Toro 60V Power Clear e21

The 721 E has quietly become the default 'just buy the Toro' answer for paved driveways - 1,800+ reviews averaging 4.5 stars and a decade of the 212cc four-stroke proving itself. It throws snow up to 35 feet, starts with a push-button (via 120V cord) or first pull, and the Power Propel paddle drive pulls itself forward hard enough that you're steering more than pushing. The Quick Chute lever spins the 210-degree chute without stopping, and unlike the two-strokes of old there's no gas-oil mixing. Owners' complaints are specific: the chute lever is short and awkward for some hands, single-stage paddles ride up on hardpack and can't touch gravel, and a foot-deep wet storm means slow, half-width bites. Early units had scattered reports of the exhaust cooking a control cable, largely sorted in later production. Honda's exit from US snow blowers removed its only real single-stage rival, so at $799 the 721 E mostly competes with its big brother 821 QZE - buy the 721 if your snow is usually under 9 inches and your driveway holds four cars or fewer.

Toro's entry-level gas single-stage is the machine r/snowblowers recommends when someone's back gives out but their budget hasn't recovered: about $609, 58 pounds, and a 99cc Toro Premium OHV four-stroke that starts with a push-button (plug in an extension cord) or a single pull. The party trick is the Power Curve rotor - the curved rubber paddles scrape clean to pavement and actually pull the machine forward, so there's no drive system to maintain and no pushing to speak of. Owners love that it stores upright in a closet-sized footprint and tosses powder a legit 25 feet. The honest knocks: the chute handle lives on the chute, so you're reaching down to redirect mid-pass; 12 inches of intake height disappears fast in a real dump; and wet end-of-driveway slop will stall your progress if you take full bites. Against Ariens' Path-Pro 208E it gives up 100cc but costs less, weighs less, and carries a 4.5-star average across 1,600+ Ace Hardware reviews. For a two-car paved driveway in a normal-snow city, this is the sane default.

This is the biggest engine anyone puts in a single-stage - a 252cc Toro Premium OHV in a 95-pound, 21-inch machine - and it exists for people who want two-stage punch without two-stage bulk. Forum consensus on the 821-vs-721 question is refreshingly honest: it won't clear anything the 721 can't, but it's noticeably quicker through deep, dense snow and hurls slush up to 40 feet instead of dribbling it. The Power Propel paddles yank it forward aggressively (feather your grip on ice), electric start is push-button with a cord, and the Zip Deflector flips throw height with a palm tap. Knocks from the 631 owner reviews averaging 4.5 stars: it's front-heavy for a single-stage, the chute handle still requires a reach, and at $999 you're within sight of a real two-stage Power Max 824 on sale. Still no gravel, still 12.5 inches of intake. Buy it for wide city driveways with heavy plow drool at the curb; skip it if your snow is fluffy and occasional - the 721 does that job for $200 less.