A healthier, more sustainable way to clear your driveway 

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Over the course of our lives, we have witnessed a plethora of technology breakthroughs … including the introduction of new products and new product categories.  

Oft times these new offerings have been viewed with scepticism or the perception that only the rich can afford them. And then suddenly they become a common household item one can’t imagine doing without.  

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I still vividly remember the time I spoke with a television sales rep who said that wide-screen televisions would never take off due to the lack of demand, programming and the fact most consumers couldn’t afford them. Some prediction. 

Similarly, our perceptions of a healthy lifestyle has evolved dramatically over the years. Dating back to the ’50s, some doctors actually promoted smoking cigarettes to relieve stress. And as inane as it now seems, there were actual smoking sections on planes right up until the early ’90s.  

Which brings me to my prediction regarding how we clear our driveways in the winter … and the fact that much sooner than you think, we’ll all be switching to electric snowblowers.  

Why? Convenience, technology and health are all compelling reasons.  

Convenience, because gas-powered snowblowers are anything but convenient. There’s the drive to and from the gas station. The mixing of gas with oil. The inevitable spills. And ongoing maintenance required. 

Technology, because electric snowblowers have made a remarkable transition from those early days in the ’80s, when they were corded or ran on smaller batteries. Today, thanks to lithium ion batteries, they produce enough power to clear most residential driveways.  

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And health … both from a personal and environmental perspective. Gas-powered snow blowers produce carbon monoxide, particulate matter and nitrogen oxide that not only pollutes the air you breath but your surrounding environment, producing the same amount of pollution in an hour as driving your car for over 500 kilometres. 

All of which explains my personal transition this year to an electric snowblower. I have vivid memories of using a gas-powered snowblower and yes, while it was powerful, the smell and noise was never pleasant. Neither was the fiddling with gas and the primer to get the engine started – sometimes taking several minutes to get the beast going.   

I began thinking about transitioning to an electric snowblower last fall while cutting the grass with my electric-powered mower … which still runs smoothly a decade later. 

My electric lawn tools – the mower, trimmer and blower — are all Ryobi. And based on the longstanding performance of those products and the fact that the same 40-volt batteries could also be used as extras for Ryobi’s snowblowers (also 40-volt) ultimately helped to win me over.  

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Where we live in Fort Erie, it’s either little or no snow, or a monster storm we have to contend with due to the lake effect. So in our case, we opted for the 40-volt, 24-inch, two-stage workhorse model.  

And the top of mind benefits I’ve discovered thus far:  

Convenience The accompanying two 40-volt eight-Ah batteries carry plenty of juice to the point where I can likely clear my (size) driveway two or three times before charging. And charging the batteries sure beats trekking to the local gas station. Popping the batteries in versus fiddling with a gas can in the biting cold while trying to make sure you don’t spill any fuel is a godsend. And as previously mentioned, I have the 40-volt Ryobi batteries I use to cut our lawn as backup … and use the snowblower’s batteries for either my trimmer or blower (too big for the lawn mower) in the summer.  

Performance The machine I’m using embarrassingly throws the snow quite a distance … so much so that I have to work on angling the chute so the snow doesn’t end up in the neighbour’s driveway.  

Maneuverability Electric snowblowers, including the Ryobi machine I’m using, is surprisingly light and easy to manoeuvre before even starting (e.g. to wheel out of the garage) and is self-propelled once it’s up and running.  

Personal health For the first time ever, clearing my drive is a breath of fresh air, because I no longer have to breathe in polluting exhaust. There’s also a “peace of mind” consideration, because unlike gas-powered snowblowers, electric ones – not unlike EVs — are blessedly quiet. 

So whether you’re looking at purchasing your first snowblower or ready to retire your gas one, a word of advice: go electric. Because not unlike our widescreen tvs, they’re here to stay.  

And both your health and Mother Nature will thank you.  

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