Snow BLOWER or THROWER?

[rust in the eye]

Something to chew on: All of the ones I've ever owned THROW the snow. So where does the snowBLOWER term come from?

 

[Kurt4440]

Something to chew on: All of the ones I've ever owned THROW the snow. So where does the snowBLOWER term come from?

Sometimes the word blow is used to describe other actions. I don't argue semantics at those moments.

 

[AA/FC]

In my book.... a snow BLOWER is a single stage. A snow THROWER is a 2 stage. (or maybe even 3 stage) but I call all of them snow BLOWERS.

I also call ALL skid loaders "Bobcats" regardless if they're made by Bobcat or not. lolol.

 

[Great white]

Meh, I've always understood it the opposite. A thrower was single stage, a blower was double stage.

All the guys driving the big blowers on the airport called them blowers. BAsically, anything that has feed and them an impeller was blower to them.

Throwers were the small jobbies that guys used to use to clear driveways.

Doesn't matter either way to me. As long as it moves snow out of my way, I'm happy. People could call it a "smurf" for all I care....

 

[larry_g]

It is just the colloquial term used for the machine. With either term you know what is being talked about. Just like when you hear the term crescent wrench, you know what it is.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Snow thrower is me using a Bully Tool Shovel, I throw it to the side.

 

[Lassen Forge]

For me it was always a snowblower, regardless if i was single or dual stage...

Then I worked for DOT and they became rotary snow plows.... where EVERYTHING is 2 stage.

The ONLY dif is Single stage (the same blade cuts snow pack and throws it out the chute) or double stage (a separate gathering "worm" feeding snow into an impeller).

 

[AA/FC]

Meh, I've always understood it the opposite. A thrower was single stage, a blower was double stage.

All the guys driving the big blowers on the airport called them blowers. BAsically, anything that has feed and them an impeller was blower to them.

Throwers were the small jobbies that guys used to use to clear driveways.

Doesn't matter either way to me. As long as it moves snow out of my way, I'm happy. People could call it a "smurf" for all I care....

I've driven those large 2 engine OSHKOSH four wheel drive, four wheel steer Airport blowers. They're bad ***. And you're right, we never called them "throwers". Same with the big Larue or Blanchette loader mounted blowers.

​

 

[finn]

Mox nix. They all use a blower to throw the snow out of your path.

We called them snowblowers growing up in the lake effect snow belt in the 1960s, but it’s probably a regional term.

Having said that, if you don’t get 200-300” of lake effect snow, you don’t get a vote.

 

[Great white]

Mox nix. They all use a blower to throw the snow out of your path.

We called them snowblowers growing up in the lake effect snow belt in the 1960s, but it’s probably a regional term.

Having said that, if you don’t get 200-300” of lake effect snow, you don’t get a vote.

Bay effects off the Bay of Fundy, plenty of snowfall over winter.

Although, winters have been getting a lot milder over the years here.

I can remember when I was a pup the piles on sides of the road would get so high the powelines would start to be an issue with kids being able to reach them. I can remember when it was like that mom telling me every time I went out to play to stay away from the wires. Seems at least one kid every year would get killed digging snowforts in the driveway piles when the plow came by and knocked it in.

These last few winters we will get a big dump and the banks high enough you can’t see out of the driveway backing out, but will mostly be gone in a week/week and a half at most….

 

[SlotlessMan]

One stage vs two.

 

[Kurt4440]

Mox nix. They all use a blower to throw the snow out of your path.

We called them snowblowers growing up in the lake effect snow belt in the 1960s, but it’s probably a regional term.

Having said that, if you don’t get 200-300” of lake effect snow, you don’t get a vote.

I hope I don't get a vote again this year.

 

[The Cobbler]

I've always called them snowblowers

 

[finn]

I hope I don't get a vote again this year.

You get two votes.

 

[mreisner]

Originally one was a trademark name, kind of like Kleenex...can't remember which is which though.

 

[Firebrick43]

Snow blowers are 2 stage and literally have a fan (second stage). The literally blow the snow.

Snowthrowers have paddles on the augers that literally throw it. There is little air flow involved compared to a two stage.

 

[gizardlizard]

Being from Wisconsin, I know them all as snowblowers. Snow thrower or snowblower…..either way, having to use them period BLOWS!!!

 

[Snapped-off]

Snowblowers here. 1, 2, and 3 stage, doesn't matter.

 

[BigMike782]

Something to chew on: All of the ones I've ever owned THROW the snow. So where does the snowBLOWER term come from?

Why is it called a whip?
It’s a mig gun.
Why is it called a hog nose?
It’s a nozzle.
Slang, the bane of man.
You say motor, I say engine.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Never mind, was thinking of something else,****.

 

[Glacial_Speed]

I call everything a snowblower. I don't recall seeing many people using a single stage, but then again, I'm usually busy clearing my own driveway to take count of single stage versus dual stage.
I agree with others, it's likely a regional thing.
BTW String trimmer, weed whacker or weed eater?

 

[Great white]

Why is it called a whip?
It’s a mig gun.
Why is it called a hog nose?
It’s a nozzle.
Slang, the bane of man.
You say motor, I say engine.

Lol!

I generally no longer care if someone calls it a motor or engine, until they try to give me guff becuase I call them engines.

This usually makes them ahut up or at least stalls their brain long enough to end the conversation:

Is it termed electric motor or is it electric engine?
Is it termed internal combustion engine or is it internal combustion motor?

My favorite one was a guy at I asked at a show and shine what his car had in it for an engine (hood was closed). He took exception to my use of “engine” for some reason and proceeded to dig himself in so hard in his argument for “motor” he had now way out but to bury his head in the sand when he actually used the abbreviation “ICE” in his argument. At that point I interrupted him and asked him what "ICE" stood for. He got as far as "internal combustion..." and then his brain seemed to lock up for a couple seconds. He eventually blurted out "IT MEANS MOTOR!"

I just ended walking away from him mid in sentence, giggling quietly to myself...

As I said, I could care less what term people use. But when they start contradicting themselves it just becomes a SMH moment and best just to get out of the conversation as soon as you can.

I pretty much feel the same way about the blower/thrower thing.

Call it what you want, blower/thrower/engine/motor.

It’s something that, quite frankly, just doesn’t matter.

 

[tak1313]

I can PERSONALLY see why it should be "thrower" versus "blower." To use the phrase "blower" technically implies the action involves air or the movement of air, but in reality, the only thing actually happening is that the snow is being "thrown."

That being said, I pretty much call it "blower."

 

[bwringer]

I think most manufacturers have given in to the inevitable progress in language and call them "blowers" now.

But some brands did insist on "thrower" for a long time, and it's certainly more technically accurate.


Personally, I think "weed whacker" has a lot more verve and snap to it than "string trimmer", or worse, "strimmer". But it would seem "trimmer" has become the accepted generic or formal term. Person-to-person everyone calls them "weed whackers" (sometimes spelled "weed wackers").

"Weed Eater" was the original brand of string trimmer, but the brand was purchased and recently killed off by Husqvarna. In any case, part of the reason "weed whacker" never became "official" was that it was too close to the actual brand name.

Language is a funny thing.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

A snowblower runs on 220v. A snowthrower runs on 240v.

 

[Snapped-off]

Lol!

I generally no longer care if someone calls it a motor or engine, until they try to give me guff becuase I call them engines.

This usually makes them ahut up or at least stalls their brain long enough to end the conversation:

Is it termed electric motor or is it electric engine?
Is it termed internal combustion engine or is it internal combustion motor?

My favorite one was a guy at I asked at a show and shine what his car had in it for an engine (hood was closed). He took exception to my use of “engine” for some reason and proceeded to dig himself in so hard in his argument for “motor” he had now way out but to bury his head in the sand when he actually used the abbreviation “ICE” in his argument. At that point I interrupted him and asked him what "ICE" stood for. He got as far as "internal combustion..." and then his brain seemed to lock up for a couple seconds. He eventually blurted out "IT MEANS MOTOR!"

I just ended walking away from him mid in sentence, giggling quietly to myself...

As I said, I could care less what term people use. But when they start contradicting themselves it just becomes a SMH moment and best just to get out of the conversation as soon as you can.

I pretty much feel the same way about the blower/thrower thing.

Call it what you want, blower/thrower/engine/motor.

It’s something that, quite frankly, just doesn’t matter.

Why was Detroit called Motor City?

 

[The Cobbler]

Why was Detroit called Motor City?

and, I blew the motor in my car

 

[coldh2o]

As I said, I could care less ...

I think you meant to say you could not care less...

 

[coldh2o]

and, I blew the motor in my car

Motorcycle, outboard motor, Ford Motor Co, General Motors...

 

[Y00PER]

A 1 stage is just a waste of $ in my opinion. If you get that little snow where one of those is useful, it's probably faster to scoop it

 

[draco_1967]

They are all snowblowers here.

Now, why are snowmobiles called "snowmachines" by so many? A snowmachine makes snow...
Also, what kind of oil should I put in my snowblower/snowthrower/snowmobile/snowmachine?

 

[honcho]

They are all snowblowers here.

Now, why are snowmobiles called "snowmachines" by so many? A snowmachine makes snow...
Also, what kind of oil should I put in my snowblower/snowthrower/snowmobile/snowmachine?

This thread got me to thinking about Snowmobiles vs Snowmachines. Prior to moving to Alaska, I knew motorized snow conveyances that were typically ridden by straddling the seat as "snowmobiles" Living in interior Alaska, everyone referred to them as "snowmachines"

Back to the original topic, to me, thrower and blower are interchangeable for powered devices for removing snow but I can appreciate that the words thrower and blower may actually distinguish different machine characteristics.

 

[Great white]

and, I blew the motor in my car

what you do in the privacy or your own garage behind closed doors is your own business......

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

As long as it gets the snow from point A to point B, I don't care WTF you call it. But, as far as I know, which is everything (as far as I know), thrower was always considered single stage, blower was two stage. Tomatoe or tomato, who cares? The companies that make them call them whatever they choose.

 

[Firebrick43]

A 1 stage is just a waste of $ in my opinion. If you get that little snow where one of those is useful, it's probably faster to scoop it

I see you have never used a decent single stage. While they do struggle in deep snow over 12” and can’t move it as far as a good 2 stage a good single stage can move snow faster than an equal sized 2 stage in 8” or less snow.

Even little ones such such as an Honda hs720 you would have to be hercules in the flesh to shovel half as much in the same time period.

 

[JSutter]

I've done commercial and residential snow removal. Single stage is great. They are more capable than you may think.