Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower #38025

For upto 2 feet of snow this is good. What I did like is the easy setup, the instant start, long throw distance, the amount of power that is available (for the $$) and the ease of storage.

What is most annoying is the cable getting in the way. Would probably be asking for too much if I asked for a "cordless" blower though. My best advise on this would be to not buy a cable that is longer than your needs. My driveway is pretty short about 40 feet. I made the mistake of buying a 100 feet cable which is totally unnecessary - its a hassle to move the coil of wire around. 40 or 50 feet would have been great.

Things that can be improved:
1) A 30 or 40 foot cable could have been bundled.
2) The wheels are not too good and can be improved. They are almost useless in snow.
3) Could have been a little less heavy. Not that its too heavy; however its heavier than a snow-rake or shovel.

The most difficult part of snow removal is the edge-of-the- driveway-snow-dumped-there-by-the-city-snow-plough. This forms into a hard mass usually mixed with sand, stones and other dirt. This, the Toro does not easily remove. I had to manually shovel this. DO NOT expect the Toro Powercurve to remove this. You need a more powerful blower to remove the hardened snow.

In places with heavier snow, this may be used as a second blower possibly for the deck or sidewalk where carrying the larger behmoths would be difficult.


The Greatest Invention since the George Foreman Grill   February 15, 2004
Joe Cool (Bronx, NY United States)
81 out of 83 found this review helpful

I live in NYC and I just used this snow thrower during the last nor'easter, in which we received 6 inches of snow. I just got home from work and there were my three neighbors: Mr. Nosey and Mr. and Mrs. Know-it-all half way done shoveling their driveways. "A lot of snow we got, eh, Crab. You got your work cut out for you!" With that the three of them started to smirk. Little did they know I had a secret weapon: The Toro 38025 1800 Power Curve Snow Thrower which I had sent to me under the cover of darkness away from their prying eyes. Tired, cold, hungry and scared, I plugged that bad boy in and off I went. Within 30 minutes, I plowed my driveway to concrete while my snoopy neighbors were still digging away. I guess I got the last laugh. There was no hassle,no fuss, no gas, no oil, no spark plugs. It's also light weight and I was able to lift it and plow a snow drift. It's so small and compact that it takes little space inside my house. Just a caveat: you should spend the 10 extra bucks for the 100' cord. My only regret is that I should have bought the Toro last year!


It's Functional, but Caveat Emptor   November 1, 2005
Sam I Am (USA)
67 out of 69 found this review helpful

I've been using this snowthrower for 5 years now, and it works ok, but has definite limitations. If you have a driveway that's longer than 30 feet, then seriously consider buying a gas-powered one. To me, the hassles of using this snow thrower is balanced by the relatively few days of heavy snow where I live, and also by my dislike of maintaining gas-powered tools. Recommended with reservations.

PROS:
- Lightweight and compact, so can be stored in shed easily.
- Electric, so virtually no maintenance.
- The electric motor is surprisingly powerful.
- Simple to set up and use.
- Works very well with dry, powdery snow.
- Quality construction, and zero problems in past five years.

CONS:
- Lack of torque and lightweight plastic construction means that it cannot handle compacted, icy, or wet snow. (This is when you feel like junking this tool.)
- There should be a mechanism that 'locks' the electric cord connection to the thrower, so that the cord doesn't keep disconnecting.
- The handle should retract and telescope for leverage and also to facilitate storage.
- The tiny plastic wheels must have come from a toy factory. They provide no traction and are merely useless appendages.



Barbie's snowblower beats Ken's gas blower   March 16, 2006
Ask Althea
39 out of 39 found this review helpful

My neighbors are jealous. This is the little red engine that could. I've used it for 2 winters now in the Northeast with no problems. My driveway is 50' long x 20' wide. The sidewalks add another 25' on either side. I use extra long extension cords with no power loss. It takes less time to blow off my driveway than with a gas-powered, manly Ken snowblower. It cleared last winter's blizzard (the New Year's blizzard with knee deep snow) in less than an hour. Even though this little blower vanished into the deep snow, it blew it all out into huge mounds. Sometimes the cord is a hassle, but not enough to force me to buy a he-man snowblower. It is light enough that I lift it by its top handle to blow off the front porch. Because of its lightweight, I lift it to blow out what the city plows in at the end of my driveway by taking 'bites' out of the snow mounds kindly left at the end of my driveway. Before, I would call the city to come back and plow out what they plowed in because I had to do it all by hand (which they would do, I love my hometown). This Toro handles both light and heavy snow well. Assembly took 10 minutes for this Barbie, meaning a couple of bolts and snap-on parts. Instructions were crystal clear (pictures, no words needed). Wheel freezing is a problem, so I retrofitted some small knobby wheels on it, et voila - traction and problem solved. Light enough that it hangs from a hook in the garage. Thank you, Toro!