For a number of years I had a standard Briggs and Stratton dual stage snowblower. I’d store and mix the gas, pull the cord or use the electric start and replace the silence of the falling snow with the roar of a gas engine.

Then various problems would occur. The thing would stall out at the end of my long driveway so I’d crank away at the rip cord only to have it break. Then I’d lug the heavy machine back to the garage for an electric start. Later some bad gas or perhaps a bad mix of oil and gas clogged the carburetor. We moved to New Hampshire and I took the machine into a repair shop. For $90 they stuck a new carburetor on. Next season, it still didn’t work well. At this point it was rusty, cantankerous and a general pain the butt.

I ended up basically giving it away and ordering a single stage, corded, electric snowblower. This worked fine as long as I got outside in the middle of the storm every four inches or so to make sure the snow didn’t pile up too much. It was quiet, light and did the job. Although the cord was a pain in the butt. Since this, I’ve gone electric with all my tools – chainsaw, lawn mower, trimmers.

My electric tool collection:

Best thing about electric is you push the button and it is on. No gas storage or mixing. No noise. No fumes.

Now a Serious Battery Powered Snow Blower

iON8024, the revolutionary next-generation 24-inch self-propelled dual-stage cordless snow blower from SNOW JOE.

iON8024’s groundbreaking, rechargeable 80-Volt power plant and powerful 2500 W brushless motor has what it takes to weather winter’s worst, featuring two interchangeable EcoSharp 40 V batteries to deliver up to 30 minutes (5.0 Ah) | 40 minutes (6.0 Ah) of GAS-FREE and CORD-FREE no-fade performance, with zero carbon emissions for cleaner air.

iON8024 starts instantly with a simple push of the illuminated display, to put the legendary power of iON at your fingertips for unparalleled snow-shredding performance, courtesy of its cutting-edge 4-speed digital drive system (3-speed & XPORT). And iON’s integrated illuminated battery indicators mean you’ll never be left in the dark when it comes to having the information you need close at hand.

Equipped with a 2-stage heavy-duty serrated steel auger and powerful impeller, iON8024 plows through up to 1000 pounds of snow per minute, clearing a path 24-inches wide by 13-inches deep in a single pass. Ergonomic trigger grips provide optimum comfort and reduce stress from squeezing, and the integrated scraper bar at the base of the unit lets you clear right to the ground without damaging your deck or pavement.

 

 

 

 

Other exclusive iON8024 features include a 180° thumb-switch auto-rotate chute to direct the snow stream up to 32 feet away, dual integrated 3 W LED headlamps to light the way for safe nighttime clearing, and wide, knobby rubber TracAssist tires for maximum traction in the most challenging winter weather conditions.

Here are the advantages  and disadvantages of the battery powered snowblower as I see it:

Advantages over gas snowblower

• Instant start
• Lighter
• No fumes
• No gas and oil to store and mix
• Easier to transport in a car because there is no gas
• Digital controls
• Local power – don’t need to drive to the gas station to get more fuel.

Disadvantages over gas snowblower

• Power outage could cramp one’s use.  Might have to head to the neighbor’s generator to recharge.
• 40 – 50 minutes of usage on a single set of batteries.