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    Best Snow Blowers for $1,000 or Less

    Shop before winter weather hits if you want your pick of top-rated models

    When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

    Person using a snow blower. Photo: iStock

    There’s no substitute for a snow blower after a serious snowstorm. While your neighbors are breaking their backs shoveling out from the latest snowmageddon, your driveway and walks could be cleared and you could be inside, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and Instagramming shots of your impressive work.

    But how much snow blower do you really need? Unless you live in a place with lots of heavy snowfall each winter, you might not want to shell out upward of $2,500 on a machine you’ll use only a few times during snow season.

    More on Snow Blowers
    CR's Snow Blower Ratings & Buying Guide
    Most and Least Reliable Snow Blower Brands
    Best and Worst Snow Blowers
    10 Snow-Blower Features That Matter
    Best Budget Snow Blowers

    Good news: A handful of snow blowers from Consumer Reports’ tests cost $1,000 or less. And many of these machines, often called snow throwers, clear snow almost as well as the pricier top picks in our ratings, including dozens of models from such brands as Ariens, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, John Deere, and Troy-Bilt.

    In this roundup of the best snow blowers for $1,000 or less, we looked at single-stage and two-stage gas snow blowers (“stages” refers to the number of ways the machine moves snow), as well as single-stage battery-powered snow blowers. We also looked at power snow shovels, which work like a single-stage snow blower but are much smaller and lighter.

    For a deep dive on the differences between types—and to learn why we use water-saturated sawdust to test snow blowers—check out our free snow blower buying guide.

    Best Snow Blowers for $1,000 or Less

    CR members can read on for ratings and reviews of the top-performing gas- and battery-powered models that cost less than $1,000, starting with those models capable of clearing a heavy snow load, all the way down to blowers made for dealing with a light dusting. They’re grouped by type and sorted by Overall Score.

    Best Two-Stage Gas Snow Blowers for $1,000 or Less

    Best Single-Stage Gas Snow Blowers for $1,000 or Less

    Best Single-Stage Battery Snow Blower for $1,000 or Less

    Best Power Snow Shovel

    Snow Blowers 101

    Not sure what the difference is between a single-stage snow blower and a three-stage model? On the “Consumer 101” TV show, CR expert Dave Trezza explains to show host Jack Rico everything you need to know about these snow-tossing machines.

    Paul Hope

    As a classically trained chef and an enthusiastic DIYer, I've always valued having the best tool for a job—whether the task at hand is dicing onions for mirepoix or hanging drywall. When I'm not writing about home products, I can be found putting them to the test, often with help from my two young children, in the 1860s townhouse I'm restoring in my free time.

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