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John Deere Snow Blower Guide

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When you have a yard that accrues mounds of snow during the winter season, a John Deere snow blower can be a huge help.  Are you looking to buy a snowblower?  We’ve written a buyer’s guide for you, be sure to hop over there after reading this post.

These hefty machines are designed to pick up snow along their path and blow it out of the way. Powered by a gasoline engine designed for cold-weather use, snow blowers come in two forms, one that gets pushed around and another which attaches to your John Deere tractor.

All Snow Blowers are similar in several respects

Ultimately, snow blowers are designed to pick up snow on driveways and sidewalks without the need for shoveling. 

A few things you might want to consider first

For example, knowing if you need a single or double stage blower can be an important factor in the buying process for a John Deere snowblower.

Why choose a John Deere Snow Blower?

John Deere makes some of the best consumer and professional equipment around and has one of the greatest brand reputations in the world– for good reason.

John Deere snowblowers are a true American machines.

Thousands John Deere Snowblowersof people across the nation trust John Deere’s durability to get the job done. Unlike off-brand blowers, John Deere systems are not prone to breaking down.

They pack the power needed to move snow piles quickly and easily. Their snow blowers come in several varieties with features that every prospective buyer should know.

Hand-pushed models are ideal for your typical homeowner who needs to frequently remove snow from their driveways and sidewalks.

More powerful models attach to a John Deere tractor. Those blowers are most frequently used by commercial snow blower companies, but there are many homeowners/farmers that have large tracts of land to cover.

An Overview of Tractor Models and How They Work

John Deere’s most powerful consumer snow blowers consist of a unit that attaches to the front of your tractor. Users can operate the snow blower right from the comfort of their tractor seat.

The blower uses power from the tractor’s alternator, connecting to the power ports on the side of the tractor. The blower can be lowered during operation and lifted to move to a new plot or for storage purposes. If the terrain is particularly rugged, tire chains can be attached to the tractor’s wheels.

What is an auger?

The main element that picks up and removes the snow is called the auger

The auger is the twisted metal piece at the front of the unit. It turns rapidly, picking up any snow in its path and forcing it out the chute (single stage). Higher end blowers supplement the auger with a device called the impeller (double stage).

In this type of system, the auger picks up snow from the ground and the impeller forces it out the chute. This results in a more powerful system capable of picking up more snow and throwing it farther.

What about John Deere’s Push Blowers?

John Deere SnowblowersJohn Deere makes another type of snow blower that is more accessible to consumers with more conventional needs. for clearing snow from sidewalks, dirt plots, driveways and more, a push blower is the best choice.

These systems are powered by a gasoline engine usually under 10 horsepower.

A feature I recommend is the electric engine starter, which can be quite handy in starting an engine in the cold. Large rubber tires allow for easy pushing through even tough terrain.

These John Deere snowblowers are controlled by a series of levers on a control panel located at the handle.

Adjustable handles are a handy feature especially if you’re going to be pushing it around for an extended period of time. Special plastic cabins are available which enclose the user in a box protected from flying snow. With the wide variety of quality machines available, anyone can find a John Deere snow blower model for them.

 

Hand pushed and tractor-mounted varieties

Two types of snow blowers are available- hand pushed and tractor-mounted varieties. Both use an auger to break up snow and push it out through an ejection chute.

Higher end models up the ante with an impeller which works in conjunction with the auger to throw the snow farther and faster (Referred to as a double stage snow blower). Let’s take a closer look at the snow blowers that John Deere makes.

 

John Deere Snow Blower

Single And Double Stage Snow Blowers

 

Snow blowers use up to two components to pick up and throw snow, an auger and an impeller.

The auger is the screw-like part on the business end of the blower.

Single stage models use an auger to pull snow off the ground and force it through a discharge chute. These blowers generally run on a 5-8 horsepower engine and have a clearing path of between one and two feet (generally 20-22 inches).

These systems do not require as much power as a double stage, but require more passes to complete a job and don’t throw the snow as far.

Homeowners that get less than 75 inches of snow per year do well with a blower of this power. The single stage models are perfect for clearing snow from driveways and sidewalks.

Double stage John Deere blowers are the next step up from the single stage

These models use an impeller combined with an auger to pick up and throw snow.

  • First, the auger picks up the bulk of the snow
  • Then a powerful impeller blade sucks it up and forces it out through the discharge chute.

Instead of just an auger doing the John Deere Snow Blowerwork, an impeller gives the machine an added kick to throw snow farther and pick up faster.

Of course, more power is needed to do this, which is why these blowers pack a more powerful engine (around 8 horsepower).

You can also expect to have a larger clearing path, resulting in less passes needed to cover a given area.

All John Deere snow blowers are equipped with a wide diameter, high tread wheels to make them easy to push through tough terrain.

Models with an electric start make it easy to start up the engine even in cold weather.

Large Snow Blowers

So far, we have talked about small and medium-sized blowers, but what if you have a huge plot of land to cover?

Large John Deere snowblowers are actually attachments which connect to your John Deere tractor.

John Deere Snow Blower

Both single and double stage models are available. When purchasing, make sure that the blower is compatible with your tractor model.

Some tractor blowers are equipped with hydraulic lifts which lift and drop the attachment at your command. The discharge chute is located at the top of the system, angled to shoot snow either left or right.

The larger blowers are only used by people with large areas of land or driveways to cover. They can be quite expensive but are well worth it if it saves you hours of shoveling every day.

Features To Consider When Buying

Electric Starter

Electric starters are not included on every John Deere model, but I recommend getting one. Even motors designed for cold conditions can be difficult to get going. These starters run on 110v wall power and plug into any electrical outlet. With a press of a button, the engine starts up just like an automobile. Pull-cord starters get the job done, but have a tendency to wear out over time, requiring a handle replacement.

Handle Bar Height

It may seem frivolous, but getting a snow blower that sits at a comfortable height is essential, especially if you’ll be using it for 30 minutes or more. Certain models even have adjustable handles so you can find the perfect height for you. Padded rubber handles are an added bonus and provide better grip in the wet snow.

Does my Snow Blower Need Tire Chains?

Although more of a tractor accessory, John Deere tire chains are a must if you have a lot of snow to haul. The added weight of pushing the snow can reduce traction on your wheels. The tire chains grip the ground better than tires alone.

Plastic Cabins

Plastic cabins are used on both the tractor and push John Deere Snow Blower. They are a plastic box cover which has clear windows on all sides. If you work in a crosswind, having this protection becomes a lifesaver. There’s nothing worse than being cold and wet. As you may know, blown snow can shoot in all directions, even with the most precision-made discharge chutes.

Hand Pushed John Deere Snow Blower

Hand-pushed models are used in a similar way to a lawnmower. Large diameter pneumatic wheels allow users to work over uneven and otherwise difficult terrain.

All models are equipped with a gasoline engine designed to operate in cold and wet environments.

In single stage models, the engine turns an auger (the screw-shaped part at the front) which both picks up the snow and forces it through the discharge chute. The snow flies to one side, piling up out of the way and clearing the path. The single stage models typically employ a 5 to 8 horsepower engine.

Double stage snow throwers add another element to the pick-up process, an impeller. The impeller takes up the job of throwing snow through the chute, splitting the work with the auger. This results in a more powerful blower that can handle bigger jobs.

The clearing path on the double stage models is larger than the single stage John Deere snow blower, allowing users to complete a job in fewer passes.

Tractor Mounted John Deere Snowblower

While tractor mounted snow blowers can cost quite a bit more money than push ones, they become an invaluable resource if you have large tracks of land to clear.

These blowers mount to the front of your John Deere tractor and are powered by the tractor’s power supply. A piston lift arm allows users to lift and drop the blower while sitting in their tractor.

These models come in both single and double stage varieties. Connecting the blower to your tractor is easy, but keep in mind that each blower is only compatible with certain tractor models.

If you have the need for a heavy duty John Deere snowblower system, the tractor blower is the way to go. One accessory I would consider is a plastic cabin. Crosswind can send snow flying in unexpected directions, often on the operator. Plastic cabins attach to your tractor and provide a protective barrier from rouge snow.

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