Snow Joe 323E 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 Shovel, Best Snow Blower, Electric Snow Shovel Buying Guide, Electric Snow Shovel Reviews, Snow Blower Buying Guide, Snow Blower Reviews, Snow Joe, Snow Joe Snow Blowers,

Clearing snow from your property all winter long can be a big, tiring job that leaves your back and shoulders sore. This is the case even if you have a fairly small area to keep clear such as a deck or patio, or just a short walk, and it is true even if you live in a region that does not experience very heavy snow fall. Manual snow removal is one of the leading causes of ER visits during the winter, but it doesn’t have to be that way. And you will not have to purchase and expensive, noisy, bulky snow blower to get the job done on a smaller area either. Electric snow shovels, which are compact and lightweight, but do most of the work of throwing snow, are the perfect solution to this dilemma. The Snow Joe 323E can clear light snow fall quickly and efficiently and move up to 400 pounds of snow per minute.

Review Summary

The Snow Joe 323E is an electric snow shovel with overall dimensions of 14.5 x 13.5 x 46 inches and a 13 inch clearance width. It has a cutting depth of 6.5 inches and its powerful 9 amp motor allows the auger to clear up to 400 pounds of snow per minute. This makes it one of the more powerful electric snow shovels of its size, and it is perfect for clearing large decks or medium sized walks quickly and efficiently. It’s compact and relatively lightweight, and it has an ergonomic design and comfortable handle that helps make clearing snow almost enjoyable.

There are a few areas of some concern on this snow shovel, however. It may have difficulty throwing wet, slushy snow the full 25 feet, and it may need a bit more effort on your part under these conditions. It can only go as far as its power cord reaches, and it only throws snow forward, which may present minor problems for some users. It is on the more expensive end of the spectrum for comparably sized electric snow shovels, and some users may find it is a bit difficult to maneuver it. In the Pros and Cons section, I’ll cover all of these points in detail. I’ll also provide a product comparison table, and discuss pricing in depth.

Specifications

The Snow Joe 323E is a manual electric snow shovel with overall dimensions of 14.5 x 13.5 x 46 inches. It has a push button starter and a safety lock key to prevent unauthorized use. It has a 9 amp motor. Its clearance width is a full 13 inches.

The Snow Joe 323E has a snow cut depth of up to 6.5 inches, and it has a capacity of moving up to 400 pounds of snow per minute. It can throw snow up to 25 feet away. Its handle is ergonomically designed for greater comfort, and it weighs just 14.7 pounds. It has a 2 year warranty.

Description

The Snow Joe 323E is a big, powerful electric snow shovel designed to help you quickly and easily clear snow from you deck, driveway or walk with minimal effort on your part. All you have to do is plug it in and guide it back and forth, and the Snow Joe 323E does the rest. It can throw snow up to 25 feet away. It has a 13 inch wide cutting deck so that you can clear snow more efficiently and in fewer passes, which means you will be finished more quickly and back indoors where it is warm sooner. The Snow Joe 323E has a 6.5 inch snow cutting depth, which will allow it to clear most average snow falls without any problems, and it can clear up to 400 pounds of snow per minute. That is one of the higher clearance rates available on an electric snow shovel today.

The Snow Joe 323E is compact and lightweight, and it can be stored indoors in your hall closet or foyer so that it is always readily available whenever it snows. This way you can star clearing snow right out your front door, and not have to worry about slipping on snowy stairs on your way out to the garage. It’s ergonomically designed to reduce back pain and shoulder strain associated with shoveling snow, and it’s quiet and environmentally friendly to boot.

The Snow Joe 323E is one of the more expensive electric snow shovels in its class, but this is due in part to the fact that it has a greater clearance capacity, clearance width and cutting depth height than other models. The extra money may seem like too much up front, but I think it is reasonably priced when you consider what the shovel is capable of. You get all the convenience of a power snow removal system without having to deal with a big, bulky snow blower.

Pros

Almost all of the Pros associated with the Snow Joe 323E have to do with its clearance abilities. This is one of the widest and deepest clearances on an electric snow shovel, and it has a clearance capacity that overall can handle up to 400 pounds per minute. In addition to that, the Snow Joe 323E is compact and lightweight, and it has an ergonomic design to increase comfort while using it and reduce back strain after the fact.

1. 13 inch wide clearing width : The clearance width on the Snow Joe 323E is a full 13 inches, which is one of the widest clearances you can find on an electric snow shovel these days. A wider clearance width allows you to clear snow off of paths or drives in fewer passes and less time, which means you will be back indoors where it is warm that much more quickly. When it’s below zero out, the less time you spend clearing snow, the better.
2. 6.5 inch snow cut depth : The snow cut depth on the Snow Joe 323E is 6.5 inches, which makes it one of the tallest electric snow shovels as well. A taller snow cut depth increases the range of conditions an electric snow shovel can deal with. It means that in the event of serious snow fall, you will not have to be outside over and over again to keep your walkways clear.
3. Clears up to 400 pounds per minute : 400 pounds of snow per minute is a lot, and it places the Snow Joe 323E on the higher end of snow removal capacity for an electric snow shovel. This helps with clearance efficiency, and combined with its clearance width and snow cut depth, makes the Snow Joe 323E one of the biggest and most capable snow shovels you can find today. You can get your walks cleared that much more quickly every time with this shovel.
4. Compact and lightweight : In spite of its ability to clear a lot of snow in broad swaths from your patio, porch, or front walk, the Snow Joe 323E remains fairly compact and lightweight. It has overall dimensions of just 14.5 x 13.5 x 46 inches, which means it will be easy to tuck it away in a hall closet for easy accessibility. And it weighs only 14.7 pounds, which means most users should find it is light enough to easily use.
5. Ergonomically designed for greater comfort : The overall design of the Snow Joe 323E, and the handle in particular, are meant to be as ergonomic and comfortable as possible. A huge reason for switching to an electric snow shovel is to reduce back strain and shoulder pain from shoveling snow, and with the Snow Joe 323E it’s all but eliminated. Also, the handle has a convenient secondary front grip for even easier use and lower shoulder strain.

All of these Pros are great reasons to purchase the Snow Joe 323E on their own, but when you combine them you have got a truly impressive electric snow shovel on your hands. The clearance width, cutting depth and overall clearance capacity alone are enough to draw a very warm review for this shovel, but when you also consider its convenient, compact design, it really stands out when it is compared to its competition.

Cons

There are a few areas in which the Snow Joe 323E is a little less than perfect, though. In spite of its bulky, robust design and its impressive snow clearance capabilities, the Snow Joe 323E may still have trouble with handling wetter, heavier snow. Like many electric snow shovels, it is limited by its power cord, and it only throws snow in one direction: forward. It is more expensive than most electric snow shovels, and some users may find it difficult to use.

1. May struggle with wetter snow : This is a chronic problem with electric snow shovels, even big, robust ones like the Snow Joe 323E. If you are using it to clear slushy, wet snow that is heavier than normal, it may have difficulties. That is not to say that it will not be able to get through it at all, but it may need some extra effort on your part. It also will probably have a hard time throwing heavier snow the full 25 feet.
2. Limited by its power cord : Like all plug in electric snow shovels, the Snow Joe 323E is limited in its overall range by the length of its power cord. That means if you are using it to clear the sidewalk in front of your house or a particularly long walkway, you may have difficulties reaching the end of it. On the other hand, unlike battery powered electric snow shovels, it is not limited by the charge on the battery, and you can run it almost indefinitely.
3. Only throws snow one direction : The design on the Snow Joe 323E, like that of many other electric snow shovels, results in snow only ever being thrown in one direction, in front of the shovel. That means that if you are clearing a walk that is longer than 25 feet, you may find yourself going over the same snow twice, and if you are facing the house, you may be plastering it with snow if you’re too close to it.
4. One of the more expensive shovels : The price tag on the Snow Joe 323E makes it one of the more expensive models available today. While this may dissuade some of my more frugal-minded readers, I should stress that I think the price is, in fact, fair. This is especially true when you consider the clearance width, cutting depth, and pound per minute capacity of this snow shovel. At the same time, if you do not need that kind of performance, you may opt for a cheaper model.
5. May be slightly difficult to maneuver : Because its dimensions make it one of the bigger electric snow shovels out there, and it is on the higher end of the weight range for these machines, some users may find it is a bit difficult to maneuver the Snow Joe 323E. While 14.7 pounds does not sound like a lot, for some older readers, it may prove to be too bulky to use easily. If this is the case for you, I recommend looking for a smaller, lighter model.

I do not think that any one of these Cons points to a major design or manufacturing flaw in the Snow Joe 323E; rather, they are indicative of the kind of job it is intended for. This electric snow shovel is meant to be used on medium jobs, and it is robust enough that it can handle them. Most of its limitations are either common to electric snow shovels or relatively easy to work around, in my opinion, and I do not think they take away too much from its Pros.

Product Comparison

Of course, the best way to get a full picture of any product’s abilities it not only by looking at the individual pros and cons of the machine itself but also to compare it to what else is available on the market today. This way, you not only get a clear picture of what electric snow shovels in general are able to offer but also how a given model stacks up to the competition. The following table compares the Snow Joe 323E with the Greenworks 26012 and the Toro 38361.

	Snow Joe 323E	Greenworks 26012	Toro 38361
Dimensions	14.5 x 13.5 x 46 inches	16 x 12 x 52 inches	15 x 12 x 52 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Motor	9 amp	8 amp	7.5 amp
Clearing Width	13 inches	12 inches	12 inches
Snow Cut Depth	6.5 inches	4 inches	6 inches
Capacity / Minute	Up to 400 pounds	Up to 250 pounds	Up to 300 pounds
Throw Distance	Up to 25 feet	Up to 20 feet	Up to 20 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Weight	14.7 pounds	15 pounds	12.5 pounds
Warranty	2 years	4 years	2 years

As you can see, the Snow Joe 323E has the widest clearing width, the highest cutting depth, and the greatest clearance capacity per minute by far of the three models. It also has the longest throwing distance. It provides all of that and is not even the biggest or heaviest electric snow shovel of the three, either. That distinction goes to the Greenworks model, and it has a snow cut depth of only 4 inches.

Conclusion

The most important considerations to look at when you are shopping for a new electric snow shovel are its clearing width, snow cut depth, and clearance capacity, as these factors will determine how well it will perform under a variety of conditions. Let’s take another look at the Pros and Cons to see whether the Snow Joe 323E provides in these areas.

Conclusion Pros

1. 13 inch wide clearing width.
2. 6.5 inch snow cut depth.
3. Clears up to 400 pounds per minute.
4. Compact and lightweight.
5. Ergonomically designed for greater comfort.

The Snow Joe 323E has a rather wide clearing width, at 13 inches, and a high snow cut depth, at 6.5 inches. It can also clear a whopping 400 pounds of snow per minute. It manages to do all of this in spite of the fact that it is compact and lightweight, as well as ergonomically designed. In the important areas, this shovel hits all the right marks.

Conclusion Cons

1. May struggle with wetter snow.
2. Limited by its power cord.
3. Only throws snow one direction.
4. One of the more expensive shovels.
5. May be slightly difficult to maneuver.

Almost all of the Cons associated with the Snow Joe 323E are either fairly common to electric snow shovels as a whole or else not particularly alarming. While it may struggle with slushy snow, and its range is only as long as its power cord and it only throws snow forward, overall I do not think any of these problems take away significantly from what it has to offer.

Final Word

If you have a small to medium area to keep clear of snow, and you are sick of using a manual snow shovel that will leave your back aching and shoulders sore, but you do not need a bulky, expensive snow blower, an electric snow shovel like the Snow Joe 323E can be the perfect solution. This snow shovel is able to clear snow at a high rate – 400 pounds per minute – and it can cut through a depth of up to 6.5 inches and clear a path that is 13 inches wide. These features allow you to finish clearing a walkway or short driveway quickly and efficiently without breaking your back. And its clearing capacity is contained within a small overall footprint, and the Snow Joe 323E does not weigh a whole lot either. All things considered, I think the Snow Joe 323E is a very solid, robust electric snow shovel that will perform well under a variety of conditions.

Best Price

While the Snow Joe 323E has a price tag that puts it on the higher end of the spectrum, and that may dissuade some of my more frugal readers, I do think it’s worth the cost. Not only is its price still fairly affordable for most of us, what you get for the price is impressive. The Snow Joe 323E has a higher snow clearance capacity, cut depth, and clearance width than most electric snow shovels its size, and it packs all of that into a compact, lightweight package. Overall I think this is a reasonably priced machine considering its abilities and design.