The positive reviews are right on the mark.
I have a single stage gas 2-cycle snowblower and got sick and tired of starting and running problems. Gas engines really aren't suited to sitting unused for 3/4 of the year and started for the first time on a really cold morning.
The gas blower can clear 21" at a time vs. the toro's 18" but would bog down and stall (even when it was running fine) so I ended up clearing only half that width at a pass. With this electric I can do the full 18".
I tested it on the 1.5 foot of snow that fell late last week. I cleared half of my larger than average driveway with the gas blower and got the rest with the electric a few days later. The two are designed the same: single stage with directional chute. Both threw the snow the same distance but the electric toro did a better job of going right down to the pavement. I cleared snow in compacted drifts that were nearly 2 feet deep in spots. Where the gas blower would be on the verge of (and sometimes past) stalling the electric displayed more torque, slowing down a bit but showing no signs of quitting.
The end of the drive was piled high from the plow and the slush had frozen into solid blocks of ice. I was concerned they would break the plastic impeller. Both blowers had a hard time breaking through the ice crusted shell in that high pile so I broke it up with a shovel and tried clearing it with the gas blower because it has a metal and rubber impeller. It did about 8 feet and stopped running inexplicably and wouldn't start again (yes, it had gas).
I used the toro electric and it cleared the broken up snow and ice easily. It rattled and got flung around when throwing the big hard chunks of ice but after inspecting the impeller I didn't find a scratch on it.
It doesn't need gas and oil to be mixed, doesn't produce an acrid cloud of gas and blue oil smoke like 2-cycle gas blowers do, and doesn't need a struggle to prime, start, adjust the choke, etc.
Everybody has complained about the wheels but they work fine for me. Under normal use they're hovering 2 inches off the ground anyway. Also, tightening the chute nuts needs a good set of pliers to grab the round head of the carriage bolt since the square hole in the plastic can't keep the bolt from turning when snugging down the nut. Doing that gets it nice and tight, and only has to be done once during assembly, but this is a design flaw, Toro are you listening?.
I found that managing the cord wasn't a hardship like it can be with an electric lawn mower mostly because the lawn has trees and shrubs for the cord to get stuck around (which is why I don't have an electric mower). In contrast, the driveway and walks are typically open space.
I used a 100 foot 16 gauge outdoor cord and it's fine. Whatever voltage drop there is isn't noticeable and the wire stays cold to the touch. Don't bother with thicker 14 or 12 gauge wire; it'll just be heavier and stiffer. I ran it on a 15A circuit that also powered the outside lights and the breaker never tripped, but the lights dimmed a bit when hitting really deep snow.
In summary, it works great. It's small and looks a bit like a toy but it's more capable than a gas unit twice its size/bulk. There's a feeling of freedom in not having the nagging worry that it might not start or run reliably, or run out of gas or 2-cycle oil.
It's also lightweight, clean and quiet (sounds like a muffled vacuum cleaner).
I liked it so much I bought a second one for a friend so he doesn't have to put up with his gas blower anymore either.
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Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.
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