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These top-performing one-stage, two-stage and three-stage machines will clear your driveway in a hurry.

If your region only gets the occasional winter storm, you might be better off hiring a local plowing service to clear your drive or digging out with a shovel. But if you see more snowfall than that, your best bet is to find a snow blower matched to the volume of snow and how much effort you want to expend on its removal.

A new snow blower is one of the more calculated purchases you’ll make as a homeowner, but the right machine is out there. "Whatever size, price point and power supply fits your needs, manufacturers have a range of models to choose from," says Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. To find the winners in every catgory, the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute road tested numerous models and pored through reams of specifications and test documentation. We also teamed up with Brad Ford, test editor at Popular Mechanics, who has reviewed dozens of snow blowers over the years, using dump truck-size loads of wet sawdust to simulate heavy snow; Ford also runs blowers at his home in eastern Pennsylvania, where 18-inch snowfalls are routine.

Besides helping us find the best snow blowers available this winter, Ford talked through the features that matter most, from headlights to heated hand grips, plus why it might make sense to choose from the ever-improving category of battery-powered snow blowers, especially if you want a greener alternative to gas that “won’t tick off your neighbors at 5 a.m.,” he says. Based on all those inputs, the following models earned a spot in our roundup of the best snow blowers:

• Power source: Gas • Blower mechanism: Two-stage • Engine drive: Self-propelled  • Throw distance: 45 feet     • Clearing width: 28 inches   

With its ample 28-inch clearing deck and two-stage operation that can throw snow up to 45 feet, this self-propelled Toro snow blower will get the job done in all but the snowiest conditions. If you live in the suburbs, it should also have no trouble blasting through the icy pile at the foot of the driveway left by the town’s snowplow trucks. The Toro Power Max has many of the features our engineers look for, including LED headlight and a “Quick Stick” chute control, which makes it easy to aim the blown snow in different directions on the fly. It also has electric start, though as with all gas blowers with this feature, there's a cord that needs to be plugged in to start it up. Last but not least, the Toro is solidly built, boasting steel construction across all major parts, so provided you care for it properly, it should give you many seasons of service.

• Power source: Gas • Blower type: Two-stage  • Engine drive: Self-propelled  • Throw distance: 40 feet • Clearing width: 26 inches   

Though its clearing path is a couple inches less than the Toro's, this 26-inch wide two-stage snow blower with six-speed drive delivers nearly the same power and control for hundreds of dollars less. The compact design along with the single-hand turning allows for exceptional control and maneuverability, nice if your driveway and walkways have a lot of twists and turns. The Cub Cadet also has many helpful features, including electric start, LED headlight and plastic, non-marking skid shoes that won't scrape pavement, decorative pavers or fancy garage floor coatings.

• Power source: Gas • Blower type: Three-stage • Engine drive: Self-propelled   • Throw distance: 40 feet • Clearing width: 30 inches   

If you live deep in snow country, or you have a lot of driveway to clear, you might consider going up to a three-stage snow blower, so-called because of the accelerator that helps discharge more snow at a faster pace. Cub Cadet came up with the innovation several years back, and it continues to impress our engineers with its performance, with the caveat that it’s overkill in all but the most extreme conditions. This beast of a gas blower’s 30-inch clearing path is as wide as they come and the self-propelled engine and track design provide superb traction and stability on hills (Cub Cadet also has a version of its three-stage snow blower with tires, good for getting around flat ground). Its feature set includes electric start, LED headlight and heated hand grips, which you’ll appreciate during frigid weather.

• Power source: Battery • Blower type: Two-stage • Engine drive: Self-propelled   • Throw distance: 52 feet • Clearing width: 24 inches   

As with electric cars, the performance of battery-powered snow blowers continues to improve, though they’re still not as fast and powerful as gas snow blowers. If your snow removal needs are more modest with typical snowfall in the six- to 12-inch range, battery-powered is worth a look. Our engineers road-tested this two-stage model from Snow Joe and found its 21-inch clearing path to be on the narrow side, requiring more passes to plow the driveway. That said, its power and throwing distance were impressive, thanks to the self-propelled engine and twin 100-volt rechargeable batteries. Run time is less than thirty minutes, another reason the Snow Joe is best for less intense wintry conditions.

• Power source: Battery • Blower type: One-stage • Engine drive: Manual  • Throw distance: 35 feet • Clearing width: 21 inches   

With just the one auger moving snow, single-stage snow blowers aren’t built for blizzards, but they can make short work of lighter snowfalls. This Ryobi would be perfect in urban neighborhoods with shorter driveways and front walks. It has a respectable 21-inch-wide clearing path and runs on a pair of 40-volt rechargeable batteries, with a claimed run time of 40 minutes. Ryobi says the machine will throw snow up to 35 feet, which is probably true with light, dry snow, Ford tells us, but you should expect it to drop a bit with heavier wet snow.

• Power source: Electric • Blower type: One-stage • Engine drive: Manual  • Throw distance: 20 feet • Clearing width: 21 inches   

A corded electric snow blower means never having to fuel up, with very little engine maintenance. The downside is the nuisance of the power cord, plus the fact that they don’t generate a lot of power. But if you just need to clear light snowfall from a deck, patio or small driveway, they can be a sensible solution. Snow Joe’s single-stage corded snow blower isn’t as powerful as its battery-powered brand mate, but it should be able to handle light dustings. It has a 21-inch clearing path and a claimed throwing distance of 20 feet.

Before you pull the trigger on your snow blower purchase, plow through these questions:

Snow blowers are usually grouped by power source: Gas, electric and battery.

This is another way that snow blowers are categorized, which makes the decision process a little more complicated — especially now that there are even a handful of three-stage snow blowers on the market. Here’s the basic breakdown:

When choosing which snow blower is best for you, think about how much snowfall your home gets in a single dumping and how far you need to throw it (basically how wide is your driveway). If you get pummeled by multiple blizzards a year and you have a two-car driveway or bigger, you’ll want the maximum power and self-propelled operation of a gas-powered snow blower with two or three stages; these rugged machines can even blast through the icy pile that municipal snow plowing trucks leave at the foot of driveways. If a typical season consists of a couple snowfalls of six to 12 inches, a two-stage blower — whether gas, electric or battery-powered — should be up to the job. Anything less than that, go for a single-stage snow blower of any power source.

Now that you know the various types of snow blower, you can zero in on the right machine by weighing these factors:

Periodically check the shear pins, which protect the engine by breaking if the auger jams. You'll also want to inspect the belts for wear and tear, maintain proper tire pressure, and of course, before any storm comes, clear the area you'll be blowing of sticks, toys, tools and the like so you don't run over them and damage the machine.

✔️ For gas snow blowers, check the oil level before each use. If the machine will be sitting idle for a while, either run the tank dry or add fuel stabilizer so that gasoline doesn’t break down, clogging fuel lines and carburetor.

✔️ For battery-powered blowers, store and charge the snowblower batteries inside your home since cold temperatures can cause them to degrade.

Yes, when used properly! First things first, never put your hands inside the chute. If you need to clear a clog, turn the snow blower off and use the manufacturer-provided clean out tool to remove the blockage. It’s also important to make sure no one is standing in front of the snow blower when it’s in use, because of flying rocks and other projectiles; always keep kids and pets indoors when using the equipment. Finally, when operating an electric snow blower, only use a surge protector that’s rated for outdoor use and be careful not to run over the cord.