Best Snow Blowers

Craftsman 31AE5HTG799 (Around $950)

Best value, 2-stage gas snow blower. Reviews say this Craftsman snow blower is an excellent choice for clearing dense, compacted and/or deep snow. It has an easily adjustable chute deflector and power-driven wheels, which can disengage independently to assist in turning. A 9-horsepower motor supports its 28-inch clearing path. The Craftsman snow blower is designed to handle long sloping driveways and snowfalls of over eight inches. Reviews say this model doesn’t throw quite as far as the Toro Power Max 828 LXE, but for most people, that tradeoff will be worth the $500 cost savings. It comes with a two-year warranty.


Toro Power Max 828 LXE (Around $1,500)

Long-throw 2-stage gas snow blower. Features-wise, the Toro Power Max snow blower is virtually identical to the cheaper Craftsman 31AE5HTG799, but reviews say the Toro throws farther, which may be important if you have a wider driveway. Reviews say two-stage snow blowers are best for hilly drives, since they have powered wheels. They are also the only option for gravel drives, since the auger doesn't touch the surface of the driveway. The Toro snow blower has a 28-inch clearing path and a two-year warranty.


Toro 1800 Power Curve (Around $300)

Single-stage electric snow blower. Although it's only appropriate for light snowfalls and short, flat driveways, the Power Curve snow blower has wheels, so it's easier to push than a power shovel. The Power Curve has a movable chute and an 18-inch clearing path. Reviews say the Toro 1800 Power Curve does a nice job, but definitely isn't built to handle ten inches of wet snow on a long driveway. You'll have to contend with a power cord, but you won't have to worry about the engine maintenance and fueling required with gas-powered snow blowers.


Toro Power Shovel(Around $110)

Electric power shovel. If your snow clearing needs amount to cleaning off light snow from short sidewalks or a deck, the Toro Power Shovel will save you from bending to use a manual shovel. However, since it does not have wheels, you'll still need to do the pushing. Despite initial skepticism, testers say snow blowers in this class actually work surprisingly well for their intended purpose.