Is The TikTok-Approved Ryobi Snow Shovel Worth The Splurge? Here's What We Know
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If you live in an area where winter brings the dreaded white stuff, you may be wondering about the best way to remove snow from a driveway. While a snowblower is oftentimes the most popular option, you may not need such a large power tool if your area doesn't receive that much snow in the winter or if your area is small enough to easily clear. In that case, you may prefer a smaller power tool. You may have seen people in your neighborhood or on TikTok making use of the Ryobi power snow shovel. Is this tool worth its price, though? If you can do light shoveling manually, this unit probably isn't worth the splurge. However, if you can't do any shoveling manually or if you can't use a heavy snowblower, this machine will simplify clearing light snow.
It's definitely a snow shoveling device that can speed up the process of removing the white stuff in limited amounts. According to customers posting reviews on Home Depot's website, the Ryobi power shovel is definitely useful for moving fluffy snow, but results can be mixed when it's faced with the wet, heavy stuff. The small Ryobi unit, which costs about $120, has less power in its smaller 18V battery than the larger Ryobi units with their 40V batteries and cost around $300. A few hundred dollars is quite a splurge for something that can't handle 6-inch-plus piles of snow.
What is the Ryobi powered snow shovel and how does it work?
Ryobi is a proven tool brand manufacturer with hundreds of different power tools all powered by batteries. You may recognize this brand with the yellow-green color on its products. Ryobi makes devices like hand saws and drills, as well as outdoor power equipment like battery-powered lawn mowers and snowblowers and snow shovels. Ryobi tools are available for purchase online or exclusively at the Home Depot home improvement stores.
How does this Ryobi power shovel work? The battery spins the auger motor near the ground, causing it to propel the snow upward and forward. The width of the auger determines the clearing path that this brand of powered snow shovel can handle — either 10 or 12 inches.
Within its family of battery-operated snow shovels, Ryobi offers three different versions. The smallest unit has a 10-inch coverage area and it can run for up to 20 minutes on a single charge. The manufacturer also has two versions of a 12-inch shovel that run from a 40V battery, which delivers roughly 45 minutes of power depending on the weight of the snow. The wheelless version costs $299 and you can remove the head to place it on other Ryobi powerhead handles. The wheeled version costs $279 directly from the manufacturer. All three versions claim to be able to clear snow depth of up to 6 inches.
Pros and cons of the Ryobi snow shovel
Generally, the Ryobi device has positive reviews across the Internet, but it's clear the unit has some limitations. According to a Reddit thread, the Ryobi design is not going to handle several inches of the white stuff, especially if the snow is wet and densely packed instead of fluffy and light. However, what it can do is save you from having to bend over repeatedly to lift snow with a shovel. You won't have to bend and lift a shovel manually when you are using this machine, which can be quite stressful on the body, especially for those who don't receive regular exercise.
One of the biggest advantages of the Ryobi powered snow shovel is its lightweight design. The 10-inch model weighs only 12.3 pounds, while the 12-inch model weighs about 17 pounds. This can be a big advantage over a snowblower, which can weigh 100 pounds or more.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of using Ryobi powered shovels is the fact that you cannot direct the snow. The machine can only throw it forward. This means that when working along a long sidewalk or driveway, you may have to throw snow more than once as you move down the path. It doesn't have a directional chute like some snowblowers have. As a comparison, the WEN 12-inch cordless snow shovel (on Amazon for about $125) has small directional blades over the auger that try to help with this problem.