Maztang 18-Inch 13-Amp Electric Snow Thrower Price: $114.99 Shipping Options:: $5 Standard Shipping Estimates: Ships in 3-5 business days. (Wednesday, Nov 19 to Monday, Nov 24) + transit Condition: New
I got this in my August Bag of Crap. It works well, but you can’t get support for it, as it’s a knock-off, apparently. But at this price it’s a super deal. As I said, it DOES work great. The elderly friends I sold mine to absolutely love it!
This would be an autobuy if it were gas and two stage. Realistically, here in RI, this would probably handle 80% of the snow that falls during the season. But if I’m going to invest in a snow blower, I’d rather invest a little more and get a solution that handles closer to 99% of situations (barring any “Day after Tomorrow” insanity). Come on woot, post a 22+ inch, 2 stage, gas powered snow blower with forward and reverse speeds and you can take my money all the way to the bank!
I bought this exact machine last year when it was offered at just about this time, Nov 21. The cost then was only $99 so I thought why not. My rationale in buying this machine was that all snow falls that we get in New Jersey are not large ones…some are 8 inches and under. I thought it was not always necessary to fire up my huge, 8 hp, 2 stage snow thrower when a smaller, light weight electric would do the job.
So our first snow came just a few weeks after I received the machine. It was about 8 inches so I decided to leave the big gas job in the shed and instead decided to use my new Maztang electric. The electric didn’t adapt too well to the snow that day because the temps were in the high 30’s and the snow was wet. Electrics simply do not have the power to deal with wet snow, as they are light weight, have no self propelled function and are only single stage units. So I did as much as I could with the electric and used a shovel for the rest of the job.
A week later we got another snow fall. This one was not wet and it amounted to about 10 inches. So out came my new Maztang electric. I actually was able to remove the snow from the driveway but it was NOT EASY and I was far more tired after I finished the job than if I had used the gas thrower. The next week I sold the Maztang and took a bath in the transaction.
I conclude that an electric has too many disadvantages to be a viable solution to snow removal in NJ…particularly if you are spoiled by already owning a big gas job. Firt of all, the electric is too light weight and is NOT SELF PROPELLED and this is a very important function! You have to push the machine through the snow instead the the machine pulling itself through the snow. This requires a lot of energy on your part. And when you come to the end of the driveway where the city plows have packed and small mountain of snow in front of you, it is absolutely impossible for the electric to get through it. Then, of course, it’s a pain in the arse to keep alert so you don’t pass over your own electic cord.
Finally, while they tell you in the ad copy that this machine throws snow up to 30 feet away…that’s a myth! Maybe it can do this in a world where there is no wind, but in this world you get much of that snow blown right back in your face. Now you know why I sold it.
Bought a Toro electric,similar style from Woot in the past and it’s just OK for removing snow from the deck. Not sure it’s any better/faster than using a shovel but may be better for the heart.
Note…Newegg sells this for $150 so Woot’s price seems good.
Agree - Electrics are worthless in serious snow. I live on Long Island and have a Sears gas, self propelled with a 27" height and STILL have problems in very deep snow. My recommendations is get the biggest gas blower you can afford. If you take care of it, it will last years and save your back and heart…
Amazon gives it pretty good reviews. (most of the complaints there are not related to machine performance. Wish folks would learn how to leave proper reviews!)
It is what it is - electric.
I bought a similar (11 amp, 14") model last year on Woot. I live in South Jersey and used it twice during snowfalls of 4-6". It worked fine.
My driveway is 23’ wide and because of wind I had to make all passes in the same direction, which meant pulling the thrower back across the driveway each time. Not a big deal.
The thrown snow didn’t make it to the opposite lawn so it got deeper (8" or so) as I progressed. It slowed me down a bit but again, no big problem.
People complain about the cord. I complain about finicky gas engines. I start near the house and work down the driveway. The cord is only a problem when I get to the sidewalk. You can’t flip an extension cord around in February like you can in July - it’s frozen and does NOT want to move. Also, if you’re winding a 100’ heavy gauge cord by hand, good luck! I use an old hose reel and it’s a bit of a chore.
I usually only have to clear my driveway because I have nice young neighbors who clear the sidewalks for us old folks.
Final evaluation. For a snow under 2" I just get out the shovel. Anything over that, I’ll use the thrower. If the forecast calls for a lot of snow, I’ll go out and clear every few inches.
Next year I’m retiring to a condo where someone else will take care of it for us.
I have a very similar Toro electric. It removes VERY deep snow if you pick it up and sweep it over in passes. It is light enough for most people to lift it using the convenient handle. I have cleared 4 feet of plow-packed snow with it. It is at least 3X faster than shoveling. If you want the fastest speed, get a gas model. If you don’t like shoveling, don’t want to spend hundreds more, don’t want to hassle with gas, oil, batteries, finicky starting, etc. get an electric.
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