Snow Joe iON18SB Cordless Snow Blower Review
Today we’ve got a quick review on the Snow Joe iON18SB cordless snowblower. While not a gas blower, the iON18SB is still surprisingly useful. We’ll break down the features and tell what we liked and didn’t like so that you can decide if this is the right snow blower for you!
Snow Joe iON18SB Highlights
Primary selling features of this product that we’d like focus on are as follows:
- 40-volt powered cordless snowblower
- 50 mins of work time per 2-hour charge
- Safety switch to avoid accidental startup
- Adjustable, rotatable chute tanks propels snow 20 feet away at up to 180-degree angles
- Sturdy, rubber-tipped steel auger that can clear an 18 x 10-inch swath of snow with 1 pass
- LED light for night jobs
- Handle is adjustable
What we liked about the Snow Joe iON18SB
While you wouldn’t normally expect a lot from a cordless we were pleasantly surprised. It handled a test run of wet, heavy, and slushy snow at 4 inches deep and cleared it right out just like a gas blower would. The portability of this model is nice as well, as you can resize the handle and store model directly on some deck storage space if you like.
While not as powerful as many gas models, as long as you don’t simply shove it in a deep drift you’ll be fine. Take it slow and if you need to clear the chute a shovel is conveniently included.
The weight of this unit means that you can lift it to those places that you couldn’t cart a heavier gas-powered model and while the 40-50 minute run-time that you get seems short, it was enough time to dig out 2 cars in testing.
Where we felt the Snow Joe iON18SB could use some improvement
The Snow Joe seems to perform at its best the first 10 minutes when you are tackling a deep snow pile. You can work around it a little by doing things 10 minutes at a time, in between charges, and still get a lot done but otherwise, you’ll need to be patient.
Secondly, if dealing with snowplow piles we recommend pushing in briefly, pulling out, and once the blades clear then repeat. It’s the trade-off for the reduced power of cordless but it works.
Pros
- Works well with heavy, wet snow
- Portability benefits
- Slower clearing, but effective
Cons
- Performance reduced after the first 10 minutes
- Dense piles must be handled carefully
In conclusion
While certainly not a juggernaut gas blower, this lithium powered cordless is still useful enough to recommend and it gets the job done. The portability makes for easy, convenient storage and you can reach areas you wouldn’t dare put a heavy gas model on. If you don’t need a ‘monster’ blower then the Snow Joe iON18SB might just be a perfect fit.
