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

I had a Toro 2 cycle single-stage snow thrower for many years. It would work only on alternate years, i.e., only when the gasline was cleaned by a pro! This despite using gas stabilizer. I finally put it on the recycle pile at the dump, for someone else to play with.

This one is perfect. I don't have to fuss with mixing oil & gas, and doubt that the "start-next-year" thing will be an issue. It's fairly light weight...I bought it to spare my back from shoveling curved walkways. It seems to do them just fine. I had a 10" snowfall which sat there for several days, through some melting & refreezing, but this little goodee did its job in a snap. The biggest fuss was getting the long extension cord set up, and getting the handle pieces together...a bit of a tight fit (I guess this is ok in the long run). And you can't just muscle it together with brut strength, 'cause you wouldn't want to damage the wiring which goes through the handle!

I find 2 problems: Like a lot of other reviewers, the long cord is a real pain. A 75' cord would be a nice compromise: 100' seems too long (& heavy), and 50' is not enough.

The 2nd problem is the material: pretty much all plastic except the handles. One wonders how many winters this will survive. They do include diagrams showing how to change various parts, but will the cost (unknown) of replacing parts be worth it? I guess the plastic construction is why it's such a light-weight, about 30 lbs. Still a little too heavy for regular lifting; I'm keeping it where I can just roll it out when needed.

I would advise anyone using this though, to plug it into either a hard-wired GFCI or get a portable GFCI to plug into a normal outlet. The GFCI will keep you from getting electrocuted, should this thing short out, or the cord get chopped as you find it & yourself in wet snowdust! Gotta watch that cord.

I'd recommend it even for a small person who can't or doesn't want to shovel, can't deal with a super-size 2-stage thrower, OR as a supplement to a 2-stage thrower for sidewalks and smaller areas. At 30 lbs., it's still not something to be lifted on a regular basis...on the other hand, 30 lbs. rolling around the ground for 10 minutes is sure a lot easier than an hour of lifting snow with a shovel! :)

ADDED on June 2008: I started to get striped patterns after shoveling my DRIVEWAY this year (thrower was on 2nd winter). I ordered a replacement plastic scaper blade, hoping that that was the problem. It was very easy to replace (2 screws), and we were back in business...no more stripes, for a reasonable cost. I ordered another scraper blader to have on hand, since I think going over the rocks which the road plower throws onto my drive must be damaging the scraper.

AND, I ordered another entire unit! I have found this to be soooo handy and unbelievably good in throwing even some of the worst snow we've had (winter 2007-08), that I would cry if the original one were to become terminal, or they stopped making this model. So now I have a spare sitting still in its box in the basement "just in case." BTW, if a foot or more of snow is forecast, I just go out when it's about 6" and do it twice. Oh, and I even managed to slowly chip away at the "wind-rows" (heavy stuff) which the road guy leaves at the bottom of my drive! Slush is the biggest challenge...must be sure to get out before the sun warms the snow into slush, since slush can't be thrown more than a few inches. Otherwise, this thing is great and mine is the cleanest driveway in the neighborhood! ;)

Added February 2009:
Third-4th year: Something came lose and the directional hand-crank is non-functional...just spins around. Temporarily, I put 2 tensioners (heavy bands) to tighten up the rod and hold the chute steady. Machine still works. But now I have to reach down and turn the chute by hand. Still not a problem; still one of the best machines I own for outdoor work. If I weren't so busy throwing all the snow we've gotten this year, I'd take the time to figure out what screw is missing and fix her...maybe in the spring. ;)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 Order Now

I'm a new homeowner in the Mid-Atlantic and I was not looking forward to clearing driveways and walkways of the soggy snow we get here. I bought this unit for the 2005-06 winter and had the chance to fire it up for the first time this past month. The snow had accumulated to about 3-4 inches, but it was soggy, and the base layer (against the relatively warm ground) was already melting into ice. I didn't know what to expect, but the Power Curve started easily and then happily chomped away at the snow on asphalt and cement surfaces. When the Power Curve runs, the engine sounds like it's running in a comfortable power band, and it doesn't seem to strain when used. Despite the icy base layer, the Power Curve shaved it up into the rotor so the result was a very clean surface. I finished quickly and the results were very satisfying. The unit is also light (~25 pounds) so it maneuvers easily. I am grateful that this electric unit works so well because I would never spend the $$$ for a gas-powered unit. Plus I hate fiddling with gas engines. So, I think the Power Curve is perfect for a person (like me) who wants an assuredly effective snow thrower/blower that: 1) fills your needs when the expense and hassle of a gas-powered unit is hard to justify; 2) has the convenience of an electric engine; 3) is easy to maintain; 4) has plenty of power to handle the soggy/icy/crusty "snow" in temperate regions, which I call "heart attack" snow. Lastly, my wife, who objected mightily to this purchase, became a believer after seeing the results.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 Buy Now

Cleaned up my 8 car long drive way in 20 minutes and all the spare time left for us to play with the kids in the snow. Even my wife can use this snow blower without a problem. Great buy.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 Get it now!

This is great. We got a few inches right after we got the Toro, the snow was not much but it was heavy. The Toro handled beautifully. Then we got a foot last friday, the Toro just handled like magic. Great product.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 Best Quality

i had doubts about power of this machine, & its slender shape. But the revies convinced me, & i did want an easy to operate, straight out of the garage & up the stiars blower.

2 days later came the first real snow of the winter in north NY. 6 inches & fluffy snow. The blower looks quite inadequate in the face of teh 'enemy'. But the machine really worked brilliantly, blowing the snow cleanly away. One has to be careful with the directional plastic hose becuase it isnt that secure so one constantly has to re-direct it, unless one wants snow in the face or back on the path! In 2-3 passes my very long sidewalk was clear, & the deck came next. The very thin residue quickly melted.
I doubt it would tackle difficult stuff like ice or wet snow, but i was told, & i supsect reliably, that for a machine to competently tackle problem snow, it requires a quantum leap to a $1500 machine, rather than simply to the next level of gas powered. & then portbaility & convenience takes a dive.

i have read of problems with assembly - i do see that the cord is longer than the tubing, & its a bit fiddly, but i'm no handyman & it was easy enough for me after a few minutes of exertion.

THe key lock easily falls out so i lost the key first time out- but customer service imeeidately agreed to post out another 2 replacements, which augurs well for post purchase care.

In short achieves what its designed to do v admirably. Buy without regret.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 Immediately

After a great deal of research and reading, we decided to purchase a Toro 1800 Electric Power Curve Snowthrower. We had our first major snowstorm of the season this weekend and the 1800 performed extremely well. It made the job so much easier and it was finished in a third of the time. My partner, bad back and all, tried it and said that she felt like she was using the vacuum. It quickly cut through the 8 inches of snow but the big test was when I used it on a foot of hard snow and ice that the plow left in our driveway. To my delight, the 1800 easily handled that as well. What a great little machine!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 This instant

I am surprised that this snowblower is as powerful it is for the weight. Light snow gets thrown quite far and heavy wet snow goes a good 8 feet. I had no truble handling 8 inches here in Connecticut.
Watch out for the cord hiding in the snow though. Winding it around the blades is not good for it!
Update! Now I have several good snowfalls under my belt and I still LOVE this critter! Handles wet snow, slush, dry snow, and even the big piles at the end of the driveway. It can sling dry snow a good 15-20 feet! Does a very good job of getting down to the pavement unless the snow is compacted by tires (course shovel has same issue!). I thought the whimpy looking wheels would be an issue but they work just fine. Light enough to bring inside or to do the deck. Bumps in the sidewalk are a pain as this works more like a shovel than a "wheeled beast". It will chuck snow a LOT better than I was expecting! Get a cord that will remain flexible when it is cold outside as the cord I use for summer tangles really easily ( look for the Coleman yellow one in the 100 foot length.) I clogged it only once when I jabbed it into a deep pile (come at it slow or whittle at it instead). I do not think it would handle frozen snow and ice stuck to the driveway but what would? So I run out right after the snow stops and get it done. My 75 foot by 15 foot driveway take a half an hour or so with the sidewalk and the deck. I also learned to blow dry snow downwind!Get more detail about Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025.