Electric Li-Ion Snow Blower?

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I am not in need of a snow blower, but I came across this on another forum and was intrigued by it. Does any one here own one? If so, how do you like it?

Apparently, some Home Depot stores had these Ego 56-volt Snow Blowers on sale for $319, including 2 5Ah batteries. Reading the reviews, they are good for about 30 minutes of run time. I suppose that's enough if you have a small driveway. Otherwise, you would need spare batteries, and they can be fairly expensive.

I know some people are happy with their Ego electric lawn mowers. These Ego snow blowers use the same batteries, so if you already own one of their mowers, you could share batteries, I guess.
 
I'd be curious to hear about these as well. I just saw a sign at a hardware store for them the other day. In the past I had a neighbor with some form of electric snowblower, and it never worked for anything more than a dusting. But with motors and batteries the way they are now they may actually be a viable option.
 
I’d wonder how they would perform in the heavy concrete like snow we get here on the west side of the Cascades. Quattro, do you get similar snow in the Great Lakes region?
 
Good to get the fairy out of the house to do some light snow cleanup.

I just bought a HD commercial gasoline unit and I wish I didn't.
You can feel that extra 100lbs. I does chew through the frozen stuff at the end of the droveway
 
Just some back of the napkin math... 2 * 56V * 5Ah = 560 W-hr = roughly 0.75 hp-hr.

I have no idea what average power you'd need to clear a driveway, but if you estimate it's one-quarter of the typical 4-hp rating on a single-stage blower, then the two batteries together would last 45 minutes without mechanical or electrical inefficiency taken into account. And if the review say 30 minutes each then I guess that's not far off.

I'll consider it when they make a 24" 2-stage blower with similar run-time!
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I am not in need of a snow blower, but I came across this on another forum and was intrigued by it. Does any one here own one? If so, how do you like it?

Apparently, some Home Depot stores had these Ego 56-volt Snow Blowers on sale for $319, including 2 5Ah batteries. Reading the reviews, they are good for about 30 minutes of run time. I suppose that's enough if you have a small driveway. Otherwise, you would need spare batteries, and they can be fairly expensive.

I know some people are happy with their Ego electric lawn mowers. These Ego snow blowers use the same batteries, so if you already own one of their mowers, you could share batteries, I guess.



My brother bought one and said only OK in light fluffy snow. He wishes he had not bought it.
 
No thanks. Cold is harsh on batteries. Fast charge on a cold battery is another Nono.
 
I have some customers that own them. They are good for about 30 minutes of run time on a full charge, but that also depends on how much load there is. If the snow is heavy, and there is more of it, the run time will be less.

The corded models definitely have more power and aren't dependent on battery life. Many of those who bought them use them for decks and small sidewalks, which they are usually fine for. The corded machines such as the Toro PowerShovel still seem to be superior power-wise for these applications though.
 
Purchased the EGO with the two 7.5Ah batteries.
Didn't have much faith in it before I used it. Much better than I could have imagined.
My driveway can probably fit 6 to 7 cars and it will clear it at least 3 times on one charge.
Batteries and charger inside when not in use.
Still getting used to the low noise level.
 
Mostly powder but a significant amount of wet stuff.
It feels powerful enough for wet heavy snow but I'd have to assume it will exhaust the batteries much sooner.
 
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
The cold degrades battery power, even the lithium ones.
If stored out in a cold garage, run time would be less.


My 2¢

Can't charge them when they're cold either. I have a Snapper 60 volt leaf blower and trimmer.
If the batteries and charger are cold. The chargers will fault out and not charge.
I have to take them into the house and warm them up before they will charge.
 
Yup, owner's manual states:
Quote:
Optimal charging temperatures are between 32°F (0°C) and 104°F (0°C - 40°C).
 
I really like battery-driven stuff, the Makita 18v tools I use is really all I use now. I am also considering buying a husqvarna Li-ion chainsaw and brushcutter as I tried them and they could really shine on smaller jobs.
BUT.... I have still not tried a strong enough, gas snow blower. So I doubt a battery blower would have enough power based on just the fact that the 5-12 hp units could be bogged down if running too fast or in any kind of slush. But I could be wrong and they could be great for lighter snow. I still doubt it if more heavy duty tasks.
 
Small jobs like landings or decks might be suitable for battery powered equipment. Maybe.

I had a deck that on occasion would put a stout SS two stroke machine to the test. Especially hard packed drifted snow.

For little jobs I had a two cycle gas powered Toro Power shovel that I bought used for peanuts because it didn't run. Fixed the fuel primer and it fired right up. This thing is great for landings and steps with maybe up to 6" of snow. Throws a pretty decent distance too.

 
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