Runningtrails,

A "double stage" has an auger (collects the snow) and an impeller (throws the snow). Generally, two stage blowers work better for thick, heavy, snow.

Not sure about the tractor blowers. I am also looking at getting a snowblower for my JD tractor, but all the ones available are single stage. My issue is more of the weight of the machine. Where I am located (Red River Valley) the snow drifts and packs as hard as cement (my Toro 824 just rides right over the drifts). I am not sure if it is a waste of money or not.

If you find anything out, please post!

Try this forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: tractor forum

Two stage is better in the north. If you get 4-5" a single stage is OK-but when you get into drifts with a single stage you will probably spend more time unplugging than if you shoveled it.

I have a lazy-boy 1947 snow blower (single stage). It says that it will move two hundred shovelful of snow per minute. Runs like a scalded dog in dry snow that is about 4-5" deep. Let it melt a bit and it won't move 2" of wet snow.

In 2006 bought a 2-stage blower for the harder drifted and wet snows-only used it 4 times since it was bought-but it cleared the heavier snow like a dream.

I used a single-stage snowblower on the front of an 18 horsepower Craftsman garden tractor for 15 years with few problems. If you have the power, a single-stage will work fine--just keep the throttle up. You may have to operate in low range to keep the tractor speed over the ground down. Most of our winter snow is dry, but spring and fall snows are often wet. My driveway is 600 feet long. I sometimes had some trouble with ice if the snow fell, melted, and re-froze, but I think any snowblower would have trouble there, single or two-stage.
If your tractor has less than 15 horses, I would use two-stage, but if you have 20 or more, single should be fine.