Main Equipment
Air compressors and pressure washers typically come in residential, commercial, or industrial-grade options. We recommend using standard residential-grade equipment if you plan on making snow a few times a year. We recommend Industrial and commercial-grade equipment for marathon snowmakers looking to use the system heavily during the season.
Air Compressor Recommendations
Rigid 4.5 Gallon Portable Compressor
PRICE: $350
OUTPUT: 5.1 CFM @ 90 PSI
PROS: Compact, Quiet Operation (77 db)
CONS: Residential Grade
Campbell Hausfeld 20 Gallon Portable Compressor
PRICE: $850
OUTPUT: 5.5 CFM @ 90 PSI
PROS: Quiet Operation (85 db), Industrial Grade
CONS: More Expensive
Pressure Washer Recommendations
Ryobi 1.2 GPM Pressure Washer
PRICE: $99
OUTPUT: 1.2 GPM (~1″per hour of snow production)
PROS: Compact, Lightweight, Economical
CONS: Residential Grade, Low Flow
AR 610 Blue Clean 1.9 GPM Pressure Washer
PRICE: $595
OUTPUT: 1.9 GPM (~2″ per hour of snow production)
PROS: Extremely Quiet Operation (induction motor), Commercial Grade, Higher Flow
CONS: More Expensive
NorthStar 4 GPM Pressure Washer (230V)
PRICE: $2,049
OUTPUT: 4 GPM (~4″ per hour of snow production)
PROS: Extremely High Quality and Quiet Operation (induction motor), Industrial Grade, Very High Flow
CONS: Expensive, Requires 230 Volt Power Outlet
Setup Recommendations
Below are the BYSS team’s recommended setups. We have, and currently use these snowmaking setups to make snow:
Backyard Snowstorm equipment recommendations are based on high customer ratings (from large companies such as Home Depot and Lowes) and personal use. We have used the following equipment many times to make snow. All of the recommended equipment below meets the minimum specification requirements to make snow.
Fittings and Connections
PRESSURE WASHER CONNECTIONS – pressure washers can have a few different connections. Please read the following document to understand what connection your current pressure washer has, or what adapter you may need if purchasing a new pressure washer.
AIR COMPRESSOR CONNECTIONS – Backyard Snowstorm uses the standard air connection type for all of our snow guns and air hoses. This is an Industrial Style quick connection.