I live in Utah and this past November we had the third heaviest snowfall in history. Needless to say, after the first storm I vowed to never shovel again. Two days later I had my new Toro 1800 Power Curve Snow Thrower. Excellent service and speedy delivery. Since this is my first snow blower I was concerned whether an electric could get the job done. I really didn’t want to deal with the issues of a gas powered model and the reviews on the Toro were good so I decided to give it a chance. Set up really only takes 10 minutes.

I didn’t have to wait long to use my new investment – the very next day we had a snowstorm stall over the state. My home received around 18 inches during a 30-35 hour period. I used my new snow blower three times during that period and had great success with it. Surprisingly, the Toro does better with deep, heavy snow. Lighter snow doesn’t throw very far and the wind can send it back in your face easily. I would assume other snow blowers would have similar issues in strong winds.

There is a little learning curve with this model as a power cord is being dragged everywhere you go. You are also limited to a maximum 150 foot power cord so be sure you don’t have a greater area to clear than that. While the Toro is easy to use, you must squeeze the handle to keep the motor running. My hands hurt after around 30 minutes of use. Small complaint as my back didn’t hurt at all. The all plastic body and blade held up well and the chute was easy to direct. Overall, I think this is a great alternative to a gas powered model.

A lot of the reviews for this snow blower say how good it is, how it is better than the gas-powered unit it replaced and how it can move more snow than the product description claims…but all is not as it seems.

First of all I suspect that a lot of the people buying this unit are either upgrading from a 20 year old snow shovel made from cast iron, or they are replacing some similarly priced gas unit that failed. I fall into the “snow shovel upgrader” camp, but my snow shovel was the latest model WalMart offered – made from hi-tech plastic.

When it snows here, it can snow a lot but usually it’s only 5-10 inches. I can shovel my area clean in about 2-3 hours time, and when I say clean I mean down to the pavement. From the other users’ reviews I thought the Power Curve 1800 would cut my time in half and provide the added benefit of not leaving me physically exhausted, but what actually happened was not what I expected.

Weight:
This unit is light and that may seem like a good thing, but the problem is that if the snow is even moderately packed down the Power Curve is going to plow right over it, leaving about 1-2 inches of packed snow on the ground instead of scooping it up (unless you break it up with a snow shovel first…hmm).

If you’re dealing with fresh snow that is light and fluffy, then it will clean down to the pavement…but just about anything will do that including a broom, so it’s not saying much about the Power Curve. A good snow blower will clear snow that has been sitting on the ground for a few hours at least, if not a day or more, all the way to the pavement. The light weight of this unit makes it easier to move around but fails when dealing with snow that is not soft and fluffy.

Power:
Toro saw fit to put the word “power” in the name of this unit but again, it seems to be lacking in that department. It flings soft snow about 15-20 feet and gets bogged down quite easily in snow that is over 6 inches. It tends to plow the snow as it moves forward causing it to accumulate at the front of the machine, reducing the RPMs of the auger and thus the distance the snow is thrown…probably because it cannot throw the snow fast enough.

Solution? You must walk slower…but the problem with walking slower is that you will be getting stuck quite often. This is where having a self-propelled gas unit is simply better if you want a machine that will clear snow quickly and efficiently. I found that I had to lean into this unit quit a bit just to keep it moving – and this is with fresh snow that is only 6 inches.

Convenience:
I can say that this product is “convenient” in terms of being light, small and easy to store…but its overall inability to clear snow faster than I can with a ‘hi tech’ shovel combined with the fact that it doesn’t really clear ALL of the snow in a single pass, or down to the pavement means that its convenience is pointless. I really cannot think of a situation where the Power Curve is a better choice than a real gas powered snow blower would be.

This might be a good product for someone who always gets that perfect fluffy snow, but never has to deal with snow that is even slightly packed, wet or otherwise not fluffy and soft. If you have a very small area that you need to clear this would probably do it, but you could save yourself a few hundred and just use a shovel.

I think that most people who have a property large enough to warrant the need for a snow blower should be looking at a quality gas-powered unit. Most modern gas units start easily as long as you maintain them, and do a much better job of clearing snow. That all being said, I think its time to upgrade to a REAL snow blower.

I got this snow blower because I had a 35 ft long double driveway and front sidewalk to shovel and don’t want the maintenance issues associated with gas-powered blowers.

We’ve had 2 snows here in Colorado since getting it and the blower had no problem getting through the 6-8 inches of snow. The drifts were a little deeper but easily nibbled away. I found out the quicker you walk the through the snow the farther you blow it out… about 15-20 feet.

The ONLY problem I had was squeezing the handle hard enough constantly to keep it running. My hand got tired and cramped so I had to let go several times. I wish they had an easier mechanism. I am a 60 year old woman and I do not have arthritis in my hands so this surprised me.

You also have to “plan” the path to keep from running over the cord but after years of running a vacuum its a no-brainer for me. But overall, it sure beats shoveling and not hard to move around.

I bought the Toro 1800 on a Thursday, got 8 inches on Friday and it arrived on Saturday (thanks Amazon Prime). Just took it out and cleared all of my sidewalks, parking pad, and street sidewalks, worked flawlessly.

I am not sure it took me less time than the shovel but it definitely was easier. I ran over the cord once, so I was very careful afterwards, cord management is the most difficult thing, but I think that will come with practice as I learn how to use it on my property better.

One major tip that would have saved me a while. If you are having trouble getting the snow removed down to your concrete (or pavers, etc.), lean the machine up off it’s wheels and push it forward (it still moves easily), you’ll immediately get a “closer shave”. Once I figured this out my work really sped up.

Have shoveled, bladed, & blown lots of snow in 55 yrs. Last snow blower was craftsman gas blower that is still working out at the farm.

I am 64 & needed something lightweight & powerful that I can pick up & move as I need to! Very easy for one person to assemble. This is the tkt. I just came in from blowing one foot of snow on long driveway & sidewalk at home in town; plus the double driveway and corner lot sidewalk of my 91yr neighbor.

One pass all the way to the concrete every time. It took me one hour start to finish. No clogs & the snow slid off the surfaces of the blower & no snow to clean out of the chute when done.

I especially like the directional handle on the chute for snow. It allows a good dispersion of snow at a low angle so one is not hitting the neighbor’s windows. The throw distance of the snow is equal to larger snow blowers I have used.

I am a widow & have to pay for upkeep on sparkplug/gas driven items; and I am converting to electric yard items when possible. The price was reasonable & free shipping was an extra bonus.