Maztang MT988 Review

(Rated: 3.8 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
Check Price
Related pages: Best Electric Snow Blower, Best Snow Blower, Electric Snow Blower Reviews, Maztang, Maztang Snow Blowers, Snow Blower Reviews,

You have a lot of different options when it comes to picking out the right snow blower for your particular needs, and it is important to make sure you are getting the best one. If you have a smaller, paved driveway and do not get more than a moderate amount of snowfall every winter, a single-stage snow blower is a great option. And within the category of single-stage snow blowers, opting to buy an electric powered model can be a great move.

Electric single-stage snow blowers produce zero emissions at the point of use and are much quieter than gas powered snow blowers. Electric snow blowers are also a lot cheaper to run, and they typically do not need the kind of maintenance and tune-ups that gas snow blowers require, but still deliver comparable performance and clearance capacity. The Maztang MT988 is a great example of a high quality electric single-stage snow blower.

Review Summary

If you live in a region that gets a moderate amount of snow fall during the winter – and by that I mean you rarely have to deal with a snow storm that is dropping more than six or eight inches at a time, a single-stage snow blower can be a great addition to your snow clearing arsenal. I don’t want that statement to give you the impression that single stage snow blowers like the Maztang MT988 are limited to only clearing moderate snow fall. The Maztang MT988 has a ten inch snow cut depth, so it will be able to deal with pretty heavy snow fall, and in the event of a serious blizzard you will simply have to clear the driveway a couple of times, while snow is still accumulating.

The Maztang MT988 is electric, which means it will be a lot better for the environment than a gas powered snow blower will be. It is also going to be much cheaper to run, since gasoline is so much more expensive than electric these days. But in spite of these factors, the Maztang MT988 is still going to be able to provide comparable performance to gas powered single-stage snow blowers. It’s a reliable, high performance machine that has a lot to offer.

Specifications

The Maztang MT988 is an electric single-stage snow blower with a push button start. It weighs just 26 pounds and has small enough dimensions that it will be easy to store and maneuver around the driveway. Its 13.5 amp motor provides the kind of power you need for superior snow clearance.

The Maztang MT988 can clear a high volume of snow for single-stage electric machine – up to 700 pounds per minute. It has a wide clearance and a high enough snow cut depth that it can handle moderate snow fall quickly and efficiently, and it can throw snow up to 30 feet away. It has compact wheels and an ergonomic design.

Description

As soon as you unpack the Maztang MT988 from its box, it will be immediately clear that this is a great snow blower with a lot to offer. It is compact and doesn’t weigh much, and there are not a lot of extraneous bells and whistles on the snow blower, but it’s obviously well built and designed to take care of serious snow clearing jobs quickly and efficiently. The Maztang MT988 comes almost completely put together, and what little other assembly there is can be done in just a few minutes with regular household tools.

And once you have the Maztang MT988 all put together, it is immediately ready to use: you don’t have to add oil or gasoline, or do any of the other things a gas powered snow blower requires. Just plug in the Maztang MT988, press the starter button, and it will start clearing snow right away. The Maztang MT988 is well-equipped to clear a lot of snow fast, too. It has the kind of solidly wide clearance that will allow you to finish a sidewalk in just two passes, and it will make short work of the average suburban driveway, too. And because it has a ten inch high snow cut depth, you should always be ready for whatever winter might bring your way.

The Maztang MT988 has big rear wheels and is ergonomically designed, so even though it is a manual push snow blower, it should be very easy to maneuver around your driveway. This is helped by the fact that the Maztang MT988 weighs less than thirty pounds. But even though it is compact, it is solidly built. The Maztang MT988 is designed to hold up over the long term, and it is backed up by a two year warranty and 30-day buyer guarantee that will protect you should anything go wrong. This is a very solid snow blower.

Pros

When you opt to switch over to an electric snow blower, you do not want to sacrifice anything in terms of power or performance. And with the Maztang MT988, you won’t have to. This snow blower offers all of the convenience of never having to use gasoline again while maintaining a wide clearance and solid intake height. It has a great snow clearing capacity per minute and is designed to be as convenient to use as possible.

1. Solid clearance width and intake height : At eighteen inches, the clearance width on the Maztang MT988 is big enough to ensure that you can finish removing snow from your driveway and sidewalks quickly and efficiently. This machine can clear an entire sidewalk in just two passes. And its ten inch snow cut depth will ensure that you are always prepared for whatever kind of snow fall may come your way. Whether you typically get just a few inches or occasionally more, the Maztang MT988 is prepared.
2. Zero emissions and very quiet : The main advantage to using an electric snow blower is the fact that you are no longer producing any carbon emissions at the point of use, and depending on your power source, you may be producing none at all. That’s more important than ever these days. And there are other advantages to electric as well: not only does it run a lot cleaner, it runs a lot quieter as well. No more worrying about disturbing your neighbors.
3. Large wheels and ergonomic handle : When you have a snow blower that is a manual push design, you want to be sure that it is not too difficult to maneuver it around your driveway, especially if you are negotiating deep snow. And with the Maztang MT988, you will have no problems in this area. It has extra large rear wheels and an ergonomically designed handle. So it will always have the traction you need for icy patches, and you won’t strain your back using it.
4. No maintenance or tune-ups needed : Because the Maztang MT988 is not only an electric snow blower, but one that is ETL certified. That means it has been given the seal of approval of an international body on electrical appliance testing. The Maztang MT988 will run well for many years without ever having to be given a tune-up or have even routine maintenance performed on it. This sets it apart from gas powered models, which routinely need maintenance and parts replacement.
5. High snow clearance capacity : Because it has a powerful 13.5 amp motor, the Maztang MT988 is able to support a snow clearance capacity that is higher than what most other electric snow blowers can offer, as well as above average for single-stage snow blowers as an entire group. At 700 pounds per minute, the Maztang MT988 is quite capable of clearing a lot of snow quickly. That means you will be able to finish the job and be back inside where it’s warm sooner.

Solid clearance width and intake height, high snow clearing capacity, and zero emissions: that is exactly what you want from an electric single-stage snow blower. The Maztang MT988 delivers in every area that really counts, and then goes a bit further: it is also very easy to use, ergonomically designed, and requires no maintenance to keep it running at peak performance. When winter comes knocking with a large amount of snow fall, you want a snow blower like the Maztang MT988 in your garage.

Cons

Now, in spite of the fact that the Maztang MT988 has so many outstanding features to offer its owner, there are still a few areas in which it could stand to have a few minor improvements. Certain Cons, like the first one, are simply a part of owning an electric snow blower, while the rest of them do not take away too much from the overall performance of the Maztang MT988. But let’s take a look.

1. Its range is limited by the power cord : The main drawback associated with owning an electrically powered snow blower is the fact that it will only be able to go as far as its power cord reaches. As a result, if you happen to have a very long driveway, you may encounter some difficulty with reaching the very end of it if you do not have long enough power cords. The upside, of course, is that you never have to worry about running out of gas.
2. Plastic materials are not very durable : The Maztang MT988 is mostly made of plastic parts: the auger and body of the snow blower are plastic, as are the wheels and snow chute, among other parts. While the parts that are made of plastic are constructed from durable composite plastic, which ensures that it will still be able to stand up to moderate use over the long term, it is always better to get steel materials when possible. Still, this isn’t a huge problem.
3. May not throw wet snow 30 feet : While the Maztang MT988 has no problems throwing dry, powdery snow the full 30 feet as advertised, because it is a single-stage snow blower it may struggle to throw wet, slushy snow the full distance. Generally, though, the Maztang MT988 does have enough power to throw slushy snow at least fifteen or twenty feet, which in my experience should be more than enough to get it out of the driveway or sidewalk on just the first try.
4. Limited accessories : It is always nice to find extra bonuses included on a snow blower, such as lights so you can see where you are going on darker days, or drift cutters for knocking down deep snowdrifts. Unfortunately, the Maztang MT988 does not offer any of these extra features, and is generally a rather bare-bones snow blower. Then again, if you do not have super heavy-duty jobs to take care of, you probably won’t need them anyway.
5. Can have difficulty with deep snow : Finally, in spite of the fact that the Maztang MT988 has a ten inch high snow cut depth and a powerful motor, it may have difficulty getting through deeper snow. This includes not just snow that is a lot higher than its intake height, but also drifts that are about ten or twelve inches high. If you do not usually get a lot of really heavy snow in your area, this won’t be a problem, though.

If you are purchasing a snow blower for use in an average-sized suburban driveway and sidewalks, and your region does not get serious, very deep snow fall through the winter, then none of these Cons should really present any major difficulties. They are not design flaws, but simply limitations based on what the Maztang MT988 is meant to deal with. So I do not think that any of them take away from all of the excellent Pros at all.

Product Comparison

You want to be sure that you are getting the very best snow blower for your needs, and because of that, you should not simply review Pros & Cons lists to make sure you’re making the right decision. The best way to make sure you are getting a snow blower that is the best one for your price range is to do some comparison shopping. The following table compares the Maztang MT988 with two similar models.

&nbnbsp;	Maztang MT988	Earthwise SN70018	Snow Joe SJ621
Dimensions	41 x 19 x 39 inches	44 x 18.5 x 41 inches	45 x 19 x 38 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Motor	13.5 amp	13 amp	13.5 amp
Clearing Width	18 inches	18 inches	18 inches
Snow Cut Depth	10 inches	12 inches	10 inches
Capacity / Minute	Up to 700 pounds	Up to 700 pounds	Up to 650 pounds
Throw Distance	Up to 30 feet	Up to 35 feet	Up to 20 feet
Drive	Manual push	Manual push	Manual push
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Chute Control	Handle 180°	Handle 180°	Handle 180°
Wheels	Compact wheels	Compact wheels	Compact wheels
Light	n/a	n/a	20 watt halogen
Weight	26 pounds	35 pounds	33.3 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years

As you can see, while the Maztang MT988 is the smallest and lightest of the three snow blowers, it still manages to provide one of the highest snow clearing capacities and has a very powerful motor. Its snow cut depth is about average for a snow blower of its size, and it has one of the best snow throwing distances. The Snow Joe offers a headlight, but it also weighs more and only throws snow 20 feet.

Conclusion

With an electric single stage snow blower like the Maztang MT988, there is a lot you can get done. But you want to be absolutely certain that this is the right one for you before you go ahead and purchase it. With that in mind, let’s take another quick look at the machine’s Pros and Cons.

Conclusion Pros

1. Solid clearance width and intake height.
2. Zero emissions and very quiet.
3. Large wheels and ergonomic handle.
4. No maintenance or tune-ups needed.
5. High snow clearance capacity.

In terms of all of the most important areas in a new snow blower, the Maztang MT988 really hits every one on the nose: it has the kind of clearance and intake to guarantee a high snow clearance capacity. But it’s also quiet, environmentally friendly, and very easy to use.

Conclusion Cons

1. Its range is limited by the power cord.
2. Plastic materials are not very durable.
3. May not throw wet snow 30 feet.
4. Limited accessories.
5. Can have difficulty with deep snow.

Power cord issues are something every electric snow blower owner has to contend with, and if your driveway is not too long, it won’t be a big problem. Beyond that, while the machine is plastic and doesn’t throw wet snow a full ten yards, overall it is a solid little snow blower that can get the job done.

Final Word

An electric, single-stage snow blower like the Maztang MT988 really has a lot to offer the homeowner who has the right circumstances in which to use it. If you have an average sized driveway, and you live in an area that gets a moderate amount of snow fall through the winter, this machine offers everything you need to keep your property clear of snow fall all winter long.

With the Maztang MT988, you get to abandon your snow shovel, and all of the hassle and backaches associated with using it, for a powerful snow blower. But you also don’t have to get a big, expensive gas powered snow blower, with all of its associated issues, either. The Maztang MT988 has the kind of power and high performance you need without the noise, carbon emissions, and hassle of constant maintenance that a gas powered snow blower would need. This is really a solid little snow blower that can get the job done.

Best Price

One of the best parts of what the Maztang MT988 has to offer is savings. This is not only a solid snow blower that delivers long term performance and ability; it is also a very affordably priced one. Not only are you going to get a lot of savings up front with it, either – the Maztang MT988 also keeps paying for itself year after year. That is because it is energy efficient and inexpensive to operate, and it will never need costly maintenance or tune-ups. This is a great snow blower at an excellent price, and one that really saves you money over the long term.