Say Hello to My Little Friend...

As most of the country is aware, Colorado has been getting back to back snowstorms for about the last six weeks. Now don't think I'm lazy, when in fact I rather enjoy the exercise of shoveling snow. However, at one point during the "Blizzard of Christmas '06", I was out there shoveling every 6 to 12 hours just to keep up with the drifts. When it was all over, I not only shoveled my entire driveway numerous times but also shoveld about six feet into the street so we could get the car out.

Normally, a snowstorm around here isnt such a big deal but with all of this shoveling, I was a bit worried about exacerbating an old back injury. So.. like any good consumer, I got online and started looking for power tools to make the job a little easier for the next time.

Say hello to my little friend... The Toro 1800 Power Curve Electric Snow Thrower


I found the Toro 1800 after quite a bit of comparison shopping. In fact, Consumer reports rated it as a best buy in 2004 and again in 2006.

According to Consumer Reports:

In our last snow-thrower report, we rated the Toro 1800 Power Curve ($300) as the top electric machine. Able to clear an 18-inch path, it did well at cleaning down to the surface and was very easy to handle. It's best for short, flat driveways and snowfalls of 4 inches or less.

I was a little wary at first as all the neighbors on the block run gas powered snow blowers but that just seemed a bit overkill for our neighborhood. However, after I read the reviews on Amazon.com, I was sold.

One of the best features I found is that it is very light and has an extra handle so you can pick it up to clear steps with ease. Kind of like vacuuming steps with an upright vacuum. Try that with a gas powered monster. I'm glad I didn't get one of the gas powered monsters. Another key feature is that it is powered when you squeeze the handle. So you literally just plug it in, squeeze the handle and go. I have only used it in one big storm now, but I notice that by the time my neighbor had fiddled with his gas powered machine and got it started, I was well on my way to being done with our drive.

The only drawback I found is the power cord takes some getting used to, once you figure out how to manage the power cord it is a breeze.

Granted, it does not have the power of its gas powered older brothers but it gets the job done.