Side by Side Comparison of: Snow Joe vs Greenworks

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.

first time (and reluctant) buyer. got it for $100 on black friday. live in ny so don't get mid-west size snow but it does snow (more or less) a few times during the winter. last night it snowed for the first time - we had about 5-7" of powdery snow. I am not old but not a kid, and I've been scared of becoming a "statistic" - in fact last year I got my first cardiologist check (they did the full thing and I came out with flying colors). I shoveled like every year, but I make sure to take breaks. it would have taken me 1.5 hours to shovel with multiple breaks). With this snowblower I did it in 15 min w/ no breaks at all. I almost miss the workout - but I'll settle for going to the gym. All this to say I really didn't want to buy one (in fact I left it in the box until now...2 months later), but it really is an asset. I even bought a heavy duty cord...very heave and perhaps overkill but I know it'll handle anything (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KY03FC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

I was told that electrics are under powered....and I think it may be if I got much much more snow (like the mid west) and if the snow were wetter and heavier. but my heart tells me that this corded version will do the trick...it really dove through all the snow like a beast (wrangling the heavy cord is a bit of a chore...but I think the battery powered versions probably run out of juice quickly...the cord gave me assurance that I wouldn't have to wait for recharging...and its cheaper).

I'm glad I bought this - highly recommend.

Funny story - my buddy who goes on and on about his big tough gas powered machine actually is now thinking of get an electric as a secondary. I think for most if not all snow we will see in NY around NYC, the electric will be more than enough. the gas powered is really for midwest/Buffalo level snow we think. He said he ended up not even taking it out this time and actually shoveled by hand since it is such a big production to get that heavy thing prepped and ready and filled w/ gas and move it around, etc. My electric I can basically pick up with one hand, and then wipe it off and unplug it and keep it in a large closet. I love it.

Update 2/14: got another snowstorm sadly but this time it was wetter and heavier and the snowblowing was a bit of a slog. The first time I guess it was slightly lighter but not too light and I was able to do the entire driveway and sidewalk in one shot. This time there was a couple inch layer of slushy wetness at the bottom and I had to stop twice to take a rest. All in all still better than shoveling.

Life saver during the blizzard! 30+ inches. Had to knock down snow before blowing but never could have dug ourselves out without it. We were worried it wouldn't work because of the price but worked like a charm

Bought this in September to save my back and do thankful I did! Northern Virginia just got hammered with one of the top 5 worse snowfalls on record. We had over 24" inches. We ran this a few times on fresh snow and it worked great. The final clean up was about 20". It was slow going and we had to take a few passes but she did a great job. Will buy again!

With the bulk of winter on its way, I thought it time to pull the trigger on a snowblower. So I started doing some research right here on Amazon. I was intrigued and impressed with a lot of reviews for the GreenWorks 2600502 13 Amp 20" Corded Snow Thrower, so I bought one. There are a few reviewers who don’t think this works right, and to them, I have a serious bit of advice: GET THE RIGHT EXTENSION CORD! In my opinion, this is it: US Wire 98100 14/3 100-Foot SJEOW TPE Cold Weather Extension Cord Blue with Lighted Plug.SOME BACKGROUNG:We live in Salt Lake City, Utah where some winters can be crazy. EL NINO WINTER 2016 IS COMING!! So of course, we want to be prepared.Check it out: So far, my wife and I have used our snow-thrower 3 times. WHOA! It worked so well that we bought one for her parents (along with the correct extension cord).It wasn’t super easy to put the thing together, but it wasn’t super difficult either. Once you get it up and running, there are some nice little handles to loop the extension cord around. When you are outside and ready to go, it’s good practice to take a few seconds and map out your path. Lay the cord out accordingly as to avoid running it over in the snow.The thrower sounds like a vacuum. It works terrific on flaky snow as well as slightly icy snow. Of course, the more frozen the snow is, the more effort you’ll have to put into it, and you may need to go over the ground an extra time, but compared to a snow shovel like this Ergieshovel Ergonomic Back Saving Snow Shovel, 18" W , GreenWorks will have you zippity do-da’ing the snow from your driveway onto your lawn in no time. Weee!It only took 15 minutes or so for me to clear the driveway, the sidewalks around our property, a pathway to the trash cans, and the front porch up to the front door. Not bad.BOTTOM LINE:If you’re reading the reviews and you’re on the fence about pulling the trigger, just do it! Just make sure you get the right cord because it makes all the difference in the world.

Great snowblower for the money. Very easy to use, maneuverable and fairly light. One warning which I hope helps your purchase. Do not buy the 16/3 orange 100 foot extension cord which is currently shown on Amazon as "Frequently Bought Together" for this machine. (16 gauge with 3 conductors.) The snow blower is rated at 13 amps and this is a 10 amp extension cord which is not enough. In the manufacturer's instruction manual there is a chart which shows longer cords require even higher amperage ratings than 13. If you're like me you'll want a 100 foot cord, which means minimum 15 amp rating. Amazon shows under "Also Bought" a number of cords which are 12 gauge and 15 amp. They are more expensive but this is a safety issue. There is one for Extreme conditions which stays flexible in the very cold, and in hindsight I wish I got. I am surprised how rigid the extension cord gets when lying on a cold driveway. Otherwise, the snow blower itself represents a great value. Not as powerful as bigger gas machines, but I am having no problem keeping up with snowfalls. Plus it is quiet, has no gas or combustion odors, and starts in the bitter cold without fuss.

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!

First, I got this on a lightning deal for less than the average going price. I live in western NC and only get light occasional snow here. Just had my first opportunity to test it out. We got about 7" over night and I got out to clear things early. Cold and powdery, it worked better than shoveling, but a few comments: 1) Go slow, more than 4-5 inches and you have to push-pull back and forth. 2) Shooting straight forward, fairly high and it easily moves the snow away, but to the side it only throws it about 5-6 feet, and easily clogs up. You can move it back and forth and tap up and down to clear pretty easily but a nuisance. 3) Going straight and down a hill easy, but pull back up "in reverse" with it off and then go back down. For an average one car driveway it will throw to the side okay and clear. 4) The cord isn't convenient but makes it inexpensive to run; not sure if a rechargeable would be strong enough to last, just don't know. Final summary: Better than using a shovel. Easy to put together (be careful with the "spout" and don't break when snapping together). Not expensive, although I don't know if one at a bit more than costly and more powerful (than the retail price) might be more effective and worth the difference. I bought for light snow and have only used once, so I can't comment on longevity. (I also got the extended warranty, as it wasn't much to add, just in case). I recommend for light snow to clear walkways and smaller driveways, but don't plan on using for heavy snow.

I'm giving this snow thrower a 4-star rating simply because it is well-built and does exactly what it claims. It is relatively easy to put together as long as you follow the instructions. Assembly is mostly fitting pieces together and tightening pre-made knobs. One complaint I have is cord management. The extension cord holder to keep the cord from becoming unplugged is not large enough for my heavy duty extension cord.

One problem is keeping the cord untangled and away from the front of the machine. That's not unique to this model, as it's an issue with all electric snow throwers.

The first use of the snow thrower was in a snowfall of approximately 5 inches, with fairly heavy snow. The machine handled the snow very well, and I was very pleased with the performance.

I previously had a similar Toro Snow Thrower that quit after one season. In comparison, this snow thrower seems to be better built and more robust. I hope it lasts more than one year.

This worked wonders on my first snowfall of over 8 inches. I did have to occasionally push it through the snow twice to get it through the end where the plows had come by, but it was easy to use. My neighbor started before me, and he has a smaller driveway with his gas snowblower, and I started with my electrical, and I was done before he was. A thumb thick branch did get stuck in the bottom blade area, and the machine wouldn't work until I had to carve it out, as it was really jammed in there. The chord did come loose quite a few times which was frustrating, but I still loved it. I do want to give a shout out to the people who spoke about using a better power chord that was weather resistant! So glad I spent the extra money. Would've been much less happy with the product, if I hadn't followed that advice. The problem I found was that the weight of the better chord kept dragging the chord out even with the double loopy thing they suggested that I used.

Finally snowed today so I could try this out.

What I liked:
* Light weight. It's easy to pick up and carry around
* Electric. I didn't want yet another gas engine to maintain. I have a small Honda generator that I'll pair with this for areas that the extension cord can't reach

Now for the actual use. I tried this in fairly dry snow, and fresh, with only about 2 inches on the ground. Our driveway is 20 feet wide. I started out by clearing out the center, then going from there to one side, with the snow being thrown onto the area not yet cleared. Then I repeated for the other half.

It was much faster using this vs. a snow shovel, which was my other option. 60 ft long driveway, 20 ft wide, cleared in 20 minutes or so.

Now for the not so good. In the 20 minutes of use, it plugged it 3 times and had to be cleared out. Not hard to do, but if the snow was any wetter, it would have been much worse.

It doesn't throw the snow very far. It only throws it out 3-4 feet, with most of the snow only going a foot or less. This makes the area to be cleared that much harder to clear.

The motor on this isn't very powerful and bogs down easily. I was using a 12 gauge, 80 ft long cord, and it was plugged into an outlet only a few feet from the breaker box in the garage, so it wasn't starved for current. Getting closer to the edge of the driveway, where the snow was now up to 4 inches deep, it really bogged down easily. I had to take 1/2 width passes, and walk slowly to clear it out.

It snows only a few times a year where I live, so this will be fine for that. Also, I don't plan on clearing the entire driveway every time it snows. Realistically, you only need a couple of 20 inch wide paths for your truck to drive on, unless the snow is really deep, in which case this won't help you anyway. So, for clearing a path to get out of the driveway, and for clearing off a walkway, this will work fine.

I do worry about the plastic blade and how long it will last, and I'm betting that the gears are all plastic too. Don't expect this to be an everyday workhorse.

I got this little guy on Thursday ahead of ghe blizzard. When i walk up on Saturday we already had over a foot of snow. The first time was a bit of a challenge, but after that it was a breeze. I had to do several passes, but for the price, it beat shoveling any day. The cord was a bit awkward, but i knew it would be before i bought it. If it made it through this storm (30"), I think it will make it through anything.

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...

I got this on black Friday for $140 and at that price it is a great machine. My suggestion would be to get a longer extension cord than you think so you don't have to deal with pulling your cord out of the socket over and over again.

Pros:
-Lightweight
-Compact and saves space/folds up nicely
-Inexpensive
-Can handle up to 12" well
Cons:
-After only two uses the turn directional handle broke so I have to turn the spout manually
-The vibration is such that the directional spout doesn't stay locked and will shoot the snow straight up
-The scraper doesn't get to the bare pavement and leaves a thin layer that a shovel usually would get.

Light and therefore easy to maneuver which is a major plus in snowy conditions. Easy to assemble - up and running in 5-10mins.
-1 Star for poor throw distance for snow; I have a two car wide drive way and certainly does no throw from center of driveway out regardless of fluffy or wet snow.
-1 Star as leaves a layer of snow on the bottom regardless of snow condition. I used it with ~5in fluffy snow and also in 3in wet snow in both cases need to follow-up the blower with shovel to scrape the bottom layer off the driveway/walkway.
FYI, Max distance from AC outlet to edge of walkway is about 70 feet and I use a 12AWG outdoor extension cord which seems to work OK. It is NOT the ultra flexible so a little cumbersome to manage.
I bought over black friday sale at about $109 at this price I would recommend for light snow regions or areas where snowfalls <5times a season, in Michigan (for me) I doubt I would recommend if price was any higher unless above two items were improved

Had the first snow of the season, about 4 inches with some ice pellets. It had a real hard time scooping up the snow, I really had tilt it and and push it to try and pick up the snow. I think it was because the plastic blades were having a hard time breaking through the top layer of "ice". I wasn't expecting a lot of from it but was certainly more than I got. We will see how it performs for the next snow.

Nice snow thrower. My only issue is I couldn't get the chute control bar into the body so have to bend down and spin it by hand which is a pain in the butt. Do like that this version now has a cable guard which loops the extension cord to keep the cord from being yanked out or damaged as you drag the extension cord around. Burned out 3 extension cord heads on the old version of this machine, as the constant shifting of the cable caused the head to shift from side to side, causing sparks that eventually melted the plug of the extension cord. On this model, this issue is gone. The old model had a chute that was screwed on with two small bolts. One fell out and I had to jury rig a new one as it was a custom bolt. Those are now replaced with a better solution on the new model.

I wanted so badly for this to be my solution. I bought my own house over the summer. I used to live in a townhouse where the snow maintenance was handled by an association. Now, It's my job. I didn't want to drop $1,000 on a gas snowblower, so I figured this would be a good option and I got it on sale. Here are the good parts:
1.) It's light
2.) It's quiet - like a loud vacuum cleaner.
3.) No mixing gas and oil
4.) It's easy to operate.

Here is where this thing falls short (I'm not going to complain about it being corded because it's obviously an electric machine and if you're going to complain about cords on an electric machine, that's not fair):
1.) I live in northern Illinois. We've had two big snows with wet snow this season. The auger on this machine just doesn't "bite" into the wet snow. Because of this, you have to shove it into the snow, which only packs the wet snow further.
2.) It's light so there isn't much "oomph" behind it.
3.) The motor can only throw snow about 4-5 feet. Admittedly this was snow on the heavier side but if you're plowing the middle of the driveway, you'll have to throw it again.
4.) Snow dams up in the ejection port.

In all, if you live somewhere with fairy dust snow that is light and powdery all the time, then this is probably fine. If you might get wet snow, seek a more powerful machine. I'll probably end up with a gas-powered one after all.

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 don't know what I expected for that price. It works okay for light power, but it is easier just to shovel for anything wet or deeper than a couple of inches.

It's super light compared to the other snowblower i've tried. The plastic construction is worrisome. I used this for the first time yesterday. Admittedly a snowstorm that had more inches than it can handle. But already noticed wear on the bottom since my sidewalk isn't paved. The plastic chute is horrible, after 4 or 5 pushes, it lifts up from the position i set it to as vertical it can be. It's powerful, but because of the chute problem, snow either launches to my neighbor across the street or hits the wind and end up on me. Was super excited but now...just extremely disappointed.

Not very powerful, blades are plastic, stiff snow directer that you can seem to point in the right direction due to it being hard to turn. The only thing I like about it is that it turns on quickly.

Gears for discharge jammed . Company sent repair instructions and I have to get a special tool to fix it.
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Snowzilla experience was not all that great with this. Granted, I let the snow accumulate more than 10in overnight but it was just very hard pushing this thing. Cable management is a pain as well. I wished I had a gas blower.

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.

Terrible in every way. This snow blower will barely move a light dusting of snow let alone do anything for a few inches. If you regularly get snow do not waste your time. also amazon will not issue a refund unless you contact them within 30 days so by the time it snows and you have a chance to try the product for your self it might be outside this time frame so be mindful.

Can't get mine to start at all, I bought the appropriate extension cord and all. Waste of money!

Sounds like a vacuum cleaner, works less well than one. A snow thrower not a snow blower and it struggled to handle 1" of snow. Very disappointing. Sigh.

Only used it twice since I purchased it and it has stopped working. Worked great when it worked, but this time it I used it for 3 passes then it wouldn't turn on any more. After each pass, I stopped it to turn around then it wouldn't start again until I waited about 10 minutes. The last time, it wouldn't start anymore. Also there is a little piece of plastic that holds the guide bar in place, which broke when I tried to change the direction of the blower spout using the bar so now the bar is just flopping around. I cannot give this snow blower a good review. I have finished up with a shovel and have put it away. wasted my money.

Wel this was a bad experience, (not becasue of Amazon. This show thrower arreved in a double box, the inner colorful box and the outer box with the from china address. So I took to out of the box and examined it before assembling it. The first thing I noticed were both "hub caps" were sitting in the bottom of the box. One with a tab broken, so I immediately checkked the wheels, the left one would not spin at all and the right one barely. The axle was protruding about an inch or so beyond the wheel that would prevent those hub caps from ever going on and it seems like there should be a spacer or something to hold the wheel away from the support bracket.
So it says on the box call GreenWorks before returning to the seller, so I did and what a waste of time that was. I was immediately told it must be an Amazon assembly error, even though it was in a sealed box. I thought we would have a conversation on the possible missing spacers, but all I got out of this was an offer from GreenWorks to provide the Amazon contact number. THe support agent didn't even care that the QC#24 sticker was right by the wheel that would not turn.
So far Amazon has been good we're going to try to arrance a swap and pickup.
So to wrap up:
1. I bought this because of the 4 year warranty, but if this is the way GreenWorks customer service is you can forget that.
2. I expected weaker construction, but I think it's reasonable to expect the wheels to turn.
3. The Snow-Joe product while more expensive might be sturdier.
4. I'll stop back when I get the replacement.

Steve