Powder, packed, and wet: snow types

Not all snow is the same job, and the robot has more than one way to work.

Powder and fresh accumulation

The easy case. The two-stage auger-and-impeller design pulls snow in and throws it 6 to 40 feet in a clean arc. Because clearing starts as the storm starts, most of what the robot ever touches is light, fresh snow — that’s the whole strategy.

Packed and drifted snow

The first stage breaks packed snow apart before the impeller throws it, and the robot works stubborn sections in layered passes rather than forcing one heroic bite. Drifts and the crusty leftovers along edges are ground down pass by pass.

Wet, heavy snow — and the plow blade

Wet spring slop is the hardest snow for any blower, robot or human-pushed. For properties that see a lot of it, Yarbo makes a plow blade attachment ($159 MSRP): swap it on and the robot pushes heavy snow instead of blowing it — more moved per sweep, fewer clogs. Your crew will tell you at the assessment whether your climate makes it worth having in the garage.

The town plow’s berm

That ridge of compacted ice the municipal plow leaves across your driveway apron is the worst snow on the property. The robot grinds at it in repeated passes rather than one push — and because it clears through the storm, the berm never gets a night to freeze solid before it’s dealt with.

Full accessory lineup and pricing is on the robot page.