# Single or Two Stage?



## Ron from BC (Feb 15, 2019)

Earlier this year I had decided that I'd look at a Toro 824/6 or an Ariens 24" but as I get closer to buying for this winter and with more reading I'm wondering if a Single may do the job.....regardless, it will be a Toro.

I live on lower Vancouver Island in British Columbia and we don't get much snow and if/when we do it would be unusual for it to last more than a 2-3 weeks. The snow fall could be anywhere from a couple of inches to 10" in one dump with some follow up over the following days. At first it would be fluffy but as it never really gets too cold it can get wet and hard to shovel efficiently. In the past I've just got out there and shoveled the driveway and walkways around the house however now being 65 I really don't need the back aggravation.

I don't mind spending the extra on a two stage if it's the one I need but would it be overkill?

Thanks in advance for your input!


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

what type of surface will you be clearing ?


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## Ron from BC (Feb 15, 2019)

Sorry, the driveway and walks are concrete (exposed aggregate finish) and about 50' of compressed bark mulch and gravel to the shop. The driveway is about 70' long and has a mild uphill slope to the road.

The two I am now considering are the 721 and 824/6...would a two stage be able to remove smaller amounts like 2-3"

Thanks!


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

A two stage is not overkill Ron, it s power and money in the bank especially if you get nailed with the heavy we crap that loves the chinook winds on your side of the coast.

I bought a 2 stage piece of John Deere junk and I have sorry ever since I did and thats going on 9 years now and In order to use it costs a fortune in V belts and I still have to buy spare parts that were never shipped with it from RAD and the dealer I bough it from is )(*&^%$#%^&*().

Any of the 2 stage toros you buy will be fine as long as you have a unit with the anticlog feature as it will prevent the cross auger housing from feeding too much snow into the impeller housing and slowing down the impellers discharge rate.

We have the same kind of wet crap that you do and coating my two toro 2 cycle single stages (S200, CCR3000GTS) with fluid film spray is a must and it works very well on two stage units as it doubles the casting distance which is needed for the wet crap if you need to take half cuts.

IT all depends on how much time you have to work and having the extra power for clearing is nothing but money in the horsepower bank and the time saving bank as the wet crap loves to just sink and become more dense and that is where the use of fluid film comes in very handy.

Avoid the other brands of snow off stuff as they have a lot of nasty chemicals in them. Fluid film uses Lanolin which is all natural. 

Its time for the news I will be back in a while.


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## Ron from BC (Feb 15, 2019)

Thanks Leon! The 826 has the anti-clogging feature as well as the automatic steering which the 824 doesn't. I'm hoping that the 826 two stage is something I could still use down to 2" of snow just to play with it.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Hello Ron,

There is no reason you can not use it at all with small accumulations; you just have to remember to use sea foam and shut the gas off if the weather is such that you are not moving a lot of snow to be sure to starve the fuel system of fuel to prevent any varnish and gum buildu.

At the end of the season you need to drain off the gas tank and drain the carburetor bowl and then start it up and run any gas that's left and be sure to close the choke to burn off all the gas in it to be gone.

Once you have treated gas to use you will have gas that will last a long time, just be sure to have high test gas.


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## Ron from BC (Feb 15, 2019)

Understood Leon, good advice that I'll come back to when I have it on site. I'm no stranger to watching YouTube clips on how to rebuild/clean the carbs on my Stihl chainsaw, Honda generator and gas trimmer when I neglected to properly maintain these things over the winter. 

Thanks a lot!


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## SayItAintSnow (Dec 15, 2017)

Ron,

Have to concur with what Loenz' said about a two stage for your purposes, even though I'm one who advocates having both kinds of blowers for my own needs, here in southern New England.

A small two stage would seem like a good compromise between the two choices, which might be a little challenged (a slower process) for that seldomly occurring 10" snowfall you mentioned, but will take of the more routine lighter snowfalls with ease, without being a heavy beast to have to muscle around.

You also mentioned a driveway that is partially compressed bark mulch and gravel. With a single stage, likely a paddle type auger/impeller you'd be throwing your landscaping materials around any time they weren't frozen solid to the ground which would get messy. :icon_cussing_black:



With the two stage, you'd have the option of adjusting the scraper bar and skids just a little higher than you would for an exclusively hard surface driveway like asphalt or concrete, and keep that unintended "redistribution" of your mulch and gravel to a minimum. :wink2:

I can relate to getting to an age where the shoveling is a pain in the.....well......just about everywhere now! :devil:


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Hello and good morning Ron,

I have owned toro products for over 40 years and I have always found them to be dependable and easy to operate and maintain.

Fortunately I can still use the snow pups since I was stuffed with a pacemaker in April as the 2 cycle engine is 3+ feet away from the long loop handle of the two snow pups.


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## melson (Feb 9, 2015)

As a guy who owns and has used both single and two-stage blowers for decades I have a very granular appreciation for the benefits of a single-stage, and is what I recommend. 
I say that not because where you live in the Pacific Northwest, but because a good single-stage is an overachiever in terms of snow removal. And, especially, in terms of speed and maneuverability it'll lay waste to any two-stage.

Most two-stage owners won't agree, and I get it. I, myself, was skeptical until the year 2000, when I bought a John Deere TRS21 single-stage. I needed something small and light that my wife could use while I was traveling doing tech support around New England. That underpowered little John Deere blasted through the worst of storms we had in Massachusetts. It pretty much cleared whatever was in front of it. 
In fact, the only time I need to resort to my Ariens two-stage was when the snow is water saturated and/or crusty with ice. That JD TRS21 wasn't real happy dealing with that stuff. Maybe the Toro 821 I just bought will have the oomph to work that stuff? We'll soon see... 

I will concede there may be a situation where a single-stage could fall short: If you need to throw the snow a long distance. Let's say you need to move a foot of wet and heavy stuff from a walkway, over the top of two parked cars, and onto the yard beyond. In this scenario you might need the extra throw a two-stage *should give. 

In most other cases I've long-since been convinced single stage blowers are well more than adequate for anything up to 12 inches, and can move snow up to 16 inches (even more if you use your manly muscles) reasonably well.


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## superbuick (Oct 27, 2010)

melson said:


> As a guy who owns and has used both single and two-stage blowers for decades I have a very granular appreciation for the benefits of a single-stage, and is what I recommend.
> I say that not because where you live in the Pacific Northwest, but because a good single-stage is an overachiever in terms of snow removal. And, especially, in terms of speed and maneuverability it'll lay waste to any two-stage.
> 
> Most two-stage owners won't agree, and I get it. I, myself, was skeptical until the year 2000, when I bought a John Deere TRS21 single-stage. I needed something small and light that my wife could use while I was traveling doing tech support around New England. That underpowered little John Deere blasted through the worst of storms we had in Massachusetts. It pretty much cleared whatever was in front of it.
> ...



I agree with this assessment! I live in Massachusetts where we get plenty of snow, of the wet variety no less, and I own two big, powerful two stage snowblowers (A Toro 726te and a Honda HSS928ATD). I also own a Toro 221 single stage snowblower. I've also lived here my whole life and even as a kid we had a two stage and a single stage at the house.

BY FAR AND AWAY, im talking probably 90+% of the time, and this is over 35+ years of doing snow removal or being around it as a kid, we've used the single stage. The single stage is faster by a HUGE margin, and in all but the worst storms it suffices. I'm lucky to have and to have had the fortune to always have a two-stage blower available for those "WICKED BAD" storms, but if you forced me to go down to a single snowblower, and remembering I live in Massachusetts, I would absolutely without fail have a single stage. The thought of plodding along behind a big two stage blower in a 4 inch snowstorm is like torture.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Never had a single stage...maybe I don't know what I'm missing ...sticking with 2 stage and impeller kits...don't see how anything could be faster or more efficient.


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## bowenx (Oct 6, 2019)

I keep thinking of buying a 2 stage thrower each year but then when i fire up the single stage 3650 and clear the driveway pretty easily i figure i don't need the 2 stage. Of course, that all changes when we get dumped on and there is a berm at the end of the driveway.
If i could, i'd have one of each. The single does a great job most of the time - it is lightweight, easy to swing around and use. I've had to borrow my neighbors 2 stage honda at times to clear the heavy snow or the really big storms. The 2 stage is also great for making paths in the back yard for the doggo - the single stage would be a huge pain to do that.

If we are getting a bigger storm i try to go out and clear it at 5-7 inch intervals - if i wait until it is 10" or more then it makes it more of a challenge. The drier snow is cleared quickly. There is only one spot in my driveway that i have to hit twice as i can't clear it to the edge, but as long as it doesn't get too wet or packed it's good to go.


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## johnnytuinals (Sep 25, 2019)

If you are living in CT its a No brainer that you need a 2 stage blower.....JT


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## gibbs296 (Jun 22, 2014)

I'm a fan of the big single stage. They are so easy to repair, have great power, easy to store or transport, and are so quick. Having said that, I always have a 2 stage stashed in the garage just in case. Gotta be ready!


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