Toro recently sent a nice little gift to the Dadand HQ for review, the Toro® 1500 Power Curve® Electric Snowblower. The problem is it hasn’t been very snowy this winter. But as I’m sure you’ve heard, up in the northeast we were just hit with SNOMAGEDDON, SNOWPOCALYPSE, or whatever the sensationalist weather people call it when there will be snow.
OH YEAH, they called the storm “Nemo”. Oh, and when did we start naming blizzards? Did northerners complain that hurricanes were getting too much coverage with their fancy named storms? The only blizzard I remember being close to having a name was the Blizzard of ’77. It was so big they made a board game out of it. Not a great board game, but a board game nonetheless. (Image courtesy of http://aboardgameaday.blogspot.com/)
But I digress.
The Dadand test.
I’m sure at the Toro labs they put their snowblower through stress tests and in the videos on their site they show a nice woman clearing some snow off of her porch and driveway, but I wanted to give it the SNOWPOCALYPSE TEST. I figured I’d run it ’til it broke or burned up or exploded.
We got about 18 inches of snow in our driveway and on our deck. It consisted of about 13 inches of heavy-ish snow and another 6-inches or so of fluffy snow. I decided to do the whole driveway, our neighbor’s driveway, the sidewalk, the deck, and a path around the backyard (because I got a little crazy).
I don’t have a ruler stuck in the snow to show how deep the snow was, but I do have this image of the path I carved through our backyard showing the depth compared to an actual 6-year old girl.
How did it do?
At first I was a little skeptical of an electric snowblower. I was worried that dragging a cord around would be, well, a drag, but it really didn’t bother me that much. I never even really came close to running it over. There were really only two issues I had, and neither were the snowblower’s fault.
- My crappy, super-old extension cord kept coming unplugged despite the CORD-LOCK system. And that was because the female end of my cord is really loose from being plugged/unplugged a jillion times over the years. Of course that was an easy fix with some Gorilla Tape.
- The snow was SO deep that if I turned a corner and dragged the cord into deep snow I couldn’t do the crack-the-whip cord moving technique we all know and love because the cord would burrow into the snow.
I spent a good 2 hours ragging on the thing and the Toro handled everything I threw at it like a champ. I actually found myself giggling sometimes at the crap I was putting it through. I felt bad about it because while I am supposed to be reviewing it, I really didn’t want to break the thing in case my dad wanted it or something. No matter, it passed my test with flying colors.
Pros
- The snowblower is super lightweight and easy to maneuver.
- It was pretty quiet.
- Simple to start/stop
Cons
- I did get it to bog down a couple times but that was because I was JAMMING it through 18 inches of snow deeper than the snowblower itself and I’m pretty sure if you have 18 inches of heavy snow you should be using a more “robust” snowblower.
- I kept wishing the directional control handle was a little longer so i didn’t have to lean so far to turn the chute.
Here’s a little video proof.
In a nutshell, the info on the Toro looks like this:
- 15in (38.1 cm) Clearing Width
- Up to 25ft (7.62 m) Throw Distance
- Easy to use controls make for easy operation with either hand
- Powerful 12 Amp motor moves deeper snow easily
In a giant nutshell, the Toro information stolen directly from their site, the Toro looks like this:
Features:
Power Curve® System
This innovative technology, with curved rotor and inverted funnel housing, moves more snow in less time and virtually eliminates clogging.
Ergonomic Handle
Full-bail ergonomic handle offers intuitive operation with either hand.
Directional Control Handle
Direction control handle doubles as a handle to easily transport the unit from patios, decks, and stairs.
Maintenance Free
Maintenance free: no gas, no oil – just press and go.
Zip Deflector
Change the direction and lock in the angle to throw snow where you want.
QWIK KEY™ Starting
Quick style start button that doubles as a key.
Large 6” (15.2 cm) Wheels
Large 6-inch wheels increase maneuverability.
2-Year Full Warranty
This product is covered by a two-year full warranty. See your dealer for warranty details.
Specifications
| Capacity per Minute | Up to 500 lbs / 318 kg* |
|---|---|
| Clearing Width | 15in (38.1 cm) |
| Directional Control | Adjustable Chute (160 degrees) |
| Double Insulated | Yes |
| Drive System | Poly-V Belt |
| Motor Amps | 12.0 Amp |
| Motor Type | Series-Wound |
| Rotor Style | 1 Piece, 2-Blade, Curved Rotor |
| Safety Key Lock | Yes – Qwik-Key™ |
| Throw Distance | Up to 25 ft / 7.62 m* |
| Tires | 6in x 1.5in (15 cm x 4 cm) |
| UL Listed | Yes |
| Warranty | 2-Year Full Coverage** |
| Weight | 25 lbs. / 11.3 kg |
| Disclaimer | *Capacity and throw distance will vary with conditions. **See your dealer for warranty details. |
I’ll tell ya, I was pretty impressed with this snowblower. It can certainly handle a good amount of snow. I’ll definitely keep it around for days I don’t feel like shoveling. Of course it’s not meant for huge jobs, there are bigger snowblowers for your 300 foot long driveway, but in a pinch this could be a big help.
Model tested: Toro® 1500 Power Curve® Electric Snowblower (38371)
MSRP: $219.99
Buy one at a local store, OR click the Amazon link below so we get Amazon affiliate money, like maybe 3 cents. Thank you.
Buy a Toro on Amazon.
Learn more on the Toro website.
