Is a two-stage gas snow blower worth it over a single-stage?

For anything deeper than about 8 inches, wet snow, or gravel driveways, the consensus across specialist communities is yes. Two-stage machines use an auger plus an impeller and adjustable skid shoes, so they clear deep, heavy, and plow-pile snow without choking and without scooping up gravel the way single-stage units do. Single-stage blowers are lighter and cheaper but reviewers repeatedly note they ride up and bog down in wet or deep snow.