Colorado Natives Try a Snow Blower for the First Time: Reviewing the Ego Power+

When we were kids growing up in Colorado, it wasn’t uncommon for the area to receive record-setting amounts of snow, which was measured not in inches but feet. Waking up to see a foot or more of snow blanketing the ground was exciting, and we couldn’t wait to get outside. These days, though, when a big storm comes through, it’s not so much fun to have to get out in the cold and move heavy snow, especially using nothing more than a shovel.

For this reason, when we were offered the opportunity to test a snow blower, we jumped at the chance. Although both my husband and I were born and raised in Colorado, neither of us had ever used a snow blower before, so this was new territory. Full disclosure: I’m not the one who shovels snow in our household (my husband is a pro at this, even with just a shovel), but I was particularly interested in testing a snow blower that I could handle myself. Enter the Ego Power+ Peak Power 21-inch single-stage 56V snow blower, a capable and easy-to-maneuver snow blower that was intuitive to use (with a little practice). We tested this snow blower at our house over the course of two big storms: one that produced a lot of light, powdery snow, and a second that dumped heavy, wet snow. Find out what we discovered during our testing.

Ego Power+ Peak Power 21-Inch Single-Stage 56V Snow Blower: At a Glance

Rating: 9.5/10

SPECS

• Type: Single stage
• Width: 21 inches
• Power source: Two 5 amp hour (Ah) batteries

PROS

• Capable of throwing heavy snow a considerable distance
• Batteries lasted longer than the manufacturer’s stated runtime
• Easy to maneuver, even for a first-time user, and the handle-mounted chute was a cinch to control
• Running noise level shouldn’t disturb neighbors during early-morning snow removal

CONS

• Lighter-weight snow was more difficult to move; it didn’t “throw” as far, requiring us to go over sections twice
• Chute clogged after 45 minutes of use in extremely cold conditions while moving very light, powdery snow
• Scraper bar kept catching on sections of the driveway that weren’t completely level

Get the Ego Power+ Peak Power 21-inch single-stage 56V snow blower at:

• Amazon for $749.00
• Lowe’s for $749.00
• Ace Hardware for $749.00
• Northern Tool + Equipment for $749.99 

What is the Ego Power+ Peak Power snow blower?

The Ego Power+ Peak Power single-stage snow blower is a battery-powered machine that runs on two 5Ah batteries and is capable of moving a lot of snow on a single charge. It weighs 53 pounds (without batteries), and it operates similar to a lawn mower with the user squeezing a bar (called a “bail switch”) to run it and then releasing it to stop. A lever that’s positioned conveniently next to the handle operates the chute, which can be adjusted on the fly to change the snow’s direction and distance, and the speed of the auger can be changed to adjust the throwing distance.

Two LED headlights at the front of the snow blower are a thoughtful inclusion for when it’s necessary to move snow early in the morning or after dark, and the heavy-duty steel auger makes quick work of moving heavy snow and even packed snow. Being a single-stage snow blower, it’s easy to drive and suitable for typical residential snow-clearing jobs, including big driveways, sidewalks, and other paved surfaces. Additionally, the handles fold down for compact storage in the offseason.

Getting Set Up

Our snow blower was delivered to us fully assembled, although based on the included instructions, the only assembly required is installing the chute. While the snow blower has the ability to run on a single battery, it’s recommended to use two for maximum runtime. We have both an Ego Power+ rapid charger and a standard Ego battery charger, so we were able to charge two batteries at once so they’d be juiced and ready to go when the snow started to fly. I’d never dealt with charging big batteries like this before, and I found that positioning the batteries on the chargers is intuitive. The standard charger needed 100 minutes to fully charge the battery, and the rapid charger got the job done in only 40 minutes. Once the batteries were charged up, it was easy to snap them into place inside the snow blower. Now all we needed to do was wait for our first snowfall to get outside and check out what this machine could do.

Using the Snow Blower for the First Time

We had our first significant snowfall of the season in mid-January, and in addition to lots of powdery snow, temperatures were below zero (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) the day we took the snow blower out for the first time. It started immediately, and I set off around our large 4-car driveway to test out its capabilities.

The lever controlling the chute was positioned right next to the handle, so it was no problem moving the chute as needed while I pushed the snow blower up and down the driveway. I found that the snow blower didn’t throw the powdery snow anywhere near the advertised 40 feet, but it did throw it a considerable distance, and I was pleased to see how close it came to the concrete while leaving only a very thin dusting of snow. I didn’t struggle to push the snow blower at all and found the handles comfortable and easy to grip with my gloved hands.

The Ego Power+ has a 21-inch width, and I was able to clear the entire driveway, our back sidewalk, and the sidewalk in front of our house in a single charge. When I’d finished, one battery still had 40 percent remaining, and the other had 20 percent, according to the power indicator. The chute did clog pretty significantly about 35 minutes into the job, but I turned off the snow blower and used a broom handle to easily clear it out.

During the second snowstorm, which came with much wetter and heavier snow, my husband got outside early in the morning. He found the lights provided plenty of illumination, and he noticed that the snow blower did an exceptional job of moving the heavier snow, throwing it much farther than the lighter snow I’d moved a couple of weeks earlier. Because he worked faster and more efficiently than I did, he got the job done (along with the sidewalks in front of the neighbors’ houses on either side of us) in about 45 minutes, and still had 20 percent power remaining on both batteries; this job would have easily taken him 2 hours to do with just a shovel.

Powerful Performance

Since our experience with snow blowers is limited to the Ego Power+, we don’t have anything to compare it to. However, we were both impressed with how easy it was to operate and how well it removed snow. While it seemed to perform a little better with heavier wet snow, we were still pleased with the way it removed the powdery snow, although it didn’t throw it as far. The two 5Ah batteries provided plenty of power, and even after we’d run the machine continuously on the highest auger speed for an hour, there was battery life to spare.

We liked how easy it was to push the machine, and even for someone who has no experience with a snow blower, this one was simple to operate and didn’t require much time at all for me to become familiar with the controls and how to work with them to get the best results. The one thing that was slightly annoying was that the bottom edge of the snow blower caught on a slightly raised section of our driveway every single time I went over it, which was a little jarring. I don’t think this is the fault of the snow blower (after all, it’s because of this design that it provides such a clean snow removal), but it was something I needed to remember.

Is the Ego Power+ Peak Power snow blower worth the money?

At under $750 with the charger and two 5Ah batteries, it’s hard to argue with the value of this snow blower. When I consider the amount of time this machine will save us, not to mention the wear and tear on our bodies, I think this snow blower is worth every penny. It did a great job removing the snow from our big driveway and long sidewalk, and it was so easy to use that I feel confident that I can run the machine by myself, from charging the long-lasting batteries to clearing the chute if required.

Should you buy the Ego Power+ Peak Power snow blower?

I would not hesitate to recommend the Ego Power+ snow blower for anyone who wants a machine that’s easy to figure out, easy to use, and has an impressively long runtime. It was important to me to test a snow blower that I would be capable of running myself and that I wouldn’t be afraid to use without someone nearby. Since I don’t have much experience using outdoor machinery and have mowed grass only a handful of times in my adult life, I was honestly a little nervous about using a snow blower. However, using the Ego Power+ has put me at ease, and I feel confident recommending this snow blower to anyone who has any doubts about whether they would feel comfortable using one, especially those who don’t have access to snow removal services, neighborhood kids willing to do the job, or are concerned about the risk of heart attack from the strain of shoveling snow.

Where to Buy the the Ego Power+ Snow Blower

Get the Ego Power+ Peak Power 21-inch single-stage 56V snow blower at:

• Amazon for $749.00
• Lowe’s for $749.00
• Ace Hardware for $749.00
• Northern Tool + Equipment for $749.99 

Meet the Tester

An editor and copy editor for over 20 years and the lead copy editor at BobVila.com, Becky Helzer works closely with the writers and editors on the product reviews team. Her goal is to ensure content is error-free, accurate, easy to understand, and above all, useful to readers. She enjoys the process of testing products from a consumer’s perspective and providing honest feedback.