Side by Side Comparison of: Snow Joe

9/16/17
this is my review of the assembly of the snow blower . the snow blower was packed well despite having a fist sized hole in the box there was no damage to the unit , one of the nobs came lose but it did not fall out of the box , UPS put tape over the hole in the box. assembly is simply unfolding the push bar tightening the nobs then connecting the rod to adjust the rod that controls the direction of the snow leaving the blower. i plugged it in and the unit works and so dose the light. ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING do not do what i almost did and most people do buy the cord the amazon has in the frequently bought together part of the page ! it cant handle the rated currant of the blower i found this out just in time after watching and reading the comments on a you tube video and i canceled the extension cord and bought the cord with proper amperage rating.

as there is no snow for me to give it a proper, test i will update the review when i actually get the opportunity to use it on snow!

Excellent! I purchased this to clear my large deck of snow. There was three feet of snow on it from the blizzard, and I didn't want to shovel at this point in my life... My wife encouraged me to get a light weight blower that I could keep under the deck Gazebo, for when we have a lot of snow. Glad I took her advise! I researched what was available and saw the gas powered small blowers and the electric blowers. After reading everything, I settled on the Snow Joe Ultra 13.5 AMP. It arrived exactly on time as Amazon promised, and just in time for the next snow fall. It is safe for decks, and cleans right down to the decking. I cleaned the 3 feet of snow off my 14' x 25' deck in about 30 minutes. With this type of snow thrower, you do need to work it a little with that amount of snow, however it beats shoveling it! The areas where it drifted and I only had 12", it cleaned that up effortlessly. I may even use this on my driveway when we get 12" or less of snow, as it is so light and maneuverable. I have a Craftsman 8 horse for the driveway and walks, but I must say the Snow Joe works great! First big storm, and it did a great job. I will follow up after I get a full winter in to see how durable it is. It appears to be build very well, so I imagine it will last several winters. For under $200.00, you can't go wrong with this machine!

Background:
For years, despite my bad back having the structural integrity of a stack of Bud cans, I shoveled snow all winter long. Standing on icy pavement while chucking snow over my shoulder seemed like a quick route to a life of adult diapers, so I finally decided to get a better tool.
I'm told only idiots buy electric snow throwers. Maybe -- but if you are like me, you don't have $600, a garage, or a good record on getting annual maintenance done, then gas power isn't perfect. For a quarter the price of a gas machine, I have a little blue thrower that I can store in my basement.

Observations:
* Delivery: Prime, two days, no problems.
* Appearance: Problem. Don't expect something manly. The blower looks kinda like you are pushing a big blue toaster down the walk. This device is 100% testosterone free. When you push this past the big gas blowers, you will have post-traumatic flashbacks from junior high school. You'll feel inadequate. You'll remember that wedgie. But remember: wallowing on the ground, crying for your wife because your back went out doesn't look manly either.
* Ease of assembly: Imagine opening a box and finding a big toaster that needs handles tightened. Done in minutes, completely intuitive.
* Ease of Operation: Like a toaster you plug it in. Like a toaster, you push a little lever for it to do its job.
* Safety: Like a toaster you don't put your fingers where it's doing its business. Like a toaster look out for things popping out the top.
* Handling the Gas Guys: my buddy took one look and started a lecture on the virtues of gas power. I quickly asked how much he paid for his tune-up last year. He said $275. I told him that was nearly as much as the $150 I paid for my toaster, delivered new to my home. We laughed and talked about something else.
* Use: Snow #1: Storm Iola left about 3 inches of very wet snow last week-- the very kind of snow Consumer Reports and reviewers tell me electric toasters fail to manage. I donned my boots and tromped down to the basement and hefted the thrower up the narrow stairs. No problem - about as difficult to carry as one of those old TV/VCR combos you took on car trips. With a couple extension cords I went to work. In under 60 seconds I cleared my walk to the fence, about 50 feet, in two passes. I went on to do my front walk, the walk of my neighbor, my drive and his drive. I cleared a bit of my deck. I then cleared the drive of a second neighbor who owns a snowblower the size of a Buick, but was reluctant to drag it out for only three inches of wet snow.
Snow #2: Blizzard Juno. Juno dumped 18 inches on us in about 36 hours. Mid-storm I went out and blew a nice arc of white powder off the front walk. Then hid till the storm passed and did it all over again. I did my drive, cleared my deck and even cleared a huge mound of snow next to my house that I feared would cause water intrusion. The little toaster did not shrink from its duty.
* Sound: about as loud as a blender on high. You can talk over it and you won't feel like you just left a rock concert when you are done.
* Performance: It did fine! On the wet snow it did not shoot the snow in a great beautiful arc like my neighbor's behemoth can, but rather coughed it about a dozen feet. It didn't clear down to the pavement, but I don't think they are supposed to. Both snows required a little shovel work to get the last packed half-inch off, if you are inclined to do so.
[About that last half inch. I had good luck pushing a flat gardening edger down the walk, under the snow to make it bunch up, then used the thrower to remove it from the walk. IMPORTANT TIP: as you push the edger along, you'll be tempted to put the handle end in the vicinity of your pelvis. Do not do this as you will find a pavement line and the handle will joust you there. `Nuff said.]
* Electrocution: Not applicable.
* Cut Electrical Cord: I have brightly colored cords and had no trouble seeing them on the snow. I'm not sure why other reviewers fear cutting a cord - perhaps they have white, or transparent, electrical cords.
* Coming Unplugged: One reviewer said this was a problem, but as there is a plastic fitting on the machine that one loops the extension through to secure the cord I have no idea why the cord would come unplugged.
* Durability: No idea. It made it through two good snows without a problem. I'll report back should it fail in the coming months.

Fine print:
I am not an Amazon Vine person. I'm not a shrub of any sort for any company. I don't live in the Philippines writing reviews for $0.25 each. I own no stock in any companies. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own, unless they piss someone off, in which case, these opinions are strictly someone else's.

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UPDATE: I feel remiss not mentioning that while clearing deep snow (about a foot or more) it required me to thrust forward, pull back, thrust forward, pull back. While strangely satisfying, its not a steady forward activity.

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UPDATE #2: Winter Storm Linus. Another couple feet, the same run of clearing. But I also cleared a 40 foot long, 2 foot deep trench from sidewalk to the house's oil tank valve. (Don't ask, it's a New England thing, but, yeah, our houses need lots of oil). Also, the roof was getting overburdened with snow and ice, so I had to rake snow off the roof on to the deck, then use the toaster to hurl it into the yard. I can't imagine how many cubic feet I've moved at this point. Exhaustion is setting in.

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UPDATE #3: Winter Storm Marcus. I'm about to give up. The toaster is doing fine, but I'm beginning to think I've offended God. This snow is coming slowly over a few days = but another couple feet expected. The toaster looks completely new, acting perfectly but I observe the little rubber pads attached to the steel rotating bits is wearing down to the metal. They will probably need to be replaced before another snow or two. I'm not sure where to locate them, but a word to the wise - the machine is called a "Snow Joe", NOT a "Joe Blow". If you google "Joe Blow Rubber", for goodness sake, turn off the image search. If I find the pads, I'll get back to you.

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UPDATE #4: Blizzard Neptune / Octavia. Beautiful Boston area Victorian home for sale! Built in 1892, has many original features like windows and insulation! Offers great ventilation all year around! Oil heat! A snow thrower, only a few months old, conveys with property!
Honestly, Boston's 2015 Biblical proportions winter - something worthy of a snarky Pharaoh - deserves a bigger... and yes, possibly, gas machine. The thrower is doing fine. It's been sufficient to face this apocalyptic series of snow events, but it's fighting well above its weight. How long will it last? One reason I made the purchase is it's portability. But the friggin' snow won't stop long enough to carry it downstairs! So it has spent the last 5 weeks sitting on the deck - I could have done the same with gas machine. I bought it because I thought it would handle the occasional 4 inch snow ... not the serial 18 inch dumps, week after week. This winter calls for a far larger, faster, machine ... but even so, thank goodness I have it. I can't imagine what sort of rehabilitation center / psychiatric institution I'd be in now had I worked only with a shovel.
Minor issue: For the first time I was working in the dark and I fumbled around trying to make the headlight work -- and failed. Regrettably, I had to go to the OWNERS MANUAL. Few things make me feel so impotent as having to go to the written documentation on an bit of machinery. Anyway, the light works by manipulating a little plastic box (which turns out to be flexible, allowing one to click a switch) on the handle side of the toaster - do not grope around on the light side, it will get you no where.

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Winter 2015/16

December in Boston this year allowed me to do my final Christmas shopping in my #1 Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts, and Keens. But this balmy bliss ended suddenly a couple nights ago with a wintery mess swirling down and leaving an inch of icy snow. I could put it off no longer, I needed to buy "Snow Joe Replacement 4-Pack of Auger Blades" for $39.99, +$8.39 postage, which totals to about 25% of the purchase price of the entire machine. I bet these will be amazing auger blades!

Winter Storm Jonas: My wife and I had dined out at the local pub last night to celebrate the storm, then sauntered home in the winter splendor, with good food and excellent beer warm inside us. The snow was tapering to an end as we neared our home, when we spied the shadowy form of lonely neighbor struggling with a shovel. Perhaps it was the bracing cold, perhaps it was my love of neighbor, perhaps it some inner cry against the struggle of frail man against an overwhelming and cruel nature - I don't know what it was (probably the beer though) -- but I was suddenly moved to do-good. I snatched the toaster from the deck and went to work. I blew down my walk, the golden glow of the blower's lamp guiding me, then up the walk along the street. With three extension cords snaking though my yard and over my fence, I made quick work of the neighbor's task. Then I realized this: While the blower isn't quiet, it's not loud either ... it won't wake neighbors snug in bed. So I went as far as my extension cords would allow, blowing long pretty snow arcs from drive and walk of this neighbor and that, do-goodering well into the night. Albeit later, no one sleeps so soundly as he who has augured clear the paths of his slumbering fellows.
* Disclaimer: I do not endorse or support the notion of heavy equipment use after the consumption of alcoholic beverages. I'm not sure the toaster is heavy equipment, but I bet it could take a wandering thumb off pretty quick.
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Winter 2016/17

Quick observation from the last snow, which fell late on a Friday night. I got up and powered down the sidewalk. The blower had no trouble with the 4 inches of snow and shredded the Saturday edition of the New York Times hidden below with ease. However, if you wish to attempt blowing through a Sunday paper, you might want a larger machine.

I love it, definitely a purchase I don't and hopefully won't regret. And very fortunate as well since I originally bought the lower model, SJ620 without the headlight. It was cheaper and I am on a budget so any available savings I will take. Boy did I make a mistake of ordering the lower model. Since this isn't a review of the lower model (in which I will produce one for that machine in the proper place), I will say that it was by far inferior to this model.

The assembly of this was simple. It required tightening 4 knobs and installing the chute bar. Everything worked out great. The chute bar was a huge improvement over the 620 as it rotated like it should and the guide hole was in its proper place. With the 620, it was very difficult to turn and took quite a bit of muscle and patience plus the guide hole had to bent into position (and probably would have fell off eventually with the added bend in the welded connection).

I was able to push all the snow in my driveway (about 60x60) which was frozen hard snow and about 4 inches. The snow banks were close to 12 inches and it muscled through those as well whenever I hit it. Like all yard work, or snow blowing in general, it aint exactly easy and with this machine, it required careful handling.

One tip (or annoyance) is that I had to hold the extension cord in my hand while depressing the lever. This was somewhat painful as the 12 gauge cord is quite thick (no joke) and the lever and handle already have their own girth to handle. However, I did see some sort of plastic ring-thing-a-ma-bob below the lever/start button that I can probably attach the cord to, I just haven't figured that out and didn't have time as it was late and I just wanted to see if this machine could run as it should in which it did beautifully!

I love this little machine and for the price, it was well worth the investment. One last tip is the cord itself. I snow blew horizontally vs. vertically (or straight ahead) because that way the cord would always be one row behind me or to the side. Vertically risked the cord being left behind on the previous run and potential to be run over/damaged. I also kept the cord between my legs so I knew exactly where it was at all times... not literally holding it between my legs but letting it position between so I knew exactly where the cord was at all times. Of course there were exceptions to these practices but in general my system seemed to work great for me.

Last observation which is a reiteration of my first, the 621 is worlds apart from the 620. Quality was what I expected. The 620 was put together poorly... I must have gotten a refurbished one or it was simply a lemon (one hinge was drilled too low therefore making one side too long/lopsided so i was able to return and exchanged for this one)
Happy snow throwing! Peace!

For anyone who doubts that this snowblower can handle knee-deep snow, here is the proof. I bought this unit primarily to clear my decks. You do have to muscle it through the snow, as it is not self propelled, but it is still WAY easier than trying to shovel it over or under the railings. My wife recorded this from inside the house so you really can't hear the sound of the machine much. Also, I was trying to turn the light on just to demonstrate it, but I think it was too bright out to see it. It works well at night.

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.

I got this when it was on Gold box deal and I got it with pretty good price. Here in Chicago, it snowed a lot this winter. Time to test this thing. Ok first of all, this is not like $1000 snow thrower so I didn't expect this to clean the snow like super easy. My personal experience with this I will give 8/10. It cleans the snow with less than 30cm to , 1 feet no problem. I recommend to clean the snow when the snow is fresh. Ok second, when it snowed over 50cm like 2 feet +, I had to move the snow plow back and forth couple of times. It took me 45 minutes to clear the drive way. Overall I like it and it is definitely worth the money. Only thing I don't like is that, it's electric so it requires a extension cable, and lots of times the cable is on the way. I have to move the cable couple of times.

It works pretty good but I underestimated how inconvenient the cord would be. Probably best served for clearing near the house such as decks and paths. I have a wrap around sidewalk I wanted to use this on and it trucks right through upstate NY levels of snow, right up until I run out of cord and have to switch the cord over to the garage and finish the path from the other direction.

This can handle a little of that icy snow mix but I usually have to help it out by having somebody break it up with a shovel while I blow it into the pile. Also, unlike gas blowers this thing just starts right up no hassle. Doesn't seem like it will require much in the line of maintenance either.

The only reason I docked a star is that this thing can be a bit finicky. Nothing that is a deal breaker, just all round takes a little more effort than I was hoping a snow blower would require. The wheels are a bit small, not self propelled, requires an extension cord, etc. Despite all of those things, still easier than shoveling.

I got tired of keeping a MTD gas powered snow blower running...this was my reason for looking into an electric model. I did a lot of research before making this purchase and the Snow Joe came out on top. I cleaned up 6" of "Utah" snow this morning. No stalling, no gas to mix, no smoke to choke on, very little noise and no restarting over and over. It dug through some 12" drifts and re-thrown snow without any trouble. This machine has a light which is a plus for early morning or evening use times. I'm happy with the unit overall.
I have two complaints...
* Tripping and slipping on the power cord
* This unit does not pull its self through the snow like my gas "paddle type" thrower, it replaced.

I was a bit skeptical over the concept of an electric snow blower - I had never seen one before until I found this model on Amazon.
It literally comes completely put together. I think it takes longer to remove it from the packing materials than anything else. No tools are required as the unit comes almost completely put together.

I paid several extra dollars to get the unit that has a 20 watt light bulb and it does make a difference. We have an 85 foot long driveway and there are areas that are pitch black at night - the light really does make a significant difference.

The unit is primarily made out of plastic and weighs 34 pounds. While snow joe has a 90 day warranty on the unit for commercial use - I believe it is primarily made for residential use.

I had the chance to use it for an 8 inch snowfall. The unit did a good job. It did not over heat - it never shut down on me. The primary problem I had was that it was a wet snow and it frequently clogged the chute. I considered this a minor nuisance and it really didn't add any time to finishing the task.

Once you make your passes, there is a thin layer of snow left behind which can easily (and quickly) be shoveled.

It is important to know that this unit is designed to be fixed by the user. Over time, there are parts that will wear out such as the belt in the motor. Snow Joe makes changing the belt and other parts easy to do. We are in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA - I would like to believe that this unit will last several years or longer. It is a much cheaper investment than buying a gas powered blower - even more importantly, it is far more environmentally friendly.

Sound - it sounds like a vacuum cleaner decibel wise. I wear protection over my ears as a precaution. If you are sensitive to the sound of your vacuum cleaner than I would recommend wearing protection as well.

It is cleverly designed and it sure beats shoveling!

I bought this puppy about 1 year ago and used it twice (not my fault there is no snow in New England...) Both times I was both impressed and disappointed with this thrower.First of all, I was impressed by how well it works - it churns through the snow with stoicism, and never cares how deep is the snow (a steady pace will help) as it throws it surprisingly far. I have a fairly large driveway, and it does it all effortlessly in less than an hour. It is very light and thus it works perfectly for my gravel driveway, as it leaves about 1 inch of snow on the ground.That being said though, I am also disappointed - it is so lightweight, it just sits on top of the snow, so I have to constantly push down on it (just enough though so I don't get into the gravel). The handle could be a little longer. The wheels are a joke, small and useless, as all they do is collect snow in their cavities (I am honestly thinking about removing or replacing them). If you turn the chute all the way to either side, it will remain there and it will require using your hands to dial it back just a tad so the handle's teeth catch again... Oh, and it sounds like a vacuum cleaner.That being said, I do recommend it. Especially if in a situation such as mine with a gravel driveway (unless you want to use a gas powered one and replace all your and neighbors' windows). This is not bad at all, and even with the above cons I enjoy using it (heck, I would shovel my driveway before and still enjoyed it). The blades are metal so hopefully they will last longer (at least until getting the asphalt driveway I wish for). The handle breaks down into smaller sections for easy storage. It even comes with a light (although I'd never use it at night, but it was cheaper than the SJ620 when I bought it). And it starts from the first pull, argh, at the first push of the button.Highly recommended: US Wire 99100 12/3 100-Foot SJEOW TPE Extreme Weather Extension Cord Blue with Lighted Plug and Quick Winder RAP-100 Electric Cord and Fiber Optic Cable Reel - they'll make your life so much easier. I unwind the cord all the way along the driveway, then do a couple of passes parallel to the cord, and finally go sideways with back-and-forth movements with the cord over one of my shoulders. Also, bring the thrower inside (garage, basement, or anywhere with above freezing temperatures) after each use.Have fun!

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

Overall it clears your driveway without the pain of paying a snow company big bucks for the season. My problem with this snow joe was two things first last week I decided to use the headlight and it wouldn't work don't know why but kind of annoying months after I bought it now to figure out it doesn't work. The next thing is the cord is a huge pain my driveway is 70 feet and its a huge pain to go down than sling the cord around to the other side so that I can make a second swipe to make the rest of the driveway clear of snow.

The good things is this thing is pretty light and doesn't take much effort to push it down your driveway also it doesn't take that long in most cases to finish it would take me less than 20 minutes to finish my driveway. I really wished I paid the extra bucks and got the cordless model if this wasn't a lightning deal than I probably wouldn't of picked it up.

Also don't forget you need to pick up an extension cord which isn't cheap.

We got about 6 inches of snow and I finally got a chance to use this Snow blower to see how well it worked. The bottom layer of the snow was wet and heavy with about 4 inches of lighter snow on top. The snow blower had a tough time dealing with the bottom wet layer. once the top layer was removed, I went over the wet layer and it caused the blower to clog. When it did get through it, it could only throw the wet snow about a foot out of the chute. I used a 100ft cord with this unit and managing it wasn't too bad. It did get in the way a few times and I had to stop to get it out of the way. I took another buyers advice and sprayed W-D40 on the inside to prevent sticking. It worked for most of the job, but at some point, the wet snow just got stuck. Overall, it's not a bad snow blower. I believe in the light powdery stuff, this probably would do a great job.

I've never owned a snow blower so I have nothing to compare this against, I'm strictly going by my experience and initial uses. While I liked that this unit is small and light enough for me to handle easily, the unit seems almost TOO light. I used the Snow Joe for the first time after a 5-6" snow fall, and again for a 14" snow storm. Both times I felt as if I had to push down on the unit (while pushing it forward) to get down closer to the pavement. Otherwise it seems to glide on top of a couple of inches of packed snow. That being said, it certainly moves large amounts of snow faster and easier than shoveling. This is fine if you have a small driveway or just small sidewalks to clear. Still cheaper than paying someone else to do it, but eventually I see myself upgrading to a heavier, more powerful unit.

Used this for the first time yesterday. We got about 2 inches of snow. Works fairly well. Does not necessarily shoot powdery snow that far. It struggles with wet snow. The other issue is that it is an electric powered snow blower. I spent a lot of time fussing with the cord trying to make sure that I did not run over it...which I did several times. I caught myself before any real damage was done to the cord. If I was less thrifty, I would have gotten a gas powered model.

I can say it does the job good, like clearing thick snow on the ground, but main thing, the person using snow thrower with cord has to have a good technique doing it, because the long cord is always on the way and you have to be careful running over it with the blower, not to damage it. Plus the cord get stiffer due to the coldness. There's a lot snow this year 2014, and it helps, but I always finish the job it started by shoveling it manually, coz of the hassle of avoiding the cord. The advantage of this is, you can just hang it in your garage after winter. I think 3 star is a so so for this one, and I bought this for the price, and if I won't like it, I can just give it away. I will save some money to buy those fuel run snow blower.
Oh yeah, It does throw snow give or take 10 feet away...

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.

Its a bit of a toy... I needed more power. It will work effectively as long as the snow at most 4-5 inches deep. Not very helpful with snow banks created by snow plows at the end of your driveway. Not effective in a foot of snow. Of course an electric blower isn't useful if your power goes out.

Hint... If you have multiple feet of snow, you can work in a two person team and gradually feed it snow to throw, which is easier than shoveling and throwing yourself. Multiple passes with the blower aren't practical because it will hard pack after chewing a few inches.

If you have a big drive way or long sidewalk and experience snows above 1 foot, get a more powerful machine.

I hate to say it, but get gas .... I don't know why but when I used this last year it didn't leave my drive way very clean and it does get stuck in the crazy snow we had last year if you push it too fast. Never had the problem with gas snow blowers, also beware of the cord when you and pushing this thing ... it is a pain in the azz not to run it over and get tangled

Did not handle Chicago snow well... we will be upgrading to a gas powered model for next winter.

BE AWARE NJ-NY RESIDENTS
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Do not go by positive friendly review of this product. I ordered early this winter waiting for snow to test how much muscles this machine has got. I'm afraid that it has failed in very basic test. It can not lift and throw slightly wet snow period. I was unable to clean my drive way with 2 inch of snow from first real snow of the season on 1/23. In NJ/NY we are likely to get mix type of snow most of the time. Machine may work well with powdery snow but Juno strom on Monday will put this machine to real test. for now, I would not recommend buying this product to anyone who lives in area where you may get little bit of wet snow!!

Update: I have decided to wait for Juno to test this product again with video review. If product is capable of handling Juno, I'll bump it to 5 star. right now, it is 2 star.

Update2: I didn't get chance to take video this time but I maintain 2 star for this product. IT CAN NOT THROW LIGHT WEIGHT SNOW 20 FEETs. With Juno we had very light weight snow of about 6-7 inches. I have two car garage and machine was not able lift snow from center of driveway and throw towards end. I had to make two pass by shift snow from middle to side.

I'm not sure why others have rated it very high, may be it works for their specific conditions but remember it will not be able throw heavy or wet snow, also light way snow range is not 20 feet as advised.

I'm giving 1 star extra for a fact that it does work well to clean smaller sections in right conditions without breaking your back.

I have had a chance to use this snow blower on a few occasions.

It handles fresh powdery snow the best and works ok for in that situation. Even then it doesn't clean the snow down to the pavement after several passes and makes for a slick layer ice later. I would suggest going back over it afterwards with a shovel to remove the last layer of snow before the slick layer of snow turns to ice.

This snow blower will not work on semi-crusted, hard or slushy snow at all.

If I could do it all over again I would probably pay a little more and get something that would work better or just continue to use my shovel. I have no idea how this product is rated as high as it is. They must have used it much before reviewing.

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.

This review is for Snow Joe listed here under name: "Snow Joe SJ621 18-Inch 13.5-Amp Electric Snow Thrower With Headlight"

I got this Item in 2014. The problem with any snowblower is you buy it ahead of time. Try to find one when there is snow outside. You never will. Now that said, everybody can understand that buying this blower in March 2014 means I am preparing for the next year snow. But it never happen, I did not get chance to use it last year. But I was able finally test it this 2015-2016 year. We had two snows. It died after second snow. Bottom plastic and metals are broken, engine lost power, I can smell smoke, and it makes as much noise as it did before, but shuts down as soon as it touches snow.

Warranty is too short, I used it for about 2 hours. I paid way too much compare to use I was able to get from it. And I thought I will save some...

Got to use it on three snows! Broken and now just trash! Don't waste the $$!!

The quality of this product should be better and performance as well. For example the chute handle stop working after 15 mins of operation. Amazon did a great job doing return of this item.

We bought this item in October to prepare for winter. By the third time we uses it a blade bent, and now it barely can blow 2 inches of snow. Highly disappointed in this product!

1st one died within a few months use, but was replaced under warranty. That next was lasted about 3 years and seems like the same problem. Under normal use, the thrower smelled like it was burning. If you continue to use it, it'll eventually start smoking and die. Nothing appears to be damaged from the outside and nothing is impeding the propeller from spinning so must be an internal issue.

Originally I like the device as when it worked, it was nice. You can continue reading for my original review.

Pros:
-starts up quick and easy
-Setup from box to blowing takes about 2 min if you know what you're doing, which is really intuitive to figure out. The whole thing comes assembled and all you really have to do is straighten out the bars, put a lever through a slot, and plug it in.

Cons:
-If the snow is only about an inch, it has a hard time throwing it very far. It actually throws thicker snow really well.
-The snow often comes through the crack on the shooting spout. The spout is angle adjustable and there is a gap which gets especially pronounced at smaller angles. This causes snow to get all over your freshly plowed sidewalk. I'm considering duct taping the gap closed.
-The vibrations of the unit can loosen the plastic bolt tighteners. I've already lost one. I used a cable tie to replace it quickly, and that seems to be working great. They were really convenient, but I think I'd had prefer the traditional metal nuts for long term durability.

Considerations electric vs. gas
I never had a gas unit to compare, but I never have to worry about getting gas, problems starting, or smelling of gas afterwards. My sweeping strategy also has to take the cord into account as the cord will sometimes sweep all of the snow from the grass back into the sidewalk if i don't plan it right. Plus, I have to make sure to sweep areas closest to power outlet to minimize the need for rearranging the cord mid-session. I bought a US Wire 99100 12/3 100-Foot SJEOW TPE Extreme Weather Extension Cord, which I'd highly recommend.

I wish the width would be bigger. I have to make 4 passes to clear the entire width of my sidewalk.

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.