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Today’s snow removal machines make quick work of clearing the white stuff from driveways and sidewalks—saving your back from the strain of shoveling and tossing aside heavy snow. Yet while the terms “snow blower” and “snow thrower” are often used interchangeably (even by manufacturers at times), the two machines are actually quite dissimilar in terms of power, functionality, and price. We’ve put these two side by side—snow blower vs. snow thrower—to identify six notable differences. Keep reading to find out which snow removal machine is best suited to your climate, property, and budget.

A snow blower is more powerful than a snow thrower.

A Snow Thrower is single-stage machine, meaning it gathers snow and tosses it out a chute in a single motion. The power generated by a horizontal spinning auger picks up the snow while also creating the force that expels snow out of a discharge chute, usually to a distance of 15 to 25 feet away.

• V-plows. Operators can use a V-plow to make an initial breakthrough. This V-position also is effective for hard-packed snow, ice, and deep drifts. Operators can set the blade in the straight position or angled position for general, wide-path plowing or stacking, and they can use the scoop position for clean-up and carrying snow with minimum spilling.

Tiller or cultivator? Gardeners often use the two words as if they mean the same thing, but they are actually different tools. The machines look similar, although tillers are usually larger than cultivators, but each is built to perform a unique function in the garden, and they aren’t really interchangeable.