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I don't like shoveling much, in fact getting a snowblower was a requirement for me to move from a moderate climate (SF Bay Area) to Iowa. After one and a half winters, I have found that this little snowblower is far faster and far less taxing on the back than shoveling, though it does not replace a gas powered snowblower.
The toro is great for the lighter powder snow when the temps are around 25 degrees or lower. It throws the snow probably around 10 feet or so off to the side. You can almost walk full speed if there is less than 2 or 3 inches of the powder snow with no ice underneath. It takes just a matter of minutes (10 or so) to clear my short drive and sidewalk. At 3 to 6 inches or so of powder things slow down, taking roughly 20-30 minutes to clear the area. The snow will fly around 5 feet depending on winds, and has a tendency to accumulate on my drive (2 car) from the first few passes so it gets thicker near the last few passes. Around 6 to 8 inches or so of powder snow you have to start taking narrower passes or take the snow off in multiple layers. Snow really accumulates on the drive and things slow down considerably. Around 10 to 12 inches of powder I would consider borrowing my neighbor's gas rig and clearing his drive too. This thing excels at clearing powder snow like what I have typically seen around this area.
Wet or heavy snow found when the temperatures are around the freezing point is a different story for the Toro. The throwing range is maybe a couple of feet at most and it has a tendency (an understatement) to clog. More than a couple of inches of this wet, heavy stuff is a pain to clear with this snowblower since it clogs every few feet. I will point out that shoveling this kind of snow will break your back and I would rather clear a clog than shovel cement, but it's annoying to say the least. This is the type of snow that everyone that has to clear it hates (except maybe for some high powered blowers or people in comfy snow plows): the Toro 1800 is no exception to that experience.
The Toro can chip through icy snow, packed snow or a thin ice layer (not smooth ice), though it's best if you can clear snow before it gets icy or packed since this is a slow process. In general it has more power than I expect in these situations.
Regarding the electric vs. gas debate: A couple of times I have finished clearing my drive while a neighbor has tried fruitlessly to start a stubborn gas blower. On the other hand, minding the cord and being tied to an electric outlet are mildly irritating at times. My neighbors have cleared my drive a time or two, though it's a little more difficult to return the favor. I have also seen the same small gas blower that was difficult to start cut through snow that challenged this guy. It's clear that most gas blowers are still in a different league compared this relatively powerful electric.
Overall, it generally meets my needs with a short 2 car driveway and sidewalk in central Iowa. It far beats shovelling snow. It is a great entry level snow blower. I would not want anything less. If there was a good moderate gas powered snowblower on sale for a hundred or maybe two hundred over the price of this one I would take it if I didn't already have this one. It's hard to justify spending much more with the small area I have to clear but I would prefer a little more flexibility that I think a small single stage gas snowblower would provide (I still like to drool over the large two-stagers...). I purchased this on Amazon in Sept. 05 based on the reviews and have not been disappointed since I expected the limitations I listed.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.
