Snow blower Recommendations

[Bassmn25 0]

Which snow blower is best for 314-8 2 stage or single stage ?

[peter lena 8,583]

first question is , what kind of snow do you get ?  if you are off the lake area and get drifting blowing snow , usually light and fluffy , either  model blower will do well. wetter snow favors a blade and the smaller single stage blower. that 14 horse should do well for power. a double stage is 200+ lbs heavy . another vital thing is a total lubrication detail go over to ensure easy operation , i personally have both a blade and single stage, to handle regular sloppy /wet snow . or  deeper light snow. others on site will chime in , but ,its the regular weather that you get that really makes the decision , pete 

[SPINJIM 1,981]

Your 314-8 has plenty of power to operate either one.   Fluffy snow, either one will work.   Wet snow, the single-stage will clog, so better off with two-stage.   Either way, run at fairly high rpm.    We haven't had enough snow the past two years to need anything beyond a plow blade, but I suspect that you have more in upstate NY.

   Good luck,  Jim

[Ed Kennell 38,028]

I never had a two stage, but have had both short and long chute single stage blowers.

My experience with the single stage blowers is they do well in dry snow, but will tend to clog in wet snow.

I found the key to a single stage use in wet snow is to vary the ground speed to keep the blower housing full of snow.   This requires a hydro transmission.   

IMO, a hydro with foot control and a hydraulic lift is necessary for efficient operation of a blower or a plow.

BTW, due to lack of snow, I have sold my blowers and have a 48" plow on the 312H and a 54" plow on the 520H.  Both have hyd lift and foot motion controls.

[Bassmn25 0]

Thanks for your responses

[SPINJIM 1,981]

3 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

BTW, due to lack of snow, I have sold my blowers

 

   Hey Ed, you know that's going to cause us to have a two foot blizzard this winter!   

Edited September 11, 2020 by SPINJIM

[Ed Kennell 38,028]

1 hour ago, SPINJIM said:

 

   Hey Ed, you know that's going to cause us to have a two foot blizzard this winter!   

That didn't work Jim.   I sold the blower three years ago...still no snow.      The 3-4" snows we did get, I had to rush out early for seat time before the sun took it away.

Guess I'll have to sell three or four of the plows.

[Lagersolut 649]

I have a blade on the 315-8 and a tall shoot single stage on the 416-8 - only have a 12 ft wide garage so I line them up blade tractor up front. 95% of the snows I clean up with the blade - if they're calling for a deep snow I switch them around put the 416 up front .

[kwalshy 229]

If you have a lot of driveway to clear with obstacles, curves, etc and you'll need to frequently lift the thrower, that 2 stage blower will start to get heavy after awhile.

I personally like the single stage blower over the 2 stage.  I have both and it's much easier to maneuver the tractor with single stage thrower and a lot easier to attach/remove than the two stage.  

 

I've found the trick is to keep the blower and chute well lubricated with a teflon spray, cheap car wax in spray bottle, even that tire shine stuff! 

 

However, I do wish that I had an excuse to run my 2 stage for a change, but we just don't get those monster snowfalls like other parts of the country.  I took a look at where Wading River is located and I'd recommend the single stage.