What size snow blower do I need?

Clearing width is the path the machine leaves in one pass. A 12-inch machine clears one foot; a 20-inch machine clears a little under two. Width decides how many passes a driveway takes, which is most of the time difference between models.

Clearing depth is how tall a bank the housing can swallow. The Qrachic 20-inch blower is rated to 10 inches, the 12-inch shovel to 6. A machine working above its depth rating bog down and starts leaving snow behind.

Throw distance is where the snow lands. The 20-inch model throws up to 30 ft with a 180° rotating chute; the 12-inch shovel throws up to 23 ft and aims left, centre or right. Enough throw means you can clear the end of a driveway over the bank instead of piling snow where you just cleared.

A pass covers the machine's width times the length of the run, so the arithmetic is simple: divide the area by the clearing width in feet. An 800 sq ft two-car driveway is about 480 linear feet of walking for a 20-inch machine — roughly 12 passes up and down a 40 ft drive. A 12-inch machine needs about 20 passes for the same area.

As a rule of thumb, under 400 sq ft (a front walk, a patio, a single-car pad) a 12-inch machine is enough. From 400 to 800 sq ft, an 18- to 20-inch machine starts to pay for itself. Above 800 sq ft, or anywhere the plow leaves a berm at the end of the drive, a 20- to 24-inch machine with more throw is the sensible minimum.

If you are between sizes, go up one. A wider machine also clears deeper snow, because it can take a narrower pass when the snow is heavy.

Width sets the pace in light snow. Depth and power decide whether the machine finishes the job in wet snow.

Wet snow at a 6:1 ratio weighs about 10.4 lb per cubic foot. A 1,000 sq ft driveway under a foot of it holds around five tons. That is the load the auger has to keep moving, and it is why a machine that flies through powder can slow to a crawl in slush.

Two habits keep a machine inside its rating. Clear on the day the snow falls, before it settles and freezes, because no cordless machine is designed for ice or frozen banks. And when the snow is heavy, take a narrower pass and walk slower rather than forcing a full-width cut.

A driveway is not clear if the snow ends up in a pile you have to move again. The end of a driveway is the usual problem: the plow packs a berm there overnight, and a short throw just pushes it around.

The 20-inch blower throws up to 30 ft and rotates its chute through 180°, so you can put snow over a bank or onto a lawn without turning the machine. The 12-inch shovel reaches up to 23 ft with three discharge positions. For a narrow walk between a house and a fence, a short controlled throw is easier to aim; for a wide driveway with a bank, reach decides how many bites the berm takes.

Most walk-behind machines are single-stage: an auger scoops the snow and throws it in one motion. They are lighter and simpler, and they suit walks, decks and driveways up to roughly a foot of snow. Two-stage machines add an impeller that throws snow further, and they handle deeper snow and plow berms better, at the cost of weight and price.

A cordless machine replaces the engine with a brushless motor and battery packs. It starts with a button, needs no oil or fuel, and stores indoors without a petrol smell. The trade is runtime: battery capacity limits a session, and cold weather reduces it. If that is the deciding factor for your driveway, read our guide to how long snow blower batteries last. For the stage question itself, single-stage vs two-stage snow blowers lays out the difference.

Under 400 sq ft, up to 6 in — 12-inch cordless snow shovel; walks, decks and a single-car pad.

400–800 sq ft, 6–12 in — 18- to 20-inch blower; most suburban single and two-car driveways.

800–1,500 sq ft, 12 in plus, berms — 20- to 24-inch blower with long throw; two-car and wider driveways.

Over 1,500 sq ft, or frequent wet snow — a two-stage machine, or a plow service and a smaller machine for the walk.

Any size, if the operator is over 65 or has cardiac risk — use a machine or a service; the effort is the risk, not the snow.

For most two-car driveways, yes. A 20-inch machine clears about 480 linear feet on an 800 sq ft drive, which is roughly 12 passes, and its 10-inch depth rating covers a typical storm. It will take longer in wet snow or a deep plow berm, where a narrower pass and a slower walking pace are needed.

A 12-inch cordless shovel suits walks, decks, steps and a single-car pad, with up to 6 inches of snow. It is not the tool for an 18-inch storm or a frozen berm at the end of a long drive — for that, step up to a 20-inch machine.

Twenty to 24 inches is the usual range. Below 18 inches the pass count climbs quickly on a wide drive; above 24 inches the machine gets heavy and harder to steer for little time saving on a residential driveway.

In light, dry snow, width sets the pace. In wet snow, depth and motor power decide whether the machine keeps up. Check both ratings against the deepest snow you normally get, not the average.

A 20-inch machine with a long throw can take a berm in bites if you go slowly and keep the housing on the ground. A 12-inch shovel cannot; the berm is usually denser than its depth rating and sits where you have the least room to work.