Is a Track Snow Blower better than a Wheeled Snow Blower?
In the past years THE MARKET HAS SHIFTEDquite a bit towards the 2 stage snowblowers on tracks, especially in the higher end snowblowers such as Honda and the commercial/large home machines from Ariens and Husqvarna.
Our experience and Honda owner's feedback has been positive - that TRACKS ARE PREFERRED.
The one downside of track machines, is LOSS OF TRACTION WHEN TRACKS ARE ON ICE. This is due to the lower ground pressure, less weight per squire inch. Seems like right after blowing away a wet snow the blacktop surface freezes and becomes slick when temps are at freezing or under. A snowblower with wheels/tires and options TIRE CHAINS WILL HAVE LITTLE DIFFICULTY ON A FROZEN SURFACE. If using a 2 stage track snowblower on a slick, icy slope you may be limited to blower snow while going downhill, although that rarely happens. If it was a big problem, track machines would ne be preferred overall.
One other area, although infrequent, is that tracks generally are a better choice when clearing snow off gravel drives and parking areas. This is due to the solid platform effect of having a long base in contact with the gravel. then setting the auger/intake height just above the gravel, as opposed to the snowblower loosely balanced over the tires and apt to dip into the gravel.
A question we encounter is "ARE THE TRACKED MACHINES HARD TO TURN?". The answer is that usually it is not a problem since the ground pressure is fairly low and the tracked snowblower can easily be skidded around by the operator on a snowy or wet surface. The 2017 and later Honda models to incorporate INDEPENDENT LEFT AND RIGHT CONTROLS enabling you to make a power turn. See Gap Power video by Jeremy here:
When considering which to buy, purchasing a wheel/tire snowblower will SAVE YOU A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS even after you buy tire chains.
