Go electric for a hassle-free winter

Kevin Jeffrey is living the retired life in his Grand Forks, N.D., home. As a photographer, he experienced decades of long hours and extreme environments. He hasn’t put the camera away, but he knows it’s time to start taking it (somewhat) easy.

“My doctor told me, ‘No shoveling anymore. If you’re over 50, you shouldn’t be shoveling,’” he said.

Jeffrey took the advice to heart. He picked up an all-electric cordless snow blower to help conquer his region’s ceaseless snow. The EGO POWER+ snow blower is driven by two rechargeable 56-volt lithium batteries, has a 21-inch clearing width and can throw snow as far as 35 feet.

The reviews of the technology were outstanding and the specs were impressive, but Jeffrey was still slightly skeptical as he brought it home. The skepticism was short-lived.

“I’ve been really happy with this snow blower,” he said. “It’s exceeded my expectations.”

The benefits of the blower stacked up fast. He’s able to store the lightweight and compact machine in his enclosed front porch during the winter, making it easy to grab and go. “You can’t do that with a gas-powered blower,” he said. “It’s going to smell everything up.”

As Jeffrey got ready to clear off his sidewalk, another electric advantage emerged.

“You push a button, push the safety bar, and it’s on. It just goes,” he explained as a quiet hum came off the machine. “And you heard it – it just sounds like a vacuum cleaner. It’s quiet. With gas, the colder it is, the harder it is to start. I’ve had no issues with this.”

With being fume-free, lightweight, easy to start and quiet, electric snow blowers prove that bite doesn’t have to come with bark. Even at single stage (the blowers also come in two-stage options), Jeffrey tears through hardened snow without much effort using his variable-speed control.

A recent blizzard brought drifts of up to a foot in his neighborhood. “I was really excited about using it that time, because I was wondering how it would do in deep snow,” he recalled. “Well, it does amazing.”

The ease and power of the electric snow blower have inspired the homeowner to expand his charged-up garage. He hopes to use the interchangeable EGO battery system with the purchase of an electric leaf blower and lawn mower when the snow melts. But for now, in true North Dakotan form, he’s using his extra energy for good.

“I plan on doing the neighbor’s sidewalks today,” he said with a grin.