Removal Equipment for Snow on the Street

Snow Shovel

• Snow shovels are used by homeowners and contractors for the manual removal of snow. Shovels are generally used to remove light to moderate snow on sidewalks, streets, and relatively flat services. Snow scoops are a variation on a normal snow shovel; the mouth on a snow scoop tends to be larger, with a wider handle. This allows a person using a snow scoop to pick up and remove more snow at one pass.

Snow Throwers

• Snow throwers are powered by a small engine to help "throw" --- or relocate --- the snow into a pile in an out-of-the-way corner. Snow throwers are small, usually standing 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide. These machines require lots of energy, as they are operated by a manual pushing action. Snow throwers tend to be efficient in removing snow once the snowfall has stopped, or during a light snowfall.

Snow Blowers

• Snow blowers use large engines to efficiently remove large amounts of snow. Snow blowers are commonly mistaken for snow throwers; however, snow blowers tend to have larger engines. Snow blowers will thus dislocate larger piles of snow off of the street and can be used during an active snowfall. A snow blower feeds the snow into a high pressure air tube, allowing the machine to blow the snow a number of yards away. They also have a self-propelling system, allowing them to remove snow without much manual labor. These machines can be as big as 4 feet wide and 2 feet high.

Tractor Snow Attachment

• A snow plow attachment can be installed on a tractor to aid in plowing streets. Alternatively, some snow plow attachments can also be attached to commercial vehicles. These attachments work by pushing and shoving the snow off of the street and into snow banks. Plow attachments are highly efficient, helping homeowners clear out driveways and the area surrounding the home. Most attachments are readily available at your local auto shop, and are compatible with most cars and trucks.

Community Snow Plows

• Depending on where you live, some jurisdictions mandate that the community send out official snow plows to remove the obtrusive snow. The mayor of the city or county will send out large vehicles with fixed plows to plow down the street. These vehicles will be manned by community workers or equipment personnel to remove the snow from the street and into snow banks.