Quick verdict
The Honda HSS1332 is the top pick for genuinely heavy snow, with the largest engine and clearing capacity in this comparison at 2,750 lbs per minute across a 31.9-inch path. The PowerSmart 24-Inch is the strongest budget gas alternative for buyers who don't need Honda's size or price.
Honda HSS1332 31.9-Inch
Honda's largest HSS model uses a commercial-grade GX390 engine to reach the highest plowing capacity in this comparison, 2,750 lbs of snow per minute, across a 31.9-inch clearing width with a 21.7-inch intake height. Dual rubber tracks with hydrostatic drive add traction for pushing through deep, heavy piles without losing footing.
Check price on Amazon →Deep accumulation needs intake height and plowing capacity, not just a bigger engine. Here's how the top heavy-snow blowers compare.
The picks at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Score /100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda HSS1332 31.9-Inch | Best Overall | Check price | |
| PowerSmart 26-Inch Self-Propelled | Best Value | Check price | |
| Husqvarna ST124 212cc | Best Mid-Size | Check price | |
| EGO Power+ 28-Inch Self-Propelled | Best Electric | Check price | |
| PowerSmart 24-Inch 6-Speed | Best Budget Gas | Check price |
The picks, reviewed
Honda HSS1332 31.9-Inch
Honda's largest HSS model uses a commercial-grade GX390 engine to reach the highest plowing capacity in this comparison, 2,750 lbs of snow per minute, across a 31.9-inch clearing width with a 21.7-inch intake height. Dual rubber tracks with hydrostatic drive add traction for pushing through deep, heavy piles without losing footing.
Reasons to buy
- Powerful, Electric Start Honda GX Engine: This Honda snow blower uses a commercial grade G
- Exceptional Snow Thrower: With a throwing distance of up to 56 feet, this gas snow blower
- Dual Track Drive: This gas powered snow blower features pliable, low temperature rubber tr
- Self-Propelled, Hydrostatic Drive: This snow blower's hydrostatic transmission lets you mo
Reasons to avoid
- It's the most expensive and heaviest machine in this comparison, which is a real consideration for storage and maneuverability.
- Its size is more capacity than most typical residential driveways need unless heavy snow is a near-annual event.
PowerSmart 26-Inch Self-Propelled
This 208cc two-stage machine reaches 2,700 lbs per minute plowing capacity, close to Honda's top-tier figure, at a meaningfully lower price. A 20-inch intake height and 26-inch clearing width handle deep, packed snow well, with self-propelled drive and 13-inch snow terrain tires for traction.
Reasons to buy
- Tackle Heavy Snow: This PowerSmart gas snow blower adds handle warmer that keeps your hand
- Power Up: Powerful 208cc Briggs & Stratton 950 snow series engine delivers 2700 lbs/min sn
- Self-Propelled Drive System: Quickly and easily cut through icy snow with variable speed c
- Built to Last: Tackle heavy snow with steel construction in the housing, frame, deflector
Reasons to avoid
- Long-term reliability feedback is more limited than for the longer-established Honda brand.
- At 26 inches and gas-powered, it still needs real garage space and routine fuel and oil maintenance.
Husqvarna ST124 212cc
The ST124's ribbon auger is designed to mix air into the snow for easier clearing, backed by a 212cc engine and 21-inch intake height, with a 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty plus a 5-year engine warranty for buyers who want strong coverage on a mid-size machine.
Reasons to buy
- Ribbon auger mixes air into the snow, which makes the snow easy to handle and thereby ensu
- 13-in snow tires grip the terrain for exceptional control and maneuverability
- 21-in intake height maximizes snow clearing performance
- 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty, plus a 5 year warranty on the engine only
Reasons to avoid
- 24-inch clearing width and lower plowing capacity than the Honda and PowerSmart machines above mean more passes on very deep snow.
- Husqvarna's dealer network is smaller in some regions than Honda's or the major gas brands.
EGO Power+ 28-Inch Self-Propelled
EGO's own listing states this two-stage machine is built to clear heavy, wet snow, throwing it up to 60 feet through a 28-inch path with a 21-inch intake height, all without gas or fumes.
Reasons to buy
- THROWS SNOW UP TO 60 FEET – Peak Power technology combines the power of any two EGO ARC Li
- 28-INCH CLEARING WIDTH AND 21-INCH INTAKE HEIGHT – This electric snow blower can handle th
- CLEARS UP TO A 32-CAR DRIVEWAY – Clear up to a 32-car driveway with 8 inches of snow on a
- SELF-PROPELLED WITH TRIGGER-CONTROLLED STEERING – This variable speed self-propelled EGO s
Reasons to avoid
- Battery and charger are sold separately, and the larger 12.0Ah packs needed for full performance add substantially to the total cost.
- Battery runtime in the heaviest, wettest snow will run shorter than EGO's stated figures, which assume standard conditions.
PowerSmart 24-Inch 6-Speed
A 212cc engine with a 2,400 lb/min plowing capacity and six forward, two reverse speed settings give this model fine control over pace when working through heavy or wet snow, with 13-inch snow tires and adjustable skid shoes for both paved and gravel driveways.
Reasons to buy
- Powerful 212cc Engine: Equipped with a robust 212cc snow engine, this snow blower ensures
- Super Snow Blower: With a 24-inch clearing width and a 21-inch clearing height, built in a
- Cordless Snow Blower: Featuring a convenient 120V electric start system, you can easily st
- 6 forward and 2 reverse speed settings and Hand-Warmers to protect your hands from freezin
Reasons to avoid
- 2,400 lb/min is the lowest plowing capacity among the two-stage picks here, so it's better suited to moderately heavy snow than the deepest accumulation.
- At 187 lbs it's still a real gas machine to store and maintain, not a lightweight option.
Heavy snow means different things depending on whether you’re talking about deep accumulation from one long storm or the dense, packed piles a plow leaves at the end of a driveway. Both scenarios call for the same core specs though: intake height tall enough to swallow a deep or piled snowbank, and enough plowing capacity, measured in pounds of snow per minute by most manufacturers, to keep moving without bogging down.
Intake height is the spec most buyers underweight. A machine with a 20 to 22 inch intake height can take a full bite out of a deep snowfall or a plow-dropped pile in one pass, where an 18-inch single-stage machine has to make multiple passes just to get through the same depth, losing time and adding wear. The machines compared below range from 20 to 21.7 inches of intake height, with the largest Honda model reaching the top of that range.
Engine size and plowing capacity track together for heavy snow specifically. The manufacturer-listed plowing capacities here run from roughly 2,400 lbs per minute on the smaller PowerSmart model up to 2,750 lbs per minute on Honda’s largest HSS1332, a meaningful difference if you’re regularly clearing more than a foot of snow at once. Two-stage design matters just as much here as engine size, since the separate auger and impeller keep dense, heavy snow moving through the machine instead of packing and stalling it, which is why every pick below is a two-stage machine rather than a single-stage one.
Below we compare engine size, clearing width, intake height, and plowing capacity as published on each manufacturer’s page and Amazon listing, along with one battery-powered option for buyers who want two-stage capability without gas. These figures reflect manufacturer specifications rather than our own measurements, and owner feedback commonly notes that real-world performance in the heaviest, wettest snow runs a bit below the rated capacity for any machine.
How we research
What to look for
Intake height
A taller intake, 20 to 22 inches on the machines here, lets a blower take a full bite out of deep snow or a plow pile in one pass rather than several, which matters more for heavy snow than for routine light snowfall.
Plowing capacity (lbs/min)
This manufacturer-published figure is a more direct measure of heavy-snow performance than engine size alone. The picks here range from about 2,400 to 2,750 lbs per minute.
Two-stage design
Every pick below uses a separate auger and impeller rather than a single-stage design, since heavy, dense snow is exactly the condition where single-stage machines are most prone to clogging.
Engine size for sustained power
208cc to 390cc-class engines across these picks (Honda's GX390 on the HSS1332 is the largest) provide the sustained torque needed to keep moving through a foot or more of snow without stalling.
Weight and storage tradeoffs
The largest, most capable machines here also weigh the most and need real storage space plus fuel and maintenance. Buyers whose heavy snow events are occasional rather than routine may be better served by a mid-size model.
Our verdict
The Honda HSS1332 is the top pick for genuinely heavy snow, with the largest engine and clearing capacity in this comparison at 2,750 lbs per minute across a 31.9-inch path. The PowerSmart 24-Inch is the strongest budget gas alternative for buyers who don't need Honda's size or price.
FAQs
The machines in this comparison list manufacturer plowing capacities of roughly 2,400 to 2,750 lbs per minute, which is the range generally suited to consistently heavy or deep snowfall. Lighter two-stage machines below that range can still work but will need more passes and time per storm.
Engine size correlates with plowing capacity, but intake height and auger design matter just as much. A large engine paired with a short intake still has to make more passes through a deep snowbank than a machine with a taller intake, even one with a slightly smaller engine.
The EGO Power+ 28-inch two-stage below is built with heavy, wet snow specifically named in its manufacturer description, and it throws snow up to 60 feet. For the very heaviest, most sustained snow events, a gas engine's unlimited fuel-based runtime still has an edge over battery capacity.
A two-stage design uses a separate impeller to keep throwing snow through the chute after the auger breaks it up, which prevents the packing and clogging that heavy, dense snow causes in single-stage machines that rely on one part to do both jobs.
Not for every driveway. The largest machines here are heavier, cost more, and need more storage space and maintenance. For an average residential driveway with occasional heavy storms, a mid-size two-stage model like the PowerSmart 26-inch or Husqvarna ST124 is often a better balance of capacity and practicality.
