WEN 5670 Snow Blaster 20" Electric

This is the quiet workhorse of the sub-$150 tier: a 13-amp motor and 20-inch path that four-thousand-plus Amazon reviewers hold at 4.3 stars, which is remarkable staying power for a design that has barely changed in a decade. In up to 6 inches of dry snow it clears down to pavement and throws a respectable 20 feet, and at 32 lbs your grandmother could actually use it — a real consideration in this category. The compromises are classic corded single-stage: wet or plow-packed snow bogs the motor and shortens the throw to a couple of feet, the 10-inch intake means deep storms need two skims, and the extension-cord dance is genuinely annoying on wide driveways. Against the Snow Joe SJ627E you give up 2 inches of width, 2 amps, and the LED lights (unless you find the 2600202 light-kit version) but save $50-80 and gain Greenworks' 4-year warranty — double Snow Joe's. For sidewalks, patios, and short one-car driveways in a moderate climate, it's the value pick that just works.

The SJ627E is the muscle car of corded snow blowers — a 15-amp motor, a 22-inch steel auger, and a 13-inch intake that out-specs every other plug-in on the market, moving a claimed 840 lbs of snow per minute with zero runtime anxiety because the 'battery' is your house. In 6-10 inches of reasonably dry snow it genuinely embarrasses cordless units costing more, and the dual LEDs plus 180° crank chute round out a spec sheet nothing else corded matches. The honest knocks, per its middling 3.9-star Home Depot average: you're tethered to a 12-gauge extension cord you must choreograph around every pass, wet slush overwhelms the chute and drops the 25-foot throw to a sad arc, and some owners report auger belts and plastic chute parts wearing out after a couple of seasons. Against the cheaper WEN 5670 you're paying roughly $80 more for 2 extra inches of width and a deeper intake. For a 50-foot city driveway near an outlet, it's the most power per dollar in snow removal.

This is Greenworks' answer to the Ego SNT2102, and at around $250 with a 4.0Ah battery and rapid charger it undercuts every serious battery single-stage on the market — which is exactly why it keeps showing up in r/snowblowers budget threads. The brushless motor chews through 4-6 inches of powder without drama, the dual LEDs are genuinely useful, and if you already own Greenworks 80V mower or blower batteries the value gets silly. The honest limits: one 4.0Ah battery is good for roughly a 2-4 car driveway (30-45 minutes) in light snow, and that shrinks fast in the wet cement-grade stuff, where the 20-foot-ish real-world throw drops to a dribble that lands back in your path. Owners also note lithium packs sulk below about 10°F unless stored indoors. It's the right machine for a suburban driveway in a 3-8 inch snowfall climate — buy a second battery, or step up to a two-stage if your plow berm regularly tops a foot.