Product Preview: Toro Power Clear 180 gas-powered snow blower

If you're in the market for a new snow blower—perhaps one tested for our October 2009 report on snow blowers (like our full ratings, available to subscribers)—you probably don't want to wait too long to buy one. One morning soon enough you'll wake up to find your driveway and walks blanketed by a thick layer of snow that needs removal. Just ask the folks in Colorado who were recently greeted by a major snowstorm.

At the 2009 Green Industry and Equipment Expo, outdoor-power-equipment makers announced many new electric- and gas-powered snow blowers, one of which in particular caught my eye: the Toro Power Clear 180 (shown), which costs about $400 and is sold at Toro dealers and some Home Depot stores. The 180 is one of several Power Clear models Toro announced, and we hope to provide our first impressions of it soon.

The single-stage, gas-powered Toro Power Clear 180 replaces the Toro CCR Powerlite 38182, which we had judged a Don't Buy: Safety Risk because it and the similar 38172 lacked a key safety feature, a handlebar control to stop the auger when released. The Power Clear has a bail that stops the engine as per a voluntary industry safety standard, and releasing it should eliminate the safety risk associated with the 38182/38172. (The company has discontinued the 38182 and 38172, though they might still be available through some online retailers and on eBay.)

The Power Clear 180 has some other enhancements over the 38182/38172. It's powered by a four-cycle overhead-valve engine and provides an 18-inch clearing width, 2 inches wider than that of the 38182/38172. As with other single-stage snow blowers, the design of the Power Clear keeps the blades in contact with the ground, propelling the unit, and this model has a locking deflector on the chute, which means the snow leaving the chute stays at the set height. Finally, both the chute and handle on the Power Clear fold down for easier storage.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Check out our free buyer's guide to snow blowers for more details. And to find the right model for your home, use our interactive feature "Snow Blowers: Which Is Right for You?"