Recommended Equipment

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. 

Rigid 4.5 Gallon Portable Compressor

PRICE: $350

OUTPUT: 5.1 CFM @ 90 PSI

PROS: Compact, Quiet Operation (77 db)

CONS: Residential Grade

     LINK HERE

 

Campbell Hausfeld 20 Gallon Portable Compressor

PRICE: $850

OUTPUT: 5.5 CFM @ 90 PSI

PROS: Quiet Operation (85 db), Industrial Grade

CONS: More Expensive

     LINK HERE

Ryobi 1.2 GPM Pressure Washer

Snow Making Accessories

PRICE: $99

OUTPUT: 1.2 GPM (~1″per hour of snow production)

PROS: Compact, Lightweight, Economical

CONS: Residential Grade, Low Flow

     LINK HERE

 

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

 LINK HERE

 

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

 LINK HERE

 

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.