Snow Blower Equipment

Review by Donald L. Gault "Donald Gault" : Best snow clearing experience ever

I ordered the WORX snow thrower from Amazon last Friday afternoon -- arrived Tuesday with free shipping - amazing. Was easy to put together and I went out to clear ~5" of snow, including a 4' pile left by the plow at the end of our driveway. Had to break up the pile at the end a little bit - easy - and then the WORX cut right through it and easily deposited it over the 6-7'+ piles on either side of our Minnesota driveway. First time in my life I have been disappointed when my snow removal job was done. Is a small, quiet, incredibly powerful, well-built machine. Took about one pass to get used to the cord - be careful with that. I also own a battery powered WORX lawn mower (also purchased through Amazon) - just finished its second mowing season and has been perfect - I expect this new machine will be as well. Thanks to Amazon for the incredibly speedy, free shipping.

Review by Roger : So far so good.

Length:: 3:45 MinsI just came in from clearing my drive for the second time today. This little machine is aptly named cause it works. Time will tell if it holds up but it did a great job today. Plenty of power, easy to use and light weight. I hang it on the garage wall when I'm done. I have a short driveway so I went with an electric snow thrower. If you have a lot of area then you probably want something bigger and not have to hassle with a power cord. But for small jobs this is the one. It seems to be well designed and well built. I might try some of Worx other tools when I need to replace something. ----------------- 2-2-2011 OK. A little update with a video. We had somewhere between 15" and 19" of snow last night according to the local weather station so I was curious to see how this machine would handle it. I have to say I'm still impressed. I had some drifts that were twice as high as the machine, I took my time and it got the job done. I do not have a big driveway but I would still rather use the Worx than a shovel. It took just over an hour to clear everything out this morning. I've read some of the negative reviews. I don't know, maybe you were expecting too much, maybe you put it together wrong, maybe you got a bad one or.....well even a good tool is no better than the operator.

Review by RoJ : Worx Snowblower

For a small electric snowblower, the WORX WG650 18-Inch 13 Amp Electric Snow Thrower employs a large ejection opening, which greatly helps but does not totally prevent, clogging of slushy snow. It is light weight and throws snow an adequate distance. I have had experience with three other brands and this seems the best of the four.

Review by dsp debbie : WORX/WORKS

PURCHASED THE WORX WG650 18 INCH 13 AMP ELECTRIC SHOW BLOWER 12/31/10 THROUGH AMAZON FROM BRAND NEW ENGINES INC.IT ARRIVED 1/6/11 JUST BEFORE OUR 2ND SNOW FALL,ALTHOUGH THIS STORM WAS MUCH SMALLER THAN THE CHRISTMAS BLIZZARD.I WAS EXCITED TO USE IT..BUT LET ME TELL A SHORT STORY..PRIOR TO THE WORX PURCHASE,I ;PURCHASED THE TORO 1800/FYI IF ANYONE IS CONSIDERING THE 1800 D O N T..IT TOOK ALL BUT 5 SECONDS FOR THE 1800 TO STOP TURNING AND THROWING SNOW..PHEWSURE GLAD I PURCHASED IT FROM HOME DEPOT AND RETURNED IT THE NEXT DAY FOR A CASH REFUND.AND ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAD JUST RETURNED THEIR 1800.DONE WITH TORO.THE WORX WG650 WORKED LIKE I EXPECTED IT TOO.ALTHOUGH THE SNOW FALL WAS AROUND 4 INCHES OF SOME WHAT HEAVY SNOW..THE WORX TOOK IT IN STRIDE,WE MAY BE IN FOR ANOTHER STORM NEXT TU INTO WE AND IM ALREADY GETTING EXCITED AND CANT WAIT TO USE THE WG650 AGAIN..YES I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS UNIT..AND PLEASE PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM TORO..IT IS A PIECE OF - - - -..TX FOR READING MY REVIEW.I LIVE IN WESTERN NJ..

Review by Comdet : Snowblower comparison: Toro, Worx and Snow Joe

Bottom line: while the new Toro model (the one with the larger wheels) is better at moving snow, the Worx is no slouch and is a better value. Snow Joe just didn't cut it for me.I grew up in Western New York, so I'm not a stranger to having to deal with a lot of snow. But, while a big, hulking snowblower got a lot of use there, it's not something that really is worth the expense and storage space now that I live in Virginia. An electric seemed like a good idea, so I spent some time trying out differed models. For the winter of 08/09 I tried a Snow Joe. Liked the price and the specs on paper seemed pretty good. But performance was horrible. Rather, I should say performance was fine for the brief time it worked -- Joe lasted all of 30 minutes before dying from a cracked auger shaft. Impossible to get anyone at the company to provide me with info on a repair. Fortunately, it was bought with an American Express card and they stepped in and gave me my money back (they have a warranty/replacement type benefit). So long Joe.(As an aside, it seems Snow Joe has a new model out that is getting decent reviews. So no one should completely dismiss Joe from my bad experience).For this past winter I got the Worx mainly because of my positive past experience with their chain saw and blower/vac. A friend who lives several houses down got the new Toro model (the one with the bigger wheels). Being guys, we of course had to compete to see whose was the best. Mother Nature was kind enough to give us way too many opportunities to try them out.Both are pretty easy to put together, but the Toro has better instructions. On the other hand, I really like the cam bolts that the Worx uses. Takes a few minutes to figure them out, but if installed correctly they allow you to loosen and fold the handle for storage without any tools. Flipping the cam when the handle is extended ensures everything stays tight regardless of the amount of bouncing around it gets on the pavement. Both have grips that are comfortable and safety switches that can be used with gloves on. Both also deal with the rarely seen fluffy snow like a champ. But, what we normally get in VA is the wet, heavy stuff. That's a bit more challenging. I didn't notice any difference between the Toro and the Worx with snows of up to 6 inches. Once you pass the 6 inch level, the Toro started to have the edge - threw it further and didn't bog down as much. At the 10 inch level the Toro really pulled ahead. The Worx got the job done, but the Toro was faster, threw further, and never clogged. The Worx is rated for 9 inches max; the Toro is rated for 12 inches. Both can tackle deeper snows if you take it slow.But there are some key advantages to the Worx. It has a 13 amp motor versus a 15 amp in the Toro. While more is usually better, I ended up tripping the breaker twice with the Toro, since the only circuit I have outdoors is a 15 amp. The Worx is also more forgiving when it comes to an extension cord. A 12 gauge is best at the 100 foot length, but you can get by with a 14 gauge. With the Toro, you absolutely must have a 12 gauge that is rated for 15 amps. I found the Worx easier to fold and store than the Toro. Takes up less room as well.The Worx also has a metal auger that has rubber tips/scrapers. The Toro has an all-plastic auger. But, while the metal seems like it would last longer (the rubber tips are replaceable), the Toro design is more clog resistant. I had to spray the Worx with WD40 to keep the chute from clogging (and it still did clog on me once). Didn't have to do that with the Toro, and no clogs. Since it was the same amount of snow on the same driveway, I have to assume the difference is in the Toro design.The Worx wins out in terms of price. I happened to get it on a price dip, but even the usual Worx price is lower than the Toro. Toro wins out with regard to replacement parts. Sooner or later you'll need a new belt or a new bottom scraper due to wear and tear. Toro seems far easier to deal with than Worx to get parts - there are Toro dealers in my area, and I've seen Toro parts from online vendors (including Amazon). No one seems to carry Worx parts, so replacements will need to be ordered directly from the company, which can be tedious and expensive.So, if you absolutely want to get the most powerful, most capable electric snowblower, you'll want the Toro. But, the Worx offers a great blend of features at a lower cost, and the 13 amp motor is easier to deal with than the 15 amp on the Toro (unless you have a 20 amp outdoor circuit). Both are 5-star products, but I'm glad I went with the Worx.Now, if it never snowed again to the extent that I have to use the Worx, I'd be one very, very happy camper! PS: Regardless of which one you get, some tips that apply to both are:1. Get a cold-flexible extension cord (the blue ones). You'll appreciate how easier it is to maneuver when the temperature really dips down. 2. Make sure your extension cord is suitable for the amperage of the model you use. 12 gauge is always a good bet, but be sure it can carry 15 amps if you get the Toro.3. When you're done using the snowblower, bring the machine inside and let the trapped snow melt. Put down a couple of old towels and just let it defrost on its own. Once it has fully defrosted and dried out, put it back in the garage. The reason you want to do this is that water can get into the nooks and crannies, and then freeze if the snowblower is stored wet in an unheated garage. The frozen parts can put a huge strain on the belt and/or motor when you start it up again.4. Irish Coffee makes the job much more pleasant.