Thumb Your Nose at Old Man Winter with the EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower
We’ve been waiting for some good snow to test out the EGO 56V 2-Stage Snow Blower with Peak Power and Ol’ Jack Frost finally delivered!
Pros
- Outstanding power comparable to similar-sized gas models
- 24-inch clearing swath
- Excellent runtime with kitted 7.5Ah batteries
- 5 auger speeds
- 5 chute vertical angle stops
- 200° chute rotation
- Lighter than similar-sized gas units with much better balance over the wheels
- More durable design than other battery-powered snow blowers
Cons
- Chute drifts during use
- Price may be too high for some shoppers
EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower Power Source
The EGO SNT2405 2-Stage Snow Blower showcases what cordless can do in snow blowers. The company claims to go after both muscle and durability—all while making the system easy to use.
This marks only the second battery-powered two-stage snow blower ever to hit the market (the first came from Snow Joe back in 2018 and had mixed reviews).
This kit comes with a pair of 56V, 7.5Ah ArcLithium batteries, which power twin brushless motors. One of the motors drives the variable speed steel auger and steel impeller, while the other drives the power to the wheels.
Using the 7.5Ah (or 10Ah) batteries is key to getting the best experience. There’s quite a bit more power to this unit and using smaller packs might not give you enough juice to finish the job.
EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower Performance
Editor’s Note on 2-Stage vs Single-Stage Snow blowers
Two-stage snow blowers have both an auger that collects the snow and a fan that discharges the snow through a chute. These combined actions tend to throw snow at a faster rate—and thus farther away.
When it comes to power, the SNT2405 can throw snow up to 50 feet away while clearing a 24-inch swath across your driveway. With several power settings, this snow blower can make quick work of what used to be a back-breaking chore to reclaim your driveway from mother nature.
The 24-inch wide steel deck reduces the number of passes you have to make compared to other battery-operated snow blowers. It’s 26 inches at the widest point, but with everything else tucked behind the 24-inch deck.
Drive System
Every storm is different, so there are many control options to fit your situation. Whether you are clearing heavy, wet snow, just transporting from the shed to the driveway, or something in between, EGO has you covered for drive speed.
The fastest setting is a brisk walking speed, which is likely a bit faster than you would be using while actually snow blowing. The lower speeds are better in terms of control during operation. As with all snow blowers, if you catch a rough concrete joint or sidewalk crack under the snow, you can come to an abrupt halt.
EGO equipped this unit with a reverse gear, which is very nice to get out of some slippery situations. In both forward and reverse, the knobby tires seem to grab anything and just go.
Thar She Blows!
This unit glides effortlessly through soft, powdery snow like it’s not even there. If the snow is wet or frozen, you’ll notice the difference, but nothing seems to stop the auger. This thing even eats through the frozen clumps left from the snowplows, chews it into pieces, and spits it out wherever you want it.
It avoids bogging down in heavy snow better than the similarly sized gas-powered versions we have used. The gas-powered versions have more delay when the throttle is opening up to deal with the extra load, whereas EGO’s brushless motor responds quickly to access its higher torque.
Comparing it to other battery-powered options, this unit never got clogged with the wet snow that easily brought my Snow Joe 40v single-stage snow blower to a stop. The EGO team is definitely proving it’s possible to fill the power gap without losing the benefits of a lithium-ion energy source.
Now That We’ve Had More Snow…
After a level 2 winter storm, we had about 8 inches of snow to blow as another test. The first 2 inches were compacted ice, and the other 6 inches were wet powder, so more strain than previous tests. This beast of a snowblower still just chewed up the wintery mix and got right down to the pavement!
EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower Runtime
EGO claims that this unit has enough runtime to clear an 18-car driveway’s worth of 8-inch high snow on a single charge. The snow we got wasn’t quite high enough to validate that. However, that seems about right based on our experience.
I was able to clear 6 different 4-car driveways with 4 inches of wet, slushy snow, including the sidewalk in between and the frozen snowplow drifts at the end of each driveway. That amount of work did drain the batteries entirely, but my neighbors and I were happy with clean driveways.
You can hear the motor working harder when hitting wet snow, ice, or frozen drifts and that affects the runtime. To see how much, we did this test again on 4 inches of soft, powdery snow on the same 6 driveways.
With the lighter snow, we kept the auger speed lower to avoid shooting snow into a neighbor’s house or sending it high into the air. The same 6 driveways with powdery snow and low auger speed only used 20-30% of the battery! Obviously, results vary based on the snow conditions, but this test impressed our team, especially when comparing it to other battery-operated units.
With A Heavier Load
It became clear about the auger speed’s impact on battery life during my second test with the extra snow and ice. Eating the 6 inches of wet powder on top can be done in “Eco” mode, which is the lowest setting for the auger, but digging into the bottom layer of ice required a bit more power.
To start, I picked up the snowblower a bit to point the bucket down into the ice and get under it. Once I was under it, then I set the wheels back on the ground and let the drive motor do the work. Working through the extra thickness of the ice, and the higher auger speed, drained the batteries faster, and I was only able to do 4 different 4 car driveways, including the sidewalks and embankments.
My recommendation for conserving battery life is to keep the auger speed as low as possible, and only turn it up if hitting heavy stuff or you see that snow is getting pushed around it rather than into the bucket and out the chute.
Not So Long Walk Home
Once the batteries were dead, my trek back to the shed wasn’t too bad on the level sidewalk. However, without the drive wheels assisting the climb, going up a mild hill was quite a chore.
Even so, it’s easier than what you would expect from a gas-powered version since they are heavier than this unit. On the other hand, if the gas-powered version runs out, you can go grab a gas can and refill on the fly. Of course, the same goes for grabbing another battery if you have other EGO 56V products to pull from.
Storing the EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower
The control handle has four hand knobs to remove it, and the chute is removable as well, which reduces the disassembled height. These features allow it to fit somewhat compactly for those that don’t have much space for storage, although it does not compact down as much or as easily as the smaller SNT2114.
Outside of the torque advantages, the battery-operated units have a distinct benefit over comparable gas-powered versions in terms of serviceability. Basically, there isn’t much! Despite working on small engines for many years, I have been switching over to battery-powered everything because I got tired of winterizing, un-winterizing, cleaning, and tuning small engines, not to mention pulling a starter cord till my back hurt. This unit was a welcome addition to replace another gas-powered outdoor tool in my shed.
EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower Build and Weight
EGO ramped up the durability of this snow blower. It features a 21″ tall steel box with retractable drift cutters (sold separately). EGO also tells us that everything that isn’t steel is made from ballistic grade polymer to extend its service life. It even features beefy 15″ x 5″ wheels and a limited-slip differential to keep you firmly planted on the job at hand.
Even though the build is clearly an upgrade, it’s not overly heavy. At 150 pounds, it’s still lighter than similar gas-powered versions.
As long as we’re on the subject, a big difference is that the balance of this unit is remarkable compared to gas models. It takes very little force to lift up the front end and maintain lift when you’re blowing over soft ground or taking it back to the shed.
Obsessive Control
EGO knows that even the burliest snow blowers need to appeal to the user, so they’ve tightened up the controls to make it more comfortable to operate. With the EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower, you can use one hand to keep the blower in motion while the other controls the aim of the chute. Once you kick in the power sequence to spin up the auger, the same hand that engages the drive handle also holds the auger handle in the active position, freeing up your other hand for chute control.
With a 50-foot throw distance, you need to be aware of your surroundings. If your neighbors live close, then you might be able to throw your snow on their driveway! 5 auger speed settings, 5 chute nozzle stops, and 200° chute direction allow you to throw the snow right where you want it, so it’s not really an issue once you get over the sheer joy of shooting snow that far for fun.
Aw, Chute
The chute rotation was the only area we felt needs some improvement. When blowing heavy, wet snow, there is more vibration in the unit overall. Although you don’t feel it much in the handles, it does knock the chute around. When you’re going downhill and hitting heavy snow, the chute will slowly swivel from one side to the center.
This can be problematic if you end up throwing snow where you don’t want it. The chute design is free-floating with 1 anchor point, is solely controlled by the chute lever, and has no positive detents.
We also found the chute to jostle toward the center when hitting a sidewalk crack or concrete joint, but this is true on just about every snow blower I’ve used, depending on how hard you hit it.
While we haven’t received one yet, we have seen reports of EGO offering a component fix through their warranty service.
Additional Features
- Handle adjust to 3 heights
- Selectable front LED levels
- Onboard cleanout tool
EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower Price and Warranty
Lowe’s and other EGO retailers have the 2-stage snow blower for $799 as a bare tool and as a kit with two 7.5Ah batteries and a dual-port charger for $1299. EGO backs it with a 5-year limited warranty.
The Bottom Line
The EGO 2-Stage Snow Blower raises the bar for what you should expect from a battery-powered snow blower. If you’ve been waiting for a gas replacement, it has the power to make that transition.
Combined with their outstanding line of compatible lawn care equipment that now includes a legitimate zero turn mower, EGO can take you from spring to winter without ever filling a gas tank.
EGO 56V 2-Stage Snow Blower Specifications
- Model: EGO SNT2400 (SNT2405 kit model number)
- Power Source: EGO 56V batteries (2 x 7.5Ah included in kit)
- Intake: 24 x 20 inches
- Auger Speeds: 5
- Auger Type: Steel
- Chute Control: 200° rotation, 5 vertical angle stops
- Drive: Forward and reverse self-propelled drive
- Throw Distance: Up to 50 feet
- Wheels: 15 x 5 inches
- Warranty: 5 years
- Price: $799.99 bare, $1399.99 kit
