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.

love this snow blower. the snow Joe and I have survived several new England winters.
light. fordable, never using gas again. best of whats available for the time of purchase.

I have a driveway of about 4-5 vehicles. plus walkways. didn't want something gassy and expensive plus heavy. but didn't want to year in and out do by hand or pay. this is the answer I was looking for. great price. battery works great, have had it a few years. you are better off getting to the snow fresh to medium, as if snow is left several days might be a little tougher. but just a heads up. also has a nice little light.

HIGHLY RECOMENDED

21" unit w/ 5AH battery w/included charger plus one extra 5AH battery. First use today, 12/15/15. Received 12/1/15. SE Suburban Denver. 7-8" fresh, slightly damp, snow; 20 degrees/wind 10mph from N @ 10am. Cleared all paved areas of typical suburban home (two car garage/driveway, front sidewalk and sidewalk to front door front walk) with one battery charge only , including some clean up and clearing area from base of driveway into street from sidewalk. Waiting for a few hours to clear additional few inches still falling after it stops. Meanwhile, recharged first battery in 3hrs. So, second battery not necessarily needed today but, glad I have it for when heavier snow occurs. Snow removal power more impressive than expected right up to battery depletion- between 1 and 1.5hrs run time. Had over half the job done by the time neighbors got their heavy, noisy ICE blowers started and warmed up. With practice and right conditions can remove snow down to pavement even when a bit damp on bottom. Snow today at about same height as front blower area and removed it effectively with minimal pushing effort except for a few spots needing more than one continuous push to cut through. Since this is a 21" unit rated to move over 600, I'd be curious if the narrower 18" unit performs better or worse since it isn't rated to remove the larger amount each pass (i.e., could be a trade-off there that might make the smaller unit just as efficient-- if anyone knows-- please post.) Mostly removed with steady continuous light to moderate effort push and proper angling of chute. Very light weight of unit contributes a lot to the ease of use and performance so, the larger 21" unit seemed very easy to use and in these conditions may have finished the job sooner than the 18" unit, which in 20 degrees with wind, is a worthwhile benefit for the additional $80 cost as my gloved fingertips did get pretty cold. I finished my area faster than most neighbors who were using their heavy units. I want to use this unit several more times in differing conditions before giving it a higher or lower rating and also see how well it holds up over time. This unit gives the impression it might stall if pushed too hard but, with practice seems to manage better as you go. If today is any indication, I may be raising the review to five stars.

2d use, Jan.8,2016, 2-3"slightly damp/wet at bottom, 27degrees, N wind @ 5mph, 9am. This time had benefit of pre-sprayed teflon/silicon anti-stick compound in the chute and augur area; finished entire job surprisingly fast, in ten minutes, down to pavement in all but compacted areas of tire tracks; snow throwing was excellent and helped in overall removal efficiency- pre-spraying did seem to help a lot. This depth allowed faster movement with no loss of efficiency or bogging down. At 4pm removed another 2-3" that had accumulated thru the day- same speed and efficiency. Added experience with this unit is enabling improved "feel" and efficiency; light weight really contributes significantly to that. This unit seems to weigh half of my old S200 Toro's weight but is delightful to use in comparison-- actually performs better and, w/o the ridiculous starting and warm up delay and maintenance issues, let alone no gas/oil mixing, refilling, spills, etc. Folding handle also a big plus for storing in smaller space. As of now, I'd increase my rating to 4.5 stars; still want to review at least once more by end of season so I can assess performance in more conditions, deeper heavier snow, and assess durability/reliabililty.

Third use- Feb. 1- similar conditions as above but 10-12" depth on walks and driveway; w/14" in street beyond curb already somewhat compacted by snow plows passing. cleared entire area in 30-40 minutes. second pass to complete street area to full width of driveway out to almost middle of street. Most impressive. With practice I've improved a lot and discovered, e.g., that when chute gets occasionally clogged, just pulling back and bouncing a few times will clear it, without even using the clean out tool. Also helps efficiency to use upwind rather than into wind. Still recommend having the tool and the teflon spray as both have proven useful and worth their price. All my neighbors are blown away by this unit and several have asked for details about ordering for themselves. I honestly cannot find anything to criticize- it exceeds expectations and has handled all typical conditions for a residential home in SE suburban Denver. With its lightweight, its electric light when needed, electric chute positioning switch, fold-up handle, very substantial power it is a real pleasure to store, handle and use. I think it is superior to the heavy blowers my neighbors are using because of the foregoing features. Unless you really expect heavy duty, frequent use on large areas, this unit should meet or exceed the average residential user's needs.

Went through a MN winter and loved it. At first it is weird to have something so light, but it moved the snow I need moved. I have a three-car garage width driveway about four cars long. It managed to complete the driveway each time without emptying the battery. Maybe there will be trouble if we get a 36" snowfall, but we didn't quite hit that last year. The light is surprisingly bright. The only thing that bugs me a bit is that sometimes there is light snow appearing out through the bend in the shoot. Not a deal-breaker against the overall ease of use.

This is the link at the video I created using this guy:

http://youtu.be/t_ACtL9qclA

I definitely love it. Considering that I owned it for about a month and I have to say that I'm completely satisfied with it!

I live in Michigan, so that's a place where snow falling is pretty high. I'll tell you this: yesterday, I was able to clean my driveway, sideways and patio and then, to move to a friend's of mine home (easily carrying it into my car trunk) and did the same thing at his place. After all of this, I was worried about how much battery life was still left and, after cleaning mine and my friends driveways and sideways, I discovered there were still 2 led out of 3 available! That was an outstanding performance!

Of course, you can't expect to throw the snow very far if there is just 1.5 inch of snow on the ground. But that's definitely not the case in which you need to do it in the real world.

I suggest to buy this little, eco-friendly, quite, light and powerful guy!!!

I have two electric corded snow blowers, but the cord can limit in which direction you can use the snow blowers during storms. So, recently we had 10 inches of dry snow, and this Snow Joe PRO worked great. It freed me to go in any direction I needed to go and do the sidewalks as well. It blowed pretty far, too. I think it does better in deeper snow, not an inch or two. I bought extra batteries, which I needed; one battery is not enough to finish the driveway and sidewalks. The motorized chute, controlled with the joy stick, is such an advantage, as well, because you don't need to stop and turn the crank, just press the lever and turn the chute in any direction. During the recent predicted blizzard in the northeast, I went out several times and removed several inches at a time, rather than let the predicted two feet of snow build up and make removal more difficult. I also have a gas snow thrower, but it is heavy. This Snow Joe PRO is very lightweight and it cleaned down to the blacktop on the driveway. This is also an advantage for me, since my driveway is pitched downward and handling the Snow Joe PRO is safer for me, as a petite female. My neighbor directly across the street would come out his front door every time I used the Snow Joe PRO, to watch, and he told me later that I did a good job with this snow blower. I am very pleased with this purchase as it frees you from the limits of corded snow blowers.

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

Since my doc has advised I should no longer shovel snow, I went looking for a snow blower that was manageable for this single woman. I had realistic expectations for this unit. I didn't expect it to move snow like a 2-stage gas machine and it doesn't. But I didn't want the expense, weight or maintenance of a gas model. What I wanted was something to clean up to 5" of light to moderate weight snow in my driveway and front walks.

I had 5" of powdery snow the night I received the machine, so first thing in the morning, I fired it up and put it to work. It performed flawlessly removing that light snow, temp outside was in the low 20's.

A couple of days later, we had snowfall of approx 3.5", heavier, wet stuff. Temp was in the low 30's. I didn't really expect it to remove that without some hard work, but I was pleasantly surprised. It did jam up in the chute a few times, but that was easily cleared out and blowing continued. Once again I cleared the front walks and driveway. Yes, it was a bit more work than my first clearing, blowing the powder snow in cold temps, but it was still much less effort than shoveling would have been.

A couple of days later we had more of the heavy, wet stuff, temps in the low 30's. It snowed constantly from late afternoon, into the early morning hours. I kept up with it, going out to clear it when the snow got to about 2.5 to 3" in depth. Again, it worked well clearing the snow. No, it doesn't throw it very far (even powdery snow does not throw as far as the manufacturer claims) and it's taken some practice to figure out the best pattern to clear things that get the blown snow out of the way, but once I figured out the best route, it worked well. As others have noted, at times it also does tend to spit snow out of the middle of the chute, leaving it next to the blower rather than blowing it up, out of the way. I back up and blow over it again when it does that, usually takes care of it.

The battery compartment cover is a joke. The small plastic tab that locks it shut broke off on the first use. The manufacturer really needs to address this in a redesign. Thin plastic snap tabs are not going to survive cold temps. I use a small bungee cord now to keep it closed. Annoying, but not a deal breaker since it doesn't affect the functionality of the machine (as long as you find a method to keep it closed, to prevent snow/moisture from getting inside the battery compartment).

The design is also annoying in that the only way you can tell how much battery you have left is to open the battery compartment (thus exposing it to snow/moisture getting inside) and pushing the button on the battery. Since the manufacturer specifically states that completely depleting the battery can result in ruining it (and they are expensive to replace), it's ridiculous there isn't an easy visual way to check it. You should be able to press a button somewhere on the unit without opening the battery compartment to check battery status.

In the times I have used it, the lowest the battery has gotten in use was down to one light (out of 3). Usually, I still have 2 lights remaining when I finish. Obviously, moving heavier snow requires more power. I did purchase a backup battery just to have that peace of mind, in case I do have a snowfall that depletes the battery.

It did not clear the snow at the end of the driveway piled up by the city plow. I didn't expect it would. That still requires shoveling.

Overall, in spite of the negatives stated, I'm pleased with the purchase. It has definitely saved considerable wear and tear on me this winter and I expect it will continue to do so.

Last winter I bought one of those smaller (and cheaper) corded electric snow "shovels". I was so disappointed with that purchase, not because of any real fault with the product, but because it just wasn't useful for me. This Winter, I decided to go all in and picked up the Snow Joe iON21SB-PRO! Cordless is absolutely a must! You do NOT want to be dealing with a cord out in the snow. Being able to direct where the snow goes is also a must. Lastly, these are electric machines, and so won't be as powerful as their gas powered brothers. Get out there and start clearing when the snow has reached 4" and is still fresh! This will take care of things.

I just used it for the first time on my Boston, MA urban apartment property. I have about 25 feet of sidewalk and about 60 feet of driveway to clear. Driveway is 1 car length long. The snow was about 3-4" of fairly dense pow (wish I was snowboarding instead!!!) and the Snow Joe ate right through it. The whole job would normally take me over an hour by myself with a shovel. I was done in less than 30 minutes with the Snow Joe.

Fair warning, it does not like wet/slushy heavy snow, like the stuff that the street plows kick up on to your driveway. Use a regular shovel for that! It's also not terribly precise, so if you may need to do some "spot" shoveling after taking care of the large swaths.

So far and overall, I am please with the purchase! My only note to Snow Joe is: keep everything about this the same, except make it as powerful as you can! If this little guy could handle the slushy/dense snow, it would be 5 stars perfect!

We used this for the mid-Atlantic blizzard of January 2016. Note the following variables for this review: The snow was light and fluffy - not the heavy, wet type. I never gave the snow an opportunity to set or melt and get heavy. We ended up with ~26" total for the blizzard.

Pros:
- It's electric. Our neighbor's expensive gas-powered blower didn't work, because the ethanol in the fuel tank gunked up, which is what the men in the neighborhood have concluded after their brainstorming session to kindly help him (in other words, we're not 100% certain what happened.)
- Being electric, we can store it in the basement rather than taking up space in the garage, which is perfect for us because we only get two to three minor snows a year.
- It's light. When done, I carried it inside and set it in a plastic bin to let the snow melt off so the blower could dry off.
- It's quiet.
- It does a great job up 6".
- It did okay in 16+". I couldn't just push directly into that much snow. I could, however, get the snow in layers.
- The light actually helped. I thought it was one of those frivolous features, but lo and behold Io I was able to use the machine in the dark.
- With 6" of fresh snow on the ground, it successfully cleared off our 110-foot driveway in about 30 minutes.
- The battery lasted about 50 minutes. (Also a con.)
- The remote to change the direction that the snow was blowing was convenient.
- There was very little assembly. I only had to attach the handle bar to the machine and the cover to the blower. There were no tools required.
- It's mostly plastic. (Could be a con.)
- The rubber blade can be replaced.

Cons
- The battery lasts about 50 minutes. Maybe others get more time from theirs, and I am happy for them. But our battery life is why I've given four stars rather than five.
- It took about two hours for the battery to charge. This is after the machine died from using up the battery. Maybe that's fast, but it was annoying with it snowing two to three inches/hour.
- The only way to see the status of the battery life is to open the battery cover and push the indicator button. I wasn't thrilled with possibly getting snow in the battery compartment.
-The cover to the battery does not 'click' close and would sometimes fly open. Solution: Just wrap a rubber band around it to keep it closed.

Tips
- DO NOT WAIT until the snow is over. DO NOT give the snow a chance accumulate more than 6"/compact or to start melting and form ice underneath and harden.
- Again, just don't wait until there's 10+" of snow. I was able to clean up the entire 110' driveway with 6" of snow in about 30 minutes. It was so much easier. I simply snow-blowed about three or four times for the one blizzard. When the storm was over, my driveway was clean while everyone else was just getting started.
- Order another battery if you can. We didn't, because if I remember correctly, it was expensive. Or get the corded machine.
- If there is more than a foot of snow, this is what worked really well for us: Shovel one path that is the length of whatever you're trying to clean. (Yes, shovel. It sucks.) Then one person walks ahead with a shovel and edges the snow wall (about two - three inches inward). The snow that was pulled down will be broken, powdery, and ready to be sucked up by the blower. The second person follows with the blower and clears off what was just pulled down. Turn around and do another two to three inches and repeat. This prevented the machine from having to strain while breaking down the compacted snow, and it really sped up the process. I used the snow blower to remove a single path down the 110' driveway in 16" of snow. It took me 50 minutes until the battery died to do one lane/run. Then my spouse and I teamed up to try the edging method, and we removed the remaining 16" of snow from the ENTIRE driveway before the battery died.
- If the blower gets clogged, we rocked the machine with a little jolt, and it knocked out the chunk of snow that was clogging the spout. (This happened rarely though.)

Note:
According to the manual, never let the battery run all of the way down, as this 'can cause irreparable damage to the ion lithium battery.' Yes, I know that I state that I used the machine until the battery died, but it was also a pain to check the battery status.

Conclusion:
It's perfect for us as we usually only have two to three snow storms that produce about <6" of snow each. It even did great in the blizzard. The life of the battery is a non-issue as long as I didn't let the snow pile up. If I lived in an area that had more frequent and heavier snow storms, I would probably invest in heavier and pricier equipment.

I like the design , weight , and features of this product , I have not been able to use it yet but i watched and read many reviews before buying . I chose this for my wife and daughter to use if needed for quick exit or vehicle and property access if i am unable or not available to use my larger gasoline model . Besides the benefit of it being less physically punishing than shoveling it is quieter making it easier to be aware of your surroundings such as people and moving vehicles , my head is always on a swivel when moving in and out of driveways with the gas motor droning away . I think the benefit of extra awareness for someone who does not clear snow regularly is a plus . This will also serve as a backup and can be easily transported in a car by one person ( around 32 pounds ) if necessary . This unit is a little pricey and so are extra batteries ( around $115.00 for a 4 amp hour lithium- ion pack - about 40 minutes run time ) and ( a 5 amp hour lithium-ion pack-about 60 minutes run time ) from what i have read and the videos i have watched . I have an issue with the reliability of the battery compartment cover which seems durable but does not latch well and will probably get worse with vibration and lower temperatures ( a bungee cord should fix this but at this price should not have to mess around . Also i don't think the plastic skid bar will last long and they should include an extra one in my opinion . I HAVE AND HAVE USED MANY DIFFERENT TYPE AND SIZE LITHIUM CELLS AND PACKS AND THE DESIGN OF THIS PRODUCT SEEMS TO BE DURABLE AND SOUND .IT IS DESIGNED TO BE PLUG AND PLAY WITH BUILT IN OVERLOAD AND TEMPERATURE PROTECTION WHICH LITHIUM PACKS ARE SENSITIVE TO . THE CHARGER IS DEIGNED TO SENSE ALL OF THESE VARIABLES . It all comes down to the 20 individual cells incorporated into the pack to produce 40 volts ( 20 #18650 cells ) and the balance circuitry to individually maintain an even voltage and capacity to each cell . If any cells fall to far out of balance this will lengthen charging time , and if it is unable to correct within a certain percentage this could affect the performance of the pack and ultimately cause it to fail to charge. A low cell to far out of balance will over discharge, heat up ,degrade further and possibly burst . that is why cell quality and matching are important , the whole package = cost .The instructions are thorough concerning battery use and storage and will give you the longest life . Due to cost i will use the included battery only before i buy a second,recharge is 3 to 3.5 hours for a 5 ah battery full charge. That's a long break when clearing snow . I HOPE THIS WAS HELPFUL .

I read a lot of reviews before buying this product so here is my review. I have a big gas one which is out of service. Don't know what the problem is yet. I always wanted something smaller to handle smaller jobs. I had a Toro electric one which worked fine but the cord was driving me crazy. So, when I see this cordless one, this is it. This is the newer Snow Joe model which is 21 inches wide.
New York just had a Blizzard. I was worry would this be able to handle more than 8 inches of snow. To my surprise, it cleared my driveway and walkway. The snow was more than a foot. You do have to work it meaning do it slowly little by little.
I was right about the power, it's under power compare to a gas one. I read people complaint about this thing wouldn't shoot over two feet that's because you need snow more than few inches to work. It works wonders with 8 inches of snow.
I love the power chute rotation feature. It really helps when you don't have to manually rotate it while working. Electric power ready to go all the time. It brushless motor so you know it will work forever.
The price is fair. Battery is expensive which what makes this unit pricey. The battery would handle a little bit more than an hour. I bought an extra battery knowing the job is usually more than an hour. I was right. I needed to replace the second battery.
Would I recommend this snow blower? Yes, if you are looking for a ready to go maintenance free snow blower. No, if you are looking for a more powerful unit.
Overall, I am happy with this snow blower. It is what it is.

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.

As I expected from the write-up and reviews, this works fine with light snow and is a pleasure to use if that's what you have. Wet snow is beyond it's capability: the chute clogs, the rubber blades can't cut apart the snow. If the snow is "packable", you just don't make any progress. So whether you'll like this depends on the snow you get and most of what I get in NH is wet and heavy.

What I do like: it's quiet, a charge lasts long enough to do my sidewalk and driveway, it's light and easy to lift and move, it can throw the light snow pretty far, it's comfortable due to very little vibration, it starts up really easily, the 'headlight' is a nice assist on a dark winter evening.

What I don't like that isn't snow-related: the battery compartment cover keeps popping open -- it snaps shut but won't stay snapped.

I bought this knowing it wasn't a gas-powered monster which could handle packed heavy snow, so I rate it as ok at what it promised to do.

I waited until our first significant snowfall to review this blower. It worked pretty well for two minor snowfalls - about an inch of light snow each. It cleared my 9 feet x 160 feet driveway in one charge in about 20 minutes. HOWEVER, it only throws the snow about 2 to 3 feet at best. With a light snowfall, I could start at one side of the driveway and, throwing the snow onto the uncleared part, get all of the snow by throwing it again and again in stages. This was only problematical at the 20 feet wide apron at the top of my driveway. NOW, we got a foot of snow last night and it was a different story this morning. Most of the snow was dry and light, however the snow at the bottom in contact with the ground was wet and heavy. As I blew the snow onto the uncleared part of the driveway, the wet, deeper piled up snow got harder and harder to get through. I used up the battery in about 20 minutes and only got about one third of the drivewaycleared. I put the battery on the charger while I shoveled by hand for 20 minutes. I (cleverly?) hand-shoveled a strip down the narrow length of the driveway so the blower only had to throw the snow about 2 to three feet to get it off to either side of the driveway. Meanwhile, the battery got charged back up to two out of three lights. I was able to clear about half of the remaining driveway before the battery gave out again. So I finished shoveling by hand. I guess the blower did about half the clearing and I did the rest.

Well, I'm keeping the blower and ordering a second battery and I hope the next big snowfall will be more within the capabilities of this blower. We usually only get one 12 inch snowfall per year, so I'm going to live with this blower. It is light weight and I don't have to put up with starting a gas motor in the winter. I can't recommend it for people who regularly get more than an inch or two. The secret seems to be to work in a pattern that requires not throwing the snow further that three feet. For deep snow, you need to carefully adjust the width of you bite so as to not bog down the motor, but still get enough snow into the auger for it to throw it effectively. Too little snow and the auger doesn't throw well. Then adjust your walking speed to keep the auger engaged, blowing maximally, but not bogging down.

I purchased this before the snow started falling.Our first snow was 1.5 inches of wet snow(Minnesota) it did clear the snow in my 2 car driveway,but it clogged up at least 4 times.don't get rid of your gas powered snow blower.

We purchased this snow blower in anticipation of a big storm that hit the east coast a couple of weeks ago. It was our first snow blower. We liked the idea of a low-maintenance option that did not require gas, oil, etc., and was easy to start. The unit performed as well as could be expected, however the amount of snow we received proved to be a challenge for the Snow Joe (we received over two feet). I give it three stars for the following: too small and underpowered for significant or heavy wet snowfalls, the battery pack drains after less than an hour of operation, and the cover over the battery compartment does not close easily/stay closed. If you are in an area where the snows tend to be less than six inches deep, the snow is dry, and the driveway is more than two car lengths long, you may want to consider a different unit. Otherwise, for smaller jobs, this is perfect and very low maintenance.

It works fine on new/ fresh snow but does not stand a chance with wet snow, not powerful enough of a motor.
If there are blizzard or a pending big storm, your best bet is to re-charge the battery (get the spare battery) and snow blow each time it gets to 5-6inches of snow. It doesn't do as well with 8in or more snow. Great for the wife or teen to help out as it pretty safe to operate and does not have the noise or fumes of the gas snow blower

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.

Unit arrived with chute missing a chunk out of it but broken piece not in box which means it was packaged broken.

Tried electric because it meant we could store it in our basement during the summer but beyond the broken part it refused to operate unless the battery cover was open. When the battery cover was closed and the battery secured it would stop after being moved around, assume a loose contact.

Leave the cover open and it would operate but while the lightweight is good for some not having heft in the snow blower itself makes it more difficult to operate in higher snow levels. One person commented that the chute only goes left/right, that is not true, you can place it in any orientation you want.

Would regularly just stop requiring you to release the handle, push the safety button, and re-engage which takes 2-4 seconds after engaging for it to actually start.

Not a bad little unit. It's quiet. Kind of light to push through more than 4" of snow, and the handle is a bit flimsy. It doesn't clean very close to the ground unless the snow is light and untrodden. It's a glorified electric snow broom, and OK for that. I noticed that the box said 21" and indeed the working paddle measures 21" but the plastic bar between the handles has a badge that says 18"!
There is a nice electric toggle switch to change the direction of the outlet, but the handles that hold the outlet at your preferred angle don't do the job. I also did not like that two weeks later it was available (not Prime) for $200 less. Grrrrr.

I used this brand-new snow blower during the DC Snowpocalypse of the past two weeks. First I'll describe my experience, and then my observations about this product.

===

Day 1: Two feet of snow, but very lightly packed - so dry and fluffy that you couldn't even make a decent snowball with it. The Snow Joe had trouble the whole time, because it can't dig into show that is over a foot tall: it stops almost instantly upon contact. I struggled for 30 minutes and cleared a single path out for 12 feet of my driveway before the battery was exhausted.

I recharged the battery, gave it a few days (during which some light rain and warm weather softened up the snow), and then tried again...

Day 2: About 10 inches of wet snow with some ice chips. The Snow Joe struggled even more: upon contacting the snow, it would shoot a small jet of ice out of the barrel, and then stall. Using the Snow JOe required constantly pushing the snow blower into the snow, making about 2" of progress, and then backing up to let the motor get back up to speed. Worse, the snow kept plugging up the chute, so every minute or two I had to stop to clear the packed snow. I cleared a single-snow-blower-wide path about 8 feet long before the battery gave out, and then had to finish the driveway with a shovel.

Again, I recharged the battery, gave it a few more days (more warm weather to soften it up), and took it out to tackle the sidewalk:

Day 3: About 5 inches of somewhat-packed snow with some slush. This time, the Snow Joe had the opposite problem: it's not built to clear snow that's *low* to the ground. The blades apparently have some clearance above the ground, and the Snow Joe is so light (being made of plastic) that it rode over the top of the snow. I had to tip the Snow Joe forward to get the blades to engage the snow. Also, I still had to stop every minute or two to clear packed snow out of the chute. I made it further this time before the battery died - 15 feet of sidewalk - but it wasn't a terribly difficult job.

===

Observations:

In a nutshell - the Snow Joe doesn't seem to be good for any kind of snow. It cannot handle light snow, or dense snow, or wet snow. It cannot handle tall snow, or moderate snow, or thin snow. It struggles with every kind of snow. If this sounds like a weird failing in a snow blower, well, you're right.

First: I'm led to believe that an electric motor powered by a 40-volt battery simply is not up to the power requirements of snow blowers. The motor simply feels underpowered, like they used the motor from a weed whacker: any more resistance than a light puff of snow will stop the motor in its tracks. I'm using this snow blower in place of a corded model that never once had this problem.

Second: The lightweight plastic that forms the body of this snow blower is inadequate. It feels flimsy, which both interferes with snow blowing (it's so light that it rides on top of the snow, instead of digging into it) and feels like it wouldn't last through a Midwest winter: something is going to break.

Third: As you can see from the photo, the chute is tapered, which naturally packs ejected snow into a plug that needs to be cleared. I've been using snow blowers for 30 years and have *never* encountered that problem before!

Fourth: The barrel is supposed to tilt down at an angle by engaging with some teeth. However, the bolts don't tighten enough to allow them to engage, so the barrel flops backward to about an 80-degree angle, and it almost always shoots the snow straight upward.

Bottom line: This is a weak, fidgety, underpowered, mostly-plastic snow blower. The $480 tag and "PRO" designation are a joke. I really don't think made my job any easier than the $150 corded snow blower it replaced, or the $10 shovel that I had to break out when the Snow Joe failed.

This device would make a *great* portable slushie machine. As a snow blower, though... no. Just no.

We just went through one of the worst blizzards in history here in New Jersey, as have most people living in the northeastern part of the US. It is this kind of weather that puts every snowblower (or snow thrower, if you like) through its claims and merits. I purchased this Snow Joe iON21SB-PRO in November of 2014 and have had somewhat mixed feelings about it throughout the times I have used it. But all these times have been times of little to moderate snow seasons, until these last few days.

To put my review in perspective, I must mention that I really do love the cordless product concept, and have purchased a lot of cordless items, from lawn mowers to hair clippers. Arguably, the one single merit of virtually every cordless product has been the ease and convenience of use, compared to their traditional alternatives. That convenience, however, almost always comes at the cost of adequate power to get the job done, compared to their traditional counterparts.

Therefore, I was prepared for the compromises that a cordless snow blower might bring when I decided to buy this Snow Joe product. I liked it because the gas alternatives were too cumbersome and heavy for my wife, and since I traveled often, I wanted something that will be easier for her to maneuver when I was not around. In that respect, the product has been excellent, as expected.

When the snow is light and fluffy, this product shines in all departments. As snow gets heavier or goes above 8 inches, however, the power compromise begins to show. It struggles, and if you don't have a second battery handy, you may have to enjoy a good long break to get a recharge.

But I did not purchase this blower to deal with a blizzard the size we just had. I don't think even gas snow blower, except for the really heavy-duty ones, can easily power through this monster snowfall we just had. My gripe for the Snow Joe iON is about the quality of assembly and the materials used in its manufacture. Here are a few:

1. The battery housing cover has not been able to stay closed throughout my experience with the product. I have wondered how this small issue, causing major irritation to users, could have escaped the quality control department (if it has one) of Snow Joe, especially, as other users have been pointing out the problem in their reviews as a major nuisance. The inability of the cover to stay shut means that you have snow blowing into the housing, accumulating and melting inside the housing during operation. I was never sure how the water in the housing was going to affect the electricals of the unit, hence, I had had to stop several times to clean the housing and re-close it for as many times it kept popping up.

2. My biggest disappointment, however, is that the left handle shaft broke at the joint when I exerted some minimal pressure to power through a relatively small pile of snow. This happened right after I discovered that the plastic latch that locks the right handle bar to the shaft had broken off and lying in the snow. I could not understand how that happened by itself, as I had not touched that part since I last latched it into place. Not having any other alternative to do the job, I painstakingly tied up the broken left shaft, with the hope that I could still get some use with it, if the tie held together. But I was in for another big surprise when the right handle shaft also broke at the same place as the left one. I was not trying to move the 30 inches of snow that fell in my driveway! I had reduced the amount of snow using plain old manual shovel and another Snow Blower product, the Snow Joe iON13SS 40-volt Cordless Snow Shovel. It was therefore inexcusable that such a little effort as I was applying could cause the handle to break.

In short, for all its virtues of lightweight and convenience, the iON21SB-PRO is a quality control failure due to the poor assembly and the shoddy materials used in its manufacture. If you merely want this as backup for when there is very fluffy snow of up to 8 inches, then you may have some luck with this product. Any condition beyond that, you are likely to be disappointed when you need it most.

I am now in the market for the most powerful 24-inch gas snow thrower I can afford for the next one-of-a-kind monster storm that will come around. I do not know when that will be, but with el nino and global warming still in the talks, I can rest assured that, if and when it happens, I will be ready for it. Meanwhile, I am going to enrol my wife in a "How to use a heavy-duty snow thrower" class wherever I can find one!:)

I don't understand the positive reviews on this device. During assembly, the battery chamber cover would not 'latch' closed. I had to purchase several velcro straps for that purpose. The snow chute would not attach as directed (too loose), I had to back to the hardware store and purchase a couple of lock washers. For the cost, pretty poor design.
Now to usage: I have now used the Snow Joe in light heavy snow (~2", 33 degrees) where the blower simply 'belched' the heavy show out the chute adjacent to the blower, and 'plugged' the chute multiple times.
In light soft snow (1" 22 degrees) the Snow Joe throws the snow about 2-4 feet (where do they get the 20 feet they advertise?). So I had to run over the snow multiple times to move it off of my driveway. It worked "OK" on a side-walk. I had a corded Toro (got tired of hauling the cords around) which did a much better job. I have replaced many of my yard tools with electric, (blower, trimmer, chain saw, edger---with great results). This however, is a bust.

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.

I waited a couple of years because of the lack of snow in the new York city area , now I can give an accurate evaluation. I'm very disappointed in buying this unit after reading the good reviews in areas that get more snow than we do .Very underpowered. Chute jams up with snow. Battery holder keeps popping open. If your snowfalls are the light powder type it may work better ,but this machine couldn't handle a couple of inches of wet snow..save your money..

Problem is with the chute which can't be tightened enough to stay in place. The chute moves to the vertical position the minute you turn the Snow Joe on. So the snow does not get thrown to side of driveway but goes straight up in the air and I get covered in snow and have to keep going over parts of the driveway I already cleared. Pretty useless now.

I purchased this item this week. Cleared snow just fine, HOWEVER, i'm giving this 1 star for 1 simple reason: The rotating joystick DOES NOT WORK. Doesn't even try to work. Got to the end of my first run on my driveway just to figure out..... It's broken (As in, the unit is just fine, not damaged or cracked or anything.. It's just not rotating. No damage or anything, just simply doesn't work). There is just no reason, at all, that a product shouldn't work out of the box. (This means they have quality issues, someone should be testing each unit before they ship them out.) - This is a pretty main feature of the snowblower, but i tried it just by hand and you can't rotate it simply by hand, either (Without stripping some mechanical gears). Now i'm stuck trying to figure out how to get the unit/joystick fixed, return it, use a warranty... Whatever. Ugh. What a nightmare. I could have gotten this for free and the headache i'm now dealing with to figure out what to do STILL wouldn't be worth it (and good luck trying to find a local place to buy a snowblower in Michigan in December). Thanks, Snow Joe.

I'm writing this on Dec 11th, 2016. We just had our first semi-substantial snow in Chicago. It was only a couple inches, but it was a bit wet (as opposed to more dry, powdery snow).

We finally got a chance to try this snowblower and were extremely disappointed. This cannot throw snow at all. It's not broken, it's just so weak that it is completely unviable for clearing our driveway and sidewalk.

We're switching back to gas/oil. I *wish* this was strong enough, but it's not. I could only recommend this model if you live somewhere with *extremely* light snow. If you live in the midwest in the U.S., I don't think this will be usable at all.

Extremely disappointed! This is supposed to be the one of the most powerful battery powered snowblower, but I was extremely disappointed by its performance compared to ANY gas powered snowblower owned by ANY of my neighbors. It struggles to blow any fresh snow over 10 inches, the chute design is absolutely ridiculous and cannot be controlled properly, and stalls when I try to clean the snow put in my driveway by the municipal snow-plow. Finally I had to shovel the top of the snow before running the snowblower, in the recent snow-storm. My neighbors actually laughed at this! Also, it blows the snow back in the driveway if the snow is 2-3 inches, as the throw is very small. To summarize - it puts snow back on your driveway if the snow is less, and fails when the snow is more.
I normally don't return any products (specially if I buy online) so I will keep this, but I am seriously considering another gas powered snowblower.