I live in Minnesota. I have a 3-car garage, so my driveway is of average suburban length, 3 cars wide tapering to two at the bottom. It's a little steep at the bottom -- be careful when it's icy. Santa gave me one of these for Christmas. I'll share my thoughts.
I got the two-battery option with 5-AH batteries. I thought the difference between 1 battery and 2 would be longevity of a charge, but I think 2 might also have a little more power. I'm not sure.
We've had one significant snowfall, and I was out of town. It was 4-6 inches of powder but compacted down to about 2 inches of crunch, crunchy snow by the time I plowed it. I'll update this review after we get a serious storm.
This guy did great, for a 1-stage blower. When aimed ahead and not blowing into the wind, yes, it will make it (estimated) the 35-feet advertised. It does not throw that far when diverted to the side. I'm guessing I lose about half the range. This meant instead of going up and down the driveway like I do with my monster 2-stage, I went side to side. The blower handled that just fun, clearing the driveway easily.
It does not clear as well as a shovel, but it probably did a little better than my two-stage and didn't take any longer. It was way, way faster than shoveling, and I didn't put my back out. And it's not remotely as hard to move about as my 2-stage, but as I said, that guy's a monster (larger than necessary for the size of my driveway).
Assembly was trivial. There's almost nothing to do. It took me 15 minutes. Operation -- well, if you actually read the manual, also trivial. The batteries are huge but go in easily To start, "press and hold the button and squeeze the handle". Then it's like your lawn mower -- release the handle and it stops. You must press and hold the button first, or it won't run.
There's a fairly nice headlight if you're out at night.
Compared to any gas-powered device, this guy is a lot quieter. It's not silent. There's a definite whir, and it sounds crunch against the crunchy snow. But I didn't feel like I needed hearing protection. It might be quiet enough not to wake the neighbors; I'm not sure. Maybe I'll ask them.
It comes with a single-battery charger, so you have to charge one at a time. The charger is huge. This isn' t and electric drill, after all. It can be mounted on the wall. I put it downstairs -- they'll charge faster when they're not out in a cold garage.
This is reasonably light. After I finished my driveway, I hauled it through the house and did my deck, too. I don't even try with the gas guy.
There's a lever to rotate the discharge chute, although you have to step to the side of the machine and use a handle on the chute if you want to change the up/down angle. Up for further distance, down if it's windy and blowing back in your face. I forgot the lever was there and was rotating it side-to-side by hand. Silly me.
I am estimating batteries will last 4 or 5 seasons before needing replacement. If so, this might cost me $100 in batteries a season. Compared to paying for a service -- or even taking the two-stage for annual tuneups -- that's either cheap (compared to a service) or not bad (tuneups). As long as I don't let the batteries get to old, it will always run, which is a nice bonus.
So far, the only downside would be if I wanted to also plow my neighbor's driveways, which I would frequently do with the two-stage. I don't think a single charge would last through two driveways. And I'm not sure if they'll last through one with a significant snowfall, but if not, I'll just take a break and let them charge. It doesn't take all that long.
EGO SNT2416 56-Volt 24" Self-Propelled 2-Stage XP Snow Blower with Peak Power™, (2) 10.0Ah Batteries and Dual Port Charger In
4.3
| 1,686 ratingsPrice: 1799
Last update: 08-20-2024
About this item
2-in-1 remote chute adjustment lever delivers 200-degree chute rotation and deflection control
Trigger-controlled steering assists with turning for more control
Clears a 24-car driveway with 8 inches of snow on a single charge when used with two included 10.0Ah ARC Lithium batteries
Heated handle grips keep your hands warm in the coldest, snowiest conditions
Throws snow up to 50 feet
Trigger-controlled steering assists with turning for more control
Clears a 24-car driveway with 8 inches of snow on a single charge when used with two included 10.0Ah ARC Lithium batteries
Heated handle grips keep your hands warm in the coldest, snowiest conditions
Throws snow up to 50 feet
Product information
Product Dimensions | 36 x 27 x 31 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 198 pounds |
Manufacturer | EGO |
ASIN | B0CHLRYPK1 |
Item model number | SNT2416 |
Batteries | 2 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
Customer Reviews |
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars
1,663 ratings
4.3 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #44,739 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden) #1 in Snow Blowers |