So, just got the 16" power shovel last night and we just got snow and ice on top of it all day so had a good test case to try the unit. Putting it together was relatively easy and takes about 20 minutes to complete. Provided manual is not very friendly and requires some reading between the lines but I wouldn't consider it difficult overall.
Once I got it assembled, I was able to try it on 3" inches of snow with a hard glaze of ice on top of it. Test surface was a wooden deck with pretty even/level pressure treated planks. The unit functioned perfectly and shot the snow quite far away and lot of aggression in it's throw with no vibration effect to the handle/user. Almost felt like using it on 3" snow is an insult to this unit as the official recommendation is a max of 8" of snow. I was able to clear the whole deck with no major effort on my back and within 1/10th of the time it would take me with a shovel. It has two midsize wheel the unit balances on which carries the weight of the unit and makes it easy to move around. It takes a little getting used to with the proper tilt angle where more upright to hold and push it it cuts the snow and fully clears the ground but if there are any uneven surface in front of you, even by 1/8" it will stop you on your tracks. Which was the case I have encounted on my wooden deck where there were few uneven spots. These can be easily addressed by either tilting it back a little to jump over the obstacle or maintaining a tilt permanently throughout. I would love to see a adjustable tilt option which does not exists as the unit purely designed for manual manipulation for angles and directions but no doubt it can be added with a little custom modification. Also, adjustable speed could be a nice option as I don't always want to thow the snow to 30 feet away. Then again for 80some dollars you can't expect too much. I can clearly see the impossibility of using this unit over any non flat and uneven surface. At a minimum you will get interruption or very likely you will destroy your auger which is rigid brittle looking plastic instead of a hard rubber which the bigger cousins of this design uses in the larger units with a chute. There are directional adjustment available to an approx 30 degrees to the left and right, however, they are not more than 50 percent effective. A fair amount of snow still blows forward even when you direct them to the side. After the job is done just left it in the garage for it to release all the accumulated ice/snow on it which wasn't much and next day it was as good as new.
Here is the pros and cons I was able to identify:
Pro: - Very strong motor: This thing spins like crazy at a very hight speed and throws the snow really far away.
Pro: - Light weight: For a snow throwing device that has so much power the weight of the unit is very reasonable however I wouldn't want to hold it in the air to surface cut something like a 12" snow but very manageable to move between surfaces and positions. The two supporting wheels are absolutely a great help where it makes the unit super light weight to push.
Pro: Affordable replacement parts: American lawnmover company have a website with available replacement parts with everything at a fix price of $13.09 regardless of you need the auger, belt or scraper. This means the likely eventuality of destoying your auger will not cost you more than $22 including the shipping assuming you can handle the replacement yourself.
Pro: - Price: mid 80s price tag is surprisingly attractive.
Con: Plastic auger: Due to brittle looking and feeling rigid plastic nature of the auger you will very likely destroy it sooner rather than later if you encounter a store, thicker branch, frozen newspaper etc.
Con: Parts price in comparison to whole unit. So, assume you go lucky and used it for a few years without problems and decided to replace the auger, scraper and belts. It will cost you close to $50 with shipping. more than half of the total price of the unit. The whole unit costs 80some. So, is it even worth to replace parts or just trash it and get a new unit.
I will update my experience if and when I encounter deeper snow and possible stray stone, rock, branch encounter and the associated damage.. Currently it is a keeper in my book!
Earthwise Power Tools by ALM SN71012 10-Amp 12-Inch Corded Snow Shovel, Black
4
| 2,486 ratingsPrice: 99.99
Last update: 10-10-2024
About this item
Powerful 10-Amp electric snow shovel
Snow blower with clearing width of 12-Inch and can handle up to 5-inches of snow
Adjustable support handle and light weight design makes it easy for all to use
Ideal of patios, sidewalks, walk ways, decks and more
Dual blade curved auger can throw snow up to 25-feet and can move 300 lbs per minute
Snow blower with clearing width of 12-Inch and can handle up to 5-inches of snow
Adjustable support handle and light weight design makes it easy for all to use
Ideal of patios, sidewalks, walk ways, decks and more
Dual blade curved auger can throw snow up to 25-feet and can move 300 lbs per minute
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Earthwise Power Tools by ALM SN71012 10-Amp 12-Inch Corded Snow Shovel, Black
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