Cordless Electric Snow Blower Anyone?

[GenXer]

I'm trying to switch over my outdoor tools to electric. All of my yard tools are battery operated and I love them. The only 2 exceptions are my lawn tractor and my snow blower.

I'm not planning to change the lawn tractor anytime soon. It's relatively low maintenance and does a very nice job at its price point.

However, my gas powered snow blower is sometimes difficult to start when I need it most --even after prepping, using good fuel and stabilizer, etc. etc. Plus it's loud and smelly before its warmed up. The usage time is also limited as well.

I was looking into a few battery operated electric snow blowers; mainly Snow Joe and Green Works.

My driveway is concrete, about 2.5 cars wide and not very long.

Anyone has experience with battery operators snow blowers. What are your thoughts?

[unluky]

While I have not used an electric snow blower - I will say I laughed at my father back in the day when he went to a E blower from EGO - till I used it - then I bought myself one. Then he bought their chainsaw and I laughed at him again.......till I used it to cut up a tree that fell in his yard with 2 battery packs. I was no longer laughing.

I also have one of their pole saws that works better than any gas one I have ever owned.

Everything I have used of theirs has been great and I only ever had one small issue and they fixed it immediately. Great customer service.

They make one too - and if I wanted one - I would not bat an eye at trying theirs. They are even about to launch a ride on zero turn mower soon.

I can't speak to any personal experience with a snow blower, but I can speak to their product so far. Everything I have used works far better than I expected.

If you get one - post back. I'd love to see it in action.

[Alfisti]

My issue with battery powered equipment is for some god forsaken reason they make the product "digital". No knobs or levers, all shitty, sense free electrical buttons with no tactile feel or ease of use in cold weather. Absolutely despise anything but knobs and levers to control any sort f interface, everything else is absolute shit and tends to break anyways. My blower has a TON of power, great battery etc but fuck me turning it on is a dog fight.

I recently put in an induction stove top and fuck me, the "touch" ones were just brutal, 4 presses to change temp, fuck that. I bought one with knobs, could not be better to use.

[CTinline-six]

The best electric snow blower I've seen is the Toro PowerClear 60v. It's basically the same auger style as their gas single stage (which I own one of those) but with an electric motor. Works very well. There are several Youtube videos on them also you might want to check out.

[Murf993]

I have an electric lawn mower which cost more than a gas mower to buy, I have had to replace 2 batteries now, so my all in cost is about $600+. I could've had a gas mower and a lifetime supply of gas for that much money. It'll be a long time before I buy any battery powered large tool again. I love my cordless drill but am leery of having to replace a large battery.

[ToddinTN]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

The best electric snow blower I've seen is the Toro PowerClear 60v. It's basically the same auger style as their gas single stage (which I own one of those) but with an electric motor. Works very well. There are several Youtube videos on them also you might want to check out.

I’ve tested the Toro unit as well, and it does ok. Like CT said, it’s a single stage design and it performs just like that. Good for light work, small driveways, sidewalks, decks, etc. Ideal for intermittent use, not great where you get significant amounts of snow or frequent snow days. I found it a bit more difficult to use than a Toro gas single stage. Something about the way it pulls makes it more challenging to control vs. the gas variant.

[3.0L]

I'm in favor of electric yard tools, particularly leaf blowers. Why? Gas powered leaf blowers are incredibly noisy. I live with that noise pollution 6 to 7 days a week. Virtually every home in our neighborhood have hired yard maintenance firms and all of them use gas-powered blowers and gas-powered hedge trimmers and the noise drives me insane.

[TheWatchGuy]

every year i see neighbors struggling with the inevitable 18+ inches of snow on their driveway with their electric snow blowers while i cruise through anything and everything with my gas 2 stage snow blower. I can make it through a normal snow season (20ish snows ranging from 4-24+") with just my 2 gallon gas can

For that reason, i will not go electric unless they get some much more powerful ones out for cheaper. Heavy, wet snow over 1ft is an issue for most snow blowers, especially if they arent powerful enough. For comparison, one that compares to the 2 stage 24in gas i bought a couple years back for $650 is 1k + in electric.

so unless you dont get a lot of snow, id pass.

all my other lawn equipment (leaf blower, weed wacker, lawn mower, trimmer, etc) are all electric.

[BMWGUYinCO]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

every year i see neighbors struggling with the inevitable 18+ inches of snow on their driveway with their electric snow blowers while i cruise through anything and everything with my gas 2 stage snow blower. I can make it through a normal snow season (20ish snows ranging from 4-24+") with just my 2 gallon gas can

For that reason, i will not go electric unless they get some much more powerful ones out for cheaper. Heavy, wet snow over 1ft is an issue for most snow blowers, especially if they arent powerful enough. For comparison, one that compares to the 2 stage 24in gas i bought a couple years back for $650 is 1k + in electric.

so unless you dont get a lot of snow, id pass.

all my other lawn equipment (leaf blower, weed wacker, lawn mower, trimmer, etc) are all electric.

Same, and I live in Colorado as well. All my lawn products are from EGO and I swear by them. But for snow removal I have a gas powered, 2 stage snowblower. To be honest, for most snows an electric would probably be fine, but there is always a big, wet Spring storm where it would not be as effective.

One last thing for the OP to consider - I'm not 100% certain, but I could swear that the electric models have a disposable rubber paddle that scoops the snow - so this now becomes a consumable. Might want to research that for the particular model you are considering.

[Alfisti]

I have a 10 year old son, snow removable problem is solved.

[upstatedoc]

You can have my gas powered snowblower when you pry it from my cold, dead hands

[nyalpine90]

thinking of going electric as well. Toro has one with good reviews.

[jmack]

I have a corded 22" Snow Joe running off a 100ft 12/3 cord. It does alright with western NY snows despite being a cheapo.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

You can have my gas powered snowblower when you pry it from my cold, dead hands

I used to say the same thing, until I discovered the joy of paying a self-employed neighbor to plow for us while my hands and feet stay nice and warm inside.

On this topic, we had a heavy/wet snow here about 10 years ago that knocked out the power for almost a week. My gas-powered snowblower's electric starter required plugging it into wall power. That frigging $%^$& beast wouldn't fire for anything using the pull starter from cold, and I discovered that my starting ether can had a broken valve.

The Mighty Dodge was heavy enough to break through the snow plow bank. I had to drive some relatives for an emergency trip to the hospital delivery room because they were snowed in even worse than we were, drive about 3 hours to an area away from the snow to buy a generator, and then lug the 196 pound S.O.B through the snow to our garage to start the snowblower when I got back home.

Just pointing this out for anyone who is considering a plug-in snowblower. Oh, and don't buy a whole case of starting ether in one purchase, because it sets off the police alarm that someone may be running a kidnapping operation.....

[VAcurler]

I've been wanting a small electric one but wasn't sure on battery powered versus corded. I have an electric corded lawn mower that works great and my yard (Denver suburbs) is so small that my single extension cord is long enough for the front and I move it to the other side for the back. If I went corded snow blower I'd need a few hundred feet to help the neighbors since I do that by hand now. My other neighbors have the cordless kit from Amazon

[Tommy-G]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

I have a 10 year old son, snow removable problem is solved.

Until he turns 16

[M-technik-3]

I have one of these...

and if the snow is not much I swap it with the dirt/snow blade. I have a cab for mibe now and I do the street sidewalk plus the two elderly neighbors driveways as well. They pay me in gas or beer or cook for me on occasion in exchange.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

I have one of these...

and if the snow is not much I swap it with the dirt/snow blade. I have a cab for mibe now and I do the street sidewalk plus the two elderly neighbors driveways as well. They pay me in gas or beer or cook for me on occasion in exchange.

Now that's what I'm talking about. You could probably dispose of a body with that

[RelaxIN2]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

Now that's what I'm talking about. You could probably dispose of a body with that

Must be from New York...

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by RelaxIN2

Must be from New York...

According to his screen name, he works for the Department of Corrections.....