 "Used it Three Winters: Great Every Time" | 2009-03-05 |
| - Reviewed By rampageous_cuss |
I've been using this device since December of '06 and all I can say is it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. We typically get one or two major snowfalls a year, and the Snow Fox has done the job in short order every time, hanging out-of-the-way on the wall of the garage otherwise. No messing around with gas or oil, just plug it in and away it goes. Nothing has broken for ME. I've used it on 10"+ snowfall and it works great.
We have a long driveway and steps up to a walkway to steps up to the landing for the front door. Not only does the Snow Fox blow the snow several feet forward (I'm not sure 25, but plenty), but it's easily lifted up to the walkway where, resetting the vanes with a simple twist, the Snow Fox, er, tosses the snow a bit off to one side - which is perfect, really, for the application.
I've only had two problems, which relate to the extension cord. First off the blower's plug is set within a sort of cup supposed to prevent you from plugging in the kind of cord that has a little tang on the extension cord's female plug, if you know what I mean.
Second, I occasionally run over the cord... But the great thing about the Snow Fox (I don't know how this compares to other blowers) is that whenever I run over the cord or other impedimenta in the snow (frozen wad of leaves, stick, stray piece of twine) it immediately stops, and it's easy to counter-rotate the blades and dislodge the item. And it goes right back to work, no problem!
Where *I* live, the kids don't come around with shovels after a snowfall - the guys with the plow do, and they want $100 to push a pile of snow up against the garage door and pound the rest into a slippery smear on the asphalt. This thing has repaid its cost at least twice a Winter! |
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 "electric snow thrower" | 2009-02-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: ACLA0R0BUG4XH |
The Yard Machine replaced the less expensive one I purchased 2 months ago when it stopped working. The cheaply made switch in the power control broke. The Yard Machine has a great handle switch that lets you switch hands easily. The machine is well balanced for pushing or pulling along.
I first used it to clear the half of the driveway that the old blower died on-it had 10 to 12 inches deep snow-easy job. Light weight, powerful and a new addition for the eclectic electric handyman.
JAC |
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| "Exceeds expectations" | 2009-02-16 |
| - Reviewed By emcc101 |
I bought the Yard-Man version of this machine. Not much different except the labeling. I've used it in three separate snowfalls this year and I am a satisfied customer. Most of the reviews I have seen here have been positive and I generally agree with what they say. Some have been negative and I will address some of their points:
1. The choice for most people is between a $600 gas-powered snow thrower that they will use two or three times a year and a $160 electric snow thrower (I actually bought mine from the factory for $140) that they also will use two or three times a year. So if you fault the machine for not being as brawny as a gas-powered thrower you must credit it for being a relatively inexpensive alternative to a tool of only occasional value.
2. The need to replace scrapers and augers, based on my experience, comes from improper use of the machine. If you hold it too vertical, the scraper and auger will come in contact with the pavement. You can tell when you're doing that by the grinding noise it makes. That's why those pieces will wear. If you insist on scraping down to entirely bare pavement, that's what will happen with any snow thrower.
3. You do need to keep cord management in mind when you are operating the machine. Any run of cord longer than 200 feet is going to reduce power and using small-gauge cord will do the same. You need at least 14-gauge power cord. If you attach the cord according to directions, using the cord tether supplied with the machine, the cord will not drop off. You have to be careful not to run over the cord, because it will jam the auger. Just remember, when you have to stop to relocate the cord, that this little electric machine always will start the first time, every time.
4. It's indisputable that the Snow Fox throws snow to the side a far shorter distance than it throws directly ahead. The way to address this issue - if it's a problem for you - is to clear a driveway with diagonal cuts, so that snow you blow directly ahead of you is well away from the driveway. Trying to do it lengthwise on a driveway will mean you have to move the same snow more than once.
5. There's no question that using the Snow Fox is more time-consuming than using a 20-inch, gas-powered machine. However, because it's so light using it is not nearly as tiring as shoveling or pushing a heavy, gas-powered machine. Again, in most places (I'm in Indianapolis) you're only going to use it a few times a year. And please refer again to my points #1 and 3. In addition, it makes a lot less noise than the two-cycle engines of the gas-powered blowers.
This year, we had a 12-inch snowfall, which is rare. I wondered whether the Snow Fox would be up to the job. I found out, to my surprise, that by reducing the swath a little and by using the diagonal technique described above, it did a fine job. Took longer than it would have with my neighbor's big Toro, but it handled the task.
The next week, we had a four-inch snowfall that was right down Snow Fox Alley. I would bet that my little electric thrower did just as well as the big boy next door. And that was with an immediate start, a quiet motor and no two-cycle exhaust.
Hope those comments answer some criticism. If you have a snow-clearing rage of less than 200 feet, live in an area with less than two feet of snowfall a year and have no concerns about your masculine image, I say give the Snow Fox a try.
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| "Super Little Snow Mover" | 2009-02-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A4EVDVCGJDUK3 |
I bought this through Amazon in March of '06. Little did I know I would be using it in April of that year. We have limited storage in our garage and live on a steep downslope lot so storing a big gas machine in our garden shed or garage was out of the question. I also have a bad back and can't do much shoveling. This little work horse has operated perfectly for the past 3+ years. If the snow is over 8" I can pick up the Fox and do the top layer of the snow and then run through whats left. We have a wood parking deck and the larger gas machines tear and scar the wood. My neighbor tried his on our deck and we were sorry we let him. I worked out a simple pattern for clearing since this does throw the snow 20 ft. I do two swaths down the left side of the deck and the snow goes clear across the street to the other side. Then I work from the cleared strip from left to right on the deck so the snow gets piled on the right side, which the plow drivers like.
When we get a berm from the plow, my husband chops up the berm and I "throw" it across the street. It arches over the plowed street. Today I moved 9 inches of lighter snow with 2 inches of slush/ice under it. The key is to go out when there is less accumulation. Its not so noisy that you couldn't use it at 10 pm and worry about bothering the neighbors. Also, don't wait till the temps get above freezing. All snow starts to melt into itself at that point and becomes very heavy, even for the monster machines. I'm sooooooo glad I bought this. |
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| "Solid performance in a small package" | 2009-02-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3OFTN6F0ZLGVR |
My wife and I have a fairly long, paved driveway by most North American "suburban" standards. However, we weren't willing to shell out $400 for some of the large, gas powered snow machines. This machine does a perfectly nice job.
Pros:
- No gasoline needed
- Easy to operate and quick startup
- Lightweight enough for my 10 year old daughter to run
- It will handle snow much deeper than the "recommended" height if you go slow
Cons:
- You need to manage the electric cord
- Snow is not thrown very far (this can be good or bad actually)
- Narrow swath compared to gas models
- Mostly plastic parts (however this is a good thing if you run over the electric cord...trust me)
Unless you absolutely need a wider and heftier snow thrower, this performed very well during a snowy Chicago winter. The big plus for us was saving back strain for my wife. We would generally work on the driveway together, and it worked great. |
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| "Excellent Value, Good Product" | 2008-02-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1XRQRM9GMEM3V |
I bought this after our first big snowfall in December (07). Our gas blower crapped out on us last winter. In Wisconsin, we had our second highest total December snowfall on record. January is now over and so far we have had a ludicrous amount of snow. So my Snow Fox has been used extensively already. I would say a 4.5 star rating is more accurate. But you can't select a half star. We have an average size Madison city driveway and sidewalk. For snow 2" to 6", using the Snow Fox makes far more sense then using a gas blower. For 6" to 12" it still does a fine job. It's light enough to easily push with one hand. The other hand guides the extension cord. It clears the snow just as fast as a single stage gas blower. Mine hangs on a hook on the garage wall when I'm done.
You will have to experiment with the directions you take clearing your driveway. Getting use to the cord was annoying at first. But once I fashioned a loop out of a rope and hung it from the garage door so the cord was raised, there was no longer a hassle with the cord.
One huge benefit; I have an office job. It has been nice not going into work smelling like gas or exhaust fumes after clearing my driveway in the morning.
Bottom line....if you have an average house in the burbs, this is far more practical then a gas blower. |
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