Power Smart DB7659A-24 Review

(Rated: 4 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
Check Price
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It is important to make sure you are totally prepared for whatever winter might bring your way. And in addition to winterizing your home, mulching your garden, and getting heavy winter clothes out of the closet, you also have to make sure you are prepared for serious winter storms. You definitely do not want to be caught without the right equipment for clearing snow. And that does not just mean upgrading from an old-fashioned shovel to the first snow blower you can find. You want to be able to rely on your snow blower to handle heavy accumulations of snow over a big area. You want a two stage snow blower like the Power Smart DB7659A-24. This is especially true if you live in a rural area and have unpaved driveways to deal with. But it’s also the case if you have the average suburban paved driveway. The last thing you want is to have a snow blower that can’t get the job done. The Power Smart DB7659A-24 can.

Review Summary

The Power Smart DB7659A-24 is the kind of tough, well designed snow blower that is going to be ready for just about anything that winter can bring your way. It has a clearing with that is going to be able to get a sidewalk cleared in just a single pass, and you will be able to clear the average driveway in about a half a dozen passes. And the Power Smart DB7659A-24 has a snow cut depth that can deal with any accumulation that is up to sixteen inches deep. Best of all, it can remove a high volume of snow in minutes, and thanks to its extra long snow chute, it can throw that snow up to 35 feet away and well clear of even the widest driveways.

The Power Smart DB7659A-24 has a powerful engine backing up all of this great performance. With an above average displacement, the engine packs enough power to drive the Power Smart DB7659A-24 though any kind of snow, including densely packed, icy snow and heavy, slushy snow. You don’t have to hope that Mother Nature has mercy on you and only drops light, powdery snow on your area this winter. With the Power Smart DB7659A-24 you are prepared for anything.

Specifications

The Power Smart DB7659A-24 is a gas-powered, two stage snow blower with a four-cycle engine that has an overhead valve design and a displacement of 208 cubic centimeters. The engine has an electric push button start for cold mornings that is backed up by a recoil starter. It’s guaranteed to start up every time.

The Power Smart DB7659A-24 has a clearance width of two feet and a snow cut depth of sixteen inches. It can throw snow up to 35 feet away through its extra-long snow chute, which can rotate a full 180 degrees. The Power Smart DB7659A-24 has an ergonomically designed handle and big, tough wheels that provide more traction. It weighs just 158 pounds and has overall dimensions of 38 x 28 x 30 inches. It comes with a two year warranty.

Description

When you get the Power Smart DB7659A-24 out of its box, you may be struck by how compact and lightweight it is. But don’t be taken in by its overall size: this is a snow blower that packs a lot of snow removal power into a small space. Even though it is small enough that you will have no problems finding enough room for it in your garage or tool shed, it still has one of the widest clearances you can find on a two stage snow blower. And in spite of the fact that it is constructed almost entirely from durable steel and has an engine with an above average displacement, it is still light enough that you should have no problem maneuvering it around your driveway or getting it over the curb.

That is because the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is a very well designed snow blower. It is sleek and compact, but is still able to clear a high volume of snow quickly. Because it has such a powerful auger and a big impeller fan, both backed up by a high powered engine, it can throw snow up to 35 feet away – almost twice the typical distance for two stage snow blowers. And it has no trouble handling different types of snow, whether that snow is heavy and wet or densely packed and icy.

The Power Smart DB7659A-24 is built not only for performance but also to last for the long term. It is extremely durable, and is impact and rust resistant. This is a snow blower that is going to be clearing your driveway for many years to come. And best of all, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 offers all of these great features while offering a price that is well below average for two stage snow blowers with similar clearance widths. This is a great snow blower.

Pros

There are a lot of outstanding features that make the Power Smart DB7659A-24 such a great snow blower. It has a powerful engine that is built to drive both the rear wheel drive. It is compact and lightweight, but still has a lot of snow removal capability. This is a snow blower that has everything you need to take care of big jobs fast. Let’s take a look at some of its best features.

1. Powerful engine : The engine on the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is what makes all of its other great features possible. At 208 cubic centimeters, the engine has a higher displacement than you typically find on two stage snow blowers. That gives the Power Smart DB7659A-24 more power, and it is because of that power that it can take care of all kinds of different snow and clear heavy accumulations quickly and without breaking stride. Best of all, the engine is going to provide reliable performance for many years.
2. Compact and lightweight : The Power Smart DB7659A-24 weighs just 158 pounds, making it well below average for a two stage snow blower, especially when you consider how powerful its engine is and the fact that almost the whole machine is made of durable steel. That weight is light enough to make it easy to maneuver the Power Smart DB7659A-24 even when the rear wheel drive is not engaged, and it should make it easy to lift over a curb when you have to clear a parking spot in the street.
3. Extra wide clearance : In spite of the fact that the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is one of the smallest and most lightweight two stage snow blowers you can find today, it still has one of the highest clearances out there. At two feet wide, the clearance on the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is going to be big enough that you should be able to clear the average suburban driveway in less than seven or eight passes, which is good news when it’s freezing cold out.
4. Durable parts : And in spite of the fact that the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is so lightweight, it is still a very durably built snow blower. It has an auger that is made of tough welded steel that can power right through any snow on the ground. The frame and body of the Power Smart DB7659A-24 are also made of durable stamped steel that will be rust- and dent-resistant. This is a snow blower that is definitely built to last for the long haul.
5. Great price : Best of all, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 has one of the most competitive prices you can find on a snow blower in its class. But unlike a lot of budget snow blowers, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 does not cut any corners in terms of design or manufacturing. It is still well equipped to handle big, tough jobs without any problems, and you can also count on it to last for the long term without needing repairs or a replacement.

As I am sure you will agree after reading all of those great Pros, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is a snow blower that is ready to handle big jobs that would stop other, less reliable snow blowers in their tracks. With its extra wide clearance and heavy duty auger backed up by a high performance engine, it is going to be able to remove high volumes of snow from big areas fast. This is an outstanding snow blower at a great price.

Cons

In spite of all of its great features, there are a few minor drawbacks to the Power Smart DB7659A-24. For the most part, these are common issues with two stage snow blowers, and for the most part they can be overlooked. This snow blower still manages to provide extremely good snow clearing ability in a small, lightweight package, and it also is one of the few snow blowers that can provide high quality parts and design at such an affordable price.

1. Not CARB compliant : It is next to impossible to find a two stage snow blower that has an engine that can provide real power to the auger and rear wheel drive, but that is also compliant with CARB emissions standards. This is really too bad, because more and more States are starting to enforce those standards, which is going to really limit the number of consumers that get to enjoy the power and performance of a machine like the Power Smart DB7659A-24.
2. Few accessories : There are not very many accessories on the Power Smart DB7659A-24 besides the electric start. It does not have a headlight or the kind of fancy automatic controls or extra forward speeds that a lot of snow blowers have. But in my experience, those are often unnecessary bells and whistles that do not add significantly to the overall ability of the snow blower to get the job done, and instead simply drive up the price to unreasonable levels.
3. One year warranty : The industry standard for warranties on two stage snow blowers is typically two years. The warranty on the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is admittedly short, so you should try to make the most of it by avoiding buying this snow blower in the summer; that way you can at least get more than one winter out of it. But overall, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is so well designed that I do not expect this to be an issue.
4. Leaves a thin layer of snow behind : This is something that is true for just about all two stage snow blowers, but I still think it is important to make sure you are aware of it. Because of the way they are designed, the augers on two stage snow blowers do not make contact with the ground, and as a result they tend to leave a thin layer of snow behind. This is not really a Con, since you can simply put rock salt down to deal with it.
5. Depth is not very high : At just 16 inches, the snow cut depth on the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is not as high as it is on some two stage snow blowers, but for the most part I do not think this will be much of a problem. In all probability, you do not live in a region that gets more than a foot or so of snow at a time, and when you do encounter deeper snow, you can deal with it by attaching drift cutters to the auger housing.

As I think you will probably agree, these are not the kind of serious issues that are going to affect the overall performance or snow removal capability of the Power Smart DB7659A-24 in any real way. For the most part, they are typical limitations that all two stage snow blowers tend to have. And those that aren’t typical are not problems with design or manufacturing. Overall the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is still a great snow blower.

Product Comparison

While you can learn a lot about a given snow blower from Pros and Cons lists like the ones above, they work best when you augment them with some comparison shopping. That way, you can get a good sense of what is typical for a particular class of snow blowers, and you can also see how that snow blower stacks up to models made by the competition. The following table compares the Power Smart DB7659A-24 with two similar snow blowers. Let’s take a look.

	Power Smart DB7659A-24	Snapper 1696001	Snapper 1696003
Type	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
Dimensions	38 x 28 x 30 inches	35.8 x 48.5 x 48.5 inches	35.8 x 50.5 x 50.5 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Engine Manufacturer	Power Smart	Briggs & Stratton	Briggs & Stratton
Engine	208 cc – OHV	250 cc – OHV	305 cc – OHV
2-cycle / 4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle
Drive	Self-propelled	Self-propelled	Self-propelled
Speed Control	4 forward / 2 reverse	6 forward / 2 reverse	6 forward / 2 reverse
Clearing Width	24 inches	27 inches	29 inches
Snow Cut Depth	16 inches	21 inches	23 inches
Throw Distance	Up to 35 feet	Up to 40 feet	Up to 40 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Light	n/a	Halogen Headlight	n/a
Chute Control	Manual 180°	Manual 200°	Manual 200°
Wheels	13-Inch x 4-inch	16-Inch x 5-inch	16-Inch x 5-inch
Weight	158 pounds	265 pounds	265 pounds
Warranty	1 year	2 years	2 years

As you can see, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is smaller and lighter than either of the other snow blowers, but still has a clearance width that is quite comparable to both. While the two Snapper models are big, bulky machines that do have bigger intakes and more powerful engines, unless you are clearing a massive area of a really deep amount of snow, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 should do just fine. And best of all the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is much less expensive than either of the other two snow blowers.

Conclusion

By now you probably have a pretty good idea of whether or not the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is the right snow blower for you. But before you make up your mind to buy it, let’s take one more quick look at the Pros and Cons lists, just to be absolutely sure that this is the best one.

Conclusion Pros

1. Powerful engine.
2. Compact and lightweight.
3. Extra wide clearance.
4. Durable parts.
5. Great price.

The Power Smart DB7659A-24 packs everything you want in a snow blower into a very compact package. It has a powerful engine and one of the wider clearances you can find in a two stage model. It is built durably and can clear a lot of snow fast. Best of all, it has a great price.

Conclusion Cons

1. Not CARB compliant.
2. Few accessories.
3. One year warranty.
4. Leaves a thin layer of snow behind.
5. Depth is not very high.

Those few areas in which the Power Smart DB7659A-24 does fall short of perfect do not really present any major problems as far as I can see. Most of these Cons are typical to two stage snow blowers, and the few that are unique to the Power Smart DB7659A-24 are not serious issues that will affect its ability or performance.

Final Word

You do not have to get a particularly big, heavy snow blower to own a machine that is capable of clearing a high volume of snow quickly and efficiently, and the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is proof of this. This is a machine that packs a lot of snow removal power into a surprisingly small and lightweight package. That shows that it is a very well designed machine: it’s sleek and efficient, without the kind of added weight or bulk that is going to make using it a difficult affair.

The Power Smart DB7659A-24 is the perfect two stage snow blower for homeowners who occasionally get a heavy snow storm during the winter but for the most part are dealing with moderate snow fall. With this machine, you will be able to easily clear your driveway of light as well as heavy accumulations of snow, but you will not have to be struggling with a bulky monster of a machine when conditions do not call for it. This is the perfect compact machine for the average homeowner.

Best Price

And best of all, because it is not a fancy snow blower with lots of unnecessary accessories, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 has a price that is very reasonable. In fact, the Power Smart DB7659A-24 is priced well below most two stage snow blowers, even though it boasts a higher than average clearance width. This is a snow blower that is going to provide lots of snow removal capability this winter, and you will not have to break the bank to get it. And in this economy, that is welcome news no matter who you are. This is a solid snow blower at a great price.