DuroStar SD1900 Review

(Rated: 3.9 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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Related pages: Best Electric Snow Blower, Best Snow Blower, DuroStar, DuroStar Snow Blowers, Electric Snow Blower Reviews, Snow Blower Reviews,

These days, there is absolutely no good reason to still be relying on the old-fashioned shovel to keep your driveway clear of snow. That method is time consuming, tedious, and can lead to serious back and shoulder pain: every year about ten thousand Americans visit Emergency Rooms with problems related to shoveling snow. The best thing to do if you have the right kind of driveway is to find a snow blower that is compact, durable, and can get the job done for you quickly.

The DuroStar SD1900 is just that kind of snow blower. Lightweight and compact, it still has the kind of outstanding snow clearing ability that you need to get your driveway free of snow in less time. And it’s a solidly built machine that you can rely on to get the job done. Get rid of your snow shovel already. It’s time for a long overdue upgrade.

Review Summary

The DuroStar SD1900 – nicknamed the Snow Demon – makes the job of clearing snow from your driveway faster, easier, and more fun than ever before. In fact, once you get a DuroStar SD1900 you may even find yourself secretly looking forward to the next big snow storm, just so you can get this little guy out of the garage and set it on a collision course for some serious snow drifts. It is really quite impressive what this snow blower is capable of, and you will be itching to get the opportunity to use it whenever you can.

That is because the DuroStar SD1900 is a really well designed snow blower that has a great snow clearing capacity in spite of its small size. This Snow Demon may not look like a powerful snow blower at first glance, but you should not be fooled by its size. Even though it is fairly compact and does not weigh a whole lot, it can still clear a lot of snow fast. That is exactly what you want in a snow blower: not a lot of fuss, easy to store and maintain, and reliable whenever a real snow storm comes your way. The DuroStar SD1900 is a great snow blower.

Specifications

The DuroStar SD1900 is an electric single-stage snow blower that weighs 42 pounds and has overall dimensions of just 43 x 20.5 x 38 inches. Its ergonomic handle comes off easily so you can store it in smaller spaces. But in spite of its small size, its 14 amp motor gives it some serious power.

That power allows the DuroStar SD1900 to clear up to 900 pounds of snow per minute and throw that snow up to 30 feet. It has a big 19 inch clearance width, and has a snow cut depth of 12 inches. It has compact wheels and an ergonomic handle. It comes with a two year warranty.

Description

When you first get the DuroStar SD1900 out of the box you may be surprised by how small it is. After all, this snow blower only weighs 42 pounds, making it relatively light, and has a footprint that is small enough that you could store it underneath the workbench in your tool shed easily. But don’t let its overall size fool you: the Snow Demon is a machine with some serious power and real snow clearing ability. Putting it together only takes a few minutes, and you barely need tools to do the job: getting the handle attached can be done by hand thanks to a very convenient design. Then, you are all set to see what the DuroStar SD1900 is capable of.

The short answer is: a lot. The DuroStar SD1900 may be compact, but it as a powerful 14-amp motor under the hood that provides enough juice to let the snow blower have a very high clearance capacity. That clearance capacity means that no matter what the conditions are that you’re dealing with, you should not have any problems. Whether the snow is light and fluffy or icy and dense, the DuroStar SD1900 will be able to get through it and clear it from your driveway.

And no matter how wide your driveway might be the DuroStar SD1900 is going to help you get it cleared more quickly. That’s because it has one of the wider clearances you can find on a single-stage electric snow blower, so you will be able to finish the job in fewer passes and less time. And because it is electric, it will never produce any carbon emissions, and it runs very quietly. So even if your neighbors like to sleep in, you will not have to worry about bothering them with this machine. This is one solid little snow blower.

Pros

There is a lot to like on the DuroStar SD1900. It is an affordable, solidly built snow blower that has all of the important features needed to get big jobs done fast. With a 19-inch clearance width and a capacity that is competitive even with gas powered snow blowers, the DuroStar SD1900 has what you need to keep your driveway free of snow all winter long. Not only that, it is made to last for the long term.

1. 19 inch clearing width : The clearance width is one of the most important features on a new snow blower, because it is the one that will determine how quickly you can finish clearing your driveway. And at nineteen inches, the DuroStar SD1900 has a clearance width that is well above average for an electric single-stage snow blower. In fact, that kind of clearance is quite comparable with what a lot of gas powered snow blowers have to offer, too.
2. Serious per-minute capacity : The DuroStar SD1900 can clear up to 900 pounds of snow per minute. That is a lot of snow, and it is one of the highest per-minute clearance capacities you can find on any single-stage snow blower, gas or electric. With that kind of ability, you are going to have no trouble powering through icy drifts just as well as you can powdery snow, regardless of its depth. This clearing capacity is just what you need.
3. Ergonomic and user-friendly : You do not just want your snow blower to be able to take care of big jobs fast. It is just as important to be comfortable while you are doing it. The DuroStar SD1900 has a well-designed ergonomic handle that will protect your back and shoulders from getting strained. And the snow blower is user-friendly enough that anyone will find it easy to operate. It has a push-button start and intuitive controls that make using it a breeze.
4. Lightweight and compact : The DuroStar SD1900 is well designed. You can tell because it packs serious snow clearing ability into a small, lightweight package. Even though it has a twelve inch intake and nineteen inch clearance width, the DuroStar SD1900 still is small enough that you can easily find storage space for it in your garage or tool shed. And because it weighs just 42 pounds, it will be easy for anyone to maneuver it around their driveway with no trouble.
5. Impact resistant body : You want to be able to rely on your snow blower to last for many years, even if you are subjecting it to tough conditions. Because when you are clearing snow, conditions are almost always tough, and you are going to need a machine that will hold up. The DuroStar SD1900 has an impact resistant body and an auger made of tough composite plastic. That means it will have no trouble holding up to tough conditions over the long term.

These are the kinds of features that you need in a snow blower. It should be easy to use, made of tough parts, and pack as much snow clearing capacity into as compact a design as possible. In all of these categories, the DuroStar SD1900 really delivers. Because of that, you know that you will be getting a great machine that will be helping you clear snow quickly and efficiently for many years to come.

Cons

Of course, no snow blower is completely perfect, and the DuroStar SD1900 is no exception to that rule. Because of that there are a few areas in which this snow blower is less than perfect. In spite of these drawbacks, I still think that it is an excellent snow blower with a lot to offer its owner. Still, you should know exactly what you are getting before you buy it. So let’s take a look.

1. May struggle with wet snow : This is a common problem for single-stage electric snow blowers, and even some gas powered snow blowers as well. Wet, slushy snow is much denser and therefore a lot heavier than other kinds of snow. Because of that, even with its outstanding snow clearing capacity, the DuroStar SD1900 may have difficulty moving wet snow. It will be able to do it, but it is going to be a bit slower and may not throw it the full 30 feet.
2. Snow cut depth is 12 inches : In the vast majority of conditions, a twelve inch snow cut depth is going to be more than enough to get the job done. But there are some regions of the United States that routinely experience much deeper accumulations. And even in regions where 12 inches is a rare occurrence, it still does happen occasionally. But for most users, I think a 12 inch snow cut depth should be more than enough to get the job done.
3. Small rear wheels : The small rear wheels do not take away too much from the overall performance of the machine, and to some extent they actually help to make pivoting the DuroStar SD1900 easier. But it would be nice if they were just a bit bigger. This would help give the snow blower a bit more traction on slippery, icy patches, and that would help. Still, this is not a Con that causes serious performance issues in any way.
4. Zero additional accessories : The DuroStar SD1900 is a no-frills kind of snow blower. This is not a bad thing in any case, but it is something to be aware of. On this snow blower you are not going to get any extra accessories like a headlight, hand warmers, or extra controls. But the DuroStar SD1900 is a workhorse, and it is designed for one thing: to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. In these areas it definitely delivers.
5. Manual push drive : Along the theme of being a no-frills machine is the fact that the DuroStar SD1900 is a manual push snow blower. Again, this is not a huge problem. But I think it is something to point out. If your driveway is on an incline, keep in mind that you will be moving all 42 pounds of the DuroStar SD1900 on your own power. But this isn’t really a Con so much as something to be aware of.

As you can see, none of these Cons really presents the kind of serious concerns that would lead me to tell you not to buy this snow blower. If you want a compact, no-frills kind of machine that can keep your driveway clear of snow without costing too much money, the DuroStar SD1900 is the right machine for you. In spite of these drawbacks, it is still a high performance machine that will get the job done.

Product Comparison

I think that Pros and Cons lists are a great way to get familiar with a particular product, and that is part of the reason I always include them in my reviews. But I am also a big advocate of doing comparison shopping, which can give you a better picture of how one snow blower stacks up to similar ones in the same price range. The following table compares the DuroStar SD1900 with two machines made by Snow Joe and Yard Machines.

	DuroStar SD1900	Snow Joe SJ623E	Yard Machines 31C-040-800
Dimensions	43 x 20.5 x 38 inches	45 x 19 x 38 inches	43 x 17 x 35 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Motor	14 amp	15 amp	8 amp
Clearing Width	19 inches	18 inches	12.5 inches
Snow Cut Depth	12 inches	10 inches	6 inches
Capacity / Minute	Up to 900 pounds	Up to 720 pounds	Up to 400 pounds
Throw Distance	Up to 30 feet	Up to 25 feet	Up to 25 feet
Drive	Manual push	Manual push	Manual push
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Chute Control	Handle 180°	Handle 180°	Handle 60°
Wheels	Compact wheels	Compact wheels	Compact wheels
Light	n/a	20 watt halogen	n/a
Weight	42 pounds	34 pounds	27 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years

As you can see, the main thing that separates the DuroStar SD1900 from the other two machines is its snow clearing capacity. At 900 pounds per minute, it simply blows the other two away. The DuroStar SD1900 also has the widest clearance and the highest snow cut depth of the three snow blowers, and throws snow the farthest as well. In spite of this, it is not a whole lot bigger or heavier than either of the other two.

Conclusion

I think that the evidence points to the fact that the DuroStar SD1900 is a really solid snow blower with a lot to offer its owner. But I also think it’s important to be absolutely certain before making a purchase decision. With that in mind, I’d like to take one more look at the Pros and Cons lists.

Conclusion Pros

1. 19 inch clearing width.
2. Serious per-minute capacity.
3. Ergonomic and user-friendly.
4. Lightweight and compact.
5. Impact resistant body.

With a truly impressive clearing width and the kind of high capacity that is rare on electric single-stage snow blowers, the DuroStar SD1900 is definitely a solid machine. It’s also easy to use, compact enough to store easily, and will hold up to wear and tear for many years to come. This is a great snow blower.

Conclusion Cons

1. May struggle with wet snow.
2. Snow cut depth is 12 inches.
3. Small rear wheels.
4. Zero additional accessories.
5. Manual push drive.

While it may struggle with wet snow, this is something that is true for most electric snow blowers, so I don’t think it’s a huge drawback. As for the rest, they don’t point to design flaws so much as the limitations that single-stage snow blowers generally have. So I don’t consider any of these Cons to be very serious.

Final Word

When you are looking for a solid electric snow blower that can fill the primary requirement of keeping your driveway clear all winter long, DuroStar is a company with a great reputation. While the DuroStar SD1900 may not have a lot of additional accessories or other frills, it still has the kind of great design and serious ability that you need to get the job done right.

For that reason, I think that the DuroStar SD1900 is a very good single-stage electric snow blower. It is going to perform reliably over the long term, and if you live in an area where a single-stage snow blower is going to be enough, this is a great one to choose. It has a wider clearance and higher capacity per minute than many similar models, and it is built to last for many years even if it’s subjected to tough conditions. All things considered, this is a very solid snow blower.

Best Price

And one of the best parts of the DuroStar SD1900 is its price tag. It’s really impressive that this snow blower has one of the highest clearance capacities you can find on an electric single-stage snow blower – or gas powered model, for that matter – but it still manages to have a price tag that is more reasonable than many others on the market. You shouldn’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get the kind of real snow clearing ability you will need this winter. And with the DuroStar SD1900, you simply don’t have to. This is a solid snow blower at a really great price.