Snow Joe Ion 18sb Battery Vs Hybrid Review
The Snow Joe iON18SB has been one of the well-nigh popular cordless snow blowers on the market place. This lightweight unit of measurement tin can be shipped straight to your door (free if you take Amazon Prime). There is minimal associates required (around 15 minutes). And the Snow Joe name has slowly gained a good reputation for the quality of their products.
There is a nice mixture of performance and features with this single-phase snow blower. Stuff you don't typically notice at this cost indicate. And that'southward the big selling point here, price. The iON18SB is highly affordable and a great fashion for people looking for some assistance removing light snow over the Winter.
40-Volt Battery and Placidity Engine
The brushless motor is powered past a single 40V four.0 Ah battery past Snow Joe. It starts easy and the 750W brushless motor has some nice punch for its size. It requires going slow with heavier snow, but it has enough juice to handle it.
Battery length is largely dependent on the conditions you're working with. The maximum I've gotten is fifty minutes with a couple inches of fluffy snowfall. With a few inches or more of heavy snow, I'd estimate around 35-40 minutes of use on a unmarried accuse. That's non bad. Although if you're working on a larger area, investing in a 2nd battery is not a terrible thought.
If you're looking at a cordless snowfall blower, you likely know some of the benefits that come with their engines. This car is tranquillity. You can run it in the middle of the night without waking the neighbors. There is no oil or gas to bargain with. Which of course means not dealing with the unpleasant scent of burning fumes.
Clears to the Surface
With a lot of budget snowfall blowers, they go with plastic augers. Simply this Snow Joe is made of steel. Information technology's non very thick, but information technology's nonetheless steel. Coating the auger is a safe paddle which helps prevent harm to your surfaces.
Every bit a single-stage model, this unit does a solid task of working downwardly to the surface. You'll exist able to encounter the pavement when washed which should assist foreclose ice build-upward. Information technology struggles with hardened tire ruts, just that is expected at this toll point. This unit cannot be used on gravel driveways.
The rubber paddles make this an ideal pick for forest deck owners. At that place is no chance of scuffing the surface and yous won't have to deal with hardened snow on the driveway.
All-time at 6 inches or Less
The Snowfall Joe iON18SB has an xviii-inch frame which is fine for unmarried auto driveways and sidewalks. The housing has an 8-inch clearance tiptop, only that seems too optimistic for what this machine tin handle.
Clearing six inches or less of light snowfall is the sugariness spot for this cordless model. Anything more and you lot're going to struggle. For larger piles (8 inches or more), it takes multiple passes and tends to ride up due to it'due south lightweight build. You'll have to go tedious and it can burn through the battery charge quicker.
While they advertise 20 feet of throwing distance, I recollect you'd be difficult pressed to see that in action. Light, fluffy snow can be thrown over ten anxiety. But when information technology gets deep and thick, the machine barely achieves more than than a couple feet. This is especially noticeable when the chute is fully situated to the left of correct side. This can make it difficult for two-car driveways that require some throwing altitude.
Automobile-Rotate Chute Has Clogging Bug
A nice feature with this model is the car-rotate chute. A tiny joystick sits to the right of the handlebar that tin can motion the plastic chute 180 degrees side to side. You don't need to stop at all. This is rare to find at this cost and a nice addition from Snow Joe.
Unfortunately, in that location are bottleneck issues when the snowfall is wetter. This requires stopping the motorcar and clearing out the chute. Alleviate the problem by spraying some snow and ice repellent liberally inside the chute. In fact, I'd consider information technology a must-have add-on if you're purchasing this model.
Lightweight and Easy to Handle
At merely over 30 pounds, the iONS18SB is piece of cake to handle. Moving information technology forward and contrary requires minimal force. I've seen it become a popular pick for Seniors. In fact, I purchased a refurbished model for my elderly Mother so that she could clear the sidewalk to her garage without having to exert herself.
A headlight of sorts is attached on the left handlebar for night fourth dimension apply. It's more of a flashlight which can be adapted up and down. The 3W LED bulb won't illuminate your whole driveway, merely is helpful and a dainty safety feature. I of the beauties of having a quiet cordless is being able to use information technology late at night.
Snow Joe recently removed the safe key characteristic on their devices. The auger would not engage without the primal. This had turned into a headache for the company as people would lose theirs and require a replacement. I idea the key was a prissy feature for those with kids although I understand why they made the decision.
$285.00
$299.99
in stock
4 new from $285.00
4 used from $132.83
as of April 17, 2022 12:35 pm
Hybrid Electric Version Available (iON18SB-HYB)
Snow Joe offers a unique hybrid version of this snowfall blower for a little bit more than money. This allows the machine to be operated with either a battery or through an electrical outlet (non both at the same fourth dimension nevertheless).
The electric side is more powerful and utilizes 13.5A. This might be a nice compromise if you're concerned with the cordless model being able to handle the thicker piles at the end of the driveway. Or if you don't experience like waiting for your battery to charge on an particularly snowy day. Just exist sure you lot're using a proper outdoor extension cord.
Warranty
All Snow Joe snow blowers come with a full two-year warranty. This includes the battery and charger. Extended warranty options are bachelor. Replacement units and parts are shipped costless of charge.
Conclusion
The Snow Joe iON18SB is a nice, affordable culling to a single-stage gas snow blower. Information technology is quiet, environmentally-friendly, and easy to operate. And you'll exist hard pressed to notice the aforementioned kind of features included here in other brands at this price signal.
So while I recommend this model, I do so with expectations kept in check. This will not fair well in Northern Michigan blizzard. It is built for light to moderate snow conditions. A great tool to help clear a driveway, sidewalk, and deck of 3-half dozen inches of snow. If that's what you lot're in need of, I think y'all'll be happy with this choice.
Specs:
Brand: Snowfall Joe
Model: iON18SB (Operator's Manual)
Stage Blazon: Single-Stage Cordless
Engine: 750W Brushless
Bombardment Type: 40V 4.0Ah Lithium-Ion
Plowing Chapters: 495 lbs per minute
Immigration Width: xviii inch
Intake height: 8 inch
Throw Distance: 15 feet
Tires: 6 inch (1.5 in. width)
Weight: 32 pounds
Warranty: 2-year
Features:
Starting Method: Push button
Speed/s: None
Power Steering: No
Chute adjustment: Remote (180 caste turning radius)
Headlight: 3W LED
Heated handgrips: No
Power to handle 6 inches of snow and easy operation makes this a great value at its depression cost. No wonder this 18-inch cordless has get a popular greenish alternative among online shoppers.
Very affordable price
Remote chute controls
Lightweight and piece of cake to operate
Heavy snow sticks to chute without repellent
Sub-par throwing distance
Source: https://www.snowblowers.net/snow-joe-ion18sb-review/