If you want to clear snow from a gravel driveway, then you will need at least a two-stage snow blower that has adjustable skid plate shoes that can raise the scraper bar and auger above the gravel surface.
Two-stage and three-stage snow blowers have adjustable skid plate shoes on each side of the auger housing. You can raise the height of the auger housing an inch or two above the gravel surface by loosening the nuts on the skid plates, sliding them downwards, and tightening them in the raised position. The skid plate shoes will allow the auger blades and scraper bar to stay just above the surface of the gravel. If you want to clear a paved driveway, then you can simply lower the height of the skid plates until the scraper bar scrapes the snow from the pavement.
Do snow blowers work on gravel?
Some people might believe that you cannot use a snow blower on a gravel surface, but this is not true. A snow blower can be used to clear away snow from a gravel surface, although you should avoid using an electric snow shovel or a single-stage snow blower for this purpose.
An electric snow shovel will pick up too much gravel as you slide it along the surface. Similarly, a single-stage snow blower slides along the surface, allowing the scraper blade and auger paddle to pick up bits of gravel. These pieces of gravel will then be thrown out of the discharge chute at high speed, leading to possible injuries or damage if the chute is not pointing in a safe direction.
A two-stage snow blower has both a scraper blade at the back of the auger, and skid plate shoes (sometimes called runners) at the front of the auger. The scraper blade scrapes along the ground, protecting the auger and impeller. It can be adjusted to compensate for wear and tear.
In addition, the skid plate shoes can be adjusted to create a buffer space between the scraper bar and the gravel surface. This reduces the chance of picking up pieces of gravel that could damage the auger blades, impeller, and the windows of the nearest neighbor.
Will a snow blower work on sand?
It might, but why would you want to use a snow blower on sand? I think you should use a shovel and a wheelbarrow to move sand out of the way. Look, I saw the YouTube video of the guy blowing dirt out of the way with an old Ariens snow blower, but that just confirmed my opinion that you should not use a snow blower on sand.
Does a snow blower work on grass?
If you want to clear snow from your lawn, then the same principles apply: adjust the skid plate runner shoes so that the scraper bar and auger do not damage the grass. In similar fashion to gravel, you do not want the auger blades to chew up and spit out tufts of grass.
A two-stage snow blower with adjustable skid plates is a better choice when compared to a single-stage snow blower that does not have skid plate runners. The scraper bar should be raised an inch or two off the ground, so that it does not scrape the grass, but still scrapes away the snow.
Conclusion
In conclusion, two-stage and three-stage snow blowers can be used on gravel. The auger housing drum of these types of snow blowers should have skid plate shoes on both sides. You can raise the scraper blade at the bottom of the auger housing drum by adjusting the skid plate runners downwards, thereby raising the scraper blade an inch or two off the ground. This prevents the scraper blade from scraping up loose gravel, even though one or two pieces of gravel might still be picked up along with the snow.
Photo by Kathyryn Tripp on Unsplash