An all terrain vehicle (ATV) snow blower is a device equipped with an auger to draw in snow and one or more fans to expel it. The combination of these two components can quickly clear a swath of land by literally blowing the snow away. These devices are designed so that they can be easily attached and removed as needed, and most of them are somewhat universal in nature. This can allow one ATV snow blower to be attached to multiple makes and models of all terrain vehicles. They are typically self-powered by either electric motors or internal combustion engines since ATVs lack the power takeoffs (PTOs) featured on tractors and other similar equipment.
Snow blowers are devices used to quickly remove snow from one area and deposit it in another. Unlike snow plows that simply push snow to one side, and snow throwers that use a unified scooping and ejecting action, snow blowers use two different components to perform two discrete tasks. The first component that each snow blower contains is an auger capable of pulling snow into the device. After snow has been drawn in, it is then redirected away from the device by one or more powerful impellers. Most of these units are self-propelled, though variants such as the ATV snow blower are designed to be mounted to specific vehicles.
All terrain vehicles are typically used for recreational purposes, though special equipment can allow them to perform useful work as well. The ATV snow blower is one such device that can be used with both small two-wheel drive vehicles and larger four-wheel drive versions. Most of these snow blowers are somewhat universal in that they can mount to multiple makes and models of ATVs, though there can still be a wide range of compatibility issues. Large, powerful blowers typically have to be mounted on the bigger four-wheel drive units.
In order to use an ATV snow blower, a vehicle typically needs to have both a winch and a rear hitch. One common design is a front-mounted snow blower with a support beam that passes underneath the ATV and attaches to the rear hitch. This type of ATV snow blower design can take some of the weight off the front end of the vehicle. In some cases, the winch can also be used to relieve some of the strain placed on the front end, or to lift the blower unit when it is not in use.