Are Ryobi Snow Blowers Worth Buying?

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Although there is always debate about the best way to remove snow from a driveway, it is hard to argue against a snow blower when there's a thick blanket of the white stuff out front, and you need to get it cleared away as quickly as possible. Cordless snow blowers are available that can match the performance of gas machines, without the environmental damage, and as a result are becoming increasingly popular. Ryobi is one of the leaders in battery-powered tools and, not surprisingly, produces several models of snow blowers. The big question is, are they worth buying?

Ryobi makes both 18V and 40V snow blowers in single- and two-stage configurations. You may want to check which stage is best for your yard first. Clearing widths range from 18 inches to 24 inches, at depths from 13 inches to 21 inches. Ryobi has an interesting method to illustrate run time with most models, using the number of car spaces the tool can clear per charge. For example, the lightweight 18V model can clear between 10 and 20, depending on the size of the battery chosen. Batteries are included: The 18V model needs two, and the 40V models need four.

On the face of it, the performance is competitive, and ratings at Ryobi's website are generally high. However, over at Home Depot (their exclusive distributor), it's not the same story. Ratings as low as 3.7 stars suggest some of Ryobi's snow blowers may not be worth buying due to performance issues. Let's take a look at what customers are saying.

To be fair, there are plenty of owners who are very happy with their Ryobi snowblower. For the 18V Single Stage Cordless Electric Snow Blower, one Home Depot review said, "Our driveway is on a hill and this is where I really appreciated the light weight of this snow blower." Another thought their snow blower was "easy to use and powerful." Across the range there are many more 5- and 4-star ratings than 2- and 1-star. That said, ratings of 3.7 and 3.9 for several models might make many people think twice about purchasing those tools.

Only 74% would recommend the 18V model or the 40V 21-inch version. Poor performance is an issue, particularly with wet snow. "Won't handle 1 inch of slushy wet snow," said one 18V buyer. "Under 4 inches each time and the unit kept stalling," said another. Owners of the 40V model were also disappointed with performance. One said, "You could literally shovel the snow faster than this machine can move it." Reliability could also be an issue.

It seems that Ryobi snow blowers are best in small- to medium-sized yards, but none make our list of best affordable cordless snow blowers for homeowners on a budget. There is a lot of competition. It would be unfair to say that Ryobi's snow blowers are inferior, as there are hundreds of owners who are perfectly satisfied with their purchase. Nevertheless, it's equally true that some owners think they are not worth buying.