Best Two-Stage Snow Blower When Noise Matters

The best quiet two stage snow blower in this group is the EGO Power+ SNT2420, a 163.1 lb battery machine with a 24-inch clearing width and a 20-inch intake height, because removing a combustion engine is the only change here that reliably lowers noise. If you want the longest published warranty instead, the EGO SNT2400 lists a 5-year tool warranty and the SNT2420 lists none.

This guide is not for someone clearing a 400-foot rural lane through drifted snow. That job wants a wide gas machine and a fuel can, and you'll be better served by a 28-inch or 30-inch commercial unit than by anything in this set. It's also not for a small city stoop, where a single-stage electric shovel does the work in five minutes.

Best quiet two stage snow blower at a glance

Why no listing here proves a quiet two-stage snow blower

Let's be straight about the search term. Amazon returned six two-stage machines, and not one of them publishes a decibel figure. So no product on this page can be sold to you as a certified quiet two stage snow blower, because the number that would settle it isn't in any of these listings.

What you can act on is the power source. Two of the six run on 56V batteries. Four run on gas engines: two 208cc Briggs & Stratton units, one 212cc engine on the YARDMAX, one 212cc engine on the Husqvarna ST124. The EGO SNT2400 listing frames the point directly, claiming it throws snow up to 50 feet "without the noise, mess, or fumes of a gas snow blower." That's the manufacturer's wording, not a lab measurement.

Here's what I'd hold onto:

• An auger and impeller make noise on every two-stage machine. Electric doesn't silence the snow itself.
• A four-stroke engine adds a second, constant sound source that a battery machine simply does not have.
• Gas machines also idle. You hear them between passes, at the end of the driveway, while you clear the mailbox.
• No listing here states a sound rating, so treat any decibel claim you read elsewhere as unverified for these exact models.

If quiet is your first constraint, judge it by the absence of an engine and check the noise ordinance in your town. Don't expect a spec sheet to do it for you.

Three reasons a machine got cut

I screened this category on published specifications and cut hard. Three disqualifiers did most of the work.

1. Single-stage designs. A single-stage auger touches the pavement and struggles with the packed ridge a plow leaves at the curb. Every machine here is two-stage: an auger feeds an impeller, and the impeller does the throwing.
2. No self-propel. All six list a self-propelled drive. Pushing 150 lb or more through wet snow by hand is the fastest way to abandon a machine in the garage.
3. Clearing width under 24 inches. Below that, you're making too many passes on a two-car driveway. The set runs 24 in to 26 in.

What survived splits neatly into two families. The EGO pair share a 24-inch width, a 20-inch intake height and a claimed 50-foot throw. The gas four run 24 in to 26 in with 208cc and 212cc engines, published weights between 145 lb and 173 lb where stated, and 13-inch snow tires on three of them.

Only one of the six publishes a tool warranty term of any kind on its listing, and one publishes a bumper-to-bumper term plus a separate engine term. That gap mattered to the ranking more than horsepower did.

What actually decides this purchase?

Most guides compare engine displacement. That's not what decides it. Intake height is.

Clearing width tells you how wide a bite you take. Intake height tells you how deep a bite you can take before the machine rides up over the snow instead of eating into it. The Husqvarna ST124 publishes 21 in. Both EGO machines publish 20 in. The other three publish nothing on that spec, which is a real gap when your driveway ends in an 18-inch plow ridge.

The second deciding factor is how you'll start the machine at 5 a.m. All four gas units list electric start. Both EGO units start with a push button and need no priming and no pull cord. That distinction shrinks the moment the temperature drops.

Third: weight, and where you store it. Published figures run 145 lb for the PowerSmart 26-inch up to 173 lb for the Husqvarna. The PowerSmart 24-inch doesn't publish a weight at all. Footprint varies more than you'd guess. The SNT2420 lists 35 x 35.8 x 28 in, while the YARDMAX lists 44 x 57 x 32 in. That's a difference you'll notice in a shared garage.

Engine size is the last thing I'd rank on, not the first.

1. EGO Power+ SNT2420 24" Two-Stage Snow Blower — Best overall

The quietest realistic option in this set, because it runs two 56V batteries instead of an engine, and it still publishes a 20-inch intake height.

Best for: a long driveway where an early-morning start can't wake the street Skip it if: you don't want to buy two 56V batteries separately

The SNT2420 is the most expensive pick here, and what the extra buys is the removal of the engine. That's the whole argument. EGO's Peak Power system pairs two 56V ARC Lithium batteries, and the listing claims gas-like performance in deep, wet and packed snow. Neither battery nor charger is included, so budget for those as a separate purchase.

Dimensionally it's the compact one. At 35 x 35.8 x 28 in it takes up less floor area than the YARDMAX or the Husqvarna, which matters if the machine lives beside a car for five months. Weight is 163.1 lb, the second-heaviest published figure in the group, so plan on rolling it rather than lifting it over a threshold.

The clearing numbers match the SNT2400 exactly: 24-inch width, 20-inch intake, a claimed 50-foot throw with variable auger speed. EGO says two 7.5Ah batteries clear an 18-car driveway with 8 inches of snow on one charge. Variable-speed forward and reverse handle the manoeuvring.

The trade-off against the rest of the set is stark. It's the priciest pick, it publishes no warranty term where its own stablemate publishes five years, and it sells more slowly here than the SNT2400 does.

Pros:

• No engine, the only reliable route to lower noise
• 20-in intake height, published rather than omitted
• Smallest published footprint of the six
• Push-button start with no priming or pull cord
• Variable-speed forward and reverse self-propel

Cons:

• Most expensive pick here
• Batteries and charger sold separately
• No warranty term published on the listing
• 163.1 lb, heavier than four of the six

2. EGO POWER+ 24" Electric Snow Blower — Best upgrade

Same 24-inch, 20-inch-intake battery platform as the winner, plus the only 5-year tool warranty published in this set.

Best for: buyers who want the published 5-year tool warranty and onboard lighting Skip it if: storage height is limited

The SNT2400 is the second-most expensive pick and the one buyers choose most often in this group. It runs the same 56V Peak Power setup as the SNT2420, and the clearing figures are identical: 24-inch width, 20-inch intake height, a claimed 50-foot throw, variable-speed steel auger, directional chute control.

Two things separate it. First, the warranty: 5 years on the tool, the longest single published tool term across all six machines. Second, the lighting. EGO lists four LEDs for nighttime clearing, which pairs neatly with a machine you can run before dawn without a running engine announcing you.

It's also the lightest of the two EGO units at 150 lb, 13.1 lb under the SNT2420. But it's the taller, longer machine: 45 x 49 x 26 in against 35 x 35.8 x 28 in. Measure your shelf clearance before you commit. The listing gives a 2024 release date and confirms compatibility across the EGO 56V ARC Lithium range, so existing EGO owners may already hold the batteries this needs.

The honest loss is footprint. You pay near-top money and give up the compactness of the winner, and you still buy batteries separately.

Pros:

• 5-year tool warranty, the longest published here
• Four LEDs for pre-dawn or late-night clearing
• 150 lb, lighter than the SNT2420
• 20-in intake height and 24-in clearing width
• Works with any two EGO 56V ARC Lithium batteries

Cons:

• Bulkier at 45 x 49 x 26 in than the winner
• Batteries and charger not included
• Second-highest price position in the set
• No decibel figure published, despite the noise claim

3. Husqvarna ST124 212cc 24" 2 Stage Snow Blower — Runner-up

The deepest published intake height in the group at 21 in, and the only machine with both a bumper-to-bumper and a separate engine warranty.

Best for: deep, drifted snow where a 21-in intake earns its keep Skip it if: you'd struggle to move a 173 lb machine out of a shed

The ST124 is the mid-priced gas option that publishes the numbers the others hide. Intake height is 21 in, an inch more than either EGO and the only figure of its kind among the four gas machines. Combined with a 24-inch clearing width, that's a machine built to bite into a drift rather than climb it.

Husqvarna's warranty listing is the most detailed here: 3 years bumper-to-bumper plus 5 years on the engine only. No other gas pick in this set publishes a term at all.

The design details are specific rather than generic. Husqvarna describes a ribbon auger that mixes air into the snow to make it easier to handle, 13-inch snow tires for grip, a molded console and an all-steel chute. The 212cc engine matches the YARDMAX on displacement.

Two costs. It's the heaviest machine here at 173 lb, and at 42 x 54 x 30 in it's among the largest footprints. And it's a gas engine, which is exactly the thing a noise-focused shopper is trying to avoid, so it lands third rather than first.

Pros:

• 21-in intake height, deepest published in the set
• 3-year bumper-to-bumper plus 5-year engine warranty
• 13-in snow tires for traction
• All-steel chute and molded console
• Mid-range price position rather than premium

Cons:

• Heaviest pick at 173 lb
• Gas engine, so noise is inherent
• Large 42 x 54 x 30 in footprint
• Slower seller than three others here

4. PowerSmart 26-Inch Self Propelled Two-Stage Snow Blower — Best for pros

A 26-inch clearing width at a mid-range price, and the lightest published weight in the whole group at 145 lb.

Best for: wide clearing on a mid-price budget Skip it if: you need a published warranty term before you buy

Width per dollar is where this one wins. You get a 26-inch path, two inches more than any EGO or the Husqvarna, at a mid-range price and the lowest published weight here: 145 lb, 28 lb under the ST124. Fewer passes, less machine to wrestle.

PowerSmart quotes a 208cc Briggs & Stratton 950 snow series engine and claims a 2,700 lbs/min clearing capacity, describing it as ideal for 1 to 12 inches of snow. That last figure is worth reading twice. It's the manufacturer's own stated range, and it's narrower than what a 21-inch intake implies elsewhere in this set. The listing also claims a 45-foot throw from the steel impeller, 5 feet short of the EGO claim.

Practical touches are here: handle warmer, electric start, one-handed operation, variable-speed forward and reverse, 13-inch snow terrain tires, steel housing, frame, deflector and chute.

What it gives up is documentation. No intake height published, no warranty term published, and no colour-independent way to judge how deep it will bite. For an ordinance-sensitive buyer, it's also a gas engine.

Pros:

• 26-in clearing width, widest here alongside the YARDMAX
• Lightest published weight at 145 lb
• Handle warmer and electric start listed
• 13-in snow terrain tires with steel chute and housing
• Mid-range price for the widest cut

Cons:

• No intake height published
• No warranty term on the listing
• Claimed 45-ft throw trails the EGO claim of 50 ft
• Manufacturer states 1 to 12 in of snow, a narrow band

5. YARDMAX YB6770 26 in. 212 cc Two-Stage Self-propelled Gas — Best minimal setup

Six forward speeds and two reverse, more drive options than any other pick, with nothing to charge and no battery ecosystem to buy into.

Best for: someone who wants six forward speeds and no battery ecosystem Skip it if: you want the shortest possible machine for a tight garage

Drive control is the YB6770's real distinction. Six forward speeds and two reverse is the most granular self-propel setting in this set, and it's the sort of thing that matters when you're feathering along a gravel edge and then opening up on clear concrete.

It's the second-cheapest pick, running a 212cc engine that matches the Husqvarna on displacement. YARDMAX describes serrated steel augers to slice hard-packed snow and ice, axe-shaped housing sides to chop through tough snow, and a heavy-duty aluminum gear case with alloy steel gears and synthetic gear oil. Electric start and a headlight are both listed. Clearing width is 26 in, tying the widest here.

Setup is genuinely simple in the sense that matters: no batteries to buy, no charger, no waiting for a charge cycle before you clear a second storm the same day.

The costs are size and silence. At 44 x 57 x 32 in it's the largest footprint of the six, and 165.3 lb puts it third-heaviest. No intake height is published, and no warranty term either. It's a gas machine, so it does the opposite of what a noise-first buyer wants.

Pros:

• Six forward and two reverse speeds, most in the set
• 26-in clearing width at the second-cheapest price
• Serrated steel augers and aluminum gear case
• Electric start and headlight listed
• No batteries or charger to buy

Cons:

• Largest footprint here at 44 x 57 x 32 in
• 165.3 lb, third-heaviest published weight
• No intake height or warranty published
• Gas engine noise, the thing this guide screens for

6. PowerSmart 24-Inch Self-Propelled Two-Stage Gas Snow — Best budget pick

The cheapest of the six, with the same 208cc Briggs & Stratton engine as the mid-priced PowerSmart and a handle warmer thrown in.

Best for: a shorter driveway on the tightest budget Skip it if: you want published weight and warranty figures

This is the entry point. Model HB7109A pairs a 24-inch clearing width with the same 208cc Briggs & Stratton engine PowerSmart puts in its 26-inch machine, so you're paying less mainly for two fewer inches of cut.

The listed features are the same practical set: electric start, handle warmer, 13-inch snow tires for traction, built-in LED lights, and a self-propelled drive. Published dimensions are 24.8 x 32.3 x 23.6 in, which is the smallest box quoted in this group. Treat that as the listing's figure and measure your own doorway before ordering.

Where it falls short is information. No weight is published, no intake height, no warranty term, no snow capacity claim. Across six machines, this is the thinnest specification sheet, and for a 150-plus-pound item you'll be moving on ice, an unstated weight is a real blank.

It also sells the most slowly of the six, and the 24-inch width means more passes than the two 26-inch options that cost only a little more. Buy it for the price, not for the paperwork.

Pros:

• Cheapest pick in this set
• Same 208cc Briggs & Stratton engine as the 26-in model
• Handle warmer, electric start and LED lights listed
• 13-in snow tires for grip
• Smallest published dimensions here

Cons:

• No published weight, warranty or intake height
• Thinnest specification sheet of the six
• Slowest seller in this group
• 24-in width means more passes than the 26-in picks

Battery or gas: which suits your driveway?

This is the fork in the road. Everything else is detail.

Choose battery if noise is your leading constraint, your driveway fits inside EGO's claimed 18-car range on two 7.5Ah batteries with 8 inches of snow, and you're comfortable buying batteries and a charger on top of the machine. Both EGO picks are premium-priced before those extras.

Choose gas if you clear repeatedly through a multi-day storm with no charge window, or if the price positions matter more than the sound. The four gas machines occupy the entry and mid tiers here, and the two widest cuts in the set are both gas.

Some thresholds I'd use:

• Storage under 40 inches long? The SNT2420 at 35 x 35.8 x 28 in and the PowerSmart 24-inch at 24.8 x 32.3 x 23.6 in are the only listings quoting a length under 40 in.
• Plow ridge over a foot deep? Prioritise the published 21-in intake of the Husqvarna or the 20-in of either EGO.
• Moving the machine alone over a threshold? 145 lb on the PowerSmart 26-inch is the lowest published figure; 173 lb on the Husqvarna is the highest.
• Want a warranty in writing? Only the SNT2400 and the ST124 publish terms.

A useful search for a quiet two stage snow blower ends at the power source, then at intake height. In that order.

What does owning a two-stage machine involve?

Buying is the short part. Here's the realistic picture from what these listings state.

Gas machines mean fuel. You'll store it, stabilise it, and start the engine periodically through the off-season. All four gas picks here list electric start, so you plug in or press a button rather than pulling a cord in the cold, but you still manage a fuel system. Both PowerSmart units and the Husqvarna list 13-inch snow tires, which is the part that decides whether you're steering or skating on a sloped drive.

Battery machines mean charge planning. EGO's SNT2420 and SNT2400 both need two 56V ARC Lithium batteries, neither included, and both quote the same claimed runtime of an 18-car driveway with 8 inches of snow using two 7.5Ah packs. If a storm outlasts your batteries, the machine stops until they don't.

Everything here is self-propelled, which is the single feature that makes a 145 lb to 173 lb machine usable. Three of the four gas picks list a handle warmer or heated grips in some form; the two PowerSmart machines name it directly. Lighting is listed on four of the six: four LEDs on the SNT2400, LED lights on the PowerSmart 24-inch, a headlight on the YARDMAX.

Chute direction is worth checking against your layout, since the EGO pair list directional chute control and the PowerSmart 26-inch lists one-handed operation.

The verdict

The EGO Power+ SNT2420 is the winner because it's the only kind of machine here that addresses noise at the source, and it doesn't give up clearing capability to do it. A 24-inch width, a published 20-inch intake height, a claimed 50-foot throw and variable-speed self-propel put it level with the gas field on the numbers that matter, while the compact 35 x 35.8 x 28 in body stores better than anything except the cheapest PowerSmart.

Two conditions flip that recommendation. First, warranty. If a published term is a requirement, the EGO SNT2400 lists 5 years on the tool and the SNT2420 lists nothing, and the two machines share the same 24-inch, 20-inch-intake platform. Buy the SNT2400 and take the larger 45 x 49 x 26 in footprint as the cost.

Second, storm depth. If your driveway regularly ends in a ridge deeper than 20 inches, the Husqvarna ST124's published 21-in intake is the deepest bite in this set, backed by 3 years bumper-to-bumper and 5 years on the engine. You accept a 212cc engine, 173 lb and the noise that comes with both.

The runner-up's exact advantage over the winner is documented coverage. Husqvarna publishes two warranty terms; the SNT2420 publishes none.

FAQ

Is a quiet two stage snow blower worth the extra money?

A quiet two stage snow blower is worth it when you clear before dawn in a dense neighbourhood, because the battery machines here cost more than the gas ones and cut noise by removing the engine entirely. Both EGO picks sit in the top price positions and need two 56V batteries bought separately. On a rural lot with no neighbours nearby, that premium buys you little.

What does the extra money actually buy across these picks?

The extra money buys electric operation and documentation, not more clearing width. Both premium picks are 24-inch machines, while the two 26-inch models sit in the entry and mid tiers. What the top of the range adds is push-button starting with no fuel system, a published 20-in intake height, and on the SNT2400, a 5-year tool warranty.

Which intake height do I need for end-of-driveway plow ridges?

Intake height decides how deep a bite you take before the machine rides over the snow. The Husqvarna ST124 publishes 21 in, the deepest here. Both EGO machines publish 20 in. The three remaining picks publish no intake figure at all, which makes them harder to judge for packed ridges. Match the number to the deepest pile you actually face.

EGO SNT2420 or SNT2400: which should I choose?

Choose between the SNT2420 and SNT2400 on storage and warranty, because their clearing specs are identical at 24-in width and 20-in intake. The SNT2420 is smaller at 35 x 35.8 x 28 in but heavier at 163.1 lb and publishes no warranty. The SNT2400 weighs 150 lb, adds four LEDs and lists a 5-year tool warranty in a 45 x 49 x 26 in body.

What mistake do first-time buyers make in this category?

First-time buyers make the mistake of shopping engine displacement and ignoring where the machine will live. Published footprints here range from 24.8 x 32.3 x 23.6 in to 44 x 57 x 32 in, and weights from 145 lb to 173 lb. A 212cc engine is no help if the machine blocks your car door for five months.

Measure two things this week: the deepest snow your driveway ridge reaches, and the clear floor space in your garage. Those two numbers narrow six machines to two faster than any specification comparison will. Then decide whether you'd rather manage fuel or manage charge. The SNT2420 earns the default recommendation because it's the rare case where the quieter choice is also the more compact one, and because a 24-inch cut with a 20-inch intake handles the same snow a gas machine of this class handles. You just hear less of it doing the work.

Last updated: October 3, 2026. Product availability re-checked.

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