Costco's Snow Thrower Is On Sale – Is It The Solution To Winter Storms?

When winter comes knocking, you might find yourself in need of snow removal more than a couple of times. While snow shovels and bags of ice-melt are nice to have when looking for simple ways to make driveway snow removal easier, a more efficient tool can often be a saving grace, especially when you need to dig yourself out of several inches of snow. This is where a good snow-blower or snow-thrower can come in handy. Costco recently put the Greenworks 80-volt 22-inch snow thrower on sale, which may have you wondering if pulling the trigger and making a purchase would actually be worth it.

As you prep your home for cold weather, snow removal methods should be top of mind. In case you aren't familiar, a snow thrower is slightly different than your traditional snow blower. Both are walk-behind tools that feature wheels and scoop up snow, ejecting it to one side of the machine. A snow blower, however, works in two stages: scooping up snow, then feeding it to an impeller, which blows the collected snow out of the chute. The snow thrower, on the other hand, features a single-stage system that collects snow and sends it directly out of the chute in one motion. The most obvious differences between the two are that a snow thrower is typically a little smaller than a snow blower, and doesn't throw the snow quite as far. With that information in mind, let's take a deeper look at the Greenworks snow thrower to see if it'd be a good fit for your winter storm needs.

Even on sale, the Greenworks snow thrower isn't exactly cheap, so it's important to consider its features before making a purchase. It has a 22-inch-wide clearing path and a maximum clearing depth of 13 inches. It also has a 180-degree rotating chute and a 45-degree adjustable deflector, allowing you to control the distance and direction of the thrown snow. (Snow can be thrown up to 30 feet.) Rather than running on gas, it's battery-powered and includes two batteries and a dual-port charger. This snow thrower also has one Costco-exclusive feature: an adjustable auger speed.

Since the Greenworks snow thrower runs on batteries, one of the biggest considerations is whether the battery will last long enough to complete the task at hand. Unfortunately, Greenworks doesn't list the exact amount of time the batteries last; it only says it can clear a 4- to 6-car driveway in a single charge. The good news is that it comes with two batteries and has an auto-switchover function, so when one battery dies, it will automatically switch to the other.

With that said, this snow thrower would be a great fit for sidewalks and small to mid-sized paved driveways for those who experience snowfalls of 13 inches or less. According to Greenworks' website, a snow blower is a better choice for long driveways, uneven terrain, gravel driveways, or when you need to clear both snow and ice. If you don't think this snow thrower would work for you, one of these top-rated snow blowers to keep your walkways safe this winter might be worth a look.