icysandstone OP t1_iys7k29 wrote on December 3, 2022 at 7:26 PM

Reply to comment by cjeam in Help me buy my first snow blower! What am I going to regret in 2 months? by icysandstone

Appreciate the reply! I'm hesitant to buy electric because I don't know if it will have enough power. Will it chew through the packed, icy snow that accumulates at the end of the driveway from the street snow plows?

I have an Ego cordless weed wacker and frankly, it really sucks. It's underpowered and I regret the decision.

Cultural_Stranger29 t1_iytb7yp wrote on December 4, 2022 at 12:14 AM

I own the old single stage Ego snowblower. It performs exactly the same as the gas powered equivalents it was designed to replace (one of which I owned previously), without any of the headaches associated with small ICE maintenance.

I have no experience with the new, larger 2 stage model, but I suspect its performance is on par with its gas powered equivalents.

The old model is perfectly sufficient for my needs - about 1,000 sq ft of driveway and sidewalk in the Chicago area. I don’t know if the new model will suffice for your situation, but you should not dismiss this option simply because it’s battery powered. There is no miracle snowblower solution to the hard ice pack problem you referenced - ICE or otherwise. That situation requires a tile scraper and elbow grease.

Current battery technology is capable of powering a best in class pick up truck (check out the F150 lightning), so nobody should be surprised that it can power a decent snowblower.

I have entirely replaced my small fleet of ICEs with battery powered tools. Mowers, blowers, trimmers, edgers, chainsaws. All of these tools work flawlessly, and I have no need to store and track any fuels, lubricants or additives, which deteriorate and evaporate, and eventually become a headache to dispose of. I will also never visit another small engine repair shop to deal with the inevitable spring start up problems that accompany seasonal landscaping equipment.

If you conclude that you need an ICE for your application, I agree completely that Honda is likely to be best in class.

icysandstone OP t1_iytfx87 wrote on December 4, 2022 at 12:51 AM

Hmm... OK, you've got me reconsidering Ego. I know the lawnmower is well regarded, and at least one YouTuber/reviewer I saw remarked that it didn't get bogged down as much as his gas mower.

I really hate ICEs, they should all go away. I'm with you on all those ancillary maintenance items that required, and frankly a hassle. I never want to rebuild a carburetor ever again.

cjeam t1_iysc6rc wrote on December 3, 2022 at 7:58 PM

I feel like based on that experience and the comments from others about pretty big ones and three stage ones, the answer is probably not.

It is a slight annoyance to me that more stuff isn't high-power electric and corded, for the right application it's great and saves the inconvenience of charging batteries and you can draw more power.

Mighty_Larch t1_iyvdbit wrote on December 4, 2022 at 1:39 PM

There are corded electric snowblowers out there but they are only powerful enough for single stage models. Dual stage requires more power than can be safely delivered from a 110v outlet. Hence the batteries on dual stage blowers. Not to mention that you need really high quality thick gauge extension cords to run even a single stage electric blower.