Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 24 Inch Two-Stage Snow Blower Review
Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 24″ Two-Stage Snow Blower RY40870
Ryobi 40V HP Brushless Two-Stage Snow Blower
Manufacturer: Ryobi
Model number: RY40870
Price: $1799
Power source: 40V Battery
Motor size: Brushless
RY40870 Snow Blower Specifications and Features
- Dual brushless motors deliver 2X more power (compared to model RY40890VNM)
- 24″ clearing width & 21″ clearing depth
- All metal variable speed auger for more user control
- All metal 180° directional chute throws snow up to 55′ away
- Hassle free push button start for user convenience
- High intensity LED light bar and headlights for increased visibility
- Variable speed self-propelled for drive speed control
- Heated hand grips
- Includes (4) 40V 6 Ah batteries with (4) active ports for extended runtime & ultimate power
- Dual port rapid charger charges 2 batteries in parallel 4X faster than a standard charger
- 5-year limited tool warranty, 3-year battery warranty
Assembly Required
Normally assembly isn’t a topic in these articles but something like that this requires some assembly makes sense especially for home owners purchasing this snow blower. The snow blower comes in a box shipped on a pallet and does require some assembly. This snow blower took about 45 minutes to full assemble (plus a slight detour).
Essentially the blower chute and the control panel/grips come folding down/detached to make shipping more compact. It’s not overly difficult to assemble, however, you need to figure it out a bit on your own because the directions are a little to be desired. Also, I was missing a couple of nuts for the control handles so a quick trip to the hardware store was needed. With a little patience and a couple wrenches it’s not difficult to assemble.
Powerful and Quiet!
The first question everyone asks about a cordless snow blower is how well can it clear deep snow. Even with a gas powered snow blower that’s a loaded question and depends on the snow (wet heavy snow vs dry light snow). During a recent storm here in New Hampshire we put the RY40870 to the test. This storm featured approximately 8″ of wet heavy snow. You can see the snow blower in action in the photo above where it was having no problem at all chewing through the snow and throwing it just as far as any gas powered blower I’ve used in the past.
One of the things you notice first about cordless outdoor power equipment is the noise…or lack of! The RY40870 is no exception with no gas engine running the only noise is the sound of the auger churning as it chews through the snow. You can easily talk to someone near you without having to shut down the snow blower.
Run-Time
The second question that is definitely going to be asked is how long does it run on a charge. Well that’s a REALLY loaded question again depends greatly on the type and depth of snow. During the storm I started clearing snow with 4 freshly charged batteries. I was able to blow snow for approximately 30 minutes where I cleared out a large area in front of the garage including some snow banks. It’s so hard to quantify the run-time but I felt like it did pretty well considering how heavy the snow was. Based on how it performed I feel like in a moderate storm (6″ to 8″) of dry snow it can do a medium to large sized driveway with 4 fully charged batteries.
Features and Controls
Other than not having to pull a rope to start the snow blower this unit functions exactly like a gas powered blower. Simply push a button while holding down the handle and the auger starts instantaneously. You can easily set the auger and drive speed with simple levers and control the snow chute side to side and up and down with levers just like my gas powered Craftsman.
This snow blower also includes LED lights mounted to the front of the auger housing and also up on top at the control panel. The lights do a great job and definitely throw much more light than what I’m used to on a snow blower.
The Ryobi RY40870 also includes hand warmers which is a really cool feature! Fit and finish on the unit are good and what I would expect from a piece of equipment like this. Yes there are plastic parts on this unit, but my 15 year old gas powered Craftsman also has plastic parts in similar places. Overall I think the unit has all the features you’d expect and it’s built well.
One slight feature I’d like to see them address is the battery housing cover. It’s spring loaded to keep it shut and protect the batteries which is great. However, it’s a pain to hold that cover open while trying to install the heavy large batteries. Basically holding the cover open with one hand and trying to install a battery with the other, sounds easy, but it’s not with gloves on and a heavy battery.
Where To Buy
As Ryobi is exclusively sold at The Home Depot we’re providing a link to it here for your convenience. This blower is certainly a bit more than an average gas snow blower. Decent 24″ gas blowers run around $800-$1000 where this blower costs $1799. Is the extra price worth it? Well if you start considering maintenance, gas, oil, and the frustrations of starting a gas powered engine in the Winter it’s likely a yes for many of you!
Overall Impression – Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 24″ Two-Stage Snow Blower
The Ryobi RY40870 40V HP Brushless 24″ Two-Stage Snow Blower certainly exceeded my expectations and I think that’s a testament to the investment Ryobi has recently made into their outdoor power equipment offerings. Cordless outdoor power equipment is the future for homeowners and the performance speaks for itself. While I’d like to see the run-time be a bit better I think it’s still a great option especially for homeowners that don’t want to hassles of maintaining a small gas engine. If you own more than one 40V HP piece of equipment then owning more than 4 batteries could easily solve the run-time issues and create a really great cordless experience. I’m giving this snow blower a 4 out of 5 stars, why? Well it’s a great snow blower, but there is room for improvement in the run-time and having to find hardware to finish the assembly. The bottom line is if you’re interested in a real two-stage cordless snow blower this is a very good option.
Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 24 Inch Two-Stage Snow Blower Video Review
About the author
Todd Fratzel
Todd Fratzel is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Tool Box Buzz, and the President of Front Steps Media, LLC, a web based media company focused on the Home Improvement and Construction Industry.He is also the Principal Engineer for United Construction Corp., located in Newport, NH. In his capacity at United he oversees the Residential and Commercial Building Division along with all Design-Build projects.He is also the editor of Home Construction & Improvement.
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Great review, will be purchasing this fall
Had a chance to use it?
Use it all the time. Works great.
Home Depot is selling at $1799 not $1299
Yes, they increased the price this year. We reviewed it last year. Thanks for the heads up, we’ve updated the pricing.
I purchased this machine on 1/1/23. By 2/15/23, the machine was inoperable. The motor runs but the auger and impeller fail to turn. Customer service is non existent. The machine is at an authorized service center. However, I have been informed that they are unsure when they will be able to obtain repair parts. Therefore, I will not have a machine for the remainder of the winter season. In the meantime, the snow continues to fall in Utah.
Stay away from this snow blower!
Since we purchased in Jan 2022, we have never been able to get the auger to turn when it is outside and cold (even about 32 degrees). We have to bring it into our house (our garage is unheated) and let it warm up, then the auger will operate when it is taken outside. Is this just a problem with ours? Home Depot sells, but will not service. We’re trying to track down service. Will post again if favorably resolved, because otherwise it is a really good machine for our NH winters.
Definitely something wrong with it. Call Ryobi service directly from their website.
Did you test this in super cold weather? We live in Minnesota and get plenty of temperatures near 0 and negative. I’ve read a few things about the snowblower auger not working in cold temps. Did you experience this?
I used it all last winter and here in NH we have temps from the 20’s down to minus 20 although I can’t recall the exact temps i blew snow. I do keep it in the garage when not in use where it doesn’t drop below 32, and I keep the batteries inside charging. The real issue at times with the batteries is not being able to charge them at extreme cold temps.