On the forecast, after a month of rather unseasonably warm December weather, there was finally a storm brewing over the weekend. I had the Dewalt 60V Max Single-Stage Snow Blower sitting in the box for a month, just waiting to show me what it could do. The first snowstorm we received at the beginning of the weekend was a good test run - a solid four inches of powdery snow that seemed like it would be in the wheelhouse of a battery-powered single-stage snow blower. On Sunday morning, I woke up to a fresh eight inches of snow overnight. With this much snow available, I was curious to find out if this Dewalt Snow Blower would be the best snow blower for the job. After the combination of the two storms, there was enough snow in the mouth of my driveway that it crossed my mind: is a snow plow worth it? I couldn’t wait to find out.
I tested the Dewalt 60V Max Single-Stage Snow Blower over a weekend, which resulted in over a foot of total snowfall. I tested the snow blower to remove about four inches of snow to clear my entire property, including my driveway, sidewalks, and backyard patio. I also tested how well it did, clearing about eight inches of snow on my walkways after another night of heavy snowfall. I also tested the battery life by timing how long the machine would last during normal use, how far the machine tossed snow, maneuverability, and how loud the machine was.
After a weekend that seemed like all I did was remove snow from my driveways and sidewalks, I have a clear picture of whether you should add this battery-powered snow blower to your winter clearing arsenal. Read on to find out.
Jonathan Knoder is a versatile freelance writer and editor with a passion for audio gear and smart home technology. His work has been featured in various publications, and he enjoys playing musical instruments with his dog and golfing in his free time. Jonathan recently tested a snow blower in snowy Utah to assess its performance.
DEWALT DCSNP2142B: Key specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 |
| Type | Single Stage |
| Clearing width | 21 inches |
| Intake height | 13 inches |
| Drive system | Push |
| Throwing Distance | 20 feet |
| Weight | 81 lbs |
DEWALT DCSNP2142B: Price & availability
The Dewalt 60V Max Single-Stage Snow Blower has a list price of $999.00 across most retailers.
That price includes that snow blower, two battery packs, and two chargers. It’s available to buy directly from DeWalt (both the kit and a tool-only version) and through resellers such as The Home Depot, Acme Tools, and Ace Hardware.
If there is one knock on this snow blower, it is the price; it’s expensive. Many battery-powered single-stage snow blowers range between roughly $250 and $700, so this one certainly leans toward the higher end of the price range.
DEWALT DCSNP2142B: Setup
One of the first things that I noticed about this battery-powered snow blower compared to other ones I have tested was that the auger was metal. To this point, all other single-stage, battery-powered snow blowers I have tested feature plastic augers. Metal augers are more durable and visually represent that this snow blower was not built like other battery-operated ones.
Another first impression I had when assembling the machine (which only takes about five minutes) was that there wasn’t a handle to rotate the chute manually. Instead, you have two paddle-shifter-like controls (like you would see on the steering wheel of some cars) that rotate the chute left and right. This was an amazingly convenient feature, but more on that in our design and performance sections.
Even with the metal augers, which did add a little bit of weight to the machine, the snow blower remained lightweight and easy to maneuver around. When you’re all done, the handle quickly and easily folds forward for more compact storage. I thought that was a nice touch.
DEWALT DCSNP2142B: Design
I was pleased to see metal augers in the machine's mouth. From a durability perspective, with proper care and maintenance, these augers will last longer than their plastic counterparts. In terms of performance, which we’ll discuss in the next section, I believe it helped cut through the snow with great results.
One particular stroke of genius is the two-way electric chute control, or as I have been describing it, the paddle shifters. What is especially nice about this design and placement is that you never need to take either hand off the handle. You can continue to push the snow blower and adjust the chute simultaneously. So, you can adjust the chute when you’re turning in one direction or another to start a new pass. This ultimately saves a lot of time.
Two batteries power the machine, although the manual says that in a pinch, one can operate the machine (of course, run time significantly drops with one battery). A button on the handle also changes how much power the snow blower uses. There’s a plus for extra power and a leaf for an “eco” mode. Extra power mode can come in handy if the snow is a little wetter, or on a partially light snow day, you can use the eco mode to quickly remove snow without wasting battery power.
DEWALT DCSNP2142B: Performance
The first time I used the snow blower to clear my property, roughly four inches of fresh snow were on the ground. My property consists of a two-car driveway with an additional cement parking space to the left of the driveway. I live on a corner lot, so we have two sidewalks to clear—about 150 to 180 feet of sidewalk—a walkway to our front door and a back patio that is roughly 25 feet long by 15 feet wide. It’s a lot of area to clear.
The Dewalt 60V Max Single-Stage Snow Blower didn’t have any issues picking up and removing snow. It never once stalled or powered off because the snow was too thick or heavy to throw, which was a common issue with other battery-powered snow blowers I’ve tested in the past. It plowed right on through.
We’ve discussed using a snowblower and the most efficient way to remove snow from your property. My property is a little different. I can’t throw snow on both sides of my driveway because I would be tossing snow directly into my neighbor’s driveway, and that wouldn’t be cool. Because of this, I have to move the chute often. And this is where the electric two-way chute adjusters shined for me.
With the chute adjusters, I could make a pass. As I turned to make a new pass, I would simultaneously adjust the chute while I was turning, so when I was ready to start again, the chute would be pointing in the correct direction and stopping and twisting the chute handle after every pass unnecessarily. This saved me a ton of time and kept me non-stop removing snow.
The paddles don’t adjust how high you can toss the snow. That is adjusted on the chute itself, but I typically had it set to the highest and farthest possible setting, so that was never too inconvenient. The manufacturer lists that it can toss snow up to 40 feet. In my experience, that number is closer to 15-20 feet. I successfully tossed snow from the leftmost side of my driveway to the grass, which is about 18 or so feet. Anything further than that, and I was just tossing snow back into my driveway.
I removed snow from my entire property after about 30 minutes. After that time, I still had close to half of the battery life left. I was impressed, considering other battery-powered snow blowers I had tested were either dead or almost dead by this point. It continued to snow that day, so a few hours later, I removed the Dewalt and cleared my property until the batteries finally gave way. I squeezed roughly 54 minutes of battery life from the machine, which was 9 minutes better than the 45 minutes listed by Dewalt.
A day later, we got a huge dumping of snow overnight, roughly eight inches. I was curious about what the Dewalt would do with that snow. I used it to clear our front sidewalk. It did great. It was able to pick up and throw the snow with no issue. The only real nitpick is the lack of any self-propelling mechanism.
With snow that deep and heavy, manually pushing the snowblower forward through the snow began to get taxing. It was difficult to walk behind the blower at a smooth pace. You need to put real effort into pushing. Ideally, you probably don’t want to remove more than five to six inches of snow at a time with this machine, although it can remove more if needed, which is impressive.
The operation is quiet as well. Using a decibel reader to measure where I was standing, the machine only made about 75 dB of sound. When measured by the motor, it made about 80 dB of sound. For reference, 80 dB is about the noise level of a noisy restaurant—ultimately, it is not bad for a power tool.
DEWALT DCSNP2142B: Maintenance
If you want to reduce maintenance, a battery-powered snow blower is the way. You don’t have to worry about gas going stale in the motor or checking the oil. For the most part, you're pretty golden as long as you keep your batteries charged and stored in a room-temperature area.
Before I started spraying, as I do with all my snow blowers, I used a silicone spray on the augers inside the mouth of the snow blower and chute. This helps prevent snow from sticking. If the snow gets stuck while operating, turn off the motor, remove the key, and use a chute cleaner or broomstick to remove the snow. Never put your hand inside of the snow blower. After finishing the job, I quickly took a small brush and towel to brush off any excess snow and dried the machine. Keeping the machine dry will help prevent rust from forming on any of the bolts or the augers.
After the snow season ends, I will use a rust breaker and preventer and spray it on the scraper, augers, and bolts. I will also coat the mouth and chute with the silicone spray to form a moisture barrier and store the batteries inside my home until next season.
Would I buy the DEWALT DCSNP2142B?
The Dewalt 60V Max Single-Stage Snow Blower impresses with its durable metal augers and user-friendly design. Its easy use, quick assembly, and intuitive features make snow clearing a breeze. While it lacks a self-propelling mechanism, its lightweight build and dual batteries ensure sufficient power for most jobs.
In light snow, it effortlessly clears driveways and sidewalks with smooth auger action and convenient chute control. Heavy snow requires more effort but performs admirably, handling more than its recommended capacity. The clearing width and depth are suitable for residential use, although the snow-throwing distance may be less than advertised.
| Attribute | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | lightweight and easy to maneuver; foldable handle for storage; two-way electric chute control; lack of a self-propelling mechanism | 8/10 |
| Light Snow | performs excellently in light snow conditions, easily clearing four inches of snow without stalling or powering off; ability to handle a large area efficiently | 9/10 |
| Heavy Snow | can handle heavy snow up to eight inches; requires significant manual effort to push through deeper and heavier snow | 7/10 |
| Clearing Width and Depth | uitable for most residential needs, effectively handling typical snowfall depths; ability to throw snow up to 15-20 feet is adequate, though it falls short of the manufacturer's claim of 40 feet | 8/10 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How does the DEWALT DCSNP2142B compare?
I tested the Snow Joe 48V Max Cordless Snow Blower during this same winter season. The Dewalt has metal augers compared to the plastic Snow Joe augers, and the Dewalt has better battery life. I removed snow for over 50 minutes with the Dewalt, while the Snow Joe started to lose power after 27 minutes. The Dewalt is more expensive than the Snow Joe, so that could be a determining factor if you’re looking to save a few bucks and have a smaller area to clear.
The Dewalt is a better-performing machine than the Greenworks Elite Sn-200-T, another battery-powered model I tested. I never had any issue with the scraper catching and getting stuck on the ground, as I did with the Greenworks model, and the Dewalt had better power and battery life.
When compared to the gas-powered Toro Power Max 824 OE 24-inch Snow Blower, the Dewalt has better maneuverability but is obviously nowhere near the snow-clearing power or throwing ability of a two-stage snow blower. I wouldn't try to tackle snow plowed into the mouth of your driveway with the Dewalt, which was easy work for the Toro. But the Dewalt Snow Blower is about $300 cheaper and removes plenty of snow.
How I tested the DEWALT DCSNP2142B
I tested the snow blower over a weekend of heavy snowfall, where we received over a foot of snow in two days. I removed snow from my driveways, walkways, and patio. I measured how far the snow blower threw snow, its loudness during operation, and how long the batteries lasted during normal use.
I used the snow blower normally on its normal power setting for the battery testing. I completed all my snow-blowing needs well before the battery ran out. I stopped the timer until enough snow had accumulated again, and I went back out and removed more snow until the batteries were completely drained.
I adjusted the chute to its maximum throwing distance to measure how far the snow blower tossed snow. After making a pass parallel to the area where it was tossing snow, I took a tape measure and measured the distance where most of the snow was being tossed.
For engine volume, I used a decibel meter app on my phone. I measured loudness while standing behind the machine during operation and took a second measurement by the engine.
Find out more about how we test.
