Pros and Cons of the "open end" drum type augers?

[CalG]

I've observed that many of the "European/ Industrial" blowers without end housings or external bearing supports at the outboard ends of a large diameter auger "shaft". The auger end it's self is a continuous disc.

Any comments on the advantages of this configuration?
Don't see it from any of the "common" mfgs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk72XfF4ZWQ

or even this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeiZQjbWsLY

or this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdfyL7o0_zw

 

[oldnslo]

One advantage would be for slicing through hard banks or drifts. Closed ends like seen on most American made units you are using the end of the blower as knife.

Is one large auger more efficient than two or three smaller augers?

 

[leonz]

Hello CalG,

The european snow clearers with you mention have a center bearing support

and huge worm gear reduction gear drive that rotates the two cross augers as one.


Some models are single stage units with a drum auger that has shallow
flighting to a center paddle that ejects the snow out through the
chute and spout.


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Hello Oldnslo,

The two and three auger machines are a means to
an end; where they simply convey the deep snow to
the center and then to the impeller.

You still have to crawl with any snow blower that
is a two stage to remove it.

These snow clearers also require a very large amount
of power converted to torque and this requires more
money to make them.

The european market deals with much more snow and
more snow events than we deal with annually as well.