Anyone here ever use a 'corded' snow blower, that you plug into an outlet?

[Siwsan]

I have to replace my ancient snowblower so I'm checking around. I had no idea there was such a thing as a plug in snow blower! I do have very conveniently located outlets in my light posts, but wonder how powerful they are, compared to the kind that use fuel.

Thanks for any input, in advance!

[PoliticAverse]

1. I would say power wise it's gasoline first then corded then cordless.

But corded tends to be more reliable, less maintenance and quieter than gas.

Make sure you have a decent extension cord if you get a corded blower (minimum 14 gauge, better 12 gauge, even better 10 gauge).

[Siwsan]

2. I always had trouble starting the old one

Several times I gave up and grabbed a shovel. And when the snow gets TOO deep, my neighbor always comes over with his gigantic snow blower, to help.

I do have several very long extension cords. and the outlets are on both sides of the driveway, about half way up, so that's convenient.

Thanks!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I had one. They are fine for snow removal if you don't have to get rid of

large amounts of snow or very heavy snow. If you want to clear a few inches off a sidewalk or a relatively short driveway these will work well. They are much lighter to carry around than the gasoline-powered ones and they aren't as noisy. They don't have as much power, though, and you have to watch out that you don't get the cord tangled in it. So it depends on what you have to deal with.

[Docreed2003]

4. When we lived in RI

I nearly bought a “corded” snow blower but was discouraged by several of our “native friends” because they tend not to be as effective as gas powered blowers. Now I don’t know if that’s BS or not, but we had an extremely long driveway there and the corded, while less expensive, wouldn’t have been practical. Sadly, I punked out our second winter there and paid our lawn guy to plow our driveway when it snowed...it was a huge quality of life improvement for me and worth the money that year because RI saw more snow than it had in modern history that year. We didn’t see the grass from about Jan 20th to mid-April!

[JDC]

5. GreenWorks makes a cordless unit. Cant attest to the power

Or quality, but my neighbor has a cordless lawn mower and loves it.

[rurallib]

6. I have a greenworks cordless

We haven't had a lot of snow the last couple years - got it 2 years ago - so haven't really tested it.
Largest was @ 6 inches and it was a drier snow. Zipped right through it. I have a corner lot so lots of walks.
It can't do the heavy crap the city plows into the driveway.

Used to have a heavy gas machine. It was a workout starting it and a workout pushing it. When things went well it did a great job. That was about half the time.

I like the cordless, but honestly it is not for heavy duty work.

I thought about a corded blower, but the thought of dragging a live electric wire through frozen water kind of scares me.

[PoliticAverse]

7. "dragging a live electric wire through frozen water kind of scares me." - Understandable. That's why

if you do use a corded snowblower you must make sure it is only plugged into a working GFCI protected outlet.

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFCI

[rurallib]

8. even at that it scares me. Almost like you are tempting fate.

[onethatcares]

13. has he ever tried to

cut the snow with it?

Being in Floriduh, I wonder about such things.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. If you get one with the bag attachment, you can collect it for sno-cones.

Of course, being in Florida, you would make sno-cones with rum, not flavored syrups.

And, of course, being in Florida, you would need a riding snow-blower, so you can get to the beer store in winter.

[onethatcares]

15. I can tell by your replies

you are a very wise and learned man/woman/person.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. It comes from years of reading about "Florida Man", ...

... and by close observation of a near relative named "Michigan Man". The only difference between them is that Michigan Man tends to hibernate half the year.

[onethatcares]

17. i hate to inform you, but

Michigan Man shows up here in Floriduh that 6 months of the year that he is not there.

He is one and the same person.

[pintobean]

9. Extension cords lose much of their flexibility in the cold.

Seems like dragging a stiff cord through the snow would be a pain in the ass.

[Siwsan]

10. Great point!

I think I'm going to go with a fuel powered, 'electric start' option.

[PoliticAverse]

11. That's a good point - there are cords that are designed to remain flexible in cold weather. n/t

[Massacure]

18. I think it would depend on where you lived.

Granted I've never used a a snowblower. I live in a condo that takes care of snow removal and growing up I refused to let my dad teach me how to use (a gas) one because of how deafening loud the thing was.

From the little bit of looking I just did online though, it appears electric snowblowers are quite a bit cheaper than gas ones. I also couldn't find any that their manufacturer rated for more than 6 inches of depth and 700 lbs/minute of weight. To put that into perspective, the the gas ones I looked at were rated for 12-18 inches of depth and 1800-2400 lbs/minute of weight, single stage models being at the lower end and two stage models being toward the higher end.

[Siwsan]

22. Snow depth is a definite consideration

Fortunately, if the snow starts piling up during the day, I can go out and do a couple of clearings. When I was still working, I'd actually go out twice to shovel, in the middle of the night, during heavy snow, to keep the driveway clear enough for me to get out. Now that isn't an issue, but the up side to a plug in is they are quieter, so I could go out at night and do a clearing, if necessary.

The gas one I have now is on the smaller, lighter weight side. I don't think I could handle one of those big ones. Which is why I am also considering just purchasing the plow attachment for my lawn tractor.

[Kali]

19. seems like a job for a local neighborhood teenager

do they make those anymore?

[OxQQme]

20. Siwsan, if you go with gas powered

DO NOT use gas with ethanol!

Find a source for ethanol free gas.
E-gas causes crud to form in the entire fuel system.
It's number one reason for starting problems if allowed to sit un-used during the 'off' season.
I had been a small engine mechanic for many years.
Gummed up fuel systems was our most common repair to seasonally used equipment.

Google search:
https://www.pure-gas.org/
https://shop.briggsandstratton.com/us/en/canned-fuel
https://www.homedepot.com/p/VP-Small-Engine-Fuel-4-Cycle-94-Octane-Ethanol-Free-8-Pack-6208/203528942

[Siwsan]

21. Great information!

I always emptied the gas tank before I stored it. Some times it started right up, but if it was too cold - damn.

I am almost at the point of just buying a plow blade for my lawn tractor. It would make snow clearing a breeze, even if we get hit by a big snowstorm.