Why would you want to purchase a snow blower? First of all, it’s the go-to tool for clearing pathways and yards during the winter season. Some might consider them a luxury, but they can be a necessary tool for when you can’t or don’t feel like shoveling your driveway after every storm. Before the ruthless winter season arrives, it’s best to be prepared for whatever challenges heavy snowfall has to offer.
In this article, we’re going to look at three high-rated snow blowers – the Toro 38381, the Snow Joe Ultra SJ623E, and the Greenworks 2600502. All of these models are single-stage snow blowers so they’re built for rather shallow snowfall on smooth, paved surfaces. As one-stage models, they’re not the most powerful units, but for cities where snowfall is measured in inches and not feet, these three devices flourish. Let’s see what the differences between the Toro, the Snow Joe, and the Greenworks are.
Motor Power, Performance, and Discharge Distance
Toro 881
The most time-efficient single-stage snow blowers come with powerful motors for rotating their augers to pick up large quantities of snow and discharge it in a single motion. The Toro comes with a 15.0-amp motor and plastic auger that can collect up to 700 pounds of snow per minute before throwing it up to 30 feet away. There’s an adjustable 160° chute for you to aim the discharge wherever you’d like.
Snow Joe Ultra SJ623E
The Snow Joe also comes with a 15.0-amp motor that takes rotates the 4-blade heavy-grade steel auger which eats up to 720 pounds of snow per minute. Using the 180° adjustable chute, you can aim and angle the discharge trajectory in any direction up to 25 feet away from the unit.
Greenworks 2600502
The small Greenworks’s 13.0-amp motor powers the plastic polyethylene auger to collect up to 850 pounds of snow per minute before discharging it up to 20 feet away. The chute can be adjusted up to 180° to point the discharge wherever you like.
Conclusion
Of the three models, we favor the Greenworks’ impressive 13.0-amp motor and plastic auger combination which can eat an impressive 850 pounds of snow every minute. Its discharge distance is the shortest of all the units in this article, but 20 feet away from the unit is still amazing, especially when considering that it’s a corded-electric single-stage snow-throwing device.
Intake
Toro 38381
The size of the intake determines how much snow the snow blower can take in. Typically, having a smaller-than-needed intake means longer work hours out in the cold weather. The Toro has a clearance of 18 inches wide and up to 12 inches deep.
Snow Joe Ultra SJ623E
The Snow Joe has a clearance of 18 inches wide and up to 10 inches deep. A decrease in height of 2 inches is – for the most part – immaterial, especially if you live in cities where snowfall doesn’t reach 12 inches daily. However, for cities with rougher winters, the height of this unit’s intake may force you to do repeated passes to thoroughly clean your pathways of snow.
Greenworks 2600502
The Greenworks is the smallest of the three units in this article. It has a clearance of 16 inches wide by up to 6 inches deep. This device is definitely for light-duty snow-throwing jobs in cities with less than a foot of snow.
Conclusion
Generally speaking, a larger intake makes a snow blower able to work in more situations than a smaller one. However, you don’t want need to purchase a large device for throwing only 4 or 5 inches of snow off of your driveway. Pick a model with the correct width and height that works best for your city and home.
Design
Toro 38381
One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a snow blower is that it’s not a device that you’ll use all year long. Basically, for three-quarters of a year, your snow blower will be collecting dust in your shed or garage. This is why it’s important to find a model that’s easy to use and easy to store. The Toro is compact and lightweight (26 pounds) and features a detachable handle that you can hang to your garage wall.
Snow Joe Ultra SJ623E
The Snow Joe is a 30-pound unit that comes with a detachable handle and takes up very little floor space. Users have commended this unit for withstanding long periods in the shed and turning on with a single push of the electric starter.
Greenworks 2600502
The Greenworks features a foldable handle to help reduce the amount of space it takes in your garage. In addition, it’s a lightweight (30 pounds) unit take requires very little space when in storage. However, users have complained about its ability to restart after three-seasons hibernation.
Conclusion
Of the three models, it’s safe to say that they all take up little floor space, and their detachable or foldable handles further reduce the total area required for keeping them snug during the warm months. However, we like that Snow Joe’s customer base has taken the time to commend this snow blower for being able to operate after many months in the shed.
Toro vs Snow Joe Ultra vs Greenworks: Bottom Line
If you live in an area where snowfall doesn’t exceed a foot high regularly, then consider getting a single-stage snow blower. These devices are designed to swallow snow up to a foot high. However, single-stage snow blowers don’t work well on unpaved surfaces like grassy yards because of the short distance between the surface and the auger.
If you need a single-stage auger for clearing away your driveway or sidewalk, then we recommend getting the Toro 38381. It has an amazing 18-inch width capacity and can eat up snow up to a foot high. In addition, this unit throws your snow up to 30 feet away from your work area to keep it nice, clean, and ready for the next batch of snow after a blizzard. The Snow Joe SJ623E and the Greenworks 2600502 work well in the same conditions, though they have a smaller intake (18 x 10 inches and 16 x 6 inches, respectively).
Gas-Powered Snow Blower | Recommended
Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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