches of light to medium snow

Toro Power Clear 721 QZR 38743
Price: $680
Overall score: 71
Ranking: 1 of 20
CR's take: If you live in an area with moderate snowfall—or you're willing to make a few passes as snow is falling—you may get by easily with this Toro. It clears a 21-inch-wide path with each pass, even if it doesn't tackle as much snow—or throw it as far—as beefier two- and three-stage blowers.

Cub Cadet 221 LHP
Price: $550
Overall score: 67
Ranking: 2
CR's take: This compact Cub Cadet clears admirably and does its job for relatively little money. It's slower to throw snow than the Toro is, and won't throw it as far, but it still has plenty of power. And it's slim and compact for easy storage in a garage or shed.

For clearing up to 6 inches of light snow

Ego SNT2102
Price: $600
Overall score: 57
Ranking: 1 of 3
CR's take: If you're looking to clear only up to 6 inches at a time, this modestly priced and powerful tool from Ego lets you skip the hassle of gasoline. It runs on two 56-volt batteries, the same ones used in Ego's electric mower, string trimmer, and leaf blower.