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New Snow Blower - went electric because . . . reasons. Login/Join 
Why don’t you fix your little
problem and light this candle
Picture of redstone
posted
That is how my daughter says something when it is a somewhat complex answer.

I have a nice Craftsman snowblower, but something is wrong with the carb, sonic cleaning etc. have not helped. New part is still on order.

Now I dont leave gas in them and run them dry, my weedeater (Stihl) and my blower (husqavarna) are great. But I have had the worst luck with these 8 hp and up carbs. I am told they just need to be run . . . weekly. Otherwise they will crap up their carb.

A few weeks ago the girls and I tried to shovel the drive etc. It was prone to ice and both my wife and I fell pretty hard.

Lowes, Home Depot etc all are sold out of snow blowers and with the 8" we are getting this weekend I was worried about another icy driveway. (its sloped down and up about 150ft.)

So today I picked up a eGo two stage 56v. Lowes did not have them listed on the website, but there they were, three of them. So one of them followed me home.

The polar bears are sniffing it out, getting to know the new member of the family:

20220114_162031 by redstone71, on Flickr

And the business end.

20220114_162129 by redstone71, on Flickr

We will see this Sunday if this 56v electric business can get the job done.



This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it. -Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Joshua Painter Played by Senator Fred Thompson
 
Posts: 3570 | Location: Central Virginia | Registered: November 06, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
I will be curious to see your report.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47363 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fool for the City
Picture of MRMATT
posted Hide Post
I have the ego mower and chain saw, which gives me two 56v batteries and two chargers. I dropped hint after hint about getting the ego snowblower. Instead, for Christmas, my wife got me a SnoJoe. It's only 40v and 21" wide and not self-propelled, but it worked OK on the last 3 inch snowfall we just had.


_____________________________
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." George Washington.
 
Posts: 5291 | Location: Pottstown, PA | Registered: April 26, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of lastmanstanding
posted Hide Post
I used to have the same problem with my small engine equipment. Snowblower, lawn mower weed whip etc. I switched everything over to 91 octane non ethanol fuel. Problem gone. Those little carbs and jets don't like that gummy varnish in the ethanol gas. I just make sure the tanks are topped off at the end of the season.


"Fixed fortifications are monuments to mans stupidity" - George S. Patton
 
Posts: 8504 | Location: Minnesota | Registered: June 17, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
The SnowJoe is advertised quite a bit up here. They make an electric shovel, too. I dont know anyone who has one.


End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
 
Posts: 15998 | Location: Marquette MI | Registered: July 08, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
I needed to get a cordless leaf blower for a couple of storage lockers for work. Expensed the same eGO brand..wow, super powerful, very impressed. Can't tell you about how long the battery will last but, so far after a few uses, it's still going strong.
 
Posts: 14554 | Location: Wine Country | Registered: September 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of sigcrazy7
posted Hide Post
I'm loving the new electric tools, but I'm a little worried about snowblowers. It takes so much energy to lift and throw snow, I'm not sure I'd get much done with a battery powered unit.

Two weeks ago we had an eight inch snow. I blew snow for five hours straight and used around 1.2 gallons of gasoline (12hp, 33" blower). Much of the real work was busting out the berm that the state plows across the end of the driveway. 1.2 gallons of gas has 40 kWh of energy. Being very generous, I'm going to assume only 10% thermal efficiency, so I figure I used at least four kWh of energy actually moving snow. An Ego 56v 5ah battery is .28 kWh. Assuming 100% efficiency (which it's not), I'd need eight fully charged batteries to do the work of my 1.2 gallons of gasoline, at 10% efficiency. In reality, I'd probably need more. Or at least I'd be swapping batteries onto chargers very regularly.

I'm not knocking it, I'd love to have it, but I'm eagerly awaiting the field report.



Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
 
Posts: 8196 | Location: Utah | Registered: December 18, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
posted Hide Post
Very interesting, an after action report is a must!

If it works anything like my Kobalt weed wacker, it will have impressive power for a good 10-15 minutes but will then need a fresh battery.


 
Posts: 33582 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of sourdough44
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Compared to Hancock, MI, I think your requirements are somewhat light. Should be just fine.
 
Posts: 6129 | Location: WI | Registered: February 29, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Green grass and
high tides
Picture of old rugged cross
posted Hide Post
Hmmm, wonder where it is made. You guys need to get a grip.

I am guessing those of you buying this crap just glaze right over things like Para's recent thread Roll Eyes



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
 
Posts: 19104 | Registered: September 21, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Why don’t you fix your little
problem and light this candle
Picture of redstone
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Hmmm, wonder where it is made. You guys need to get a grip.

I am guessing those of you buying this crap just glaze right over things like Para's recent thread Roll Eyes


I didn't glaze over it. but f' it. Even my beautiful John Deere mower, where did the carb come from? The one I paid $300 for? Yeah, John Frick em hard Deere bought it from China. Good luck finding the carb for my Craftsman snowblower that IS made here. Yeah. What frick me hell am I supposed to tell my wife as I picked her up off the damn driveway . . sorry baby, cant do China.

So I bought the ONLY snowblower in the frick me region that is for sale. I would GLADLY pay for a one made in the good OL USA, but where is it? where?

Yeah I am pissed, but watching my wife nearly break her hip at 50. F my politics, I have stuff to do.



This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it. -Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Joshua Painter Played by Senator Fred Thompson
 
Posts: 3570 | Location: Central Virginia | Registered: November 06, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Why don’t you fix your little
problem and light this candle
Picture of redstone
posted Hide Post
Oh, I do use 92 octane non ethanol gas in it. When I tore the stupid snowblower apart and took the carb to get it repaired, all they could do was sonic clean it and it still is gummed shut.

Either they are not really pumping non ethanol gas (the mechanic hinted at this) or the carb is just bad after sitting since last season.

No he doesnt have a kit to fix it. no one has a replacement carb I can get here (It is on order.)
But hey, lets not let righteousness slow us the frick down.



This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it. -Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Joshua Painter Played by Senator Fred Thompson
 
Posts: 3570 | Location: Central Virginia | Registered: November 06, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Green grass and
high tides
Picture of old rugged cross
posted Hide Post
Well redstone. I am sorry about your dilemma. As the man on the castle it is your job to find solutions. Of which there are some. But do as you must. Run down and spend your money on this chicom crap. That is a choice and not a solution. And I am not just talking about your little dilemma.

I understand it is damned near impossible to not buy their stuff. I just had to buy some led shop lights that were of course made in china. So i share your frustration. I am certainly not proud of it.



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
 
Posts: 19104 | Registered: September 21, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Why don’t you fix your little
problem and light this candle
Picture of redstone
posted Hide Post
I have put my Crafstman snowblower away every season the exact same way since I bought it in 2015. Every season it comes out of storage, and fires right up.

Two weeks ago, I got it out and it is now dead.

So maybe back in October I should have known this, Tried to find the magic USA made carb that would fit it. But nope, so yeah, you can righteously challenge my manliness, fine.

But I wont let politix games cause my wife to fall again, trying to help me shovel the drive. F that. so I am doing all that I can.



This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it. -Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Joshua Painter Played by Senator Fred Thompson
 
Posts: 3570 | Location: Central Virginia | Registered: November 06, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Krazeehorse
posted Hide Post
John 8:7


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Be careful what you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.
 
Posts: 5680 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 27, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
I bought an Ego lawnmower last summer and have been very pleased with it. I was thinking about getting the snowblower so I will be happy to see your review.


"Momma say's the pistol is the Devil's right hand."
 
Posts: 694 | Location: Ontario | Registered: December 06, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Banned
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The last snowfall was very dry and cold, I broke out my blower and it worked ok.


18V Ryobi LEAF blower. Later that day I saw a fireman using a backpack version to clear the driveway in front of the station.

It was just the front around the doorway, if its wet no way it could do the job. Then I resort to manual labor, me and a snow shovel. A short blade pusher, not the heart attack model.

We've got up to three inches of wet forecast today, I will try the blower again but know I will have to resort to the shovel. Annually we get 18 inches +/- but it rarely lasts more than 48 hours. It's not why I installed a ratchet locker in the truck this week, it's the slope in my side yard on wet grass in the spring that defeats the old F150. No longer.
 
Posts: 613 | Registered: December 14, 2021Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Hmmm, wonder where it is made. You guys need to get a grip.

I am guessing those of you buying this crap just glaze right over things like Para's recent thread Roll Eyes


Good lord man, give it a rest! Your going to wear out that soap box real quick.


As to the subject in hand.

How big of a driveway are you clearing? I use to have a plug in electric snow blower and it was impressive. I guess the battery will all depend on how much snow its going to be throwing.


 
Posts: 5405 | Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA | Registered: February 27, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
Picture of ensigmatic
posted Hide Post
It'll be interesting to see how redstone's new snow thrower works out.

My suspicion is it'll work fine for light-to-medium snowfalls of light-to-medium snow densities. I suspect it'll struggle with heavy snowfalls and/or heavier snow.

Those are the ones for which one really needs a snow thrower.

A 150 ft. long driveway on a grade? Maybe in Central VA one would get away with a lighter-duty thrower, but I wouldn't want anything less than the Toro SnowMaster I bought a couple years ago.

But, as I wrote: I'll withhold judgement until redstone reports back. Battery technology has come a long way in recent years. Perhaps I'll be surprised?



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 25999 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of PGT
posted Hide Post
I have a corded SnowJoe...works fine in lighter stuff up to about 6-7" max. We don't get big snow often but if I go out more than a few times, I can keep up with it. It's got a rubber impeller so it's also useful on the deck to clear a path for the pups
 
Posts: 3062 | Registered: December 21, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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