Comparison AL-KO SnowLine 46E vs AL-KO SnowLine 760TE

— Petrol. An internal combustion engine that uses gasoline as fuel. Such engines are often more powerful than electric ones, and do not depend on being connected to the mains or the length of the power cord. On the other hand, gasoline snow blowers are usually heavier, have a higher noise level, and emit combustion products into the air. In addition, they are more expensive to operate and require the purchase of fuel and lubricants. You should pay attention to such machines if you plan to work on large areas and/or in the absence of electricity.

— Diesel. Internal combustion engines running on diesel fuel. It is easier to achieve high torque in such engines than in gasoline engines; however, this requires sacrificing speed, but this is not critical for snow blowers. In addition, diesel fuel is cheaper than gasoline. On the other hand, the engines themselves are quite expensive and difficult to maintain, and at low temperatures they often have problems starting. Therefore, diesel engines are not very widespread; they are found only in a few models of heavy professional snow blowers.

— Electric(mains). Snow blowers with electric motors are usually powered by a regular 230 V mains. Compared to gasoline ones, such devices are lighter, cheaper to operate, produce less noise and do not pollute the air; in addition, they are more compact and easier to store. On th...e other hand, the power of electric snow blowers is usually significantly lower, and mobility is limited by the length of the power cord. Such models can be recommended primarily to those who plan to clean relatively small areas in the immediate vicinity of power sources - for example, the yard of a private house or the exit from a garage.

— Electric (battery). Snow blowers with an electric motor, powered by a built-in battery. Such models have very low power and limited operating time, while they are more expensive and weigh more than their mains-powered counterparts. On the other hand, a battery-powered snow blower works without being connected to the mains and does not depend on the length of the wire. So such a unit will be an ideal choice for cleaning a relatively small area near which there are no sockets.

The width of the strip of snow that the snow blower can clear in one pass. The larger the capture width, the fewer passes will be required to process the site, which is especially important on large areas. On the other hand, for processing small spaces, clearing individual paths, etc. significant width is not required (moreover, a “narrow” snow blower will pass more easily in a hard-to-reach place). The larger the capture width, the more powerful the engine, usually, ceteris paribus.

The most compact modern snow blowers have a working width of less than 50 cm, these are mainly electric models of low power, although gasoline units are also found. A width of 50 – 60 cm can be called relatively small, 60 – 70 cm — medium, and in the largest models this figure exceeds 70 cm.

The maximum thickness of the snow layer that the snow blower removes in one pass. If you plan to regularly remove snow as it falls in a small area (for example, in the courtyard of your own private house), a grip height of up to 20 cm will be enough. If the opportunity to remove snow is rare (for example, in a country house where you visit only on weekends), you should pay attention to more powerful models with a height of about 50 cm.

The maximum distance to which the snow blower can throw the collected snow (for models without throwing distance adjustment, the operating range itself). This value is rather arbitrary, since snow can be strongly dispersed in flight. Nevertheless, it characterizes the capabilities of the unit well and allows you to compare it with other models.

Long range is important mainly when working on large areas — it allows you to throw snow across the cultivated area so that it does not have to be collected a second time. As for specific figures, the value up to 10 m is considered relatively small, 11 – 15 m — average, and in the most "long-range" models this figure can be 16 m or more.

The type and material of the working mechanism, which is standardly installed in the snow blower.

— Steel auger. An auger is a structure of several spirally curved plates that, due to rotation, ensure the movement of snow from the surface being cleared and throw it in the desired direction. Metal augers have high hardness and strength, due to which they are well suited for working with hard crust, dense compacted snow and high snowdrifts. On the other hand, such a tool can damage the coating under the snow, so such devices are poorly suited for work on paths with decorative coating. Also, a metal auger can break from a collision, say, with a stone, and therefore requires the use of safety systems (shear pins). Such augers are usually equipped with powerful self-propelled models, in which the working tool does not fit tightly to the ground.

— Rubber auger. A type of auger (see above) made of rubberized material. Such augers are softer than steel ones, which means they can be used to clear paths with decorative coverings without fear of damaging the surface. At the same time, they are suitable for working only with loose, freshly fallen snow — such augers cope much worse with dense snowdrifts or crust than metal ones, and in this mode they quickly wear out and become unusable. Rubberized (or even solid rubber) augers are usually installed on non-self-propelled models, in which the tool can...fit closely to the ground.

— Plastic auger. The advantages of plastic as a material for augers are low cost and good hardness, due to which such augers cope much better with frozen crust and compacted snow than rubberized ones. At the same time, they are much more careful with the road surface than metal ones, due to which they can be used almost close to the ground. At the same time, plastic is characterized by fragility and a tendency to crack when colliding with hard obstacles, and therefore this material is used relatively rarely and mainly in inexpensive snow blowers.

— Sweeper brush. A rotating cylindrical brush with long, rigid "bristles" fixed on a horizontal axis. This mechanism is designed to work with soft, loose snow of shallow depth. Its main advantage is the combination of cleanliness of processing and a good width of capture: the brush can provide a capture strip of 60-80 cm, leaving behind almost completely cleared soil. At the same time, it can be used on relatively "delicate" surfaces. But for high snowdrifts or densely packed snow, it is better to use augers.

— Steel auger/sweeper brush. In this case, the snow blower is equipped with both types of working mechanisms (see above for more details), and the operator can install the most suitable for the given conditions. This provides the greatest versatility: for example, you can remove the crust with a metal auger, and then install the brush and sweep the area clean.

— Blade. A device made of curved metal sheet for clearing snowdrifts. Allows for large volumes of work, used for clearing freshly fallen snow from access roads, parking lots, areas near garages or entrance gates to a private plot. To prevent damage to delicate road surfaces, a rubber coating is often “put on” the lower part of the blade. Based on the working situation, three fixed positions of the blade are usually assumed: vertically, with an inclination to the right or left.

— Self-propelled design. In self-propelled snow blowers, the built-in motor drives not only the auger, but also the wheels / tracks, ensuring the movement of the device. In this way, you do not have to push the snow blower by hand, which makes work much easier — especially with heavy, powerful models. Most self-propelled models have a transmission that allows you to adjust the speed of movement, as well as the ability to move backward (see "Number of gears").

— Overload protection. A safety system that protects the unit from breakdowns in the event of critical loads. The main reason for the occurrence of such loads is the jamming of the screw — for example, due to the ingress of a foreign object. Therefore, most often, special bolts are used for protection, connecting the auger to the motor gearbox: with a sharp increase in load, the bolts are cut off and the auger is disconnected from the gearbox. Another option is overheating protection that reacts to engine temperature; it is found predominantly in electrical assemblies and can be used alone or in combination with shear bolts.

— Headlights. The presence of a headlight (headlights) in the design of the snow blower allows you to use it for work at night, when there are no other light sources or they are not enough. In addition, in some models, the headlights turn on automatically every time the engine is starte...d — they play the role of a warning signal that the unit is running.

— Heated handles. Heating system for handles, which the operator holds during work. This feature is especially useful as snow blowers are used in cold weather, and hands can get cold during prolonged use. On the other hand, with small volumes of cleaning, you can completely do with gloves, so heated handles are found mainly in powerful models with internal combustion engines, designed for large volumes of work.

— On wheels. The most common option among modern snow blowers. Wheeled units turn out to be quite light and manoeuvrable, and problems with cross-country ability can only arise on very rough terrain.

— On caterpillars. Tracks provide less ground pressure than wheels and a larger contact area. This significantly increases the cross-country ability and allows you to effectively overcome pits, bumps, steep climbs and other difficult places that are “too tough” for wheeled units. On the other hand, tracks are noticeably more complex and expensive than wheels, they can only be used in self-propelled models, and all the advantages become noticeable only on very rough terrain. Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to caterpillar snow blowers only if maximum cross-country ability is fundamentally important to you.

The number of gears in the transmission of a self-propelled snow blower (see "Design"), in fact — the number of speeds at which it can move during operation.

Recall that upshifting increases speed and reduces torque. Thus, high gears are convenient for working with loose snow, which does not give strong resistance, while low gears allow you to cope with dense snow and crust. And the greater the number of gears, other things being equal, the more accurately you can choose the optimal speed. On the other hand, the abundance of settings complicates and increases the cost of the transmission. Therefore, when choosing the number of gears, manufacturers also take into account the overall level of the snow blower: the more powerful and heavier the unit, the more settings it usually provides.

A separate case are units with continuously variable (including hydrostatic) transmissions. They do not have fixed gears, and the gear ratio is automatically adjusted depending on the throttle position and the load on the working nozzle. One of the advantages of such systems is the almost zero probability of slipping, because. the wheels keep the torque at all times. In addition, the transmission itself can play the role of overload protection: when the auger is jammed, it disconnects it from the engine. On the other hand, stepless systems are quite complex and expensive, and automation does not always work exactly the way the user wants; therefore, this option is relatively rare.

The ability to unlock the differential is a mechanism that allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds.

This function is relevant only for self-propelled models (see "Design"). Many of these units do not have a differential at all, and if it is, it is locked by default — both of which mean that both drive wheels rotate at the same speed when powered by the engine. This has a positive effect on patency, but creates inconvenience when cornering: when turning, the wheel on the outside must rotate faster than the wheel on the inside. Unlocking the differential eliminates this inconvenience. On the other hand, a relatively small and light snow blower can also be deployed manually by disengaging the clutch and turning the unit on freely rotating wheels. Therefore, this function is provided only in powerful and heavy models, in which "manual" rotation is difficult.