Side by Side Comparison of: Snow Joe

I live in Northern Virginia (near DC) and last winter (Jan 2016) we got 36 inches of snow spread over 2 days. This was the first time I had a chance to put my new Snow Joe to work. I ran the machine after the wave of snow (about 12 inches). Overnight another 20+ inches came in. The federal government and all schools were closed. It was slow going but this machine just kept chugging and blowing snow until my driveway was clear.

I've owned my Snow Joe since Nov 2015. This winter is setting records for our area. More snow than ever before in recorded history. None of my neighbors had snow throwers. Well, that is until this winter. Watching me clear my 4 car driveway in just minutes while they slave away manually shoveling theirs. So, I began doing my next door neighbors driveway as he is elderly. Then have loaned it out to two other neighbors across the street. My elderly neighbor now owns a snow joe and my neighbor across the street ordered his today.
Pros: Really throws the snow, especially fresh stuff when the temperature is cold enough to keep it frozen.
Even though it's not self propelled, you can just about push it as fast as you can walk and it will clear the path in front of you.
I like the LED lamp and very torquey motor. Doesn't bog down unless the snow is very heavy.
Cons: Theres room for improvement. 1) If you have ANY imperfections in your surface over 1/8" the snow joe will catch it and stop so fast it will just about throw you over the handlebars. 2) The LED lamp is not really bright enough to help unless it is pitch dark outside. 3) The chute throws about 95% of the snow in the direction it is pointed, but about 5% of it shoots to the right. What this means is that if you begin at the right side of your driveway, it will constantly shoot 5% of the snow over swaths you have just cleared. This can be remedied by starting on the left side of the driveway. 4) If you use ice melt on your driveway after cleaning it, the snow joe will have problems clearing the next snowfall due to the slushy snow below. It's best to just not use snow melt if you want to use the snow joe to its fullest.
Summation: Look at the photos so you can see my snow joe in action, clearing 6" of snow from my neighbors driveway. I'd buy it again, but really wish they would fix the annoying issue with the unit snagging any imperfection in the surface and add a guard to the left of the chute so it throws snow in only one direction.

This is my second season using this snow thrower. Plug it in to a 100' cord and I can reach all my driveway and sidewalks...even get neighbors sidewalks (mostly). Love the adjustable direction so I'm not throwing snow straight ahead that I will have to run over again. Far more powerful than expected. Usually throws heavy snow about 10' and light snow over 15' to 20' depending on direction of discharge. Didn't think the headlights would be a big deal - I was wrong. Sun goes down so early in winter and having lights is extremely nice. Love it!!

Snowzilla dumped 36 inches on our area in NoVa. We cleared once when the snow was 4 to 5 inches deep and the SnowJoe was really great. On Saturday morning the cars were gone, drifts were over four feet and all we could do was wait out the storm. When it abated we started by clearing a path to provide some maneuvering room and we then began widening it. Again the Snow Joe was a fantastic workhorse machine but it was clearly not in this weight class of storm. The snow was so deep in spots the ejection chute couldn't clear the top of the snow. We came up with a solution that saved the day! Since I'm in my later 60's my daughter would cut down the snow into a previously cleared area and we would use the machine to throw it from there. It worked like a charm and we cleared a 60 by 12 drive and 28 feet of walk way in about six or seven hours over two days. The guy across the street has a 36 inch high intake on a Yard Machine 2 stage thrower and he was only a couple of hours quicker. I wish I had the cordless but for $199 the corded 15 amp thrower is a steal and proven that it can tackle snow beyond the specification threshold. It is a great product.

I am a disabled veteran and recently had cervical spine surgery (September 8th). I decided that I might need help in clearing my large deck when the snow arrived. This past Tuesday the snow arrived in southern Colorado with abandon (extreme winds) and it was piled much higher than the 12" that the Snow Joe was designed for. Well I wanted to get the deck cleared so I powered up the Snow Joe and went to work... remember I can't lift anything, since the surgery, over 8 lbs. The Snow Joe did a stellar job and I highly recommend it. I have attached a picture to show what I tackled on my deck in around 15 minutes. Consequently I highly recommend this electric snow blowing machine. BTW, this was not powder this was very heavy late fall snow.

O-M-G ... what a sweet "baby"!! This li'l machine plowed through 13 inches of snow without a hiccup. Now, mind you, I was sick as a dog when the storm started so I did NOT go out and do multiple passes at 3 inches each. Nooooooo, I had to wait until the storm passed and dumped it all before I felt steady enough to attack the driveway. Did not matter to Snow Joe! I wasn't able to just zip along easily, BUT I sort of lifted the front up a little and did the top layer first, then backed up and did the lower layer. Maybe not the best way to plow, but it worked, Little Joe didn't miss a beat, and my driveway was cleared within an hour of starting. I was so impressed with this lightweight monster. It even handled the ice chunks that were hidden at the bottom of the driveway curtousy of the snow plow. Do not hesitate to purchase this Snow Joe Ultra - it far exceeded my expectations.

I got this for my husband for Christmas. We live in a townhouse in NY without a garage so I don't have a place to store a gasoline blower. My husband didn't have much faith in it since it was electric and so inexpensive and then came the blizzard of 2016 and its 30 inches of snow. Since we hadn't had any snow since Christmas, my Snow Joe was still sitting in the box and when I opened it, I got a little intimidated when I saw all the pieces. I waited for my husband to take a nap and put it together myself in less than a half hour - no tools required! This thing was a life saver. Did my sidewalk/driveway and 2 of my neighbors' sidewalks and driveways. We all loved it and my neighbor is buying one. It saved us all major backaches and was the best money I spent for the holiday.

I purchased this as a gift, but I put it together. It took maybe ten minutes and a screwdriver. Those who used it said it worked great. The only "complaint" is that they had to repeatedly go over spots, but then again, we got three feet of snow. This unit isn't really made for all that, but it was lots easier and faster than shoveling. It did sidewalks and driveways for three homes with absolutely no problems. Absolutely worth the less than $200 it cost. I would buy again and recommend it with no reservations.

Although we had over 2 feet of snow with the 2016 blizzard, this little snow blower did a great job! Best to remove at 6-8 inches at a time. We delt with 2 feet, broke it up, then snow blowed it away a few feet at a time. Way better than shoveling.

So I was able to order next day deliver in advance of the Jonas storm of 2016. So far in Baltimore we have at least 30 inches of snow. I went out and was able to clear deep deep snow. It's like cutting grass that is too high. You need to takes but it works. And this is the best investment I've made in a tool for snow in a long time.

Now I know why people buy snow blowers. But I love this electric device, no gas, easy maintenance, and right now, it's inside so the ice can melt off of it. This is perfect for my small walk in the front and back.

So for 30 inches, it does fine and for 12 inches or less it will do even better.

I would buy it again in a split second

I received this the night before a 5" snow storm. The storm was followed by freezing rain so by the time I got out to use this, it was a solid 4" of heavy wet snow. I purchased the yellow 12/3 100' extension cord with the blower, and I recommend you spend the extra money for the extreme weather version as the yellow one got annoyingly stiff and would not lay flat.

Anyway, the snow blower was easy to assemble in my living room (no oil or gas, so why not assemble inside where it's warm?) it is light weight and has a handle on top for lifting it into a truck or moving it over things in the garage. I was impressed with how it worked despite the heavy snow. I wouldn't recommend it for more than 4-5" of heavy wet snow but for powder it would chew through it like butter.

What would normally take me 2 hours of shoveling, was done in 25 minutes with this thing. And my back didn't hurt from lifting snow with a shovel. It is still a workout to push this thing through the snow if the snow is heavy though, but less time consuming and less work by far than shoveling. As with everything, I wish it had more power but 15 amps is the limit of what most people's homes can supply. I run mine using a 20amp adapter through the rv plug in my rv garage so this on its own circuit.

Get a cold weather flexible cord though, dealing with 100ft of stiff 12 Guage cord is a real chore during operation and when putting it away. All in all very satisfied, this will make a great non stinky addition to my snow tools.

Only used it for one day so far, but this little thing i champion. I do snow removal, and offer deck clearing as part of my contracts. for years I've been breaking my back clearing them with a shovel. This little blower f*#(*$ rocks!! light enough to carry up a flight of stairs, with enough power to clear 12" of snow easily. Only reason for 4 stars is the way the handle attaches to the main body is very flimsy. I replaced the one bolt it comes with with 4 from the hardware store and problem solved.

I had this for one season before rating this product.
As all electric units, the snow clearing effectiveness relies mostly on the muscles in your arms. If you can "push" the blower through the snow, it will clear it. Unlike most gas units which are self propelled (making it easier to clear deep snow).
Don't let the width of the unit fool you... You might be able to clear a wider path in one shot, but you'll have to "push" that much extra weight of the snow, specially wet snow.
I chose this unit not for the clearing width, but because of the horizontal bar handle. Most units have a single grip control for one hand, which can get tiring after a while,by his unit has the bar control, allowing the user to switch hands to rest, manage the extension cord, etc.
PS... Make sure you pick up a GFCI outlet or extension cord with built-in circuit breaker.

Snowpocalypse 2016 Report with SnowJoe: 8:50PM I just did my first driveway pass with about 8" on the ground, and it did a pretty good job. I would have liked a more aggressive scraper bar, but I think the blower's light weight is what really causes the scraper not to dig in. In the deeper plow made drift at the end of the driveway, where I was looking at very heavy 12-16" depths, the blower did an admirable job. Just be sure to go slowly and to not to bite off too much at once. In the deepest places, I took less than half the blower width at a time, and the job was done. I usually dig out a path for the dogs in the back yard for them to get outside and do their thing, and I gingerly used the SnowJoe this time, lifting the front edge slightly to not allow it to dig in and it performed flawlessly. I will update this review through the weekend, as it looks like we are going to get more than 2 feet of snow over the next 24 hours.

UPDATE, After the storm: So as I expected, the SnowJoe worked well with the rest of the snow we received. The deeper stuff was a challenge, but I kept up my technique of knocking it down with a shovel and then useing the SnowJoe to blow it away. All told this snow blower kept up to the task with 30" of snow. In 2010 by comparison, we received about 20" of snow here and it took me 8.5 hours to clean off my driveway by shovel alone. This year, with much more snow, I was able to do the same job in around 3.5. I'm still very satisfied with this machine, it is certainly adequate for the amount of snow we normally get in the mid-atlantic, and it is capable of making the large amounts much easier to deal with.

Bought as gift for daughter but she received a snow blower from friend so we kept it and it works very good only thing I wished we had gotton cordless but 100 foot cord works well with it and for the price it was a great deal

Tried it for the first time today with about three inches of snow. I have to say that for a backup snow thrower I was quite impressed. It's pretty much mostly plastic but handled the job quite nicely. Mind you, it's not made for heavy snow but it didn't break the first time out with fairly light stuff. It also handled small pieces of ice left by the snow trucks pushing snow and ice into the front of the driveway.
It's loud for something run by electricity and putting it together was a bit harder than one might expect. The blue fasteners that are used to put the snow blower together get increasingly more difficult to turn as you tighten them. I think that's intentional to keep it sturdy. The auger is made of plastic and I question what the designer was thinking. A hard rubber material might have been better but I suspect corners were cut on this model to keep the price down. Time will tell how long this thing holds up but since my Toro is waiting for parts, in a pinch this little guy came through.
At this point, I can recommend it for now but be mindful that this is not for several inches of heavy snow.

Nice little snow thrower. Assembly was ok. Manual could be written better or have pictures to put together. After assembly I went out to try it and the chute kept flying off. I went back in the box and found a small screw with an note stating to use screw. Probably a problem they discovered with unit. Once this was put on the chute stayed intact. Tried it today with 5 inches of snow. Pushed through pretty well and got the job done. My bigger snowblower is in the shop so this was helpful until I can get my snowblower back. Having to move cord around was problematic but I was able to move it around and get the job done. I highly recommend for small, fluffy snowfalls. It doesn't work well in wet, damp snow and clogs up.

This works very well in light to moderate snow. No maintenance is a huge plus.

You do not feel very manly using it however.

I live in the zone of southern PA that was hit by the worst snowfall of the Blizzard of 2016. I ordered this little guy the week beforehand, when we were only supposed to get 12 inches of snow. When they told us it was going to be more like 24-30 inches, I thought, there's no way this thing will hack it.

Truth is, it did exactly what it was built to do... it made short work of 8-10 inches of snow. It obviously can't cope with the monster snowfall we got from that blizzard. However, on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th passes I made with it, it performed beautifully.

It arrived right on time. Assembly was very easy and took about 20 minutes. Fired it right up and it was good to go.

The Snow Joe had enough power to drill right through 8-10 inches of snow. If anyone tells you that an electric snowthrower isn't powerful enough, they must be trying to clear ice. This thing never faltered once. I was asking a LOT out of this little thing and it stood up pretty well. Granted the snow was light fluffy powder, but we're talking 4 heavy clearing sessions over a 30-hour period here. If this thing were not well made it probably would have quit. The motor threw the snow high and clear.

One thing about the power: make sure you're using a power cord that's rated at 13 amps or higher. There are reports of this and similar snowblowers not being powerful enough or having their motors burn out, and that's almost 100% due to people using 10 amp or lower power cords. Give it the right power supply and it will perform as it's meant to.

The only reason I'm giving this Snow Joe four stars and not five is that at one point the turning mechanism for the chute froze in place and wouldn't turn the chute. I had to muscle it to get it to turn and was afraid I'd break it. Once it was stored in the garage for a few hours and the snow and ice melted, it was right back to normal.

In the photo below I'm making the first clearing. I'm 6'1" and the snow is up to my knees, so that's about 18 inches. Basically I had to lift the snowthrower and blow through the top half of the snow, then come back for the bottom half. You get the idea...

Will it magically erase two feet of snow from your driveway? Of course not. Will it do exactly what it's meant to do? Absolutely. My only regret is that I didn't buy the bigger model!

Wasn't sure we would get to try this out since we don't get a lot of snow in East Tennessee but we did and we are happy with our purchase. It easily cleared our very large driveway of about 4 inches of fluffy snow. I don't think it would handle heavy, wet snow, but as long as you get out there as soon as it stops snowing and before the snow has a chance to freeze or harden, it works like a charm. Using a long extension cord is a little irksome but much better than maintaining a much more costly gas powered blower for as little as we will need it. Very happy with our purchase.

Used in our harsh North Dakota winter last year where we had repeated snow fall, but I needed something more than my darn shovel to save my back. This little guy did a decent job helping me clean up light snowfall, or at least stay ahead of big buildups where we were getting several inches over night. It will not work anything over 7-8 inches in front of the blade; it's simply too much to practically use. But that is indeed the trade-off. I should have bought a bigger gas-powered blower, but I don't plan on staying in ND forever, so this was a solid compromise.

CON: I could use a sturdier handlebar system, this one seems it might break if I keep pushing, so I'm constantly babying it.

Snow blower is decent for lesser accumulations of snow and mainly pathways. I purchased this to help out until we can buy a large gas snow blower. I live in NH and we get several inches of snow each storm so in order to keep up with the storm I spend a large chunk of time outside during the storms. If I wait until the storm is over it's it's very hard work (especially if the snow is heavy) to use this snow blower since it is not self propelled. So all in all if you have small areas to clear, less amounts of snow or don't mind spending a good deal of time in a storm, then this is a decent product. I keep telling myself that it's better than shoveling.

It powers through dry snow quite well but I find the shoot needs to be redesigned. It isn't tall enough to direct the snow properly without it falling all over the machine. The base part needs to be longer and the adjustable deflector shorter. This would create a smoother transition and direct the snow where you want it to go. Its very light and easy to maneuver and perfect for my decks. The price was right and I like it so far.

Machine appears well made and putting together was easy. Just my luck, this got baptized during the blizzard after 4ft of snow. It could not work its way thru that. But it worked fine with 2 inches of snow on another occasion. best for light snow removal

Just used it after storm Jonas and 30 inches of snow. Clearly this is not designed to cope with that depth of snow, so we used it 5 times over the weekend to chip away at the drive as it snows. It did a decent job, some things to consider:

It feels a little flimsy, it's not very sturdy/hardy
It throws the snow an 'ok' distance, however the chute doesn't move as much as I'd like to control the direction of blowing
Because it's light, it doesn't get right down to the asphalt like a heavier unit

So it's ok, if you get a light fall every year, go for it. If you get 2 or 3 bigger storms, spend up.

Had the chance to complete the changeover from gas/oil mix to electric.....the only thing about this machine tho is it does not pull itself into the snow at all...if YOU do not push it will not travel.....be very mindful of the power cord till you get the new removal pattern for this machine...it will BLOW the snow away...up and out....think this was a great machine to leave the gas behind...handled wet heavy snow well..and dry snow is the best tho...and so light if you have to lift this machine you can do it....only down side I think is the power cord cost half the price of the machine...but go 100 foot 12/3....and you will only buy once if your clearing a seventy five foot drive for example...or a bigger deck...

It works very well on fresh snow, but not too well if it becomes packed at all. That's fine - I didn't expect it to, because it's somewhat light weight and has a plastic auger.

The biggest problem that I have is that the thumbscrews for the discharge chute have locking nuts on them that grip the carriage bolts so tightly that with one turn, the square holes were ripped right out of the chute so that the bolts spun freely. So, to adjust the height of the chute, I have to use a set of locking pliers to grip the bolt heads, otherwise the chute just sort of flops around. That's bad design, but the only bad part of the snowblower. I'll probably replace the flat head carriage bolts with lag bolts so that I can get a better grip on them with the pliers.

Otherwise, it churns through fresh snow easily and throws it far enough to make clearing a two car driveway and the sidewalk a breeze.

Electric snow blower. Did not come with all the parts but after a few weeks I was able to return and get a refund.

Does the job well, but they do not disclose that the rotor blades are made out of plastic. Works best for dry snow and less well in wet or icy conditions.

I had an 18" Toro with same 13 amp motor that lasted 11 years. This one is no where near as strong and I doubt I'll get 3 years from this. When it breaks down, I'm getting another Toro.

I was able to use this twice before it completely stopped working. Very disappointed in the quality.

I'm so disappointed. Just tried it in heavy snow. Anything more than 2-3 inches, and the spout repeatedly gets clogged. I would have to stop to punch out the snow, and continue moving very slowly. You also have to stop to adjust the angle of the spout constantly because the force of the snow coming out pushes the spout upward. Finally, assembly was kind of a pain, and it's just not well-made. One of the locking mechanisms just doesn't work.

this is great is 2-5in of snow. but anything more it gets clogged and stops working. If I could go back I would return and buy a gas one.

Beats the heck out of shoveling the wet stuff we get in central Virginia. It also seems to keep snow away as it has not snowed since I bought it.
Subsequent snows have revealed a severe flaw, the discharge chute is rough textured inside and wet snow of 8" is a clog producing mess. I dropped the review to 2 stars because of the flaw. Additionally the chute has two bolts that will not tighten and if the deflector is not upright the chute clogs immediately.

Works great... when you have the magic snow at just the right weight and depth. This machine is no match for March snow, at any depth. Apparently wet snow gums it up and stops it working. I got this so my parents wouldn't have to shovel, they've shoveled more than used the machine so far this winter.

I was unable to put this together right when I got it. However, when I did I reralized that it will be impossible for me to use it because it is to short. I was not aware of the height of the thrower when I ordered it. The height may have been listed, but it did not register with me. I would like to return it, but I am aware of the time I have had it. It has never been used. Thanks.

This blower does an OK job on up to 5 inches of dry snow. It is challenged throwing wet snow and doesn't have the heft to get thru one half foot or more snow. The snow chute keeps flying off, as it is not well secured.

Was excited to get this but not so much now. Somewhat difficult to put together. Snow chute flops around and yesterday while using it wheel fell off

The plastic assembly that mates the chute to the body arrived broken, 3 of 4 tabs. It would barely hold and every time snow would go up the tube the entire chute would fly off. This item is barely more convenient than simply shoveling snow yourself, and using a cord is inconvenient enough. I used this less than 30 minutes before I gave up and disassembled it for return. Everything on it is plastic except for the handle bar, and it feels cheap.

Under powered. I bought both this 13amp snowblower and the 11 amp snow shovel. The shovel works pretty good but the additional surface area of the paddles on the snowblower and only 2 additional amps leave it under powered. The snow needs to be fresh powder. Anything wet will stop the paddle, and it will take more time than regular hand shoveling.

finally got around to opening the box and assembling the snow blower. there are no hardware inside the box to mount the handle to the blower and the chute has no hardware either and also a broken plastic piece that holds the wire to the frame

Dead on arrival! Doesn't turn on not even the led lights turn on. I even tried a different extension cord rated for 15 amp and doesn't turn on at all. Not even the built on flash light.

The first one I ordered never made it to me. The second one was not operational. The price matches the quality you get...

Bought this at the beginning of the season and just had the first opportunity to use it. The chute clogged at every push and is nearly impossible to unclog- as a matter of fact, while trying to unclog the chute for the third time, the plastic diverter cracked. Not an item I would recommend and because I bought it 6a weeks ago, I am ineligible for a return- do not buy this. I had a smaller Toro for 10 years that I loved before it broke and unfortunately I chose this instead.

only good for fluffy happy snow. anything heavier will bog this thing immediately. unlike gas units, this won't propel itself. you end up having to repeatedly smash the thing into the snow to get anywhere. on packed or heavy snow kw, you're honestly better off shoveling. you're basically pushing an automatic broom.

Do not buy this unit...upgrade to a bigger one. This was way smaller than I was expecting. when I took it out in 2 inches of semi wet snow, it wouldn't blow it...it just pooped out of the lower hole all over the machine. it was also a pain to put together...the more expensive units have the discharge shoot attached as part of the main body of the snow blower. this one was separated, cheesy plastic and hard to get put into place.

I haven't been able to try my new replacement unit the SJ625, but it arrived in two days and it's much bigger and more solid and more of it is already assembled...I think it will be much better than the sj618!!

Unusable. We assembled it and tried to plow about 4 inches of dry, fluffy, snow. The force of the snow blowing through the diverter knocked the diverter off, which shuts the unit down. We tried several times unsuccessfully to secure the diverter to the main unit, but it is very cheap plastic and does not lock into place. There is a ring-like locking mechanism that secures the diverter to the main unit through twisting motion, but it doesn't stay locked. As a result, it is not usable and we will be returning it. On a side note, the entire motor casing, wheels, and locking mechanism appear to be made of the same cheap plastic. This actually comes across more as a toy snow blower and I can't possibly see it working for more than a single season of use. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on this cheap headache.

I've used it for exactly 2 snowfalls now; once last year and recently.

It's worthless unless you're dealing with 1-2" of fresh, fresh snow.

I tried to clear 3" of 6-hr old snow, and it was an exercise in frustration. It didn't have enough power to clear anything higher than 2", and even when it did, the snow chute would clog every 2 steps.

I called it quits when the snow chute finally broke from my continued beatings on it in order to clear the clogs.

I read another 5-star review which stated something about making sure I had extension cords with enough amperage, and I don't know what my cords were rated for, so that may have been the issue.

It's a moot point anyway now that the chute is broken, although I assume it can be replaced.

My recommendation: get a noisy, smelly, gas powered blower and it'll be far less of a headache.

I am really disappointed in my purchase! I read a lot of reviews and decided on this brand. Assembly was ok, one of the bolts was a bit cross threaded making it almost impossible to tighten the snow chute. Now when we get our first real snow storm, this thing gives me intermittent shocks when I use it! I've tried three different outdoor cold weather rated (and correct gauge) extension cords and two different outlets. I never had intermittent shocks with my old electric Toro Snow thrower. It clears snow just fine, but no way should anyone have to tolerate random electrical zaps!

I will be returning this piece of junk! What a shame, I was really convinced that this was a good product.

I couldn't get past step 1 in the instruction manual! The carriage bolts and knobs were defective. Half of them worked fine and the others would not go together. I'm not the handiest guy in the world, but I've put together things for a long time and I can follow directions. The knobs only go on one way, so I don't think it's possible that I could have been doing something wrong.

I thought about getting a replacement, but I have lost my faith in this brand and I will buy something else.