Hey Adam you did a great job on that review. No BS, no bashing, Just supplying all of your viewers with good helpful information. Two big thumbs up for me bud.
Great video! I have the battery operated Toro and love it! I considered getting the Power Smart blower, but I wanted to support my local dealer. The two batteries for the Toro last around 45 minutes or so, which is plenty of time to clear my driveway and sidewalks (including the plow berms). Charging takes about 4 hours. The main reason I went with the battery operated is the maintenance, which is literally one thing. I have to take the wheels off at the end of the season and grease the axles.
This is the third electric snowblower review in the past week I have seen from other homestead channels. I guess with the snow nationwide it is the theme of the week. Last week everyone was doing portable battery stations.
Hey Adam - love the channel. I got my first electric snowblower last year (Ego) brand. We just love it. For all the reasons you mentioned about battery devices. The two that really stand out is the instant start and the noise. SO often I have fought with our gas snowblowers at the beginning of or during the season to get them started after sitting - NEVER an issue with electric. We have the smaller series blower and with a single charge I can do 4 driveways in our neighborhood. And because I use other EGO gear (blower,, chainsaw, mower), I have many batteries so I could basically run all day...we have been moving away from all things gas, and could not be happier.
On the plus side, if you also get a mower that takes the same battery, then you have batteries for both units to use in summer and winter. I did that with Toro, had the FedEx delivery guy asking me why I got a snow thrower in September... for the second battery needed to mow my whole yard at my new house. Barely used the snow thrower yet, it is their single stage, but was impressed with the wet 2-3" of snow. My driveway just fits 2 cars down it, and have a small walk to the house, it had no problem. I'm in Northeast Ohio.
@missingremote4388 not where I am now. Where i used to live just a little bit more north we did get more, but was still on the south edge of the snow belt.
I have a corded Toro electric snow blower and I have to say it is a tiger! Even handles the heavy wet snow that the plow puts into the driveway when the roads are cleared. I buried it in snow that was 2 feet deep, and it just keeps going. Its light enough to be operated on the side and do stairs. Great video thumbs up.
A couple weeks ago, we received a 10 inch snow that basically consisted what I call typical snow, not real heavy. The neighbor behind me purchased a so called bad ass battery powered unit. Well, It handled the 10 inches, but it was not able to clear all of his drive and walkway. His driveway is 30 feet wide and 70 feet to the road. He has two walkways that are 3 feet wide and total 20 feet in length. That is 2280 sq feet. He started with the sidewalks and ran out of power about a little less than half the driveway. I helped him to finish it. 2 Days later we got 8 inches. I cleared my area of 3600 square feet and his 2280 with one tank of gas (3 quarts) and 2.5 hours of running time. So, I'll keep my gas powered. By the way, my unit has 13.5 HP 30 inch width. Throws the snow 50 feet.
The truth is in consumer demand. Most people cannot or don’t maintain power equipment. You and Doug and me can keep a gas powered snowblower going for 25 years (that’s only about 200-300 hours.) Most suburban consumers run it the first year fine. Year two it acts funny and they run it on half choke. Year 3 it doesn’t work and the box store they bought it from doesn’t do service. They can’t get it to a repair shop in their Prius, so the repair shop has to transport and repair at $60-$90 per hour plus parts. Hundreds of dollars later they are back on the same 2 season cycle. “This thing is a piece of junk,” they say, and get another one. Electric is the answer for the suburban consumer in a development. And there are a lot more of those type of consumer than there are the mechanically inclined consumer. The manufacturers know this and market to it. Electric is the future. There will still be strong, higher end gas powered units for the mechanically inclined with larger, rural properties. But the bulk of sales will be in electric within 10 years.
Another great video I love this channel - the addition of Doug was a nice bonus - maybe not for him as he was doing the hard work of shoveling... I sold my near new Yardmachine 26 inch snow blower in November and went out and purchased an EGO two stage snow blower. The $1,650 price tag was tough to swallow but selling my old machine for $500 helped. I live just outside of Minneapolis Minnesota and we get bitter cold and some good amount of both wet snow and powder. My battery powered machine does a better job than my old ICE snowblower. It is quieter (sounds a bit let a jet engine but quieter than the ICE machines) and so much easier to run and operate that I felt comfortable giving some lessons to my 11 year old son on the EGO. The added bonus for me is the EGO battery fits the rest of the EGO family -my lawn mower, my Chainsaw, my weed whipper - a second weed whipper I converted over to a brush removal BEAST, my hedge trimmer and my leaf blower all use the same battery design. So the $1,650 with two 7.5AH batteries and the rapid charger suddenly looks like a more favorable purchase.
This winter stinks! Only got one session on my pond in the woods this December and I haven’t even hit the slopes yet! Might have to fly out west with my squad this spring if it keeps up like this! Snowblower…who needs one!
Regardless of which you own, both need a snow canopy. It means the difference from just being cold to totally sucking. Ever since I installed the plastic snow canopy, I haven’t dreaded snow blowing.
I have a 24" 60v toro 2 stage blower and it has handled several historic blizzards in Buffalo. The only thing holding it back was traction when the dense packed snow was higher than the 20" auger opening. Over 3 feet in some areas. It'll chew up practically solid ice, never stalls. Cannot understate the torque. It will run for about 45 minutes with 3 6AH batteries.
I liked the comparison. I would still prefer a gas job. One you can fix them and you don't have to wait for a charge. Electric definitely has its place. Don't mind the haters here today. Perhaps they just got their periods. Keep doing what your doing buddy.
Apparently this company is sending this battery powered toy out to all the outdoor channels. Just saw a review of one the other day in several inches of wet snow it was about helpless. We use our snowblower in deep heavy snow and need the power to move it. Other than hand tools battery power has a way to go before it's going to be practical for those who actually depend on their equipment. Turn the fuel shutoff to off and run the snowblower out of gas and you'll have no problem starting next year. I wouldn't be too sure about that battery being ready to go after sitting for a year and get your checkbook out if you need a new one.
The only non-electric yard tool I have left is my three year old Toro gas snowblower. I have an urban lot in Minneapolis, MN, and the electric stuff more than handles it. I want to with the snowblower and go electric. Next year for sure.
Great presentation. I appreciate your honesty, thoroughness, and for touching all of the bases that really matter. More companies should be sending you their products. Even though the strengths are shared along with any weaknesses, the accuracy of your appraisal drives you to really want one anyhow. Great job.
I've got the PowerSmart. It has its pluses and minuses. We got about 8" to 10" of Sierra snow yesterday and I have a 3,300+sqft funnel shape driveway. It took me about four hours to clean with 6 battery changes. I also have four batteries and two chargers. I don't have a gas so I can't compare it to that, but I think I am satisfied with the cordless.
Nice comparison, I had a Gas Powered 5 HP Dual Stage Snowblower. I found that Tire Chains made a huge difference in the traction which made handling it a lot easier. It would walk through snow on its own or with very little effort. So Tire Chains might help either one propel through the snow especially if it’s deeper.
That’s what I like about my Ariens snowblower…. When the drive is not engaged… it freewheels beautifully… but my 20 year old Craftsman (sold it) was a pain because the wheels would lock like yours did. I really think the battery units are okay for light snow but not heavy snow… like when the plow leaves a huge berm in front of your driveway
Good video, but I wonder about you commenting that the gas machine has higher torque. Here is my experience... I built an electric VW Rabbit for highway use. There is no clutch. I don't usually use first gear, but just to see if I could burn rubber, I put it in first, and floored it. There was so much torque that the aluminum wheels spun inside of the rubber tires. Tires were inflated to 40 psi. They spun, broke the bead, and went flat. No real harm done. Just needed to reinflate.
Wow sounds like a few folks must have had fish hooks and razor blades in their oatmeal. Personally I find all of Adams videos helpful and informative. Keep in mind it was a simple comparison put out there so we can make our own decisions. Let’s face it a Tesla or and electric pickup truck isn’t going to win any distance races. As a country, we have a long way to go technically speaking to get a car that can go 1500 on a single charge. It going to be quite a while before the combustion engine is gone. Personally I think battery powered stuff is pretty cool. We have an Ego mower, not self propelled that can just about so our 15,000 square foot yard on one charge. The nice thing is, if you want to go out on a Saturday morning without waking anybody up at 6 o’clock to mow you can do it. Keep the blade sharp and your good to go. When the battery dies we just plug it in and do other things in the yard or go in and take a break if it’s hot. See you in the next installment.
Thanks Jim, yeah I wasn’t trying to sell anybody anything. I know people out there want to see the difference between the 2 and thought it would be an interesting video. Glad you saw it that way
Thank you for taking the time to review that option for your viewers. It definitely seems to be application specific in terms of where the battery option would do well.
I had an Ego single stage blower and it worked great for my residential driveway. Only reason I don't still use it is because I moved and I have a tractor now. Interchangeable batteries are great, too. Power everything from a little 150 watt inverter to the zero turn with the same batteries.
10:38 I think we have a winner, I have one of those "snow plow" shovels too... LOL you should have reviewed that shovel. These days when there is only a few inches of snow, I just use that shovel or push the snow into piles and use my snow blower to move the piles. They make the snow plow in various widths up to 4 FT .
As a x rescue diver and certified ice rescue person I would like to see some safety equipment around your pond A life ring with rope to throw to somebody in case they should go through the ice they make a cross that you can lay on the ice to spread your weight out to help rescue somebody I watch a lot of your videos so I know you are about safety specially with your kids i’m not criticizing I’m just pointing out some things you may not have given a thought to we never want anything bad to happen to our kids
also with dry fluffy snow an inch or less it's also not a fair comparison for battery endurance time wise. I'd bet with 5 or 6 inches of regular wet snow you wouldn't get anywhere near the time or distance length of the battery
Totally agree, but what has happened for us is now that we have a number of devices that use the same battery platform, I am able to do any job continuously (snowblowing, chainsawing, mowing) as by the time I drain my last battery, at least one of my others is charged again...and round and round I go.
Interesting comparison. You have 2 dark strips that represents the gas powered which appears to have scraped the snow off the ice better. Also you included the 2 passes of the gas blower in with the amount of time the EV unit lasted.
When I was a kid we always hand shoveled off the pond. One time when we had about 18" of heavy snow. A proud neighbor used his snow blower. He went to close to the outflow and his heavy blower went through the ice That was the only time a machine was used.
I asked the same thing… apparently there was a pretty good wind coming across the dam of the pond which carried the snow. So blowing it the other direction… would have caused it to blow back the other direction.
Same as my neighbor's battery Ryobi lawnmower 1/2 a lawn. Not a big fan of ice you can't hear the ice with blowers running. Stay safe. 👊👍 Swap gas motor with the electric features.
I have an ego 2 stage blower and would not go back to gas. Granted I am just cleaning around the house and car but it has handled 12" snow no problem. My bigger areas get the snow plow or tractor.
what's the cost of the units and the costs of the batteries and how long to charge if you don't have more than 1 battery and what are the cost of the battery?
The cost is listed on their site as 949.99 with a special for 749.99 and comes with 2 year warranty also replacement batteries will cost you 270.00 each.
Your gas snowblower could likely benefit from an impeller kit. This will close up the gap between the impeller and the housing. It really helps through the snow farther and prevent the chute from clogging when blowing wet snow.
Does it have the same problem my 80v chainsaw has in the cold? I must keep my battery in the house to keep it warm and after using in extreme cold it stops working
I have the Toro 60v with three 7.5ah batteries it shines in powder, even up to 6 inches. Wet heavy snow and Gas all the way. Battery is tough to beat for early clean ups before work. Heavy and deep is tractor time
I thought the bonus footage would have Doug getting blasted with some snow in the face! It is good to see you getting some use out of the pond this winter, with this mild winter we’re having.
It looks like the gas powered blower picked a little more snow than the electric - you could see the two passes separately - and could see your steps in them. Was that the case or did it just seem that way on the camera?
To find what ones impeller spins faster you can spin the impeller and see how many times the impeller has to spin for one auger rotation.... like the gear ratio in a truck....
I have a Ryobi electric lawnmower. Absolutely love it, for several reasons. It carries two 40v batteries. When one dies, the mower quits and I just switch to the other one. I can put the dead one on the charger for 40-45 minutes while I run the second one out (not long enough for a full charge but gives an additional 15 minutes runtime if I need it to finish up.) For that reason, I recommend a 2-battery set-up. (Also recommend paying attention to the battery warranty. Two new 40v batteries with a charger is $350 last I looked. Ryobi's is 5 years.) But I hesitate to get an electric snow blower. What happens when the battery runs out? Does the blower just quit like a mower, with a load of snow packed in the augur, or does it force a clean out somehow before shutting down? If it's heavy, wet stuff, it could be dangerous if it takes awhile to recharge and is too heavy/frozen to clear out on its own when re-started. I appreciate your review but, as you mentioned, not an adequate test for significant inches of heavy snow. It only happens a handful of times a year where I live but when it does, I need the power and duration that my 8hp Tecumseh gives me. (Btw, I bought that blower in 1985, never have done any engine or carburetor work, not even taking the bowl off. Starts first or second pull every time. Treating the gas after winter, and shutting the gas off after every use to let the engine kill seems to be the key. The wheels roll forward in neutral, too.)
Electric is cool and quiet is nice, but it wouldn’t do all my property on a charge. My guess is battery life would be less if the snow was deeper or wetter due to more load on the machine. How does the impeller diameter compare? RPM is one thing, but snow leaves the impeller with linear velocity, and is directed by the chute. Larger diameter = higher “tip speed” even if the RPM are the same. That means higher velocity for the snow, and could equate to the larger throw distance. That gas unit is also low grade. My Ariens operates like the electric. You can fully control the chute at the dash, and can keep everything engaged with one hand. I’d like to see the electric up against a big name top performing machine like Ariens. Finally, machine weight is an advantage in deep heavy snow. Gives it more traction and ooomph. The downside of course is ease of maneuverability, as you pointed out. Great assessment overall. Perfect for a small residential driveway application, but not for everyone.
When you have that much snow I would just opt to use a quick shovel. I'm trying to figure out if an electric is going to handle 12 in of snow or more that falls overnight when you wake up surprise.
GAS for now! Living in Michigan i'm not able to blow 4+ inches of snow with the electric when it's thick wet snow. But i use a Honda on tracks and it rocks
Very thoughtful comparison. I think with our Maine winters I would stick with the gasoline power, however, I see where the electric could have its place with lighter snowfalls. Also may be good for people who care about weight and convenience features. I guess I am old school. Plus I already have too many battery powered tools to charge. Haha. I fear too many battery replacements down the road. 👍
Sorry, bud. But engine maintenance isn't the only thing to do on a snow blower. What about the augers and axles? Battery blowers do not need their augers and axles greased/lubed?? What about rust-proofing? Are not the handle bars, bucket and augers on your battery machine made of metal? And yeah, the battery units can chuck some powder. (As you fairly mention). But try living in a place that gets 12-20" of wet snow, and then taking your toy battery unit into a 3-1/2 foot end-of-the-drive berm created by snowplows. (You mentioned this as well, but briefly.). Myself? I want a machine that handle it all. Just like I want a car or truck that can drive 400-500 miles until I hit another gas station. All of that said, your video was informative and well done, and may help some people who are bent on the "Greenery". :)
I just read the Powersmart website you attached ?? You forgot to mention batteries are $270 ea. on sale from $299 and the unit is the same price of almost $1000 unless it's on sale for $749. a Briggs and Stratton 24" version is the same price and will never let you down.. Sorry I don't think the electric is really up to the challenge if you have an average property.. I hope they paid you well for the commercial
I’m not sure what the issue is with him getting paid or use a product. If you disagree with his assessment that’s fine. He gave his review based on his need. I didn’t hear him say go out and by this product now so I get more money. That’s NOT how these things work. Calm down Ken.
@@michaelpetty8416 the video should have a big label above it that says it's a paid endorsement. It's not only a problem with him it's a problem with UA-cam... Do you watch UA-cam for original and creative content, or for advertisements after UA-cam plays their advertisements? If the later please go play in a busy highway
Never once did I say go buy one. Simply doing a review video to compare 2 different options. For some people a battery powered blower will make sense. For others a gas one makes more sense. That is for you to decide. Whichever one you pick literally makes no difference to me. I just want people to be able to see both blowers in use
But when the electric one runs out of juice you are done and have to charge the battery. When the gas burner runs out, of juice, you pour some in the tank and keep working. 😛
One thing to consider is that lithium batteries don’t like single digit temperatures and they really dislike below zero temperatures and that makes a huge difference in run time.
@@robk1310 you clearly don't know what you're talking about. The batteries go right into the blower and while in use stay at a very ideal temperature. If they are worked particularly hard they will actually be warm when done with the job.
At the end of the day, if a battery operated snow-blower can't finish the job - without having to stop half way through to recharge, it's useless to me! My time is precious! I have a JD x748: with a 47" 2-stage snow-blower; that doubles as a 54" lawnmower, in summer. I bought this unit, with a trade off of a similar specced x540. The x748 has a 3-cylinder water-cooled Yanmar diesel (WITH hydraulic 4wd) and the x540 was a 2 cylinder, water cooled Kawasaki, with 2-wheel drive. The gas engined tractor could do (nearly) as much work as the diesel, on TWICE(?) the fuel consumption. I'm just shy of 12,000ft2 that I clear in winter. With the gas, or diesel engined variant, I could clear that on less than a tank full of fuel... And, even if I had to fuel, it took me all of 5 minutes to fill their fuel tanks. I'm not opposed to 'alternative' fuel usage, but it HAS to be cost effective!!! I'm not opposed to an electric vehicle: actually, for the most part, I'd be a perfect candidate; because I live 6/10ths of a mile from where I work HOWEVER; sometimes, we go on road trips to surrounding cities, for some reason or other. In petroleum powered vehicles: I never worry ('cuz it takes 5 minutes to refuel and refuelling stations are handy!) but; in EV's I'd be charging nearly as much as I was working!
I'm certain my next mower and snowblower will be electric models that share a battery. That said, gas power equipment can last for decades when maintained properly. The electric equipment can too as long as the batteries can be replaced.
HAHAHAHAH Chris in the Wood Yard just did the same Comparison. He was not impressed in the Least. Took it home to see if His Wife would Use it around his house. Thanks Adam.. Mike M.
engineering explained, the ultra nerd, did a video on energy density of chemical batteries vs hydrocarbon fuels like gasoline. its not even close. i like electric stuff, i have an electric chain saw, but its not even comparable to a 2 cycle gas one ;) i have a gas one which is the go-to for heavy work. trimming branches, cutting up pallets etc the electric one is great. its just energy density of the power source
What electric saw? Greenworks now has a 3.4kW electric saw(almost 5HP equivalent), I have their first Gen 80V pro that is better than a stihl MS170(sold it a while after I got the greenworks).
Curious what the battery charge time is and price? You're right, in certain smaller task applications most battery operated property maintenance items will be a good option.
Well, all I can say is my Ariens snowblower is 59 years old. That should tell you a lot right there. Good luck make an electric snowblower even last 10 years. My snowblower would Just laugh at that snow. You should try blowing wet snow that’s when you’ll find out if your blower is any good. It would’ve helped on the gas powered snowblower if you had the chute all the way up instead of trying to blow it down make it look like it doesn’t blow snow as far. My old blower will blow snow about 35 + feet.
The gas powered blower cleared better than the electric one. I can still see where you used the gas powered blower in the background at 12.05 minutes into the video. You did a 2 way with the electric, a 2 way with the gas powered and than, ran down the battery on the electric. The darker line produced by the gas powered blower is still visible. Darker means less snow left, more snow cleared. Maybe the height is adjustable in the blowers, I do not know. For the question that remains could you have cleared the pond on a single tank of fuel vs. the electric. The electric clearly could not clear the pond, and without an extra battery you would need to recharge. I am sure that recharging a single battery takes longer than refilling a single tank tank of fuel.
The weight of the gas machine leaves a cleaner swath on the ice. The other issue with a battery one is battery longevity. Batteries don't like to sit idle for 9 months of the year, so you hopefully they have a lawn mower which will work with it...
Man i wish Husqvarna offered a Battery snow blower. All my yard equipment is Husqvarna and would love to get a battery powered unit. i live on 5 acres and we get a ton of snow. but my driveway is small so this would be perfect. So over the noise and fumes of gas equipment.
I got my electric powered snow thrower last year it's an E60 vote I got it for clearing my wheelchair ramp which is 75' long it's not a self propelled machine you'll have to push it along but I've had clear A foot of snow just as well as I need to know half a snow the big difference that I find if it's slushy wet snow then yes it doesn't throw it as fire but yet enabled To get to the plow truck during snowstorms without having someone come and trouble my 75' of wheelchair ramp
Uhm, anyone that knows anything about snow blowing would start in the center and work their way to the outside, always blowing to the outside. Lol, but that is not what we are here for. Battery life is a concern in cold weather. Also heavier is better than lighter when it comes to traction. Typically, batteries and copper are much heavier than the gas engines they replace. If the battery version is lighter, it might just be much cheaper frame and the fact that it is not nearly as wide. The battery technology is heading in the right direction, but it is not quite there yet. Size, weight, price all needs to come down and hours need to go up. Let's give them 5 more years to make those improvements before we consider replacing what we have.
Hey Adam you did a great job on that review. No BS, no bashing, Just supplying all of your viewers with good helpful information. Two big thumbs up for me bud.
I agree!! 👍
Great video! I have the battery operated Toro and love it! I considered getting the Power Smart blower, but I wanted to support my local dealer.
The two batteries for the Toro last around 45 minutes or so, which is plenty of time to clear my driveway and sidewalks (including the plow berms). Charging takes about 4 hours.
The main reason I went with the battery operated is the maintenance, which is literally one thing. I have to take the wheels off at the end of the season and grease the axles.
Nice work for 2 inches of snow
You could clear that snow faster with a backpack blower 😂
This is the third electric snowblower review in the past week I have seen from other homestead channels. I guess with the snow nationwide it is the theme of the week. Last week everyone was doing portable battery stations.
Well I posted this video a year ago soooooo… lol
Hey Adam - love the channel. I got my first electric snowblower last year (Ego) brand. We just love it. For all the reasons you mentioned about battery devices. The two that really stand out is the instant start and the noise. SO often I have fought with our gas snowblowers at the beginning of or during the season to get them started after sitting - NEVER an issue with electric. We have the smaller series blower and with a single charge I can do 4 driveways in our neighborhood. And because I use other EGO gear (blower,, chainsaw, mower), I have many batteries so I could basically run all day...we have been moving away from all things gas, and could not be happier.
On the plus side, if you also get a mower that takes the same battery, then you have batteries for both units to use in summer and winter. I did that with Toro, had the FedEx delivery guy asking me why I got a snow thrower in September... for the second battery needed to mow my whole yard at my new house. Barely used the snow thrower yet, it is their single stage, but was impressed with the wet 2-3" of snow. My driveway just fits 2 cars down it, and have a small walk to the house, it had no problem. I'm in Northeast Ohio.
Do you get loads of lake effect precipitation ❄️
@missingremote4388 not where I am now. Where i used to live just a little bit more north we did get more, but was still on the south edge of the snow belt.
I think this was a great comparison video! I'm so glad you gave us the bonus footage! 💞👍 God bless y'all!
I have a corded Toro electric snow blower and I have to say it is a tiger! Even handles the heavy wet snow that the plow puts into the driveway when the roads are cleared. I buried it in snow that was 2 feet deep, and it just keeps going. Its light enough to be operated on the side and do stairs. Great video thumbs up.
I'll let you stand in water with something running on 110. Snow IS water.
A couple weeks ago, we received a 10 inch snow that basically consisted what I call typical snow, not real heavy. The neighbor behind me purchased a so called bad ass battery powered unit. Well, It handled the 10 inches, but it was not able to clear all of his drive and walkway. His driveway is 30 feet wide and 70 feet to the road. He has two walkways that are 3 feet wide and total 20 feet in length. That is 2280 sq feet. He started with the sidewalks and ran out of power about a little less than half the driveway. I helped him to finish it. 2 Days later we got 8 inches. I cleared my area of 3600 square feet and his 2280 with one tank of gas (3 quarts) and 2.5 hours of running time. So, I'll keep my gas powered. By the way, my unit has 13.5 HP 30 inch width. Throws the snow 50 feet.
what gas powered unit do you have? i am looking for one and want to get a good one, thanks
@@toddborron6239 DR Power Pro 30XL.
The truth is in consumer demand. Most people cannot or don’t maintain power equipment. You and Doug and me can keep a gas powered snowblower going for 25 years (that’s only about 200-300 hours.) Most suburban consumers run it the first year fine. Year two it acts funny and they run it on half choke. Year 3 it doesn’t work and the box store they bought it from doesn’t do service. They can’t get it to a repair shop in their Prius, so the repair shop has to transport and repair at $60-$90 per hour plus parts. Hundreds of dollars later they are back on the same 2 season cycle. “This thing is a piece of junk,” they say, and get another one. Electric is the answer for the suburban consumer in a development. And there are a lot more of those type of consumer than there are the mechanically inclined consumer. The manufacturers know this and market to it. Electric is the future. There will still be strong, higher end gas powered units for the mechanically inclined with larger, rural properties. But the bulk of sales will be in electric within 10 years.
That is both the funniest and most accurate story ever told about small lawn equipment.
Another great video I love this channel - the addition of Doug was a nice bonus - maybe not for him as he was doing the hard work of shoveling...
I sold my near new Yardmachine 26 inch snow blower in November and went out and purchased an EGO two stage snow blower. The $1,650 price tag was tough to swallow but selling my old machine for $500 helped. I live just outside of Minneapolis Minnesota and we get bitter cold and some good amount of both wet snow and powder. My battery powered machine does a better job than my old ICE snowblower. It is quieter (sounds a bit let a jet engine but quieter than the ICE machines) and so much easier to run and operate that I felt comfortable giving some lessons to my 11 year old son on the EGO. The added bonus for me is the EGO battery fits the rest of the EGO family -my lawn mower, my Chainsaw, my weed whipper - a second weed whipper I converted over to a brush removal BEAST, my hedge trimmer and my leaf blower all use the same battery design. So the $1,650 with two 7.5AH batteries and the rapid charger suddenly looks like a more favorable purchase.
This winter stinks! Only got one session on my pond in the woods this December and I haven’t even hit the slopes yet! Might have to fly out west with my squad this spring if it keeps up like this! Snowblower…who needs one!
I was surprised at the power of the battery model. Thanks for the video
Regardless of which you own, both need a snow canopy. It means the difference from just being cold to totally sucking. Ever since I installed the plastic snow canopy, I haven’t dreaded snow blowing.
I have a 24" 60v toro 2 stage blower and it has handled several historic blizzards in Buffalo. The only thing holding it back was traction when the dense packed snow was higher than the 20" auger opening. Over 3 feet in some areas. It'll chew up practically solid ice, never stalls. Cannot understate the torque.
It will run for about 45 minutes with 3 6AH batteries.
I liked the comparison. I would still prefer a gas job. One you can fix them and you don't have to wait for a charge. Electric definitely has its place. Don't mind the haters here today. Perhaps they just got their periods. Keep doing what your doing buddy.
Always fun watching you and Doug doing things together ❤😊
Apparently this company is sending this battery powered toy out to all the outdoor channels. Just saw a review of one the other day in several inches of wet snow it was about helpless. We use our snowblower in deep heavy snow and need the power to move it. Other than hand tools battery power has a way to go before it's going to be practical for those who actually depend on their equipment. Turn the fuel shutoff to off and run the snowblower out of gas and you'll have no problem starting next year. I wouldn't be too sure about that battery being ready to go after sitting for a year and get your checkbook out if you need a new one.
The only non-electric yard tool I have left is my three year old Toro gas snowblower. I have an urban lot in Minneapolis, MN, and the electric stuff more than handles it. I want to with the snowblower and go electric. Next year for sure.
I have a craftsman snowblower and it works just fine
Great presentation. I appreciate your honesty, thoroughness, and for touching all of the bases that really matter. More companies should be sending you their products. Even though the strengths are shared along with any weaknesses, the accuracy of your appraisal drives you to really want one anyhow. Great job.
I've got the PowerSmart. It has its pluses and minuses. We got about 8" to 10" of Sierra snow yesterday and I have a 3,300+sqft funnel shape driveway. It took me about four hours to clean with 6 battery changes. I also have four batteries and two chargers. I don't have a gas so I can't compare it to that, but I think I am satisfied with the cordless.
Nice comparison, I had a Gas Powered 5 HP Dual Stage Snowblower. I found that Tire Chains made a huge difference in the traction which made handling it a lot easier. It would walk through snow on its own or with very little effort. So Tire Chains might help either one propel through the snow especially if it’s deeper.
Wise to cast the snow up hill so you get ever drop back into the pond when it melts!😊
9:00 you look like Bigfoot pushing a snow blower.😂😂😂
That’s what I like about my Ariens snowblower…. When the drive is not engaged… it freewheels beautifully… but my 20 year old Craftsman (sold it) was a pain because the wheels would lock like yours did. I really think the battery units are okay for light snow but not heavy snow… like when the plow leaves a huge berm in front of your driveway
Good video, but I wonder about you commenting that the gas machine has higher torque. Here is my experience... I built an electric VW Rabbit for highway use. There is no clutch. I don't usually use first gear, but just to see if I could burn rubber, I put it in first, and floored it. There was so much torque that the aluminum wheels spun inside of the rubber tires. Tires were inflated to 40 psi. They spun, broke the bead, and went flat. No real harm done. Just needed to reinflate.
You are a young man.... ear protection with that gas blower!
Wow sounds like a few folks must have had fish hooks and razor blades in their oatmeal. Personally I find all of Adams videos helpful and informative. Keep in mind it was a simple comparison put out there so we can make our own decisions. Let’s face it a Tesla or and electric pickup truck isn’t going to win any distance races. As a country, we have a long way to go technically speaking to get a car that can go 1500 on a single charge. It going to be quite a while before the combustion engine is gone. Personally I think battery powered stuff is pretty cool. We have an Ego mower, not self propelled that can just about so our 15,000 square foot yard on one charge. The nice thing is, if you want to go out on a Saturday morning without waking anybody up at 6 o’clock to mow you can do it. Keep the blade sharp and your good to go. When the battery dies we just plug it in and do other things in the yard or go in and take a break if it’s hot. See you in the next installment.
Thanks Jim, yeah I wasn’t trying to sell anybody anything. I know people out there want to see the difference between the 2 and thought it would be an interesting video. Glad you saw it that way
Thank you for taking the time to review that option for your viewers. It definitely seems to be application specific in terms of where the battery option would do well.
I had an Ego single stage blower and it worked great for my residential driveway. Only reason I don't still use it is because I moved and I have a tractor now. Interchangeable batteries are great, too. Power everything from a little 150 watt inverter to the zero turn with the same batteries.
10:38 I think we have a winner, I have one of those "snow plow" shovels too... LOL you should have reviewed that shovel. These days when there is only a few inches of snow, I just use that shovel or push the snow into piles and use my snow blower to move the piles. They make the snow plow in various widths up to 4 FT .
As a x rescue diver and certified ice rescue person I would like to see some safety equipment around your pond A life ring with rope to throw to somebody in case they should go through the ice they make a cross that you can lay on the ice to spread your weight out to help rescue somebody I watch a lot of your videos so I know you are about safety specially with your kids i’m not criticizing I’m just pointing out some things you may not have given a thought to we never want anything bad to happen to our kids
The only thing I will EVER own with a battery is a hand drill. Everything else will always be gas powered.
also with dry fluffy snow an inch or less it's also not a fair comparison for battery endurance time wise. I'd bet with 5 or 6 inches of regular wet snow you wouldn't get anywhere near the time or distance length of the battery
No kidding? It's almost like this review was a paid commercial
You could clear that faster with a backpack blower…..😂
Duration plays a major role in Gas vs Battery. Batteries work for small jobs.
Totally agree, but what has happened for us is now that we have a number of devices that use the same battery platform, I am able to do any job continuously (snowblowing, chainsawing, mowing) as by the time I drain my last battery, at least one of my others is charged again...and round and round I go.
Interesting comparison. You have 2 dark strips that represents the gas powered which appears to have scraped the snow off the ice better. Also you included the 2 passes of the gas blower in with the amount of time the EV unit lasted.
When I was a kid we always hand shoveled off the pond.
One time when we had about 18" of heavy snow. A proud neighbor used his snow blower.
He went to close to the outflow and his heavy blower went through the ice
That was the only time a machine was used.
Have you thought of placing a Screened Cap on your "Vent Pipe" to deter anything from getting in?
An advantage if you start in the middle and throw the snow outwards instead of towards the middle, the electric one looks really good.
I asked the same thing… apparently there was a pretty good wind coming across the dam of the pond which carried the snow. So blowing it the other direction… would have caused it to blow back the other direction.
Compare newer, year for year blowers.. but we appreciate the comparison regardless
I prefer a blower with my JD X500 with the option of a blade. By the way, how's the cost of the battery.
Same as my neighbor's battery Ryobi lawnmower 1/2 a lawn. Not a big fan of ice you can't hear the ice with blowers running. Stay safe. 👊👍 Swap gas motor with the electric features.
Just curious, not knowing anything about ponds is there a reason or reasons you built such a large pond ?
I have an ego 2 stage blower and would not go back to gas. Granted I am just cleaning around the house and car but it has handled 12" snow no problem. My bigger areas get the snow plow or tractor.
what's the cost of the units and the costs of the batteries and how long to charge if you don't have more than 1 battery and what are the cost of the battery?
The cost is listed on their site as 949.99 with a special for 749.99 and comes with 2 year warranty also replacement batteries will cost you 270.00 each.
Your gas snowblower could likely benefit from an impeller kit. This will close up the gap between the impeller and the housing. It really helps through the snow farther and prevent the chute from clogging when blowing wet snow.
How long does it take to fully charge the battery?
Does it have the same problem my 80v chainsaw has in the cold? I must keep my battery in the house to keep it warm and after using in extreme cold it stops working
I have the Toro 60v with three 7.5ah batteries it shines in powder, even up to 6 inches. Wet heavy snow and Gas all the way. Battery is tough to beat for early clean ups before work. Heavy and deep is tractor time
👍Good review. You forgot to show the charger for the battery though. Is it a wall mounted style or table top?
Would it work better if you start in the middle; circle outward, and always blow snow outward?
Is this the same unit sold as the Ego 2 stage?
Curious do you keep a box out there that has like an emergency rope just in case? Loving your pond!
Good Morning Adam!
I thought the bonus footage would have Doug getting blasted with some snow in the face! It is good to see you getting some use out of the pond this winter, with this mild winter we’re having.
Only if he has his safety glasses on. Then, I still wouldn’t t do it.
how much does a battery cost and how long does it take to charge a dead battery ??
Nice video! How much battery power remained after you finished the pond? Thanks, be well and be safe!
How new are the belts on the gas blower ? The Battery blower is all new . My Toro will blow snow 40 ft.
The one thing I did see, is that the gas power seems to clean the ice a little better
It looks like the gas powered blower picked a little more snow than the electric - you could see the two passes separately - and could see your steps in them. Was that the case or did it just seem that way on the camera?
It may have been a skid shoe adjustment needed made on the electric one to get it closer to the ice
Under water hockey?
To find what ones impeller spins faster you can spin the impeller and see how many times the impeller has to spin for one auger rotation.... like the gear ratio in a truck....
I have a Ryobi electric lawnmower. Absolutely love it, for several reasons. It carries two 40v batteries. When one dies, the mower quits and I just switch to the other one. I can put the dead one on the charger for 40-45 minutes while I run the second one out (not long enough for a full charge but gives an additional 15 minutes runtime if I need it to finish up.) For that reason, I recommend a 2-battery set-up. (Also recommend paying attention to the battery warranty. Two new 40v batteries with a charger is $350 last I looked. Ryobi's is 5 years.)
But I hesitate to get an electric snow blower. What happens when the battery runs out? Does the blower just quit like a mower, with a load of snow packed in the augur, or does it force a clean out somehow before shutting down? If it's heavy, wet stuff, it could be dangerous if it takes awhile to recharge and is too heavy/frozen to clear out on its own when re-started.
I appreciate your review but, as you mentioned, not an adequate test for significant inches of heavy snow. It only happens a handful of times a year where I live but when it does, I need the power and duration that my 8hp Tecumseh gives me. (Btw, I bought that blower in 1985, never have done any engine or carburetor work, not even taking the bowl off. Starts first or second pull every time. Treating the gas after winter, and shutting the gas off after every use to let the engine kill seems to be the key. The wheels roll forward in neutral, too.)
Glad I don’t need either!!
Is the water on the ice from the spring or ice melting??😮
Thanks for the videos!
Ice melting
I wondered that, too, Mark. Not having been around ice like that, I was nervous!! 😬
@@HometownAcres 😵💫
how much did you pay for the battery blower
Electric is cool and quiet is nice, but it wouldn’t do all my property on a charge. My guess is battery life would be less if the snow was deeper or wetter due to more load on the machine. How does the impeller diameter compare? RPM is one thing, but snow leaves the impeller with linear velocity, and is directed by the chute. Larger diameter = higher “tip speed” even if the RPM are the same. That means higher velocity for the snow, and could equate to the larger throw distance. That gas unit is also low grade. My Ariens operates like the electric. You can fully control the chute at the dash, and can keep everything engaged with one hand. I’d like to see the electric up against a big name top performing machine like Ariens. Finally, machine weight is an advantage in deep heavy snow. Gives it more traction and ooomph. The downside of course is ease of maneuverability, as you pointed out. Great assessment overall. Perfect for a small residential driveway application, but not for everyone.
When you have that much snow I would just opt to use a quick shovel. I'm trying to figure out if an electric is going to handle 12 in of snow or more that falls overnight when you wake up surprise.
GAS for now! Living in Michigan i'm not able to blow 4+ inches of snow with the electric when it's thick wet snow. But i use a Honda on tracks and it rocks
Very thoughtful comparison. I think with our Maine winters I would stick with the gasoline power, however, I see where the electric could have its place with lighter snowfalls. Also may be good for people who care about weight and convenience features. I guess I am old school. Plus I already have too many battery powered tools to charge. Haha. I fear too many battery replacements down the road. 👍
Why not start in the middle and blow to each side? Wouldn't it make it easier?
Good video.
The gas powered blower cleared down deeper than the battery powered blower.
They are different beasts for different uses. I’d argue the electric is for consume, the gas the pro version.
i love gas engines, always will. i run a 1971 snow blower. but its easy to see electric is the future. it will only get better over the years.
Well, this video sure does blow. :) :) :)
Sorry, bud. But engine maintenance isn't the only thing to do on a snow blower. What about the augers and axles? Battery blowers do not need their augers and axles greased/lubed??
What about rust-proofing? Are not the handle bars, bucket and augers on your battery machine made of metal?
And yeah, the battery units can chuck some powder. (As you fairly mention). But try living in a place that gets 12-20" of wet snow, and then taking your toy battery unit into a 3-1/2 foot
end-of-the-drive berm created by snowplows. (You mentioned this as well, but briefly.).
Myself? I want a machine that handle it all. Just like I want a car or truck that can drive 400-500 miles until I hit another gas station.
All of that said, your video was informative and well done, and may help some people who are bent on the "Greenery". :)
How thick does it need to be for ice-skating?
4 inches for ice skating, 10 inches for an automobile
I just read the Powersmart website you attached ?? You forgot to mention batteries are $270 ea. on sale from $299 and the unit is the same price of almost $1000 unless it's on sale for $749. a Briggs and Stratton 24" version is the same price and will never let you down.. Sorry I don't think the electric is really up to the challenge if you have an average property.. I hope they paid you well for the commercial
Yep he's getting paid to do a commercial.. he also way overpaid for that $400 snowblower that's gas
I believe you spelled your last name wrong. Cheer up Mr. Whiner
I’m not sure what the issue is with him getting paid or use a product. If you disagree with his assessment that’s fine. He gave his review based on his need. I didn’t hear him say go out and by this product now so I get more money. That’s NOT how these things work. Calm down Ken.
@@michaelpetty8416 the video should have a big label above it that says it's a paid endorsement. It's not only a problem with him it's a problem with UA-cam...
Do you watch UA-cam for original and creative content, or for advertisements after UA-cam plays their advertisements? If the later please go play in a busy highway
Never once did I say go buy one. Simply doing a review video to compare 2 different options. For some people a battery powered blower will make sense. For others a gas one makes more sense. That is for you to decide. Whichever one you pick literally makes no difference to me. I just want people to be able to see both blowers in use
But when the electric one runs out of juice you are done and have to charge the battery. When the gas burner runs out, of juice, you pour some in the tank and keep working. 😛
I think if you had the same depth of snow but it was wet snow your area you could clear would be quite a bit less.
One thing to consider is that lithium batteries don’t like single digit temperatures and they really dislike below zero temperatures and that makes a huge difference in run time.
That's why you keep them indoors prior to use..
@@WatsitTooyah you can keep them indoors for ten BBC weeks. One minute out in negative temps and it don’t matter how long you had it inside.
@@robk1310 you clearly don't know what you're talking about. The batteries go right into the blower and while in use stay at a very ideal temperature. If they are worked particularly hard they will actually be warm when done with the job.
At the end of the day, if a battery operated snow-blower can't finish the job - without having to stop half way through to recharge, it's useless to me! My time is precious! I have a JD x748: with a 47" 2-stage snow-blower; that doubles as a 54" lawnmower, in summer. I bought this unit, with a trade off of a similar specced x540. The x748 has a 3-cylinder water-cooled Yanmar diesel (WITH hydraulic 4wd) and the x540 was a 2 cylinder, water cooled Kawasaki, with 2-wheel drive. The gas engined tractor could do (nearly) as much work as the diesel, on TWICE(?) the fuel consumption. I'm just shy of 12,000ft2 that I clear in winter. With the gas, or diesel engined variant, I could clear that on less than a tank full of fuel... And, even if I had to fuel, it took me all of 5 minutes to fill their fuel tanks.
I'm not opposed to 'alternative' fuel usage, but it HAS to be cost effective!!!
I'm not opposed to an electric vehicle: actually, for the most part, I'd be a perfect candidate; because I live 6/10ths of a mile from where I work HOWEVER; sometimes, we go on road trips to surrounding cities, for some reason or other. In petroleum powered vehicles: I never worry ('cuz it takes 5 minutes to refuel and refuelling stations are handy!) but; in EV's I'd be charging nearly as much as I was working!
With my battery tools, I recommend 2 batteries so one can be charging while using the other.
I will never buy another gas engine....
I'm certain my next mower and snowblower will be electric models that share a battery. That said, gas power equipment can last for decades when maintained properly. The electric equipment can too as long as the batteries can be replaced.
Wow. I would need 20 or more fully charged batteries to clear my small driveway.
Might be perfect for sidewalks or decks.
For the light stuff you did there, I use a corded power shovel.
Looks like the gas blower gives a "closer shave" than the electric, but I can't tell by how much in the video.
HAHAHAHAH Chris in the Wood Yard just did the same Comparison. He was not impressed in the Least.
Took it home to see if His Wife would Use it around his house.
Thanks Adam..
Mike M.
engineering explained, the ultra nerd, did a video on energy density of chemical batteries vs hydrocarbon fuels like gasoline. its not even close. i like electric stuff, i have an electric chain saw, but its not even comparable to a 2 cycle gas one ;) i have a gas one which is the go-to for heavy work. trimming branches, cutting up pallets etc the electric one is great. its just energy density of the power source
What electric saw? Greenworks now has a 3.4kW electric saw(almost 5HP equivalent), I have their first Gen 80V pro that is better than a stihl MS170(sold it a while after I got the greenworks).
Curious what the battery charge time is and price? You're right, in certain smaller task applications most battery operated property maintenance items will be a good option.
Well, all I can say is my Ariens snowblower is 59 years old. That should tell you a lot right there. Good luck make an electric snowblower even last 10 years. My snowblower would Just laugh at that snow. You should try blowing wet snow that’s when you’ll find out if your blower is any good. It would’ve helped on the gas powered snowblower if you had the chute all the way up instead of trying to blow it down make it look like it doesn’t blow snow as far. My old blower will blow snow about 35 + feet.
Thanks, you've shown me that I don't want one.
The gas powered blower cleared better than the electric one. I can still see where you used the gas powered blower in the background at 12.05 minutes into the video. You did a 2 way with the electric, a 2 way with the gas powered and than, ran down the battery on the electric. The darker line produced by the gas powered blower is still visible. Darker means less snow left, more snow cleared. Maybe the height is adjustable in the blowers, I do not know. For the question that remains could you have cleared the pond on a single tank of fuel vs. the electric. The electric clearly could not clear the pond, and without an extra battery you would need to recharge. I am sure that recharging a single battery takes longer than refilling a single tank tank of fuel.
If you get a lot of light snowfalls a single stage will be quicker.
The weight of the gas machine leaves a cleaner swath on the ice. The other issue with a battery one is battery longevity. Batteries don't like to sit idle for 9 months of the year, so you hopefully they have a lawn mower which will work with it...
Man i wish Husqvarna offered a Battery snow blower. All my yard equipment is Husqvarna and would love to get a battery powered unit. i live on 5 acres and we get a ton of snow. but my driveway is small so this would be perfect. So over the noise and fumes of gas equipment.
I got my electric powered snow thrower last year it's an E60 vote I got it for clearing my wheelchair ramp which is 75' long it's not a self propelled machine you'll have to push it along but I've had clear A foot of snow just as well as I need to know half a snow the big difference that I find if it's slushy wet snow then yes it doesn't throw it as fire but yet enabled To get to the plow truck during snowstorms without having someone come and trouble my 75' of wheelchair ramp
Battery power cost more It’s all good for simple stuff house and yard. But not snow. Long live gas and areins
Try them at 10 or 15 below.
splitting wood ? still enjoy
Uhm, anyone that knows anything about snow blowing would start in the center and work their way to the outside, always blowing to the outside. Lol, but that is not what we are here for. Battery life is a concern in cold weather. Also heavier is better than lighter when it comes to traction. Typically, batteries and copper are much heavier than the gas engines they replace. If the battery version is lighter, it might just be much cheaper frame and the fact that it is not nearly as wide. The battery technology is heading in the right direction, but it is not quite there yet. Size, weight, price all needs to come down and hours need to go up. Let's give them 5 more years to make those improvements before we consider replacing what we have.