Snow Blowers: Reviews

If your snow-clearing needs amount to cleaning off light snow from short sidewalks or a deck, the Toro Power Shovel will save you from bending to use a manual shovel. However, since it does not have wheels, you'll still… need to do the pushing. Despite initial skepticism, testers say the Toro Power Shovel actually works surprisingly well for its intended purpose.

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Although it's only appropriate for light snowfalls and short, flat driveways, the Toro Power Curve snow blower has wheels, so it's easier to push than a power shovel. The Power Curve has a movable chute and an 18-inch… clearing path. Reviews say the Toro 1800 Power Curve does a nice job, but definitely isn't built to handle ten inches of wet snow on a long driveway. You'll have to contend with a power cord, but you won't have to worry about the engine maintenance and fueling required with gas-powered snow blowers.

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Reviews say the Toro CCR is a solid option among single-stage, gas snow blowers. Single-stage blowers aren't as powerful as two-stage models, and they can't throw as far. However, they do weigh less and are suitable for… average, flat driveways and moderate winters with individual snowfalls of less than eight inches. This Toro snow blower has a 20-inch clearing path and is about the size of a lawnmower. Single-stage snow blowers such as this one aren't good for deep or heavy snow -- or for clearing loose surfaces like gravel. The Toro snow blower comes with a two-year warranty.

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Reviews say this Craftsman snow blower is good bet for clearing dense, compacted and/or deep snow. It has an easily adjustable chute deflector and power-driven wheels, which can disengage independently to assist in… turning. A four-cycle 250cc engine supports its 28-inch clearing path. The Craftsman snow blower is designed to handle long sloping driveways and snowfalls of over eight inches. Reviews say this model doesn't throw quite as far as the Toro Power Max 828 LXE (below), but for most people, that tradeoff will be worth the $600 cost savings. It comes with a two-year warranty.(check price at Sears)

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Features-wise, the Toro Power Max snow blower is virtually identical to the cheaper Craftsman 88999, but reviews say the Toro throws farther, which may be important if you have a wider driveway. Reviews say two-stage snow… blowers are best for hilly drives, since they have powered wheels. They are also the only option for gravel drives, since the auger doesn't touch the surface of the driveway. The Toro snow blower has a 28-inch clearing path and a two-year warranty.

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