Snow Blower vs. Plow: What’s the Difference?

If you live in an area that gets lots of snow, you’ll need more than a shovel to keep your driveway and walkways clear. You can always hire a local snow removal company, but if you’d prefer to DIY, you have two key snow removal tools to choose from: A snow blower or a snow plow. So, which is better for you? Here is a side-by-side comparison of a snow blower vs. plow.

Snow Blower vs. Plow: Key Differences

Snow blowers and snow plows are both highly efficient tools for snow removal, but there are a few key differences to consider. Snow blowers, characterized by their manual control and standalone design, are perfect for precise tasks like clearing snow from driveways. On the other hand, snow plows attach to existing vehicles like trucks and SUVs, providing enhanced speed and robust snow-removing capabilities.

Snow blowers are smaller, easier to store, more affordable, and available in a range of sizes and fuel options. That makes them ideal for residential driveways and sidewalks. On the other hand, a truck-compatible plow attachment is large and pricey, plus it requires a compatible vehicle to use it. However, it can make short work of heavy snowfall and larger driveways or private roads in the coldest regions. If you don’t want to invest in snow removal equipment, consider hiring a local snow removal service to take care of your snow needs for you.

What Is a Snow Blower?

A snow blower is a motorized machine designed for the removal of accumulated snow from various surfaces, particularly driveways, sidewalks, and pathways. It features a sturdy auger and a spiral blade, which work in tandem to ingest snow, break it up, and expel it through a moveable chute.

Best for:

• Homeowners with smaller properties, including driveways and walkways

• People looking for a user-friendly, easy-to-operate snow removal solution

• Homeowners with limited storage space for snow removal equipment

• People who live in regions with moderate to low snowfall accumulation

Pros of Snow Blowers

Snow blowers are powerful machines designed to blow snow from one area to another through a series of chutes. They are easy to use, as they come ready to operate out of the box without requiring additional tools or gear. These machines are highly maneuverable, making them ideal for tight spaces, and many models are lightweight. Snow blowers are available in several types and sizes, including single-stage, two-stage, and three-stage blowers.

Snow blowers also offer enhanced safety, with the operator standing behind the machine, and modern models often include safety features like protective areas around the spiral blade and bright headlights. The design offers excellent visibility, allowing for efficient snow clearing and reducing the risk of property damage. Additionally, modern snow blowers often have foldable and compact designs, making storage convenient.

Cons of Snow Blowers

Regular snow blower maintenance is necessary to ensure their continued performance. Upkeep can involve tasks like belt checks, oil changes, spark plug replacement, fuel addition, and other related maintenance efforts. Also, while snow blowers are excellent for clearing driveways and walkways, they can be time-consuming to use for large areas, especially when compared to plows. The chute-based design can lead to snow accumulation near the workspace, necessitating multiple passes to fully clear a path. There’s also the comfort factor to consider: When operating a snow blower, you'll be exposed to the elements, unlike snow plows that allow you to sit inside a dry, heated vehicle.

Additionally, snow blowers can be costly. Single-stage snow blowers tend to be more budget-friendly at around $300 to $500, while the more powerful two-stage or three-stage blowers required for substantial snowfall can cost up to $3,000. Comparatively, the cost of professional snow removal averages about $200 to $600 per season. 

What Is a Snow Plow?

Just like your city or county’s fleet of official snow plows, a consumer-grade snow plow affixes to the front of a vehicle like an ATV, a quad bike, or even a pick-up truck or SUV. Once attached, these plows scoop and displace massive amounts of snow with a curved, angled blade.

Best for:

• Homeowners with long driveways or multi-acre properties

• People who own heavy-duty vehicles (trucks, SUVs) suitable for plow attachment

• Individuals who require fast snow removal across substantial areas

• People with limited mobility who can't manually operate a snow blower

• Users willing to invest in a long-lasting snow removal solution and have the means to store the plow during off-seasons

Pros of Snow Plows

Snow plows are the epitome of durability, with minimal maintenance needs. These old-school snow removal tools are made of sturdy, nearly immovable metal slabs, boast unmatched longevity, serving you as long as you have a compatible vehicle to attach them to. They require little to no regular maintenance, although it's important to keep in mind that the vehicle they affix to may need some attention.

What truly sets plows apart is their capability to manage substantial snow volumes, making them ideal for expansive properties and long driveways. With the aid of a suitable vehicle, snow plows work rapidly and efficiently, clearing extensive snowfall across substantial areas in no time. This efficiency is especially beneficial for individuals with limited mobility, as plows are vehicle-operated, eliminating the manual effort required by snow blowers.

Cons of Snow Plows

Snow plows have specific limitations. They are not standalone tools and necessitate a heavy-duty vehicle for operation, making them impractical for those without such vehicles. This added requirement contributes to their higher cost, with plows generally starting at around $1,000 for models compatible with trucks or SUVs.

Moreover, plows lack the maneuverability that’s ideal for getting into tight spaces, so they’re not the best choice for clearing walkways or narrow, curved driveways. And because they’re operated by powerful vehicles at relatively high speeds, plows raise the risk of potential property damage. Their large and bulky nature can also pose storage challenges during seasons when they're not in use.

Snow Blowers vs. Snow Plows

Blowers are best for detailed work and plows are better for clearing out large accumulations, but there are some other key differences that set these two snow removal tools apart. 

Ease of Use: Snow Blowers 

Snow blowers are user-friendly and easy to control, requiring little or no setup. You simply add fuel or plug it into a power outlet and start clearing snow. Plows, on the other hand, need to be attached to a vehicle, which can be a time-consuming process that calls for mechanical know-how and a suite of tools. If the vehicle sees regular use, you’ll be removing and reattaching the plow frequently.

Cost: Snow Blower

A first-stage snowblower costs up to $1,000. Larger and more powerful third-stage snow blowers cost around $2,000. A consumer-friendly plow attachment tends to start at $1,500 and rise from there. The large size, high-quality metals and limited manufacturing simply makes these plows more expensive. Even a riding plow, similar to a riding lawnmower, is likely to cost significantly more than a snow blower. 

Sustainability: Tie

If you’re looking for eco-friendly snow removal, your choices are about equal. Snow blowers have a slight starting advantage because the smaller versions come as electrical models, both corded and battery, while a plow requires a vehicle’s fuel to use.

However, a plow attachment doesn’t have many moving parts and can last a lifetime, so it’s a very efficient use of materials. A snow blower, meanwhile, will eventually wear out and need a replacement. 

Additional Uses: Plow

A snow blower is a snow blower. But if you choose a plow attachment, it opens up a lot more possibilities for heavy-duty work during other seasons. Some additional uses include moving large amounts of dirt, excavating large, stubborn rocks, and more. If you choose a bucket attachment, that opens the door to even more possibilities.

Length of Life: Plow

Snowblowers will eventually wear down, starting to show their age around 10 years. Electric versions may need batteries replaced more frequently than that, too.

A snow plow is a simple tool made with very durable and long-lasting materials. There’s not much to break down, stall, or wear out, unlike the motors and moving parts of a snow blower. Unless it encounters a massive rust problem, a plow attachment will outlast your truck and snow blower.

Storage: Snow Blower

When discussing heavy-duty seasonal tools, it’s important to think about storage. A snow blower won’t take up much more space than a lawnmower. Lighter versions are fairly easy to pack away in a large cupboard or shelf, too. But plows are big and heavy, and you can’t fold them down or adjust them. Snow plows almost always take up more room in a garage or shed.

Visibility: Snow Blowers

In terms of visibility, snow plows have limitations due to the vehicle's size, making it challenging to see the immediate surroundings, especially when moving in reverse or executing precise maneuvers. Snow blowers have an open and compact design, making it much easier to see during operation.

Maneuverability: Snow Blowers

Snow blowers are known for their ease of maneuvering, making them suitable for tight spaces and intricate paths. Many snow blower models are lightweight and feature user-friendly designs, making them ideal for quickly clearing driveways and walkways. Plows, on the other hand, are typically attached to heavy-duty vehicles like trucks or SUVs, and their operation largely depends on the vehicle's mobility. They are better suited for open spaces and areas with plenty of room to navigate.

Comfort: Snow Plows

Since they attach to a vehicle that offers seating and is often heated, snow plows are more comfortable to use than snow blowers. This also makes them more accessible for users with limited mobility.

Maintenance Needs: Snow Plows

Snow blowers require regular upkeep, including checking belts, changing oil, replacing spark plugs, adding fuel, and performing related maintenance tasks to ensure continued efficiency. In contrast, snow plows generally demand little to no maintenance due to their simple, durable design. Plows are essentially large metal blades with few moving parts, making them long-lasting and low-maintenance tools. However, while the snow blower itself requires maintenance, the vehicle to which a snow plow attaches may have its own maintenance requirements.

City Use: Snow Blowers

If you live in a large metropolitan area and just want to keep your driveway and walkway free from snow, a blower is your best bet. Plows demand a lot of room, making them better suited for open, expansive spaces.

Suburban Use: Snow Blowers

For the suburbs, it depends on how much land you own and how close your nearest neighbor is. In most cases, a snow blower is a great match for the suburbs, as you could accidentally damage a neighbor’s yard while driving a plow around. Snow plows and suburbs only mix if you have a large area to plow and plenty of room to maneuver.

Country Use: Snow Plows

If you live off the beaten path and have plenty of land, a snow plow is your best bet. A blower is simply not suited to handle vast properties. Plus, if you already live in a remote location, chances are you already have an appropriate heavy-duty vehicle to integrate with the plow. 

Resale Value: Snow Blowers 

Purchasing and selling used snow blowers is a much simpler process compared to snow plows. This is largely due to the need to attach plows to specific vehicle types, while blowers have universal, standalone designs. Adding to that, individuals tend to retain plows for extended periods of time, while consumers frequently seek newer and more advanced blowers, rendering them more accessible for sale and attracting potential buyers.