2010-03-18

Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025 Review


I live in Freehold, New Jersey and we just got hit with an uncharactistically strong snow storm for this area. (14-18 inches). I had just received my Toro Power Curve and used it for the first time.

Actually, the Power Curve is not built to handle this much snow but it did and did it well. The amount of snow that it throws and the speed that it throw it is incredible. It cleans right down to the asphault and tosses the snow over 20 feet.

In snow this deep I had to go slow and let it "digest" the snow in manageable batches. I would push the snowblower into a wall of snow taller than the machine itself, I would then let it toss some of the snow and after it did that I would pull it back to let the remaining snow collapse into a smaller pile. Then I would simply push the snowblower back into that pile and just keep repeating the process. Working that way I could not only get rid of accumulated snow and drifts but I could also dig out the mountains of snow left at the base of my driveway by the town snow plows. Truly amazing.

The only thing that I did not like about it is the set up. Putting the handles on the machine is difficult and user unfriendly due to poor design. You have to thread metal bolts through several holes that do not line up easily. If you buy this product you'll see what I mean. It can be done but it takes time and patience. Once that is finished however this is one heck of a machine. It is easy to use and it performs impressively. It is perfect for people living in states like Jersey where you need a snowblower but not one of those huge gas powered monsters.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025


One would have to get out early in the event of a storm and start cycling through every few hours. It's electric, no fuss until the power goes out. Then what? Lots of choices here, the reader will have to weigh out the factors which make this the better choice between gas or electric. A friend uses one of these and it does okay, another friend of mine, who lives in the snow belt, can only get by with an 11 hp gas, indicating that the 5hp gas couldn't handle the load. Well, if a 5hp gas can't handle the load in upstate NY, then this electric Toro would be hard pressed to prove otherwise. Check out consumer reports, and see what produces the most bang for the buck.

That said, it's light and would probably handle the light chore of snow removal in a small driveway/walkway situation. I used to live in a town house up in the D.C. area and this would have been the ticket, except I was younger and whipping out a $10 snow shovel of good quality was not a problem. Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

2010-03-17

Shop For Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025


This little guy is unbelievable. It's about 1/3 the weight of a comparable gas blower, and about twice as powerful. My gas blower broke down in the middle of Boston Blizzard '05. I ordered this snow thrower following the advice of another Amazon reviewer who used this for the same blizzard. Assembly involved simply putting in four screws--no more than 10 minutes total. I was able to clear out a path to my driveway in almost no time, knocking down five foot drifts. I even shaved down packed ice piles formed by the snow plow! The Toro not only broke down the heavy piles, it was powerful enough to throw the snow without getting clogged. That's even better than my old gas blower!

This was definitely a good investment. Best of all, there's no more fumes, no more buying gas, and no more worrying about the right mixture of oil. This is a great product.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

Where To Buy Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025


After our 17" snowfall last week I realized the only thing standing in between me and backbreaking manual labour was money. What mattered was how much ... Realizing if I spent $600+ for a gas powered monster, global warming would immediately kick in, preventing snowfall in the Northeast U.S. for the rest of my productive life, I decided it was my patriotic duty to buy a mechanized snow-removal device.

I knew the little electric snow shovels at Lowes and Home Depot would not cut it in 17". A little Amazonian research showed this puppy to be very highly rated. As I have a great deal of faith in the collective intelligence of such a large statistical universe of Internet users, I clicked and Amazon shipped. They had some kind of special and free shipping that brought this down to $275.00 to my door. Though I had done the lion's share of heavy lifting (enough to get my car out of the drive) I was a little less than neighborly in scraping a 9 inch-wide chunk of sidewalk (just enough to meet local regulations and avoid a fine.)

When this showed up on my door two days after ordering, I was pretty amazed. I have to give Amazon credit for price, delivery, and the swell bunch of folks who selflessly share their honest opinions. This benefits all consumers, so I feel compelled to contibute in kind.

This took about 10 minutes to put together (a couple of nuts and washers, and badda-bing !!)

You should know (and this is apparently a trend in appliances these days) you bring your own extension cord !!

Well, this kicked pretty good butt, tossing the hardened snow left on the sidewalk an easy 30 feet as advertised. I can see the cord handling is less than elegant, but that will be true with any non-gas thrower. Cleared an 18-in wide swath in about 2 minutes down to bare sidewalk.

The construction seems a little cheesy (expecially the wheels) but plastic is plastic, and for < $300 I'm not going to complain. The local crackheads here in Philly now are asking $100 to shovel a driveway, and THEY didn't even show up for this last snowfall.

If this lasts me three years (and I suspect it will) I'll be a head of the game.




Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

2010-03-16

Order Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025


I live in an area that gets 100" of snow a year and i have a 100'+ driveway that this handles very nicely. In heavy, wet snow, however, it does struggle. I have found in low temps from 20 degrees and below, the electric power cord will get very brittle, and I had to replace my $40 100' cords every year. This year I bought a Home Depot 100' cord with three portable outlets on a winder that has steel legs which I bolted to a heavy piece of wood to keep it stable and not dragging in the snow. I then purchased an 50' extension cord that is rated to be flexible to minus 50 degress. I keep all my cords in the house so that they stay flexible until I need them. I plug the flexible cord into the portable outlet and it give me 50' of freedom to move without having to lug a 100' cord. It also saves me money if I have to replace the cord, since I only have to buy a 50' extension, and not a 100' extension. Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

Purchase Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025


I just dug my way out of the biggest pile of snow I've seen in years. A couple weeks ago I purchased this great little snow thrower to help me clear the 4-6 inches of snow I usually get on my driveway. Well; the first time out of the barn I was faced with over a foot of snow! As I was opening the garage door, I couldn't help but think "I should have bought the bigger one!". My worries were gone after one minute....

This little monster drove into snow piles higher than the the blades and threw the snow over 10 feet!

This little snow blower lives up to its' TORO name. This is the best purchase I made all year. It saved me a lot of money and it saved my back!Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.

2010-03-15

Buy Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025


After years of frustration dealing with gas-powered models....engine troubles, starting troubles, rotor troubles, gas/oil mix troubles etc...., I finally decided to go electric with this small, inexpensive Toro. Consumer Reports rated in very high in a recent edition, so after some research, I bought it for $279 on the web. The first time I used it, I had second thoughts because the power cord can be a hassle...getting in the way, limiting your movement and distance. But after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th times using it, I have to give it a thumbs up. After you get used to the cord, you find that it's much easier to maneuver around it, or just flip it out of the way. And the machine just does the job. Starts every time and moves snow quickly and efficiently. From 3 inches of snow to a recent near 10 inches, this little thing did the job and did it well. My biggest complaint (aside from the cord, which isn't much of a problem now) is that it's not self-propelled. You will be pushing this thing all over. And it does tend to bump up against nearly every little crack in the driveway if you do as the manual suggests and push it with the wheels off the ground an inch or two. Over cracks, you need to let the front part of the unit ride naturally or even up off the ground ever so slightly. Well, since I've only had it for a few weeks, I can't be definitive with regards to any repairs that may become necessary. But at this point, as I see neighbors desperately trying to pull-start their units (like I did only a few days before this one arrived), or fill the tank with more gas, etc... I'm glad I made this purchase.Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.