Customer reviews from snowjoe.com
Snow Joe - 96V 24in Dual Stage Cordless Brushless Electric Snow Blower (4 12Ah Batteries and 2 Chargers) - Black and Blue
Average customer rating
3.3
(28 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 28 reviews
5 Stars
9
4 Stars
4
3 Stars
7
2 Stars
2
1 Star
6
Customer Reviews for Snow Joe - 96V 24in Dual Stage Cordless Brushless Electric Snow Blower (4 12Ah Batteries and 2 Chargers) - Black and Blue
Customer Rating
4
Does the job
on February 28, 2021
Posted by: WebDev98
They get the job done. Overall happy with my Snow Joe but still skeptical about long term experience. In depth comments on video
(click to see the video)
Written by a customer while visiting snowjoe.com
Customer Rating
4
Great Power; A few flaws
on December 18, 2020
Posted by: Cory S
from Gorham, ME
I live in Maine and have owned the excellent 100V single stage since last year (It's really good). I also just sold a 26" Snapper 8226 two stage to replace with this. As such, I have four of the 5 Ah batteries. I have a 250' long horseshoe driveway with a 3 car wide approach to the garage. It totals about 3300 ft2 That gives an idea of what I'm facing.
I live in Maine and we just got our first big snow of the year, which was excellent to test this. We had a minimum of 14" everywhere with plenty of 25" drifts and 30+" at the end of the driveway, and an overall average of about 17" of light powder (so a lot, but it wasn't very heavy either).
The unit has excellent power and throws very far (I think their numbers are valid). I can't say for sure how it would do in heavier snow, but considering the volume it was taking in, I would suggest this was a pretty credible test (Plus, the plow piles at the end were denser and it did great). After all, it's fairly rare to get both significant depth AND density at the same time. I don't think anyone will miss a gas engine for power--> the torque of the motor feels endless and unstoppable compared to most engines. The quietness and lack of smelling like exhaust is WONDERFUL!
Handling wise, the unit is well weighted with enough balance to allow one to push the front end down without unloading the rear tires and losing traction. The handle is study and the chassis seems plenty rigid. Drive power was also very good, with no issues climbing a moderate hill. The chute controls work well enough...it's not as good as Toro's, but frankly, nobody's solution is (I assume they have that patented 100 different ways!).
One may wonder about battery life? Well, I gave my driveway dimensions before. With 4 batteries fully charged, I got about 95% of it cleared. I had one more down and back needed on the long part of the horseshoe (about 150 feet each way). That was averaging about 17" of snow the entire time. That also includes having totally cleared the end of both entrances on the initial 4 batteries. So I put two back on the chargers and gave them 3/4 charge and completed the down and back then redid the entire thing with the single stage to get it down to asphalt (on those same two, 3/4-charged batteries). In the future, I'll just put the batteries back on the charger while I continue on, so I'll probably not have to stop at all.
Downsides which resulted in 1 star off:
1) The attachment point for the clog removal tool is junk and breaks off immediately (I never use those tools anyway, so no biggie)
2) The return spring on the forward drive engagement is weak and it will basically stick on. This is a bit of a safety concern, so I may see about upgrading it.
3) The reverse engagement, via button, is useless beyond words. Whoever envisioned this solution should be immediately fired. Luckily the machine is light enough and gives no resistance to pulling backwards, so I just yank it back if needed. If you need powered reverse, I may as go as far as to say you should look elsewhere. It's really that ergonomically disastrous.
1) The attachment point for the clog removal tool is junk and breaks off immediately (I never use those tools anyway, so no biggie)
2) The return spring on the forward drive engagement is weak and it will basically stick on. This is a bit of a safety concern, so I may see about upgrading it.
3) The reverse engagement, via button, is useless beyond words. Whoever envisioned this solution should be immediately fired. Luckily the machine is light enough and gives no resistance to pulling backwards, so I just yank it back if needed. If you need powered reverse, I may as go as far as to say you should look elsewhere. It's really that ergonomically disastrous.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. I won't claim it's built as nicely as the premium U.S. machines, as clearly batteries still struggle with economics in such a high-drain application. However, I find it perfectly adequate for a state which is known for rough winters. For most people, I think the combo of the single stage and this will serve their needs very well. It certainly doesn't suffer from lack of power, the handling is good, and the quietness is so appreciated.
Written by a customer while visiting snowjoe.com
Customer Rating
3
Great Concept Still Need Some Adjustments
on February 18, 2021
Posted by: A Mil
from East Earl, PA
I found this to be about the right size for a driveway and decent quality two stage snowblower.
Now for the 4 ways that I believe they could vastly improve its quality.
1. I agree with the other reviewer that stated it seems like the system is backwards from a safety standpoint having that the auger lever when compressed does not allow you to release the drive lever to stop forward motion when you reach a difficult snow patch that needs a little more work
2. The design is also missing a key feature to turn off all electrical systems from a safety standpoint. You need to take both batteries out in order to ensure that someone doesn't accidentally bump the drive lever or out of curiosity engage the auger (children or adult) .
3. Having the ability to adjust the speed of the drive is great but having that functionality makes it clear to me that they should have allowed for a much slower drive speed at the slowest option. Only in perfect snow does the current slow drive speed work, which is a rare thing in Lancaster' county Pennsylvania.
4. This last item is the only non safety item. With only providing two batteries with the system and one charger as mentioned by another user it's quite frustrating that when the batteries are dead you can only charge one at the time and it takes about 1 1/2 hours to charge each battery. At minimum it would be nice to have 2 chargers with the initial purchase.
I am hoping that in some way it's gonna be possible for Snow Joe to make the first three improvements as they are serious safety issues and hopefully they can even provide upgrades for those of us with existing units I know it's asking a lot snow Joe I would hope safety is a concern because obviously reduces liability exposure to the company and I would be disappointed to see them fail as they have a great concept and product.
Written by a customer while visiting snowjoe.com
Customer Rating
3
So want to give it a great review
on December 26, 2021
Posted by: DanMNH
from Dover, NH
But it's not quite there. I'd give 3.5 starts if I could. This review is after three storms-all heavy but not super deep snow.
Drive throttle sticks down. Not sure if this is a feature or a fault, but if you slip and fall, the blower is just going to keep driving forward until it hits an immovable object, such as the curb on the other side of the road like it did with me. And even the slowest drive speed is too much sometimes. It seems to get faster and faster as you go, and then you have to unstick the throttle to stop, which makes a cracking sound that makes you sure you just broke something. If you're working close to cars or in tight spaces, the speed and throttle stickiness can be somewhere between annoying and dangerous. I don't have a good idea on how to make using reverse easier, but the button isn't it... maybe if it was on the throttle handle. The plastic holder for the little shovel snapped the first time I took the tool off (I had read reviews of this happening, so I thought I was being extra careful even). And of course, it would be great to be able to charge both batteries at the same time, but it is nice that it will run pretty decent with just one.
All that said, this thing is awesome at its core purpose. It throws snow a mile and chews through the slushy snowplow wake at the end of my driveway like it's powder. So quiet, you'll hear the engines of every other snow blower for miles around. Excited to use the batteries to recharge stuff and run lights while camping next summer. If you're worried about moving from gas, don't be.
Drive throttle sticks down. Not sure if this is a feature or a fault, but if you slip and fall, the blower is just going to keep driving forward until it hits an immovable object, such as the curb on the other side of the road like it did with me. And even the slowest drive speed is too much sometimes. It seems to get faster and faster as you go, and then you have to unstick the throttle to stop, which makes a cracking sound that makes you sure you just broke something. If you're working close to cars or in tight spaces, the speed and throttle stickiness can be somewhere between annoying and dangerous. I don't have a good idea on how to make using reverse easier, but the button isn't it... maybe if it was on the throttle handle. The plastic holder for the little shovel snapped the first time I took the tool off (I had read reviews of this happening, so I thought I was being extra careful even). And of course, it would be great to be able to charge both batteries at the same time, but it is nice that it will run pretty decent with just one.
All that said, this thing is awesome at its core purpose. It throws snow a mile and chews through the slushy snowplow wake at the end of my driveway like it's powder. So quiet, you'll hear the engines of every other snow blower for miles around. Excited to use the batteries to recharge stuff and run lights while camping next summer. If you're worried about moving from gas, don't be.
Written by a customer while visiting snowjoe.com