Top positive review
3 people found this helpful
It's the real deal - just keep realistic expectations
By ChrisNorthJersey on Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2014
Originally after buying this item, we didn't have snow for a while so I assumed like any great snow removal product, buying it ensured that we wouldn't have any snow this winter. Well I guess the honeymoon period is over - we got nailed with serious snow this past week. Having had horrible luck with snowblowers throughout my life, I finally gave in and bought one of these. I've had my eye on it for a few years, but already had a snowblower. When the snowblower broke during the first snow of the season, I finished shoveling, then marched inside and ordered this immediately. It's definitely a well-built tool. I expect it do well against some serious snow. It's intuitive to use and adjusts easily for any height. I'm 6'2" and found a comfortable setting. Putting it together is straightforward, but there's more to put together than you'd probably expect by looking at it. Probably because they fit it into a rather small box to ship considering its size. The wheel frame comes in two halves, which then require the rubber to be attached once the frame is together. The rest is pretty easy if you have a socket wrench set. After a few light snowfalls where the Snow Wolf didn't even flinch, I finally got some serious snow to test it out. So here's the deal... it works great - just like you see in the video. However, like all things - it has its limitations. The so-called "historic" blizzard that dumped over a foot of the light fluffy stuff was no problem. The snow wolf ate through that snow with little effort. It even helped in the hard-to-reach places where I could never get a snowblower before. It took me about a half hour to clear my whole driveway, walkway and steps. And no exhaust fumes! Pretty good. This morning, however, we got good blast of the heavy wet stuff with a nice ice/rain topping. The snow wolf would've worked, but my ability to push and toss large sections was greatly diminished, and it would have taken me much longer. I had to clear it up and get to work, so I gave the snowblower a try and it worked just long enough to clear the driveway. So the moral of the story is - the Snow Wolf is a great tool, but wet heavy snow is still wet heavy snow, and the Snow Wolf is still a shovel. All that said - I never expected to be able to move mountains with the Snow Wolf, so I'll leave it at 5 stars because it truly is the best evolution of the shovel that I've found. As long as you're realistic about what you try to clear with it, you'll be very happy. Aside from this one deep heavy snowfall, the Snow Wolf has handled anything else I've thrown at it. If I were inclined, I could probably have used it today too, but I was in a rush to get out. If I'm feeling athletic, I might try to back patio with it this afternoon when I'm home. Enjoy.
Top critical review
4 people found this helpful
Has Its Limits
By Dr. Ron on Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2013
In the past, I managed my sidewalk in Idaho with a regular snow shovel. Having moved to a much larger lot on a corner with ample sidewalks and driveway, the multi-hour traditional shoveling experience quickly lost its appeal. Yet, I wasn't quite ready to fork out the cost for a full-fledged snow blower. Enter the Snow Wolf/Wovel two winters ago. The innovative design appealed to me as a way to get through shoveling a bit quicker and with less backache than a traditional shovel. The shovel works well. But, two seasons into this, I've now decided to purchase a snow blower. What would cause me to give up on the show wolf? A few points to consider: - The Wolf works much better for wet snow than powdery snow like we have here in Idaho. The powder just fluffs over the edges of the snow basket. For anything more than a dusting, the shovel basket quickly overflows, leaving a nice white line of snow around the cleared path. In my experience, it's necessary to go over the same spot twice--the first time to get the snow, and the second time to get the overflow. - In some sense, while pushing the Wolf along, you are indirectly pushing down on the shovel portion. This works fine until you hit any sort of uneven spot in the sidewalk, like a seam. The Wolf quickly comes to an abrupt stop, usually more quickly than you as the pusher are able to stop. A few times being impaled on the handle is quite enough! - The Wolf doesn't really have the ability to get under layers of ice. The same physics that minimize back exertion also result in a lack of leverage. - Make no mistake, the Wolf is longer than most yard tools you will ever use. It is impossible to maneuver in tight spots, like steps or narrow walkways. Keep your regular shovel for those! - If you get a lot of snow, the mounds of snow at the end of the soiveling paths will tend to build up. In my experience, it's pretty difficult to flick the snow higher than about two feet. If you end up with snow mounds higher than this, the flinging of additional snow is futile. - The Wolf cannot stand up on its own. This may or may not be a big deal. I find it an inconvenience to let the Wolf drop to the ground every time I take a break or talk to a neighbor. - There is a certain fling required to rid the shovel of the snow. I have experienced cases when the ground has been icey, where the flicking motion (coupled with stepping forward to give the snow a forward momentum) has resulted in me slipping on the ice. - There's really only one direction for the snow to flick, and that's forward. That's not always practical, for example when shoveling a long sidewalk. - It's only marginally faster than a regular shovel. I still would not hesitate to recommend the Wolf. Its major selling point is, in my opinion, the decrease in exertion over conventional shovels. I'm sure this has saved a few lives by preventing heart attacks. This can only be a good thing!
Sort by:
Filter by:
By -
Verified Amazon Purchase
Vine Customer Review of Free Product
Sorry, no reviews match your current selections.
Try clearing or changing some filters.Show all reviews
Show more reviews