Single-stage electric snow blowers are best for short, level driveways, decks, and walkways with snow levels less than 6 inches. About the size of a small walk-behind lawnmower, single-stage electrics are the lightest, quietest, and easiest models to use.

The technology is basic: A plastic auger pulls in the snow and throws it out the chute in one step. But the auger can also pick up and throw gravel, so keep people and pets a safe distance away.

An electric motor frees you from fueling and engine maintenance, but a power cord can limit range and maneuverability. Working in swaths under 20 inches can mean clearing requires multiple passes. And their modest power is no match for steep slopes.

The two battery-powered models we tested were similarly weak.

Single-stage gas snow blowers are a good choice for level, mid-sized, paved driveways and walkways with typical or expected snow levels of up to 9 inches.

These models free you from the limitations of a cord. They're fairly light and easy to handle and take up about as much storage space as a mower. They also clear a larger swath (20 to 22 inches) and offer electric starting.

Their gas engines are also four-cycle, requiring only straight gasoline. But like electrics, they're a poor choice for gravel driveways. Their auger provides only modest pulling power, and they tend to veer sideways on steep slopes.

Two-stage gas models are best for long, wide driveways with snow levels of up to 16 inches. Some models clear a swath up to 30 inches wide, and their driven wheels can handle steeper inclines.

Like smaller models, two-stage gas snow blowers use an auger to pick up and throw snow, but they add a fan-like impeller behind the auger to help throw snow out the chute and are propelled by engine-driven wheels.

Two-stage snow blowers are best for clearing snow on gravel, since the auger doesn't touch the ground. But the machines are relatively heavy and expensive compared to smaller models, and they can take up as much space as a lawn tractor, though compact 24-inch-wide models can help with storage. 

Three-stage gas models are the latest breed of snow blower, aimed at homeowners who have to contend with 18 inches or more of wet, heavy snow.

The accelerator is the feature that separates these power blowers from conventional two-stage machines. As its name implies, this feature speeds up snow clearing by taking snow from the collection augers and forcing it up into the discharge impeller.

Like their two-stage counterparts, three-stage blowers can clear a 30-inch-wide swath of snow, or more in some cases. The machines are on the expensive side, they're heavy, and they take up a lot of storage in a garage or shed; consider a compact, 24-inch-wide three-stage blower if space is tight.