Earthwise Power Tools by ALM Sn74016 40-Volt Cordless Electric Snow Shovel, Brushless Motor, 16-Inch Width, 300Lbs/Minute

Overall I am very happy with this electric snow shovel. I live in an apartment and we have two cars; though our property managers handle the plowing, they don't assist in getting our cars out of their parking spaces which we have to do so they can plow the lot. I have a bad back and my wife has a bad knee, so after two years of repeatedly injuring ourselves I decided to give one of these a try. I settled on this one for it's width, the ability to aim the snow, and the fact that it has wheels.I am very impressed with this shovel's capabilities. Today was the third snowstorm I've used it after and it does a remarkable job. I have never run out of battery, though I am only clearing three parking spaces worth of snow at a time. But it does it! Even in snow deeper than they recommend, I've succeeded in getting through the snow, though it takes a couple of extra passes. With Iight fluffy snow like the last storm, it goes through effortless and shoots the snow far. With wet snow like today's, it can't throw it as far, but it does throw it far enough and you have to go more slowly. If you try to go too fast, the motor will get overwhelmed.I do have a couple of negatives, though. In a case of awkward design, if the battery is installed the handle becomes top heavy so it cannot stand up; it just falls right over. That's kind of annoying. At least when the battery is out for charging it can stand upright. Also with the battery, it sometimes doesn't clip in perfectly and it loosens while you are shoveling, so the motor stops. It doesn't happen all of the time, but it's annoying when it does. I also have yet to find a way to buy spare batteries, but to be fair I haven't looked that hard. That's really all I can complain about.This shovel really exceeded my expectations, which weren't that high since a lot of people don't seem to like these cordless electric snow shovels. But it does exactly what I needed it for. We only have a small area to clean, so the battery life isn't an issue for us but of course your mileage will vary. If not for a couple of battery related design flaws, it would be perfect.

The negative reviews here are predictably from people who can't figure out how to use it right.Assembly: The instruction manual is fine and easy to follow. The only thing I wish they would do is somehow label the various screws so you know at a glance which ones to use, especially since they identify them by metric sizes, and we all know most Americans couldn't use the metric system if their lives depended on it. Bag them separately and give them labels like A, B, C, etc. Note the auxiliary handle has a clamp that uses a hex bolt. You must put the hex head of the bolt in the side of the clamp with the hexagonal recess. If the hex recess is on the wrong side for you, take the clamp off and turn it around.Battery: People complaining about the battery cover popping open and the machine stopping aren't installing the battery properly. You MUST push it in hard until the green thumb latch snaps back into place. The latch locks the battery into position. I have never, not even once, had the battery pop out. Same people probably just let doors swing closed behind them then complain the door doesn't lock. As for why the battery is in the handle, you'd never be able to lift it if it was down near the motor. It would be like trying to lift a 20-pound sledgehammer just with two hands at the end away from the hammer head. Some people complain that this won't stand on its own with the heavy battery in the handle. It actually can. Tilt it all the way upright and it will stand fine on its nose, although I wouldn't trust it if there's any kind of strong wind.Wheels: Some complain it's hard to push the wheels through snow. You're not supposed to push them through snow. They're behind the snow thrower, so they're supposed to rest on bare ground that you've cleared.Thumb button: You don't need to hold this in. It's only a safety precaution to start the machine. Press the button and squeeze the hand trigger to start. Once started, release the button and the motor keeps running as long as you keep the trigger squeezed. I actually release the button even before the motor starts, since there's a slight delay of a second or two between the time you squeeze the trigger and the time the motor starts.In terms of actual performance, it works fine for me. I get 40-60 minutes of start/stop use out of a fully charged battery, enough to clear about 2500 square feet of sidewalk and parking lot. I have a second battery, which I think is a good idea for anyone who buys this, although if I manage to drain both batteries, it will take about three hours to recharge the first one for use. I've done deeper snow with it by lifting it to shave off the top of the snow first. I won't lie; it's still not easy, but a darn sight easier than trying to shovel that much snow. And pay attention to what direction the wind is coming from so snow doesn't blow back onto you or the area you're trying to clear. This is a snow thrower, just tossing snow up and forward into the air, not a snowblower with a chute that neatly deposits the snow to the side. The directional vanes don't really help that much, but I didn't expect they would.

I've only used it this past Winter, but we had several snowstorms and a couple were around 10 inches. I am happy to say that I've not experienced the problems others are reporting. I have dropped the handle and the battery has popped out. I just pick them both up and push the battery in until it clicks. Otherwise, the battery hasn't come out unexpectedly. I can shovel my 2-car driveway, the front walk and porch, and the sidewalk in front of my house and still have battery to spare.It was super easy to put together, though I have to tighten the handle on occasion. The safety switch hasn't cause me any issues. You push it in, start the shovel then let go of the safety.The shoot doesn't provide much in the way of directional snow blowing and I haven't gotten the hang of how to direct the snow when coming to the end of a run. I don't want to throw snow on my neighbor's sidewalk. I have figured out to start making passes from the center of the driveway (lengthwise) and work outward to not blow snow on what I've just cleaned.This is a little electric shovel so don't expect it to perform like something gas powered. Do expect to have to make multiple passes in heavy snow.I've only used it this past Winter and will be very, very, very disappointed (and updating this review) if it doesn't start next Winter. For now, I would definitely recommend it, may even upgrade to the 18in that is now available.

This looked like an effective tool in the videos. And it is - but I hit 2 problems right away.The fit of the 2 shaft sections was way too loose and so the powerhead was wobbly. I made a shim of sheet metal to fill the gap (see photo) - better, still not totally solid. The square holes on the upper section, for the bolt head, are punched too low, preventing the upper section from sliding down all the way onto the lower section. I opened them up with a Dremel grinding bit (see photo). NOW I have a solid shaft.Assembly complete, I tried rolling it on the garage floor - immediately that useless battery door flopped down, my knee hit it, and it broke off at the hinges - that cool green plastic snapped like dry twigs (see photo). I went to American Lawn Mower's web site, checked available parts for this model, guess what, the battery door is not among them. I created a support ticket, American Lawn Mowers responded quickly and sent a new door. I've rigged a strap to hold it shut (photo).In actual use, I was impressed . It easily cut into a few inches of somewhat heavy snow and threw it a good distance. It doesn't sound like it has much power, but it does. And its light weight makes it great for clearing entryways and steps.The limitation is that it basically throws snow straight ahead - turning the adjustment knob only alters it a few degrees. That means you pretty much have to work with the wind, and if there's no wind it gets more difficult. Another minor problem is that with the battery installed the tool won't stand in its own, it falls over. Other, similar tools seem to share these issues and they might be tough to avoid in design.It's also too short for a lot of adults (I'm 5' 10"). Pushing down a sidewalk while hunched over is tiring, and looks ridiculous. I'm trying to think of a way to extend the shaft but that will take some doing.It's a useful and if ALM can fix a couple of quality issues and shortcomings it would be a five star product.

I just finished shoveling from our latest storm in the northeast using this. I am compelled to write a review. This is such a great purchase for me. This is the 4th season I have had it. Bought it in November of 2018 and it is still working. The handle in the front cracked last year when the snow was particularly heavy for one storm. But everything, including the original battery, is still working great. I pay under $200 for this. Well-worth the money!I only have a driveway (medium size) to clear. I am 5'3 130lb, not particularly strong. A full-size snow thrower seems too heavy for me to move around. So, I opted for this little machine. It is less powerful than a full-powered snow thrower but it is light and easy to move around. Shoveling has become an easy chore. My back has definitely been thanking me. :) When it is under 10 inches of snow, it works like a snow thrower. It can throw the snow 15-20 feet away. That is important if you have back to back snow storms. For taller snow pile, you just need to angle it up a little (instead of scraping from the bottom) and run through the snow pile a couple times. I use my shovel to topple tall piles if needed. This little machine has worked through all kinds of storm since I have had it, from big snow storms with more 20 inches snow total to icy ones. I am always amazed at how well this little machine can clear that horrible pile at the end of the drive, that iciness dense mess plow truck leaves behind.