Ryobi Snow Blowers

Ryobi's current 21-inch single-stage (the RY40HPSN02K2 replaced the older push-style 21-inch throwers) leans on one clever trick: the auger is angled to pull the machine forward, so the 51-lb unit crawls ahead like a paddle-drive Toro. With two 8Ah packs on dual active ports it claims more power than a 208cc gas engine and 25 car spaces per charge — owners call that generous. The consistent Home Depot review verdict: terrific under 6 inches, strained past that, with batteries draining fast in wet snow and a 35-foot throw that's really 15-20 feet in slush. Longer-term owners also grumble that the plastic auger paddle ends wear down with no cheap replacement part sold. At $799 with two 8Ah batteries it undercuts EGO's steel-auger SNT2114 kit by $200, and the packs share Ryobi's huge 40V yard-tool ecosystem — the single best reason to pick it. Replacement 8Ah batteries run about $279, so baby the included pair and store them indoors; cold-soaked packs sag hard. Versus a Toro Power Clear 721 gas machine you trade deep-storm stamina for silence and zero maintenance.

Ryobi's Whisper Series 24 is the RY40870 in its current form — a 187-lb two-stage running four 6Ah packs through dual brushless motors, with heated grips, an LED headlight, and a claim of out-powering a 252cc gas engine. It's genuinely quiet, too; the 35%-quieter-than-gas marketing tracks with owners clearing at 5 a.m. without complaints. Runtime is where owners get blunt: Ryobi says up to 45 minutes, reviewers measure closer to 30 under load, and one owner's 120-by-30-foot driveway in a 12-inch storm about exhausted all four packs. The cable-operated chute deflector feels flimsy next to EGO's electronic control and doesn't always lock position, and a handful of units have shut down when the auger engaged — though Ryobi's warranty service earns praise. At $1,799 street ($1,999 direct) it slots between EGO's $1,649 SNT2405, which lacks its heated grips, and the $2,419 SNT2807. Four replacement 6Ah packs at roughly $200 apiece make the battery-fleet math real. Versus an Ariens Classic 24 gas machine you pay about $700 more for silence and no engine to winterize.