•  Are Single-stage Snowthrowers good? It depends on how much snow you get at one time, the type of snow you get, and how far you want to throw the snow. Single-stage snowthrowers work best on 2-8 inches of snow. If you regularly get more than that single-stage snow throwers can be hard to use. Good single-stage snowthrowers will work on all types of snow. the better models will throw “normal” snow 15-25 feet so they will throw the snow off your single and two-car driveways. They will not throw heavy/wet snow or slush very far – usually only a few feet. If you normally get drifting you will want a two-stage snow blower to throw the snow farther away from your driveway so you don’t get deeper and deeper drifts as the winter progresses.
• Are single-stage snowthrowers self-propelled? The correct answer is no. Some single-stage snowthrower augers are designed so they will pull the snow thrower through the snow as it clears the snow. This feature is called “auger-assist.” This feature works best if there are 4-6 inches or more snow. On most models with rubber paddles when you lift up on the handles the auger will touch the ground and this will also help to pull the snow thrower through the snow.
• Can I use a single-stage snowthrower on a gravel driveway? Single-stage snowthrowers and designed to clear the snow right down to the pavement so they will pick up rocks and throw them. Since the gravel driveway is rough they are also very hard to push. They also don’t work on grass and dirt for the same reasons. If you want to clear a path out to the shed or clear a patch of lawn for your dogs you really need a two-stage snow blower for the task.
• Can single-stage snowthrowers break ice?  Can single-stage snowthrowers remove ice? Not really. It will not clear a sheet of ice off your driveway. Single-stage snow throwers generally have a plastic scraper behind the auger. This scraper has about the same clearing power as a poly snow shovel. What that means is if you throw salt or sand on the ice and the sun has a chance to melt the ice in places down to the pavement a single-stage snow thrower will be able to bust through the ice layer and scrape some of it up and throw it off your driveway.
• Can you use a single-stage snowthrower on slush? Yes, single-stage snowthrowers grab the slush and in one motion throw it out the chute. The good ones have the auger housing designed like a funnel so the slush doesn’t catch inside and plug the snowthrower. Be Aware – even the best will only throw slush a few feet.
• How much does a single-stage snowthrower weigh? A small 18-inch gas-powered single-stage snowthrower weighs about 60 lbs, a normal size 21-22 inch weighs about 90 lbs., and a larger 24 inch weighs about 130 lbs.
• How much is a decent single-stage snowthrower? Good gas-powered single-stage snowthrower are not cheap. A small 18-inch costs about $450, a normal size 21-22 inch costs about $650, and a larger 24-inch costs about $850.
• Is an electric or gas single-stage snowthrowers better? In general, gas single stage snowthrowers are better than cordless electric and much better than corded electric. There are two cordless electric snow blowers for the fall of 2019 that are better than about half of the single-stage snow blowers on the market. The Best Cordless Electric Snowblower For You! Fall 2019
• What brand makes the best single-stage snowthrowers? It depends on the website reviewing the products, owner reviews, and other factors. In general, Toro has the best overall reputation although Honda, Ariens, Troy-Bilt and Briggs & Stratton all have one or two models that rate well with review sites and owners.

Fuel & Oil Questions About Single-Stage Snowthrowers.

• 

  Do Not Use Fuel From This Pump In Your Snow Blower!

   Can I use regular gas in my single-stage snowthrower? Yes, the engine is designed for regular unleaded 87 Octane fuel with up to 10% E10 ethanol. DO NOT use fuel from a pump labeled E15 or higher ethanol. It will ruin your engine and void your warranty.

• Are single-stage snowthrowers 2 or 4 cycle? All single-stage snow throwers sold in the U.S. in the last 10 years are 4 cycle. No need for a separate gas can.
• Is it bad to run a single-stage snowthrower engine with the choke on? No. Small engines without EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) don’t have carburetors that automatically adjust the fuel ratio for different temperatures and altitudes. So, you need to do this by adjusting the choke lever.
• Why is my single-stage snowthrower sputtering? Adjust the choke lever until the engine smooths out. After the engine warms up you may have to further adjust the choke.  Small engines without EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) don’t have carburetors that automatically adjust the fuel ratio for different temperatures and altitudes. So, you need to do this by adjusting the choke lever.
• Can I use SAE 30 instead of 5w30 in my single-stage snowthrower? SAE 30 engine oil is thicker than 5W30 and it will make the engine hard to pull over and hard to start in cold weather. Rule of thumb: Below 32 degrees use 5W30.
• How many cc is a 5.5 hp engine? Around 208cc. Horsepower ratings are no longer used with small engines in the U.S. There are too many factors that go into determining the actual horsepower of an engine, let alone, the fact we use three different government standards to measure HP for small engines.
• How many horsepower is 208cc? Somewhere around 5 HP. Horsepower ratings are no longer used with small engines in the U.S. There are too many factors that go into determining the actual horsepower of an engine, let alone, the fact we use three different government standards to measure HP for small engines.
• How many horsepower is a single-stage snowthrower CC? 136cc around 3 HP, 179cc around 4 HP, 208cc around 5.5 HP and 250cc around 7-8 HP. Horsepower ratings are no longer used with small engines in the U.S. There are too many factors that go into determining the actual horsepower of an engine, let alone, the fact we use three different government standards to measure HP for small engines.

If you are not quite sure what snow blower you need please check out these articles:

• The Best Snow Blower For 2019
• Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS,
•  What Is The Best Snow Blower For Me? – All Your Questions Answered Here!
•  13 Snow Blower Features And Myths That Matter
• 5 Best Commercial Snow Blowers 2019

By The Way – All Opinions are Mine.

Keeping up with snow blowers is almost a full-time job and I take finding the best snow blower for you very seriously. The U.S. manufactures currently sell about 400 different models made here in the U.S. alone. In addition, there are always another dozen or so foreign manufactures trying to wedge their way into your pocketbook. By the way – a quality $500 two-stage snow blower no longer exists. The base regular price is now $699.

Affiliate Disclaimer: Please assume that if I send you to a retailer to purchase a product that I will make a small commission from that sale. FTC disclosure: **This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

The post 17 Common Questions About Single-Stage Snowthrowers appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

Then in 2007 or the rules were changed and the engine manufactures started using gross torque as a measurement of the engine’s power . Of course, no one understood what this meant and even though companies like Briggs & Stratton tried to explain it, it still didn’t make much sense.

Then they changed the rules on us again. In fact, this was so confusing that in the 2008/2009 season most snowblower engine manufacturers dropped the torque measurement and now only give us engine size in cc’s.

Today, in the fall of 2020, only a few counties use HP or the metric equivalent. Most, including the U.S. just the cc.

So, this cc to HP chart is as accurate as I can make it. Husqvarna still uses HP in some parts of the world and a few other reputable sources also have the HP in their model numbers. cc to HP

Check all the latest snowblowers here: The Best Snowblowers For You! Fall 2020

cc to HP chart!

I’ll leave the original article below but Husqvarna and others have been nice enough to rate their new engines.

Husqvarna LCT Snow

Briggs & Stratton Snow

Honda Snow

Loncin Snow

I spent a great deal of time researching this and I’m not going to spend time trying to explain why the engine manufacturers have changed their terminology. Instead, I’m just going to show you a formula you can use to figure it out yourself.

Here’s the formula I used from the Briggs & Stratton website (rpm x torque / 5,252) The engine manufacturer’s used 3600 rpm most of the time to rate the engine’s horsepower so I will use that number in the formula. I also used the torque ratings from the Briggs & Stratton website for their motors to keep this chart simple. Other manufacturers (like Powermore) may have different torque ratings for their motors.

If you are trying to get exact hp measurements you should research the torque ratings for the specific brand.

For 2009/2010 MTD has dropped all torque ratings on snow throwers. The engines are only labeled in cc’s.

Here is a simple chart of approximate cc to torque to horsepower conversions. It’s not exact, but it will give you a better idea of how big the new engines are. I used 3600 rpm in the formula for this comparison. Assume that your new snowblower motor runs at less rpm.
123 cc = 4 hp
179 cc = 5 hp
208 cc = 8 to 9 Gross Torque = 5.5 to 7 hp

243cc = 8 HP

277 cc = 11 to 11.5 Gross Torque = 8 to 9 hp
305 cc = 13.5 to 14.5 Gross Torque = 9 to 10 hp
342 cc = 15.5 to 16.5 Gross Torque = 11 to 12 hp
357 cc = 13 hp
420 cc = 14 hp

To me, cc’s is not a good comparison from one motor to another. It is also not a good comparison from one manufacturer to another. For example, a 190cc Briggs & Stratton side valve motor will not have the same power as a Honda 190cc overhead valve motor. cc’c don’t give you a good measurement of what the engine is capable of. True, an overhead valve motor from a specific manufacturer should have more power with more cc’s but there are a lot of other factors that go into determining how much power is available for you to use. The true power of a motor is determined by engine type, (overhead valve/side valve) carburetor (naturally aspirated/fuel injected/turbo) rpm you use it at (2750/3100/3650) and many other factors. I hope this helps.

Here is an explanation of torque from Briggs & Stratton

Explanation of Torque from B&S

Here is an original article on this issue:
Horsepower loses its grip on mowers. In terms of engines, talk turns to torque
By Rick Barrett
McClatchy Tribune
Published on: 02/23/08

When you buy lawn and garden equipment this spring, a familiar old term —- horsepower —- will be missing from many engines.

Blame it on lawyers, or engine makers who might have fudged the numbers, but horsepower is no longer the gold standard for small gasoline engines.

Sears, for example, advertises some lawn mowers rated by horsepower, others by torque, and still others by cubic centimeters. And some mowers have no such designation at all.

“Unfortunately, we are not giving consumers the answers they want,” said Bill Rotter, an owner of National Ace Hardware stores in the Milwaukee area.

There’s no longer a horsepower rating for many Briggs & Stratton engines. Last year, Briggs chose torque as its rating system for push mowers, snow throwers, pressure washers, and generators.

In basic terms, torque is a measure of the force needed to turn something like a wrench or a lawnmower blade.

“We think it’s a better measurement of a mower’s ability to cut grass,” said Rick Zeckmeister, North American consumer marketing director at Briggs & Stratton, the world’s largest manufacturer of small gasoline engines.

Horsepower, on the other hand, evolved from a measure of the rate at which a horse could pull coal up a mine shaft into a more technical measurement related to watts. Although most people don’t know its technical meaning, many have found it useful in comparing the power of engines.

So now, consumers may face confusion over how torque equates to horsepower. There isn’t a practical conversion chart because torque and horsepower are two different things.

“Torque doesn’t mean much to the consumer,” Rotter said. “And it’s more complicated for us because it’s almost impossible to try and explain what gross torque means” to someone buying a lawnmower.

Rotter said he wouldn’t be surprised if, down the road, engine manufacturers return to horsepower ratings.

Lawsuit spurs change

The shift away from horsepower ratings came after a lawsuit in Illinois claimed that engine manufacturers were overstating the horsepower of lawn mower engines.

In some cases, the lawsuit alleged, identical engines were labeled with different horsepower ratings, misleading consumers into believing they were getting more power by purchasing more expensive models.

Briggs advertised one engine as having 6.75 horsepower and yet told the Environmental Protection Agency the same engine had 3.6 horsepower, an 88 percent overstatement, according to the lawsuit.

Since at least 1997, engine manufacturers Briggs, Tecumseh, Kohler, Toro, and Kawasaki have reported horsepower ratings to the EPA that were significantly lower than the ratings advertised to the public, the lawsuit said.

For Briggs, it wasn’t an attempt to mislead anyone, according to Tom Savage, a senior vice president at the company.

There are different testing protocols for the EPA than for the general public, Savage said. The EPA ratings are based on a “composite” of test results at different engine loads, while results for the general public are based on an engine’s full power capabilities.

An Illinois judge dismissed the suit last March, but it may resurface.

“It’s still not totally resolved because the judge did not tell us what portions of the suit he dismissed with prejudice or not. So in effect, it allows the lawyers to come back,” said James Brenn, Briggs’ chief financial officer.

The suit included plaintiffs from across the nation, including Susan Barnard, a librarian from Green Bay, Wis.

Barnard bought a Yard Machines mower for $263.70 that was supposed to have a 5-horsepower Briggs engine. Although she was happy with the mower, she was miffed when lawyers involved in the lawsuit contacted her and told her the engine was less powerful than billed.

“I said, ‘Those dirty buggers. You get them to stop doing that. Put me on the lawsuit,'” she said in an interview.

‘Horsepower sells’

Over the years, manufacturers in the intensely competitive small-engine business have used horsepower ratings as a marketing tool.

“Horsepower sells,” said Jeff Hebbard, a vice president at Ariens Co., a Brillion, Wis.-based manufacturer of lawn tractors and other outdoor power equipment. “It doesn’t always sell for the right reasons, but it does sell.”

The horsepower race sounds like what has occurred with electric motors, where power claims have been embellished, said Kevin Brady, a Minneapolis attorney and engineer not affiliated with the horsepower lawsuit.

“You can exaggerate a bit and not get in trouble,” Brady said. “It’s called puffing.”

In reporting to the EPA, engine manufacturers have some leeway to fudge horsepower ratings by about 15 percent.

Sometimes, the same engine is advertised as having different horsepower ratings depending on how it’s sold.

“There are slight adjustments that get them there, but it’s the same engine,” Hebbard said.

Ariens buys engines from Briggs, Kohler, Honda and other manufacturers.

It has been challenging for the engine makers to find a rating system that works, said Dan Ariens, company president.

“Americans are very familiar with horsepower. It’s a number they kind of understand,” Ariens said.

It’s uncertain which power standard the small-engine manufacturers will settle on, if they agree at all.

“Some guys like to have cubic centimeters as their standard, some like torque, and some like horsepower,” said Savage of Briggs & Stratton. “I don’t know if there will be a one-size-fits-all solution.”

SHOPPER’S GUIDE

What to look for, according to Peter Sawchuk, a Consumer Reports power equipment expert.

Ignore: horsepower, torque or engine displacement

Pay attention to: The mower’s cutting width and overall performance, rather than engine statistics.

Look for: An engine with an overhead valve system. It might be more expensive, but it will last longer.

GLOSSARY OF ENGINE TERMS

Torque: Briggs & Stratton says torque is the best way to rate an engine that powers a push lawn mower, snow thrower, pressure washer or other equipment where the engine is turning something. Torque, in basic terms, is a twisting force that causes rotation.

Horsepower: Engine manufacturers typically measure horsepower by operating a “bare” engine, not equipped with accessories or installed in power equipment, at a given engine speed. In technical terms, a unit of horsepower is equal to 745.7 watts, another measurement of power.

Since torque and horsepower are two different things, Briggs says it can’t do a direct comparison.

Cubic centimeters: The volume of the engine’s cylinder chamber. An engine with more cubic centimeters should produce more power. But that could be affected by other features of the engine, including its fuel injector or carburetor.

Here is a link that might be useful: AJC Article

From Popular Mechanics Sept 2017: Here’s the Only Horsepower vs. Torque Explanation You’ll Ever Need To Read

The post Snowblower/mower engine cc to hp conversion 2020 Update appeared first on MovingSnow.com.

Well they changed the rules on us again.  Five years ago the power output of every snowblower sold here in the United States was measured in hp or horsepower.

Two years ago they changed the rules and started selling snowthrowers with the power measured in gross torque.  Of course no one understood what this meant and even though companies like Briggs & Stratton tried to explain it, it still didn’t make much sense.

So we just started to get used to measuring an engine’s output in torque and now most of the snow blower manufacturers are dropping the torque measurement and only giving us engine size in cc’s.

I spent a great deal of time researching this and I’m not going to spend time trying to explain why the engine manufactures have changed their terminology.  Instead I’m just going to show you a formula you can use to figure it out yourself.

Here’s the formula I used from the Briggs & Stratton website (rpm x torque / 5,252)   The engine manufacturer’s used 3600 rpm most of the time to rate the engine’s horsepower so I will use that number in the formula.  I also used the torque ratings from the Briggs & Stratton website for their motors to keep this chart simple.  Other manufactures (like Powermore) may have different torque ratings for their motors.  If you are trying to get exact hp measurements you should research the torque ratings for the specific brand.

Here is a simple chart of approximate cc to torque to horsepower conversions.  It’s not exact, but it will give you a better idea of how big the new engines are.  I used 3600 rpm in the formula for this comparison.

179 cc =  5 hp

205 cc = 8 to 9 Gross Torque = 5.5 to 6.5 hp

250 cc = 11 to 11.5 Gross Torque = 7 to 8 hp

305 cc = 13.5 to 14.5 Gross Torque = 9 to 10 hp

342 cc = 15.5 to 16.5 Gross Torque = 11 to 12 hp

389 to 420cc = 18 ft lbs = 13 to 15 hp

To me cc’s is not a good comparison from one motor to another.  It is also not a good comparison from one manufacture to another.  For example, a 190cc Briggs & Stratton side valve motor will not have the same power as a Honda 190cc overhead valve motor.  cc’s won’t give you a good measurement of what the engine is capable of.    True, an overhead valve motor from a specific manufacture should have more power with more cc’s but there are a lot of other factors that go into determining how much power is available for you to use.

The true power of a motor is determined by engine type, (overhead valve/side valve) carburetor, (naturally aspirated/fuel injected/turbo) rpm you use it at, (2750/3100/3650) and many other factors.

I hope this helps.

The post cc, gross torque, horsepower-What’s the difference? appeared first on MovingSnow.com.