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After a few seasons, we're finally getting a snowier winter here in the New York area, which is great if your kids like to go sledding. And not so great if you have to shovel your driveway.
For years, I've either used a regular shovel for accumulations of 1-3 inches, or fired up my snowblower for bigger storms. But what about those times when it's a little too deep for a shovel, but not quite enough for a snowblower? I got my hands on a battery-powered snow shovel, and let me tell you: It's a game-changer.
What the heck is a powered snow shovel?
A battery-powered snow shovel, also known as an electric snow shovel or cordless show shovel, is basically a mini snow blower attached to the end of a long pole. It's about the same length as a regular shovel, but at the business end are a set of blades that spin around (its official name is an auger) and move snow out of the way.
Most of these machines weigh around 15 to 20 pounds, so while they're not as light as a shovel, they're still easy to carry around by hand. Because they throw the snow out in front (or to the side), you simply push it down your driveway, and don't have to lift a heavy snow-filled shovel.
How it worked
On a recent morning, Old Man Winter dropped a few inches of snow on my town. I was just about to bring out my regular old shovel out of the garage when a friend offered me the use of his cordless snow shovel.
I cleared my driveway (about 30 feet by 8 feet) in about 15 minutes, and also made short work of my sidewalk. In fact, I had to take care not to use it while cars were driving by, for fear of pelting them with a man-made mini blizzard.
Never one to pass up the opportunity to try out a new gadget (and save my back in the process), I readily accepted. About a half an hour later, he dropped off the Wild Badger Cordless Snow Shovel, and I went to work on my driveway.
In short: It worked great. I cleared my driveway (about 30 feet by 8 feet) in about 15 minutes, and also made short work of my sidewalk. It was impressively powerful — by the time I reached the bottom of my driveway, it was tossing snow clear across the street. In fact, I had to take care not to use it while cars were driving by, for fear of pelting them with a man-made mini blizzard.
While the snow wasn't particularly deep (about two to three inches), it was pretty wet, especially near the curb, where snow plows had blocked in the driveway.
Because I could simply push it down my driveway, I let gravity do all the work, so I didn't have to really exert myself as I normally would. The results weren't as clean as when using a regular shovel — there still was a very thin sheen of snow left behind — but it was more than clean enough to easily drive over.
Wild Badger says the battery that comes with the shovel should be good for about 40 minutes of use, which seemed accurate in my testing. After about 20 minutes, I had chewed through two out of four bars on the battery indicator.
My only criticism of the Wild Badger snow shovel is that, unlike those from rival companies, it lacks directional fins, so it can only throw snow directly in front, and not to either side. (For example, this model from Greenworks lets you send the snow to the left or the right).
Other reviewers online have also noted that the length of its handle could be a bit short for taller individuals, but as someone who's six feet tall, I didn't have any trouble. I do wish I didn't have to hold down two buttons to use it — my thumb got a bit sore after a while — but that's a minor quibble.
Would I get one of these?
If you live somewhere that gets steady but limited snowfall, a cordless snow shovel could be a handy tool if you want to give your back a break. I could also see this being very handy for individuals who don't have the strength to repeatedly lift shovelfuls of the white stuff.
I was able to clear my driveway in a much shorter amount of time, and I was feeling so jazzed about it that I proceeded to turn the show shovel down the street and clear my neighbor's sidewalk, too. Now, I can't wait for the next storm to arrive.
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