Channel: A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz

Category: Howto & Style

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Description: Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 24″ Two-Stage Snow Blower RY40870 Ryobi has been turning out some really cool new cordless outdoor power equipment including this new 40V HP Brushless 24″ Two-Stage Snow Blower. Stand out features o Dual brushless motors • 24″ clearing width & 21″ clearing depth • All metal auger • All metal 180° directional chute throws snow up to 55′ away • High intensity LED light • Variable speed self-propelled • Heated hand grips • Includes (4) 40V 6 Ah batteries with (4) active ports • Dual port rapid charger, charges 2 batteries • 5-year limited tool warranty, 3-year battery warranty Assembly Required The snowblower comes in a box shipped on a pallet and does require some assembly. It’s not overly difficult to assemble, however, you need to figure it out a bit on your own because the directions are a little to be desired. Also, two nuts were missing for the control handles so a quick trip to the hardware store was needed. With a little patience and a couple wrenches, it’s not difficult to assemble. The first question everyone asks about a cordless snow blower is how well can it clear deep snow. Even with a gas-powered snow blower that’s a loaded question and depends on the snow (wet heavy snow vs dry light snow). During a recent storm here in New Hampshire we put the RYOBI Snowblower to the test. This storm featured approximately 8″ of wet heavy snow. You can see the snowblower in action in the photo above where it was having no problem at all chewing through the snow and throwing it just as far as any gas powered blower I’ve used in the past. One of the things you notice first about cordless outdoor power equipment is the noise…or lack of! The RY40870 is no exception with no gas engine running the only noise is the sound of the auger churning as it chews through the snow. You can easily talk to someone near you without having to shut down the snowblower. The second question that is definitely going to be asked is how long does it run on a charge. Well, that’s a REALLY loaded question again depends greatly on the type and depth of snow. During the storm I started clearing snow with 4 freshly charged batteries. I was able to blow snow for approximately 30 minutes where I cleared out a large area in front of the garage including some snow banks. It’s so hard to quantify the run-time but I felt like it did pretty well considering how heavy the snow was. Based on how it performed I feel like in a moderate storm (6″ to 8″) of dry snow it can do a medium to a large-sized driveway with 4 fully charged batteries. Other than not having to pull a rope to start the snowblower this unit functions exactly like a gas-powered blower. Simply push a button while holding down the handle and the auger starts instantaneously. You can easily set the auger and drive speed with simple levers and control the snow chute side to side and up and down with levers just like my gas-powered Craftsman. This snow blower also includes LED lights mounted to the front of the auger housing and also up on top at the control panel. The lights do a great job and definitely throw much more light than what I’m used to on a snowblower. The Ryobi snowblower also includes hand warmers which is a really cool feature! Fit and finish on the unit are good and what I would expect from a piece of equipment like this. Yes, there are plastic parts on this unit, but my 15-year-old gas-powered Craftsman also has plastic parts in similar places. Overall I think the unit has all the features you’d expect and it’s built well. One slight feature I’d like to see them address is the battery housing cover. It’s spring-loaded to keep it shut and protect the batteries which is great. However, it’s a pain to hold that cover open while trying to install the heavy large batteries. Basically holding the cover open with one hand and trying to install a battery with the other, sounds easy, but it’s not with gloves on and a heavy battery. A question always asked – How Much does it cost? As Ryobi is exclusively sold at The Home Depot we’re providing a link to it here for your convenience. This blower is certainly a bit more than an average gas snowblower. Decent 24″ gas blowers run around $800-$1000 whereas this blower costs $1299. Is the extra price worth it? Well if you start considering maintenance, gas, oil, and the frustrations of starting a gas-powered engine in the Winter it’s likely a yes for many of you! The Ryobi RY40870 40V HP Brushless 24″ Two-Stage Snow Blower certainly exceeded our expectations and I think that’s a testament to the investment Ryobi has recently made into their outdoor power equipment offerings. If you own more than one 40V HP piece of equipment then owning more than 4 batteries could easily solve the run-time issues and create a really great cordless experience. #RyobiNation