EGO Snow Shovel Attachment Makes Lighting Easier
If, like many others, you use a bristle brush or squeegee attachment to clear snow off your yard, deck, and sidewalks, then EGO has the attachment for you! During this year's snow removal season, I had the opportunity to keep abreast of the EGO multi-head snow shovel attachment.
Why Consider the EGO Multi Head Snow Shovel Attachment?
Powered snow shovels fill the gap between big and small jobs. You probably wouldn't use it on a short flight of stairs with light dusting, or a long driveway with heavy snow. But one place this tool really shines is on patios, decks, sidewalks, and driveways in light to moderate snow. This is also how EGO markets it.
With a compact 14-inch overall width and a 12-inch clearing belt, this snow shovel can be mounted on single-brick walkways around the house. If you have a larger single-stage or two-stage snow blower, you can use it to get the job done when you haul it out of the shed.
The EGO 56V system is known for its high quality and convenient features compared to competing models, and my experience with the snow shovel was no exception.
If you hit a few inches of powder snow, the powerful brushless motor can fling soft flakes up to 25 feet. There's an anti-stall system that lets you keep throwing snow. Instead of hitting a lump and stopping abruptly, the motor slows down, grinds it up, and restarts. Only quickly through the thick snow and ice did we really let it stall and come to a full stop. If this happens, you'll need to let go of the trigger and pull it again to spin it back.
At this point, knowing what to expect from this electric snow shovel will make or break the experience. Removing 2-3 inches of dry powdery snow from driveways and decks was a breeze, put a smile on my face, and got the chore done in record time!
However, it is possible to clear 5-6 inches of thick snow and ice from a driveway with the SSA1200, but this is more difficult than with a larger single or two stage snowblower.
Compared to something like a Snow Joe iON 40V Single Stage Paddle Blower, power isn't necessarily an issue as I have them chewing and sinking into the same snow at the same time. But the form of the single stage model supports the weight of the unit, not the person supporting it (aka me). That's a pretty big difference in terms of the physical energy you use (and the subsequent sore back the next day). Of course, this is the case with any attachment system snow shovel.
Pro tip : For clearing heavy snow, it's easier to propel the snow shovel with the battery against your body and use your legs to push forward than relying on your arms and back to get the job done.
run
The convenience of this highly portable snow blower often comes at a price in how much acreage can be cleared on a single charge. EGO claims the SSA1200 will clear 4 inches of snow from a 4-car driveway using a 4.0Ah battery.
Luckily for us, we received 5 inches of snow and ice, so this was a good test of battery stamina. After clearing our entire 4 car driveway, I still have 1 bar of the 4.0Ah battery remaining and no noticeable loss of power.
I was also able to clean up my sidewalks, patios, and decks before I needed to put the batteries back on the charger. It covers all my snow removal needs on a single charge, which is a win in my opinion. I felt it in my lower back the next day, but we'll talk about that later.
EGO Multi Head Snow Shovel Attachment Design Notes
change direction
You can change the direction of the throw by 45° to the right or left using the knob on the top of the unit, which rotates the guide wings on the front of the auger.
The knob only has locking detents in the full left or right position, with a couple of smaller detents in between. So there is flexibility in the direction of the throw, it will stay the same until some harsh transition works one way or another, but it's never been a problem since I only throw the The snow is thrown full.
The toss adjustment is a notable feature compared to some other brands that don't have fins, such as the Ryobi 40V and Hart 40V powered snow shovels. The EGO SSA1200 has a longer throw than the Hart 40V and brushed Ryobi 40V, but has the same throwing specifications as the brushless Ryobi 40V powered snow shovel.
weight
Hard plastic augers, brushless motors, and guide vanes are all great features, but with that comes a cost, and that's weight. The entire system with the 4.0Ah battery, Powerhead and SSA1200 shovel attachment weighs 22.8 lbs on my scale. In comparison, the Ryobi 40V and Hart 40V powered snow shovels weigh in at 17 pounds and 18.4 pounds for the complete system, respectively. That may not seem like much in terms of bars, but most of the weight comes from the shovel itself, which is 12.8 pounds for the EGO.
The weight on the snow shovel is actually good for keeping the auger in the snow and down to the pavement. But since there are no wheels on this contraption, anything the auger doesn't eat will cause an abrupt stop, such as a pavement transition or cement breakage. Picking up this unit every once in a while gives me a fair amount of lower back strain, and a good workout at the end of the day. You can alleviate this by adding EGO's shoulder straps. I highly recommend the SSA1200 if you plan to use it as your primary snow removal tool.
EGO Multi Head Snow Shovel Attachment Prices
If you already own EGO's multi-head system, you can add a snow shovel attachment for $189.00. If you don't, you can buy it as a kit with the powerhead, 4.0Ah battery, and charger for $399.00. Powerheads and accessories are backed by a 5-year warranty.
Note: EGO attachments are not compatible with other attachment systems.
the bottom line
Based on our tests, the EGO Multi-Back Snow Shovel Attachment did a great job of getting things done, like clearing sidewalks, decks and patios with ease.
With the power, quality, and features we've come to expect from an EGO, the SSA1200 has the practical sweet spot for when a broom or blower isn't enough and a full-size snow blower is too big. It outperforms the competition, though that performance comes at the cost of added weight.
If the season's first snowfall or false spring blankets your outdoor space with white blankets, you can easily restore them with this accessory.
Specification
- Platform: EGO POWER+ multi-head system
- Battery: EGO 56V
- Motor: Brushless
- Headroom Width: 12"
- Maximum Throw: 25 feet.
- Cleaning Depth (Auger Size): 6 in.
- Weight: 12.8 lbs.
- RPM: 2000 High/1650 Low RPM