WEN 5670 Snow Blaster 20" Electric

20" wide · 20 ft throw · 32 lb

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.

Best for Budget buyers with sidewalks or a short one-car driveway who want the most reliable sub-$150 electric on the market.

22" wide · 25 ft throw · 35 lb

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.

Best for Owners of short urban driveways and long sidewalks within cord range who want maximum snow-moving power for around $200.

20" wide · 80V, 1×4.0Ah battery · 34 lb

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 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.

Best for Suburban homeowners with a 2-4 car driveway who want quiet cordless clearing and may already own Greenworks 80V batteries.

18" wide · 48V (2×24V), 2×4.0Ah batteries · 38 lb

Snow Joe's bread-and-butter cordless kit runs two 24V packs together for 48 volts feeding a 1200W brushless motor, and the pitch — up to 14 tons of snow per charge — mostly holds up as long as the snow is the light, fluffy kind. In 3-6 inches of powder it clears an 18-inch path down to pavement and feels almost effortless at 38 lbs; sidewalks, patios, and one- to two-car driveways are its natural habitat. The catches are the same ones owners flag at Lowe's and in the forums: roughly 30 minutes of real runtime, a 20-foot best-case throw that collapses in wet snow, and slush that packs the small chute until you stop and clear it. Against the Greenworks 80V 20-inch it gives up width and throw but costs about the same with two batteries instead of one, and Snow Joe's 24V packs share with their mowers and trimmers. Skip it in lake-effect country; for a Mid-Atlantic sidewalk-and-driveway routine it's a sensible, genuinely cheap-to-run pick.

Best for Townhouse and small-driveway owners in moderate snow climates who want the lightest credible cordless snow blower.

20" wide · 60V brushless · 34 lb

Greenworks runs two battery platforms and this is the 60V one, sitting below the 80V machines already in this catalog. Ten inches of intake and 34 lb put it firmly in sidewalk-and-deck territory rather than driveway duty — it is closer to a powered shovel than to the 80V 24-inch two-stage. Worth buying only if the 60V batteries are already in the garage; if you are starting fresh, the 80V line is the better platform to enter.

Best for Decks, sidewalks, steps and short paved paths, for someone already on the Greenworks 60V platform.

21" wide · 25 ft throw · 95 lb

The SB230 is the budget-gas archetype: a 123cc 4-cycle OHV engine (no oil-gas mixing), push-button electric start so you skip cold-morning pull-cord roulette, and a 21x13-inch mouth that shrugs off the wet, heavy 6-8-inch storms that stall corded and battery single-stages — all for about $549, roughly half what a Toro Power Clear 721 E commands. Built by MTD in Tupelo, Mississippi, it's mechanically simple and the auger-assist pull genuinely lightens the pushing. The honest knocks from Lowe's owner feedback: out-of-box quality control is hit-or-miss (missing hardware, loose parts, and dead electric starters show up in reviews), the ~25-foot real-world throw trails a Toro's, chute parts are polypropylene, and finding warranty service for MTD-built Craftsman gear can be a runaround despite the 3-year coverage. There's no headlight either. If you get a good unit — most people do — it's years of cheap, gas-grade clearing for one-car driveways in serious snow; picky buyers should spend up for the Toro.

Best for Budget-minded buyers in real snow country who need gas-engine grunt for a one- or two-car driveway without paying Toro prices.