Do Electric Snow Blowers Work, and How Much Snow Can They Take?

Family Handyman calls electric snow blowers a good option for snow no more than a foot deep, and Toro lists up to 12 inches for its own electric and battery models. Some battery models carry lower limits. Consumer Reports says single-stage battery models are meant to handle up to only 6 inches and two-stage battery models up to 9 inches, while Bob Vila saw an EGO 24-inch electric model clear snow loads of more than 2 feet in its tests.

Maker figures

Toro electric and battery snow blowers go up to 12 inches of snow and up to 18 cars per driveway. The cordless Snow Joe 24V-X2-SB21-RM has an 8-inch snow cut depth and is made for light, fluffy snow. It clears up to 1,350 square feet of 3-inch snow.

Battery count matters on some EGO models. The SNT2100 shouldn't run on a single battery in snow deeper than 3 inches. For the SNT2400, the line is 8 inches. Neither should run on one battery in very wet or icy snow.

The two picks

The SNT2134 clears a path 21 in wide and 13 in high. EGO rates it for up to a 14-car driveway with 8 in of snow on a single charge with its two 6.0 Ah batteries. The SJ627E's path is an inch wider at 22 in by 13 in. It moves up to 840 lb of snow per minute.

Wet snow splits the sources, while plow piles, ice and gravel each come with clear cautions.

Wet, heavy snow

Toro's 60V page says its battery machines blast through heavy, wet snow, yet its own Power Max e24 shouldn't be overloaded with extremely heavy or wet snow. Either way, don't force the machine into it.

If heavy, wet snow is a regular thing where you live, start with the heavy snow guide.

Plow piles

Then there's the ridge the town plow leaves at the end of your driveway. Greenworks calls that snow dense and compacted and advises breaking it down gradually from the top or front of the pile, not forcing the machine into it.

Ice

A glazed driveway after freezing rain is a different job. The Ryobi RY40806 40V is meant to run only on a hard, clean surface, not on ice, because you can slip and fall.

Gravel

Single-stage machines are a poor fit for gravel because they work closer to the ground. A two-stage auger rides high enough that it doesn't touch the surface. The EGO SNT2100 isn't meant for graveled surfaces at all. The SNT2400 can be used there, but only once it's adjusted for that surface by setting the skid shoe height. For more, see the gravel driveway guide.

Most battery snow blowers run about 30 to 45 minutes per charge, by Bob Vila's count, and heavy snow can cut a 45-minute run to 30. The cordless Snow Joe 24V-X2-SB21-RM tops out at 25 minutes. The SNT2134's product page gives no run time in minutes and no charge time.

What the cold does

On the cold, the evidence points both ways. Consumer Reports says run times commonly shrink in the cold and found them 5 to 20 percent shorter in its extreme-cold tests, while Bob Vila's cordless test models handled -7 degrees Fahrenheit with no battery or power output issues.

Some manuals give firm numbers. The EGO SNT2100 is meant to run between -4°F and 50°F. If its battery is at -4°F or colder, the machine may not start. The battery should then warm indoors for 10 minutes or longer. The Westinghouse WSnow18 48V is made for continuous operation above 23°F (-5°C) and can run in extreme cold for short periods.

Yes, electric snow blowers are worth it if your snowfalls stay modest and you'd rather skip engine upkeep. A battery model starts instantly, with no warm-up. There's no gasoline to store and no yearly engine maintenance. Battery models also run much more quietly than gas.

When gas is the better call

Gas is still the better call for very heavy snowfall and larger driveways. For the full trade-off, see the gas vs electric guide.

Corded models

Corded machines get mixed verdicts. Consumer Reports says none of the corded models it tested performed well enough to recommend, while Bob Vila found a corded Greenworks 20-inch powerful enough for snow up to 12 inches deep on small driveways, walkways and decks. If you go corded anyway, the SJ627E is my pick. It has a 15 A, 120 V motor and push-button electric start.

Use an electric snow blower in overlapping passes, with the chute pointed downwind when you can.

On the driveway

With a corded machine, start near the outlet and work outward. With the SJ627E, step over the cord to reverse direction and keep the cord connection secured.

Clearing a clog

Never clear a clogged chute with your hand. The first step differs by model: on the Toro Power Max e24 it's bumping the front of the running machine on the pavement, and on the Snow Joe 24V-X2-SB21-RM it's shutting the motor off. Both end with the motor off and a clean-out tool.

When you're done

With the EGO SNT2100, let the motor run a few more minutes after you finish to keep moving parts from freezing.