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Completely happy with this little gem!
FIRST - Have reasonable and rational expectations. If you think this will do as well with a heavy snowfall as a larger, more expensive machine then think again. That's why it only costs around $300. Don't buy an ELECTRIC, CORDED tool and then complain about the power cord. Plan on having to do some management of the cord - it's not difficult. Read the specs - it says it has a rubber auger. Don't buy it and then complain about the "plastic" auger. If you live in a heavy, frequent snow area you're probably going to want something with more power. With that said I am totally happy with what this machine does. I have a heavier, tracked machine that won't be denied when going through the wall at the end of the driveway. I wouldn't even try it with this one with that big of a snowfall but it worked well with something more moderate.
Assembly was a snap. Anyone that has difficulty with assembling this should probably buy everything pre-assembled. One reviewer complained about not having enough hands to put the "tight fitting" handle together. Put the front of the unit against a wall (not an inside the house wall!) and PUSH. When I did this it slipped in very easily and I actually had to pull back a little to line up the holes. It took a small degree of caution to make sure the electrical cord inside one side of the handle didn't get nicked, but definitely nothing more than a tiny bit of attention. It took a little attention to the instructions to get the sequence of nuts, bolts and washers correct on the chute, but nothing more than pretty much following the instructions. It took about 20 minutes in all to get it together, which included removing end plates to check the tightness of the drive system mentioned in other reviews. Mine was rock solid tight.
I paid attention to the specs for the power cord and got one that stayed flexible. I followed the instructions with attaching the cord to the little loop on the handle and then plugged it in. The cord never came unplugged - amazing how that works when you follow the instructions!
My first use was a few weeks ago with a very light snowfall that would probably have been fine with a shovel. I zipped up and down the driveway so fast I could have been running. No problems. My second use was today with somewhere between 2 and 3 inches of what came down as a very light, powdery snow. It was a sunny day and the temp had gone above freezing so it had all compacted and started to get snowball-packable slushy. This machine did a very nice job and met my reasonable expectations. I zipped up and down the driveway, moving the (dreaded) power cord as necessary, and finished the whole driveway very quickly. Very light and maneuverable and it didn't hesitate at any point. It threw the snow far enough to get it off of the driveway - no, it doesn't throw it as far as my heavier, tracked machine, but I didn't expect it to.
So far I am impressed and would buy it again. This little motor puts out a lot of torque and I don't think I'd hesitate to get out in a 6-8 inch snowfall with it. If you get lots of deep, heavy, wet snow get something with more beef. As I have mentioned I have a heavier, tracked machine. My small-sized wife doesn't like to tangle with it unless she has no other choice. She pretty much just waits for me to get home to get out the bigger beast. She is actually looking forward to trying this one out if it we get one of the more moderate snows while I am at work.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.
