Is a BATTERY SNOWBLOWER Worth It? Toro 60V Two Stage TEST
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- Опубликовано: 24 фев 2023
- Maybe a Hybrid Snowblower can get the job done? They say Battery Power equipment can't get the job done, well today I will find out by trying out Toro's 60V Lithium Ion Two Stage Battery Powered Snowblower in our New Hampshire snow.
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Toro provided this blower at no charge for the review. No scripts, payments or any other requirements were part of this video. The opinions are my own, buy it or don't that's up to you. 
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Thanks for watching - Please LIKE & SUBSCRIBE if the video was helpful - Check out some of favorite tools on Amazon www.amazon.com/shop/silvercymbal - Also should have included that each battery takes 2 hours to recharge but they include 2 charging stations to do both batteries at once.
For those considering electric: 71 year old guy, EGO SNT2400 owner here, my only electric snow blower experience. 250' gravel driveway on a hill. My second Maine winter with it, and I love it. I'd buy it again. Note: heavy, wet snow uses battery twice as fast as powder. Powder will easily do 12". Heavy, wet you need to do it no more than 8". Standard 7.5 ah will clear my driveway with a foot of powder. Heavy wet stuff requires 1 or even 2 charges with 8" or more . Positives: Seems well-built. No gasoline. No oil. No noise.Throws snow really far if needed. 5 year full warranty on blower. 3 on charger and batteries. Negatives: long term unknown. Expensive. Nearest authorized repair center is 100 miles away. I hope this helps someone decide. Thanks.
Thats awesome to hear. Yes this amzn.to/3ktesUC is a great one, you need batteries for that kit but I know people out there are loving thise too. I run a lot of big diesels and I totally agree, the noise level so so nice
@@SilverCymbal Has EGO reached out to you?
@@waltcorey5115 Not for their snowblower yet. I reviewed their Z6 zero turn last year, it was very impressive.
Idk if the warranty is that big of an advantage. If you buy a gasoline snowblower, it really should last "forever" or can be repaired cheaply.
@@SilverCymbal yes, I recall that episode! Consumer Report has a somewhat more favorable opinion of Ego 2 stage. Im not convinced they are still what they used to be. I do, however, trust you.
Nice review. I like Toro's approach of taking a proven snow blower design and simply replacing the gas engine with an electric motor and keeping everything else the same. Kudos to you for having the common sense to not shoot the snow high into the air only to have it rain back down on you - turning you into a snow man. So many snow blower reviewers think they have to point that spout as high as it will go and shoot snow into the sky. :-)
I like how you apologized to your ATV.
Great video, I bought a 48 volt Snow Joe, 3 years ago. We live in Southern Michigan and only have a 2 car driveway and walkway...no sidewalks so I thought switching to electric was a good idea. I've always hated smelling like exhaust after doing the snow. If it's light fluffy snow no problem, but with the wet heavy icy snow it struggles. We only get 20mins on our batteries, so I purchased another set for days when it takes more than 20 minutes. Honey is ready to get rid of it and go back to gas! It looks like Toro has figured it out! Thanks for sharing!
The chute joystick is pretty nice
The cost on this unit is actually quite reasonable. Tractor Supply is currently selling the 24-inch version for $1499. For comparison they sell the 24-inch gas powered version for $1199. A $300 difference for the battery powered version is not bad at all compared to what others are selling battery versions for.
Have you factored in the battery price and longevity? Apparently not.
@@rk22cc No. I was simply comparing the price to other large EV outdoor equipment like riding mowers, push mowers, etc. In many cases the EV version costs double what the ICE version costs.
@@rk22cc Have you factored in gas, oil and service costs of a gas powered unit? Apparently not.
These snowblower batteries also work in Toro’s walk-behind electric mowers, so there’s some economy to be had by adding one of those to your garage too.
@@kswas2784 Do you know how much a battery is. Most of these types of batteries last 2 years, especially in a winter heavy area. Also he did his driveway and had half left but if he had to push a foot of snow how long do you think it'll last? You can fill your 5 gallon tank and last the whole winter in his set up
I bought the EGO 2 stage for this winter and it was a game changer. My driveway fits about 6 cars and my sidewalk is about 50yards long. Our biggest snowfalls was 8" and it handled it without an issue. I can charge up the 2 batteries and do my property about 3.5 times before it needs a recharge. Also its very quiet and helps to not wake the neighbors when I get up early for work.
As someone who is very noise sensitive, this is very appealing. I got an electric mower several years ago and I love it. I need one of these too.
When they were on sale I purchased both the battery operated Toro Personal Pace recycler lawnmower as well as the 60v snowblower you just reviewed. By purchasing both units I have 3 batteries, two 7.5 ah and one 6 ah which should provide more than enough run time for snow blowing. After cutting both front and back lawns the 6 ah battery registers 2 lights on for 50% run time remaining. Both the lawnmower and snowblower are high quality very well made. The lawnmower is fabulous does an incredible job mulching and the personal pace self-propelled makes it very easy to use. After watching your video I am very confident the snowblower will perform as well as the lawnmower.
Excellent real-world demo, many thanks and I'm getting the very same model delivered today. Now let it snow!!
Ive had toro snowblowers my entire life. I recently just junked one that was from the early 2000's, it saw a lot of use and rust/wear and tear had got the best of it. Im impressed that toros have not lost any quality through the years, I have another one that is around ten years old and I expect it to last just another ten. As for these electric ones, Id expect that the mechanicals, including the electric motor, will last just as long as the gas, ones. however, you will likely go through a 1 or 2 sets of batteries as they degrade over time. Hopefully toro keeps the battery design the same and they can improve the chemistry so they last longer, eventually we will get to a point where battery degradation will be a negligible effect, if we aren't already close.
Another great demo. Best of luck in the new house .
Good review. I did not know Toro had this. I have a Toro 11hp gas powered. I love it. I have the electric shovel also. This may be my next toy to play with in the snow, 😍
I have an E26 and have been very pleased with it so far.
This is BAD ASS :)
We have used TORO for years and never knew that this was out there.
Gonna pickup one of these for sure :)
P.S. THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEW !!!!!
I have one of Toro's single stage 60VMax snow blowers which is enough for me at my home in NE Ohio. With the one 7.5AH battery and a few inches of snow, I can do my entire drive, apron, and sidewalks with it. When it's too heavy, I have my mower's 6.0AH battery as a backup. But I've used mine to tear through 2-3 ft drifts and it's ability to throw the snow 20-30 ft away makes clearing my drive so easy. This year has been mild in terms of snowfall, so I've not used it much and is the one reason I really haven't pulled the trigger for one of these 2-stage monsters. But I'm extremely satisfied with the performance and lack of maintenance my Toro blower needs. Now if I could just get Toro to pay me for every time I talk good things about them.
What a great video. Thanks a lot. I got a lot of electric garden tools from Toro. Also the smaller Toro electr. snowblower. All are doing great.
And I really enjoy not handling with gas and oil. But for heavy snow I still need may bigger snowblower with tracks instead of wheels. I really hope that Toro is going to build an electr. one with tracks too.
Thank you very much, its great to hear your real world feedback. I think they will continue to make more in this lineup.
For me the big question is recharge time. I'm interested in this for my mother in law that lives in buffalo. Her driveway is pretty small but the wind can cause huge drifts between the houses. So to keep up she would be going out frequently to avoid huge build ups. If the recharge time is too slow then the snow buildup could outpace the machine.
Yes its about 2 hours per battery, fortunately they give you two chargers so you can charge both of them at the same time.
@@SilverCymbal ok thats not too bad. For those in more extreme snow climates like buffalo it may still be worth having atleast 4 batteries so 2 could be charging while snowblowing with the other 2.
Battery outdoor equipment keeps gradually improving. However the fact that this uses Toro's smallest auger and impeller shows that it still has a ways to go, and this battery system probably won't be the one get to where I'd need it to be.
Great review! I have a 20-year-old Craftsman 29 inch snowblower. It still runs well, but I would definitely consider this if it needed replacing. I, too, was impressed with its performance in the heavier pack. I was also impressed with the use of metal versus plastic for some of the components like the chute.
Do you know what a battery costs?
@@rk22cclooks to be around $350 for just the battery.
If the battery lasts five years, I'll be honest, my time saved on maintenance alone would be well worth it lol.
@@belavet sure, if your not a hands on person, then great. Just don’t say you’re saving the world by using batteries. Saving a little noise pollution, but by the sound of the video not as much as I thought. Not everyone likes to do yard machine upkeep.
Below the chute you see it’s plastic, that’s the weak spot on my older Toro. If you’re sending ice chunks through it they slam into the underside and it eventually cracks, they have a revised part but it’s still plastic and $200, so I just patched mine up for now.
Nice to have trial outs, good content, thanks
Thank you very much
Good video. I have the same snowblower. It's best practice to charge up those batteries indoors where the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit to get optimum performance out of them. I don't recommend this snowblower for gravel surfaces but on concrete or asphalt, it's fine. This is as much or more snowblower than most folks need. The build is quality but I recommend getting a third battery so you tackle a bigger job. An engineer at Toro told me that the expected longevity of the snowblower itself is the same as a gas model; the only thing that will degrade and need to be replaced are the batteries, which should last 8-10 years. The motor itself and the mechanical parts, with proper maintenance, will last for many decades.
Want about the battery cost, check that one out first!
didu. conisder an EGO
i Got a Bolens since 2008 , regular seasonal maintenance , and proper end and season storage and whala.Who wants to spend buying batteries about every 7 years ?
That's the difference you are maintaining stuff. These have their place and they are a good fit for many people. I was very surprised how well this machine did, but yes batteries are always a concern
I really do love battery powered lawn equipment so much better then dealing with gas,oil,filters storage for winter so on and so on. The only issue is cost. I really wanted a battery powered riding mower but way to high.
Haven’t watched, but a great question. Batteries are inefficient in cold, but they provide torque and it’s usually a relatively short job.
I’m going to say “no” but can’t wait to find out! Another awesome question I’ve never considered.
Thank you for these helpful videos.
I charged them in my garage that was about 40 degrees but outside making this video it was 19 degrees F and they werre outside for about 4 hours. I didn't have any issues that I could see
Should charge indoors above 50 degrees f. If you put them right to work when outdoors they don't get cold so won't suffer reduced performance.
@@SilverCymbal I charge my batteries in a semi-heated garage at 58F. I've found that the batteries actually run warm when operating, and they have an air vent system to cool them. In very heavy, wet snow, the machine has shut down a couple of times - for a few minutes. I think they batteries got warm, and it shuts down until they cool off. So cold weather has been a non-issue down to 0F or so. Like all Lithium-Ion batteries, you do need to be above 32F to charge, however. Luckily we do not usually get snow in minus temps.
I'm in lower Michigan, and a 2-stage battery powered snowblower might not be worth it, but I bought one anyway... I'm sure my neighbors appreciate it more than I do, because of lower noise or maybe I've been doing their snow trying to test out the batteries. I have all Ryobi 40v yard equipment and power invertor, so I grabbed their 2 stage to make life easier for me. As long as I've been using the batteries, I'm sure I can't go back to gas and oil.
I bought a battery powered Snow Joe this year, couldn’t be happier. It does use more energy with heavy wet snow, and I don’t have the 6ah batteries yet instead I have the 4ah ones. Had to charge the batteries in between but that’s a small price to pay I think.
Even though I live in Puerto Rico 🌴 now during the winters, as a former New Yorker I'm still odly drawn to your Torro video...🥶
I appreciate that, thank you
Good video. 71 year old former engineer here. I have had one of the 60 volt 26” Li battery Toro’s for over a year now. I’ll comment on its performance below. 2 years ago, I purchased the 60 volt Li, 21” single stage Toro snowblower and the 60 volt Li Toro Power Shovel. I was impressed enough with the performance of those two to buy the 2 stage 26” 60 volt Li model the following year. The performance of the 21” and the Power Shovel has been excellent in all conditions and types of snow. (I live in Wisconsin) I have a 225’+ blacktop driveway on an extremely steep hill, and the 21” and Power Shovel get right down to the surface. The performance of the two stage, 26” Li model has been mixed. In cold snow conditions (25 F and below), it does well. I have three batteries for it, and in the cold conditions I can usually complete the entire driveway and parking spots with the 3 batteries. At 26-30 F the two stage is iffy, I usually cannot do the entire driveway due to the extra weight of the snow, but it still blows the snow pretty far. At near freezing and above, the 26” two stage is a no-go, especially on the hill. The impeller exit into the chute continually clogs with snow, to the point where it is difficult if not impossible to clear with the supplied tool. I switch to the 21” single stage in these conditions, it is slow going without the self-propelled drive but it does the job and moves the snow adequately.
Toro has announced a new single stage 60 volt Li 21” with self-propelled drive. This may well be the answer for a single machine that does it all.
I think 90% of the time this would work for me. My concern is that 10% where we get wet heavy snow that when the plow goes by I have a 3’ to 4’ wall at the end of the driveway. That same snow occasionally causes power outages. I’ll get 1 shot at clearing my driveway and then will be out of power. That same snow is when I really need to clear my driveway. A gas snowblower takes care of my needs 100% of the time.
did u get one
Which did you pick?
I’ve had this since it was released. Have three 7.5Ah batteries and it’s great for early clean ups while kids sleep. Tractor once it’s deep and wet. Unfortunately, it’s been a weak winter so far.
That's great to hear your real life experience. I think many people will appreciate this as these are still new to many.
purchased and used this winter. 3 batts. 6 inches of light snow works fine. 6 inches of wet snow is a problem. 10 inches of snow - good luck. does not have the power of my last gas snow blower. batts kept in house. lubed in side of chute etc. would not buy if I knew.
Thanks for the first look. Are you going to ceramic-coat the intake and chute?
Nice review mate
Thanks 👍
I have the EGO two stage and it is awesome. Tons of power and no maintenance. I pull it out of the shed after sitting all summer, pop in two batteries, and it goes.
That's great to hear, I have an Ego trimmer I have tried last summer and its really good as well as their riding mower last year which was also a lot of fun. Its great to see these companies all stepping up there game.
@@SilverCymbal I was so satisfied with the snow blower I bought the lawn mower, then the leaf blower, then the LED utility light. I have never been disappointed with an EGO power tool.
LOL! I got a 100' driveway - good luck.
Thank you!
Interesting they choose to model the battery housing of an Electric Snowblower to look like a old V8 ICE engine😂😎
I have the gas version of Toro and I love it
I used Toro's E26 electric snowblower this past winter - which has been a doozy. We normal get about 80" of snowfall per winter, but have had over 140" so far, as of mid-March. I cleared my driveway and walkways over 30 times so far, which adds up to 2,500 SF each time. The E26 never missed a beat. I did buy the 3rd battery and have a 3rd charger (from another Toro V60 device). I typically use between 60% and 80% of three batteries per session. Twice during a very big storm with heavy, wet snow, I ran down to 0% just as I finished. It takes 3 hrs and 15 min to charge the batteries from zero to 100%. (I charge in a garage heated to 58F.) The machine works great, and it is a blessing to not have to keep a lot of gasoline around - or run out to buy more gas during a multi-day storm. Because it is quiet, you can also run early in the morning or late at night without disturbing your neighbors. The E26 chute does clog with wet slushy snow, but that's pretty normal. Overall, I much prefer it to the gas snow blower I'd used for decades before. As far as the long term, the Lithium-ion batteries are rated for 800 cycles, and I found that my e-bike battery (same battery chemistry) ran for 700 cycles before it lost about 10% of the capacity. So I expect the Toro batteries will last about 10 years with proper care.
How many cars does your drive way fit, how did it handle the 12-20 inch snows or the big snow plow windrows [those piles at the bottom of your driveway dumped by the city plow]
@@hernandayolearyallda Our driveway holds about 8 parked cars. Plus, I blow the pull out for the mailbox - so USPS, UPS, and FedEx can pull their trucks off the road to make deliveries. I could blow snow up to about 8" deep or so, and had to run the blower more than once on days getting heavy dumps of snow. I was able to chew through the berm left by the city's street plow just fine. We ended up with 184" of accumulated snow fall last winter and I blew the driveway out 34 times.
@@tedbellWRV what happened if it was more than 8 inches? Was your 3rd battery 6.0 or the 7.5 ampage?
@@hernandayolearyallda I'm using three 7.5 Ah batteries. I felt that the E26 handled 8" of dry snow just fine, but any deeper and it would slow down and maybe not throw the snow as far. Under normal conditions (8" or less of dry snow), it might throw snow 20 to 30 feet, but that can reduce to maybe 10 or 15 feet if the snow is wet or especially deep.
I would like to see manufacturers make battery chargers that have a storage charge mode that charges batteries optimally for storage. As it is not ideal for battery longevity to keep charged at 100%. Maybe even have an app to then trigger charger to fully charge batteries when you expect to need it.
Weather and winter snow is so unpredictable, you may go weeks without plowable snow.
There is still maintenance. Sure, no engine maintenance like having to deal with gas or oil changes, but you have to maintain the augers, the chains,, belts, the drive system, cables, etc...like you would any snow blower. You should also maintain the body of the blower as well to protect it from rusting.
It was a very tough decision. At first i wanted that electric Toro. But my garage is small and Toro only sell the 26 inches in my area., The 24 can't be found anywhere local. The salesman told me it is because the 24 doesn't come with open differential, that means if you nee to turn you have to do it the old fashion way by removing the pin on one of the wheel and put it back to lock both wheels. Note, there is an upgrade kit to add open differential but most dealers i called don't have the kits nor the time to install that for you.. beside they don't have the 24 inch electric toro, so i was left with the 26 inches which has open differential. The second issue was that i comes with two 7.5ah battery where the Ego stn 2416 comes with two 10ah battery. Also Toro battery is still new compared to Ego. Not many reviews and i believe the toro battery is 3 years warranty (not sure could be 5). To be honest its not enough. My car has an 8 years warranty on the battery, If Toro could make the 24 available with open differential and 10ah battery.. i would gladly get that. But not 26.. that is just too big to fit my 1 car garage. Honestly even a 24 is too big but i can still manage it, Another concern i had is that this blower is an hybrid,, that means it has belt, drum and everything found in a typical old school snowblower. I had an old ariens and i had to change belts and adjust them out from time to time.. but each time it was costing me money just to have them transported and fixed. I believe the Ego is true electric and not hybrid like the toro.. again i might be wrong.. so if the Ego fail, you can just buy the snowblower as a bare tool without the battery. . It may come cheaper that have it repaired. Anyway i went for the Ego stn 2416. But only because it was a 24 inch with open turn . Otherwise i woulda take the Toro
This is probably fine for most people in light snow, but I used one of these in Lake Tahoe recently, and it is pretty bad. It stalls constantly in a steep driveway with heavy snow. The batteries barely last long enough to do the driveway, which fits 6 cars. Like I said, for most people, it's probably fine, but not in areas with super heavy snowfall.
I suspect the longevity of this thing will be great. Everything forward of the transfer case is likely already well proven in Toro's history of high build quality and durability. If it's truly comparable to a Toro gas powered snowblower with the engine swapped for a brushless motor, I don't foresee any issues. That said, all battery packs have a limited lifespan and number of useful charge cycles. The batteries may be expensive to replace, but that ought to be the only real drivetrain maintenance required thorugh it's service life. With a gas powered model, you'd be investing incremental money and time on gas, oil changes, etc.
Two batteries cost over $700 to replace. How many people are going to do that, versus sending it to the landfill and buying the latest and greatest? Meanwhile the gas versions of this will not come close to $700 in maintenance over that time and will last for 20+ years. That's my main hangup. And is it really more convenient to bring the batteries indoors to charge every time you use it? I like how quiet it is, but I only spend about 30 minutes per year on maintenance for each small gas engine I own. Not a big deal.
@@phillundberg7242 Technology improves and costs decrease. By the time it's relevant to this unit (by the time it would need new batteries), like-for-like replacements will not be anywhere near $700, unless they're way higher energy density than the originals which may well make them worth it. The idea isn't that the batteries are part and parcel of the device; they are a separate piece of a larger system. My mower takes two expensive 40v batteries, but that's out of a fairly small pool of batteries I use to power a whole host of outdoor equipment on the same platform. When the time comes, I'm not replacing a snowblower battery, I'm replacing am everything battery. Is it any more or less convenient to shuffle batteries in and out when I'm using equipment? I don't know... Do your gas cans carry themselves to and from the gas station, garage/shed, and yard?
@@marcberm I've heard the "battery costs will come down" argument for decades now. Hasn't happened. I'm also not a fan of being locked into a proprietary ecosystem. Toro should be fairly stable, but many of these companies won't be around when it's time to replace the batteries, or they may simply not offer them anymore as they move on to the next iteration.
@@phillundberg7242 The batteries are good for 700 to 800 cycles, when they will be down to 80% capacity. Our gas Ariens was a money-pit for maintenance after the first few years. Plus a big gas blower is a pain to haul to a shop for service, or you pay for them to pick-up/drop-off.
@@tedbellWRV The gas version of this blower only weighs 5 pounds more. Add a third battery and it will weigh less. My Ariens is on its 22nd season with one new friction disk and one new set of belts, so I can't complain about that.
At least this Toro can be serviced. With EGO and most other electrics, unless you happen to have a regional service center near you, it's going to shipped off for 4-6 weeks. And when the warranty runs out, good luck.
I have a Ryobi electric lawn mower and it really bogs down when the grass is nice and thick. Sometimes I can't cut the entire yard on a charge. I see they claim they can do 30 spaces in 12" deep snow on a charge. What kind of snow? How will the charge do with a foot of heavy wet snow like we get in Massachusetts? You mentioned it was light. Does that effect how close to the pavement you can get? My Ariens is heavy and it digs in and stays really low in the front.
Just got one of these and it's in my garage. Does the machine have to be engaged in order for it to turn? I was trying to move it around the garage and ended up having to lift it one end at a time. Does it have to be running in order to turn and roll properly?
I got this exact same model last fall. It hadn’t really been tested until this past weekend where we got 12-15” of wet heavy snow.
The blower itself performed great! No issues throwing the snow plenty far. The only downside is that after an hour of hard running the batteries were dead and I had to recharge them. And I was using 3 batteries! (I have an Toro electric lawnmower too that uses the same battery.)
It took 2.5 hours to recharge the batteries, & I finished up in 30 min.
If the snow wasn’t so wet & heavy I’m convinced I’d have finished in 1 hour.
Am I happy with this over the 2 stage Ariens gas snowblower I replaced? Yes!
A couple hints:
1. Run it in ECO mode as much as possible
2. Charge & store the batteries inside.
Question, how many suvs can your driveway hold [how big is it]. And do you 3- 7.5 or 2 7.5s and a 6.0?
Almost pulled the trigger today, after this video I’m certain. This over the igo
Battery tech is getting better. The question will be since Honda is essentially done with power equipment (almost). What brand will take up the mantle? It’s sad that they won’t make mowers anymore like the HRX, if only they adopted the battery tech in the states!
Now isn't that the question! I was such a Honda fan and it feels like they have abandoned the US. I need to make a video since they sell battery powerstations, tools, mowers. But all overseas, I hope they will wake up and realize they are missing it all here. For now, Toro stuff has been good, I like Makita products as well. Milwaukee I am still not sure about.
@@SilverCymbal I agree. My dad has the first Honda mower, the HR21. I do feel abandoned as well! I’m a big fan of Ridgid, as they have lifetime warranties including batteries. It’s all rebranded Australian called AEG. They just started to have power equipment this year in hand helps and mowers I think will follow next year. Time will tell
I had an issue with my old snow blower as it wouldn't start. I truly think the carburetor needed to be replaced. I had a local shop some pick it up and give me a quote to fix what needed to be fixed. There quote came back at a ridiculous price with parts I knew were still in working condition (like the starter, it turned over just fine, it wouldn't stay running). Anyway, given the age of my old one, I looked to upgrade, I went with this same toro model, minus the heated grips. It has been garbage since day one. Ok that is being harsh. It comes with "eco mode" which uses less of the batteries. My driveway is far less them 30 cars (and that's 30 cars on "eco mode). I would say 16-18 tops. I always get through 3/4 of the driveway before the batteries crap out. I have used the snow blower 6 total times. 1 time last year at the end of the season and 5 times this year so far, including tonight. But every time I am done (when the batteries are done) the batteries won't charge. You put them on the charger and red light or blinking red light. I have to wait 3-5 hours of occasionally putting the batteries on the charger to finally get them to start charging. At one point 1 battery would no longer charge. I had the battery replaced by the shop where I bought the machine. But now with the new battery, same thing. This has been a continuing problem. I will be taking both batteries & charger to the shop this week for a test. It is ridiculous to think that a battery would have such bad issues just trying to charge. Oh, in case you are asking, I run the snow blower on eco mode. If I ran the machine at full power, I'm sure I would only get 1/2 my driveway done, if I was even that lucky. Overall, the machine itself works as advertised. The batteries, not so much. If you want reliability stick to gas power. I like it, I don't love it and if I had a do-over, it would be gas power for me.
Sorry to hear about the troubles. I just used this machine again tonight and have still been impressed. BUT I did encounter the battery trouble you mentioned but I know what happened. This may not be your issue, but it was defiunitely mine. You must charge the batteries in 40 degrees or above, basically inside the house. An unheated garage is too cold. Once I realized this and brought them in 30 minutes later they charged fine. You can use the batteries down to -5F but charging them is different. They have a low temp sensor that stops them for charging Maybe this is whats happening to you. I hope this helps.
Probably will wind up lasting a long time and perhaps only need Battery replacement to keep it going years down the road. The issue I’m hearing with all the batteries (cars snowblowers etc.) is it costs more to make. Actually they are mining precious lands to get the materials needed to make the batteries so in the long run the traditional Gas model would prevail.
I think so and Toro mowers and tools use the same battery so if someone likes the brand they can get a lot of use out of the battery system.
@@SilverCymbal OPE like this definitely makes more sense if you can leverage the batteries in other equipment. Toro sells the E26 bare tool for significantly less money.
I have had mine for a year and the only real issue I have is that I often get compacted snow that becomes rock hard ice built up behind the impeller (the bit that spins and shoots the snow up the chute). Once that builds up enough the machine starts making awful noises and loses power. If I can find a good way to prevent that, it would be pretty much perfect for me.
Silicone or lithium grease spray keeps the snow from sticking inside. At least that’s what I do on my gas Toro.
I’d be all over this if Toro made a 30” walk behind mower using the same batteries. I have the 30” Timemaster gas mower and love it because it saves me so much time compared to a 22” mower. So far it seems the electric mowers are narrow width or full ride on and much bigger which I don’t need.
YES! I 100% agree. that would be amazing. You may have seen my old video: ruclips.net/video/Nd8J1iwqpzE/видео.html I loved that mower so much but a battery version would be amazing, I hope they do that!
@@SilverCymbal yes i had forgotten you had done a video on the 30”. I bought that mower in 2015, and swear that it takes me less than half the time as my neighbors to mow the lawn. Fingers crossed that they make an electric version
Not sure where in NH you live, but let's see an update after you get a foot of fresh powder dumped this weekend. Maybe you can show us exactly how much runtime you get on those two batteries.
Does anyone know whether Toro has a battery recycling program established for when the batteries need turned in at their end-of-life? Is Toro actually monitoring whether any of the battery material is reclaimed and reused? Do they have a plan for that? Is Toro paying for any of the end-of-life costs when it's time to dispose of the battery? Does Toro even know what type of foreign labor is used for the materials extraction?
I dont know about the labor stuff, but I checked online and it looks like they tell you to use: www.call2recycle.org/ for the battery disposal. I think its free
I'm not sure why I'm watching this, I live in Florida 🤣
Snow is very nice from afar!
I wonder if you could eventually buy their 60v engine/platform? It looks as if it's molded and configured to fit in the exact footprint of a regular 4 stroke engine model. Anyone from Minnesota have one of these? We just had 16" of snow and I'm curious if anyone had one of these 60v machines - if it could handle that (and the wet snow earlier this year) then I'd be a potential buyer. Toro HQ is nearby hopefully they're testing them or have their employees using them - if I could run this to do my drive and the elderly neighbors driveway without a full re-charge that would be pretty awesome.
Did you have any information on a 10% - 80% charge (something real world if you ran out?) And any information on how the batteries would hold up with below 0 temps here?
I purchased one of these this fall(2022) and live near their HQ also. I'm 61 and I have used it to make paths for the mail carrier only, have a service do the driveway and I clear out the fire hydrant. It has handled both the wet stuff early this year and the 12" of powder last week. With a driveway added on, I would need another one or two batteries. If you have any questions, please ask.
Very interesting. I would definitely take a look at the Toro when I need a new snowblower. I have a Troy built snowblower with a joy stick which I have a love hate relationship with. How well does that really work?
I’ve had mine for a year and the joystick is very intuitive. It’s one of my favorite things about it.
Picked up this same model in early December....it did take a few minutes to get used to the joystick coming from a compact Ariens with traditional chute aim....my only complaint is cant throw the snow low enough, it can't be aimed down far enough...I can easily get 30+ minutes of runtime on both included 6amp batteries while running it in Eco mode, which is more than enough power 90% of the time.
Often when you are out to clear snow, electricity can be spotty at best. So while the tech is quite intriguing... I'll stick with burning dinosaurs. As far as how long they'll last, that too is a question in my mind. Still, a good video.
I see Toro went with the 'Dewalt math' for their batteries. At first glance, the price of their packs seems pretty good. The '60v' 4AH Toro battery is equivalent to the M18 HO 12AH, and about $75 cheaper. But, looking at their marketing pictures, it looks like they're using the 18650 cells (2000 mAh), not the bigger, better 21700 cells many HO packs use now. That's probably why it's cheaper.
This snow blower would be great if you were or planned to invest in the Toro battery ecosystem with mower/chainsaw/blower/wacker/etc. I'm already deep in M18 land, so it wouldn't make much sense for me to have battery packs that were only used for part of the year in one tool.
Would be nice to know if the motors are brushless which usually mean more efficient, more powerfully and a lot more durable which would mean great longevity in typical Toro fashion.
Good point, yes the motor is brushless so thats good news
Lets see that again in heavy wet snow
I have the single stage version and can't imagine going back to gas now.
Thats great to hear. When people see these videos I think its hard to believe they work as well as they do but these are really capable. I am still using the cordless powershovel from my video a couple of years ago. Works awesome for small spaces.
Agreed! We have the same one and it's been put through its paces this winter with a good 8" of heavy wet snow. I will say my one odd complaint about the smaller one is that its almost too light and the wheels tend to cake up with heavy wet snow from time to time. Other than that I love it and the batteries are great to swap with the mower in the summer.
The single stage is fantastic for blowing powder but it's still a workout to blow wet, heavy or ice crusted, wet snow because it isn't self-propelled. Regardless, it's still less effort than manual shoveling! Another plus is the relative light weight. I'm able to carry the blower down the entrance staircase to the front sidewalk!
I would piggyback on your concerns about battery longevity. Unless we know how many recharge cycles those batteries can take before they refuse to take a charge (the fate of ALL BATTERIES, NO EXCEPTIONS), then we have no way to know if this electric machine can last the "40 years of a gas Toro" as you mentioned. You're definitely on the bleeding edge if you make such an investment in such a large electric machine.
What are your thoughts on this vs the your tracked gas unit? I’m in the market for a new snow blower for next season. I’m thinking about going up in size to a larger tracked unit but electrics only come with wheels.
If you have all dirt or gravel or very steep sloped. The track units are amazing. The capabilities of this machine were very good but for big spaces, tough conditions tracks are really nice
@@SilverCymbal thanks for your feedback. I prefer to have the extra capability on hand for those once in 10yr (or once everyfew years now) mega storms so maybe I’ll keep looking at the track units. Do you have experience with honda snow blowers? I know you use a lot of Honda equipment but I don’t recall seeing a Honda snow blower in your arsenal.
Just not for very cold areas or for blowing entrance snow tossed by city plow trucks. And perhaps not ideal for wet snow either. These machines are mostly for light snow removal. Yes, it's powerful but the heavier it works the faster it drains. Keep all batteries INDOOR
Heated grips so spoiled 🙂 One thing I question is how many years are the batteries good for ? Seems to be plenty powerful enough 👍
The issue with any sort of battery powered device is the longevity and cost of the batteries. Most of them perform well enough when brand new, but the batteries die out quickly after a couple years…and the cost of replacing those batteries is usually prohibitive.
So….how many years do the batteries last? What’s the dollar cost to replace them? The planet destroying process to manufacture them? Please remember to bring this up on your electric equipment reviews.
how does it compare to EGO
Can you make a t-shirt that says, "Sorry, Kuboda." or whatever it is you said?
Way better than that snowjoe plastic one that has been around for a few years. I worked at a store that sold them and one broke just demonstrating it to a customer. The whole thing was plastic except the auger and frame. Absolutely garbage. This looks better
OMG that is a scary story! I have been using this all week even after the video and its a really solid machine. The steel stuff is top notch and the battery power seems excellent.
@@SilverCymbal is the chute steel as well?
@@DanielKezar Yes, the cute and top portion too.
@@SilverCymbal that's something I'd actually consider as a serious tool. The SnowJoe brand is like a kids toy. You could snap parts off with your bare hands.
I have lawnmower trimmer and blower how in where do you store the batteries this is my 1st yr
If you are not using your batteries over the winter, I will store mine with 50% capacity inside. The charger also goes inaide
@LL-mt2nz thanx that's what I thought
Love my ego two stage
❤
Since Ford is recommending to their F150 Lightning customers to not use the heater, I wonder how much the Toro's heated hand grips cut down on runtime.
Wow I didn't know that about the Ford! Crazy. I wish Toyota would make an electric Tacoma, seems like it would become a best seller quick. The heated grips don't use much power, I believe its 20 watts but yes technically they do take some runtime away, good point!
This thing looks to perform better than My ariens. Too bad the ariens is only about five years old.
Bought this for my small back deck in the Eastern Sierra. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxoHYZbq5g9fkcAtinlTqstNlje-UQkCHN We get A LOT of HEAVY snow so I was a bit skeptical but it was worth it! After the first storm of the year this has exceeded expectations! It throws snow very well, even 10-12” + that said the more it piles up the harder it is to maneuver the machine. It is exceptionally light weight and overall exactly what I was looking for. If you have a large amount of snow and a lot of area to clear, you may consider something with a drive engine to help maneuverability, but for decks, second stories, roofs etc, you can’t beat the light weight to great snow throwing ratio. Side note, the chute rotator is a bit flimsy and it initially didn’t seem to work, after a few uses it seems to have loosened up.
Toro does have a nice design but zero maintenance is not true. Batteries still need charged and your locked in on what ever you buy. True not sure how long it will last is always the case on every brand we buy. Have not sold me yet on battery styles at 350.00 a battery when the first two dies .
I wonder how these batteries hold up to extreme cold. I’ll tell you this im not blowing snow in a light jacket with no hat on in south dakota.
I wondered the same thing. For the video & testing I was outside for about 3 hours. The temp was 19F and there were no battery temp issues that I experienced. Most lithium ion batteries can be used down to 0 but must be charged above 32-40.
@@SilverCymbal we got 14 inches of snow this week and have to blow snow when it was -5 with a -25 below wind chill. My theory is gas for now Electric eventually. Plus SD isnt into over regulating and going all electric before the product is ready and the grid handle it
I've used these batteries in 0 F and below temps with no problems.
@@frito_bandito_ good to know. I snowblow my property and 2 others in mu neighborhood. I can take up to 2 hours. Would the batteries last?
Come back in 5-10 years. Then consider if the batteries still work and what the motor is still like. The longevity is the biggest factor to me
It is 100% a cost of this product to consider, and only you can decide what 10 years of no gas, no fumes, near silence and almost no maintenance is worth. But for many they are trending to these. Even with my big diesel tractor can appreciate a lot about these things and if you watch my lawn videos I love battery trimmers and edgers.
I drive a Prius and have solar panels, but I think you have to be crazy to buy this knowing the batteries are $250 a piece. That's about $500 every 3 years in new batteries?
You should compare it to an EGO!
I would like to do that in the future also. Great suggestion
$350 battery each replacement.. Damn!.... and how do we know if these batteries will be around like in 2 to 10 years down the road??? atleast my gas blower still around for another 10 to 20 years.. LOL
This makes sense if someone is using their other tools or is just adverse to engines. My parents for example are nothing like me at all, they can barely plug in a toaster. They would buy this. There are a lot of people that can't deal with an engine but can't run a machine.
Tow stage?
2:30 That poor Kubota, get a Tempo so something
As far a longevity, Electric is by FAR the winner here - because there are so few moving parts.
If you get nothing but light powder sure, if you get really wet heavy dense snow, then absolutely not
You might think that and people laughed when I made this video: ruclips.net/video/8qWX_6MZsMg/видео.html but that Powershovel made the trip with me toNH and works on everything. They have a lot of torque
Just a toy for the over 10 feet of wet heavy snow we get each year in upstate NY.
No snow in Mass???
Not in Eastern Mass, so little for the past 6 years.
Toro trying its best to play catch up with Ego...
How
I have a Kobalt battery lawnmower and the battery is bad…. $200… really? Not sure want to replace it at that price.
The batteries for the Toro snowblower in the video is $360 USD and that’s today… February 2024. And they’ll probably last 8-10 years. My Ariens gas snowblower most likely will last 20 years ….. and it runs for hours……………….
That thing is double the price of my electric Ego. Unless you get feet of snow regularly it’s not worth it. Just get the Ego.
I think you might be mixing up the single stage ego and this one. Ego makes some nice stuff, for sure, but this the equivalent Ego model: amzn.to/3Y35DyD that includes batteries
So much electric hate in these comments… like we get it, gas has a proven track record, But geez let things play out before you immediately complain using the same old stale “batteries run out hur durr” & how expensive they are as if gas isn’t becoming prohibitively expensive already. They’ve each got what they’re good at
It reminds me a lot of when I show my Wago connectors. Those that have used them love them but if you haven't the belief is that they are inferior. The best way is to try these machines, they are a far departure from the old Black & Decker 12v weed wackers that ran for 10 minutes.
@@SilverCymbal As an EE, i've used Wago connectors for years with no issues.
Got smashed in shipping. Wonder how much product gets ruined every day by people who don't give a shit?
That one was really sad since it was an early prototype. But sometimes I am better off waiting for a real one like this. Sony years ago sent me a prototype that was garbage, but the final product was amazing so early reviews can be inaccurate.
NO
The only good thing about a battery operated blower is if you are a miserable person you have an easy argument to refuse to do a neighbors driveway
Second! Lol
you'll take my ariens out of my cold dead hands.
Ariens is like a cult now, people love those.
I had a 32" 11HP Ariens for 22+ years. I finally sold it because it was a bit too much to handle weight-wise on my long steep asphalt driveway (I'm 71 now). I've missed it, but the electrics work out well.