Snow Throwers - A Primer

Snow Throwers come in many sizes and with many different features; so sometimes trying to make a decision on which one to buy is almost mind numbing. If you have experience with these machines, you likely already know the pros and cons of various designs and models. But, if you have never worked with one of these machines before, hopefully the following will be of help:

Basic Designs

Snow Throwers (sometimes called snow Blowers) have a powered "auger" built onto the front of a frame where it spins at a high rate of speed and forces any snow it contacts up and into a chute that shoots the snow away from what you are clearing off. The auger can be powered by either an electric motor or a gasoline engine. This is called a single-sTAGe machine.

All snow Throwers have an auger on the front, but the larger machines also have an "impeller" that picks up the snow delivered by the auger and throws it farther away at a higher rate of speed and volume. This is called a two-sTAGe machine and is used for heavier snows and larger areas to be cleared off.

Almost all single-stage Blowers need to be pushed into the snow by the operator, while most two-stage models have powered drive wheels that do much of the work.

Engine Power

The smallest units are used mostly for decks, patios, and short sidewalks, and fAirly light snow. These small machines can be powered by an electric motor, which means they cannot extend out from your house further than the length of your power cord and extension cord.

In addition to electric power, single-stage snow throwers are also powered by gasoline engines. Two-cycle engines (where you mix your oil and gas together) are being phased out because they pollute the Air; so the standard four-cycle engine is now used predominately.

The larger two-stage machines, which are self-propelled, use quite large engines that can be up to 15 horsepower. However, engine size alone doesn't mean the machine is efficient--you need to do some of your own research to determine the right combination for your particular needs.

Mounted Snow Throwers

These throwers are attached to mobile machines like ATVs, garden tractors, small farm tractors, BobCats, Forklifts, and the like. They are used when very large areas and heavy snow needs to be cleared off.

Special Features

It seems like the larger the snow thrower, the more features that seem to be available. They have chains to go on the Tires of self-propelled machines (a must). Some units come with power steering, heated hand grips, electric starters, and headlights. There are even enclosures available to keep the operator out of the eleMents. There seems to be no end to gadgets made just for this equipMent

Cost

The smallest electric models can be had for a street price of around to 0, plus the cost of any extension cords you need. The single-stage gasoline engine machines run around 0 to 0, and the larger two-stage units cost between 0 and over ,000. Mounted units can cost well into the thousands of Dollars.

Well, there you have a quick overview of snow throwers. If you are in the market for one, the best thing to do is ask those people who own a machine and find out what the pros and cons for each model are. If you can find a sales person that is knowledgeable--so much the better.  Good luck.

Snow Throwers - A Primer

Snow Throwers - A Primer

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Snow Throwers - A Primer

Used Tractor Tires - A Durable and Affordable Tire Option

If you don't care about looking good or buying expensive tractor Tires to feel good about yourself, you are probably searching for used tractor Tires. You know the ones that are affordable, durable, and get the Job done. If you know a little about Tires, you will know that there aren't many quality cheap tractor tires on the market.

Today, you can find pretty much any tire that you could ever imagine wanting. If you go to your nearest tire store, you'll see exactly that; different brands, models, and makes. Now some brands are more expensive than others, so if you're just looking for a tire to use, it's a good idea to go with the cheaper brand.

Before you head down to the tire store or start searching online, you are going to need to know a thing or two about tires. Most tires look exactly the same, so sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a quality tire and a bad tire that will fall apart quickly. If you don't exactly know what you're looking, ask an employee at the tire store to find a durable one that will fit your tractor.

The main difference between a cheap tire and a more expensive tire is durability. The more expensive tires tend to last longer, even though they look the same. The low quality of the material and construction is what separates a cheap tire from the more expensive ones.

Some people claim that more expensive tires can increase the tractors fuel economy. Well, this hasn't been proven. We all know that tractors use a lot of gas, so it doesn't really matter whether a more expensive tire adds a small amount of gas efficiency.

If you absolutely need a tractor tire immediately, you might want to consider retread tires. Many tire shops sell these tires at a very deep discount, but they don't last very long. So if you need some tires to hold you over for a week or two, going with a brand name retread tire is probably right for you.

A used tire that has gone through its tread is usually sold back to the tire shop. The shop will often retread the tire and sell it back to the public at a discount. Many of these tires are from well known brand names, but they are technically in the used tire category now. So if you need a tire to hold you over when your budget is a little limited, you should strongly consider purchasing a a retread, used tire.

Used tires are the tires that are discarded after an owner upgrades to brand new tires. Then the old tires are sold as-is to the general public. You don't really have to worry about the quality of the tire, since the tire shop will not sell you an unsafe tire. So you have two choices when you are looking for cheap tractor tires; you can go with used tires or used retread tires.

tractor tire chains

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