Types of Blowers
* What are blowers?
As the name implies, blowers, using air driven by fans or compression technology, blow air! Blowers are used for purposes ranging from household air conditioners, snow and leaf blowers to commercial fans, cooling systems and pumps. Large, pressurized systems provide the most powerful fans, but some blowers are portable and convenient enough to easily manage for everyday use.
* Household Blowers
The most common blowers for yard use are snow and leaf blowers. Some blowers are walk-behinds, similar to lawn mowers. Some are mowers with convenient blowing attachments and some are very portable and lightweight, easy for anyone to use.
* Snow Blowers
There are two major categories of snow blowers. It is important to know a little bit about these so you are certain to select the choice that’s best for your needs. There are single-stage and two-stage snow blowers.
Single stage snow blowers are lightweight, inexpensive, easy to store and very simple to use. They can clean down to the surface, in paths ranging from 17-22 inches wide, depending on the model Most single-stage snow blowers have between 3.-5.5 horsepower. The main disadvantage of single-stage snow blowers is they lack the power and durability of the larger two-stage blowers. Single-stage snow blowers cannot drive backwards and they cannot be used on gravel surfaces.
On the other hand, two-stage snow blowers are gas powered, have forward and reversible drives, have larger tires, and generally have steel auger blades that do not touch the ground. No surface contact means that two-stage snow blowers can be easily used on gravel driveways and simply leave a thin layer of snow on the ground. This model typically has more accessories available.
Troy-Bilt Leaf and Snow Blowers
Troy-Bilt is one of the largest manufactures of snow blowers and leaf blowers. There are many models available, both gas and electric. The 657E is a walk-behind leaf blower with semi-pneumatic wheels with a 200 mph air stream. Power like this quickly gets rid of leaves, grass and just about any other debris you need to blow off your driveway or out of your yard.
Troy-Bilt also manufactures electric leaf blowers that are excellently suited for easier jobs. Troy-Bilt also carries a line of electric snow blowers that are perfect for smaller jobs: light snow, smaller driveways, patios or decks and city sidewalks. The Troy-Bilt leaf and snow blowers clear paths between 12-20 inches wide, throwing the snow from vanes rather than a chute.