I tested DeWalt’s electric snow blower over the weekend – it put my gas model in the dirt

DeWalt 60V Max snow thrower

 on Google.

---

Living in Cleveland, winters can be brutal with lake-effect snow and frigid temperatures. So in the winter of 2021, I bought myself a Troy-Bilt Storm 2420 shone like a beacon of hope from the back of my garage. 

The DeWalt 60V Max appears to be sold out at Home Depot, but is available at Ace Hardware.

Other single-stage models have manual chute controls. Which means that if you need to change the direction your debris is thrown, you have to stop what you’re doing, shut off the unit, and then adjust the chute. And you have to do this every time you want to move the chute, which can be an annoyance at best, but a nightmare if you’re trying to work in the wind or bitter cold. 

Also: The best extreme weather tech: Top gear for snowstorm power outages

The DeWalt 60V Max features convenient paddle triggers for controlling chute rotation, letting you instantly maneuver debris downwind and away from you. You still have to manually adjust the chute’s ejection angle, but it’s pretty much a “set and forget” adjustment.  

As for power, the model comes with two 60V batteries and chargers, letting you go from assembly — which only takes a few moments — to use in just a few hours. The control panel features battery-level indicator LEDs for each battery, letting you check how much power you have at a glance. DeWalt claims the 60V Max can clear a 32-car driveway on a full charge, and I’m highly inclined to believe them. 

I have a typical suburban driveway that comfortably fits six vehicles and about 200 feet of sidewalk to maintain. With both batteries charged, I was able to fully clear my driveway and sidewalk sections twice, which was about 45 minutes of run time altogether, before I’d even drained half their power. 

And since I had so much extra power, I did what any other Midwesterner would do: I cleared as many of my neighbors’ sidewalks and driveways as I could. I was able to clear the entire sidewalk on our side of the street, as well as two of the three driveways, before I needed to walk back to my own home to recharge the batteries.  

Also: How to choose a snow blower: Ultimate buying guide for winter days ahead

The DeWalt 60V Max has three power modes, including an eco-friendly battery-saver option, so your runtime may vary depending on the mode you use. The power modes can also be used to adjust your chute speed for handling heavier or drier snow. The eco-friendly mode works well with fresh powder for when you need to quickly clear areas, while the heavy-duty mode is great for wet, heavy snow, and thin layers of sleet and freezing rain.