Snow Joe 324E Review

(Rated: 3.5 / 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,

Winter snow fall can be a lot of fun, especially if you have kids: snowmen, snow forts, snow angels and sledding are all wonderful parts of winter. The same is true for watching snow quietly accumulate while you’re bundled up and warm indoors. Winter snow fall would be great except for one aspect of it: we all have to clear it from our driveways, porches, and walks if we don’t want to be snowed in over the winter. And shoveling snow is a serious chore that can leave our backs aching and shoulders sore. The obvious alternative – snow blowers – are expensive and bulky, and aren’t really necessary if you just have a short walk or narrow driveway. Fortunately, there is a compromise: electric snow shovels. These machines are lightweight and compact, and take much of the work out of shoveling snow. The Snow Joe 324E provides all these advantages, and has a few extra perks of its own.

Review Summary

The Snow Joe 324E is an electric snow shovel with a powerful 10 Amp motor that can clear up to 300 pounds of snow per minute and throw that snow up to 20 feet away. It has great product specs, including its 12 inch clearance width and 6 inch tall snow cut depth. It is compact and lightweight for easier storage indoors and easier maneuverability on stairs and narrow walks. And it has a convenient, 1.2 Watt LED headlight so you can better see what you are doing if you’re shoveling snow when the dark winter night has set in early.

There are a few minor drawbacks to the Snow Joe 324E, though. Like many electric snow shovels, it may tend to struggle with wet snow, and it only throws snow in one direction. In addition, it tends to leave a thin layer of snow behind that will need to be treated with rock salt, and its plastic rotor blades are not particularly durable. It’s also one of the more expensive electric snow shovels on the market today.

I will cover all of these positive features and drawbacks in more detail in the Pros and Cons sections. I’ll also provide a detailed product comparison table so you can see how the Snow Joe 324E stacks up to the competition, and discuss pricing in more depth.

Specifications

The Snow Joe 324E is an electric snow shovel with overall dimensions of 14.5 x 13.5 x 54 inches. It has a push button starter system and a powerful 10 amp motor. It boasts a clearing width of 12 inches, and it has a snow cut depth that is 6 inches tall.

The Snow Joe 324E has a snow clearance capacity of up to 300 pounds per minute, and it can throw snow up to 20 feet away thanks to its powerful motor. The handle is ergonomically designed and has an additional grip mounted on the front for easier use. It weighs 12.5 pounds. It is covered for two years under a manufacturer’s warranty.

Description

The Snow Joe 324E is an electric snow shovel that is designed to pack a powerful snow clearing ability into a compact, lightweight body. It has overall dimensions of just 14.5 x 13.5 x 54 inches, which means you should have almost no trouble finding enough storage space for it in a hall closet or the front foyer of your house. That way, it will always be on hand when you need it; you will not have to trek out to the garage in the middle of a snow storm to get it, but can simply start clearing snow right out of your front door. It also weighs just 12.5 pounds. That means it will be small enough as well as light enough to use on porch stairs or narrower walkways easily. And its clearance width is only slightly smaller than its overall width, so you don’t have to worry about leaving snow behind on stairs or edges.

The clearance width of the Snow Joe 324E is twelve inches, which makes it one of the wider clearances available on an electric snow shovel today. It has a cutting depth of six inches, which will allow homeowners in most regions of the country to handle the average snow fall in their area easily. Because the Snow Joe 324Ehas a powerful 10 amp motor, it packs enough of a punch to handle up to 300 pounds of snow per minute, and it can throw snow up to 20 feet away. That should be more than far enough to keep smaller walkways and driveways clear with ease.

The Snow Joe 324E is one of the more expensive electric snow shovels of its size and clearance capacity on the market today, but I do think it is reasonably priced in spite of that. It has a powerful motor that can handle big jobs over many winters without burning out, and it has convenient perks such as a powerful LED headlight and ergonomic design.

Pros

There are a number of excellent features that help to make the Snow Joe 324E one of the better electric snow shovels available on the market today. It has a powerful motor that ensure it can throw a lot of snow per minute, and throw it a considerable distance, too. It has a 12 inch clearance width and a 6 inch snow cut height. And it has convenient additional features such as an ergonomically designed handle and a powerful LED headlight.

1. Powerful 10 Amp motor : The Snow Joe 324E has a powerful 10 Amp motor that allows it to clear up to 300 pounds of snow per minute, which is the kind of capacity that will have you finish clearing your walk or drive quickly and have you back indoors where it is warm that much sooner. And it is strong enough to throw snow up to 20 feet away, which should be far enough to clear the kind of small areas this machine is meant for.
2. 12 Inch Clearing Width : The clearing width on the Snow Joe 324E is 12 inches wide, which will allow you to clear your sidewalk or deck in fewer passes than a smaller shovel could. Like its high capacity per minute, this facet will have you finishing the job more quickly and back indoors. And because the overall width of the shovel is just and inch and a half wider on either side than the clearance width, you won’t miss any snow.
3. 6 Inch Snow Cut Depth : At six inches, the cut depth on the Snow Joe 324E is high enough to handle the kind of snow fall that most regions of the country experience during the winter – even the kind of heavier storms that some regions occasionally get. If you do experience heavier snow fall, with a six inch cut depth, you will not have to be outside clearing it away as it accumulates as often as you would with a shorter shovel.
4. 1.2 Watt LED Light : One unique and very convenient feature on the Snow Joe 324E is the fact that it is equipped with a bright 1.2 Watt LED light. What with the short days and long nights of winter, we often find ourselves shoveling snow after the sun has set or before it has risen. With the convenient light on the Snow Joe 324E, you can see what you’re doing, which is not only safer but also allows you to make sure you are not missing any spots.
5. Compact and Lightweight : The Snow Joe 324E has overall dimensions of just 14.5 x 13.5 x 54 inches, which will make it easy to find enough storage space for it. Even if you want to keep it indoors in a hall closet or in your foyer, it will be out of the way. And because it only weighs 12.5 pounds, just about anyone will find it easy to use, no matter what their age or strength level is.

When you are buying a new electric snow shovel, its clearing width, snow cut height, and pounds per minute clearing capacity are the three most important things to look at. In all three areas, the Snow Joe 324E delivers. Its clearance is wide and high, and it can throw up to 300 pounds of snow per minute at a distance of 20 feet. Extra perks like the powerful LED light only increase the overall convenience this machine offers.

Cons

There are a few areas in which the Snow Joe 324E is not altogether perfect, however. Some of these are issues that tend to be fairly common in all electric snow shovels, such as the fact that it may struggle with wet, heavy snow, and only throws snow in one direction. Others, such as the fact that it tends to leave a thin layer of snow behind and has plastic rotor blades, are particular to this model.

1. May struggle with wetter snow : It is not uncommon for electric snow shovels to struggle with wet, slushy snow, as this kind of snow fall tends to be considerably denser and heavier than drier snow. The Snow Joe 324E is able to work with wet snow, but you may find that it does not throw it as far, or that it needs a bit more effort on your part to get the shovel through it.
2. Throws snow only one direction : Again, this is a common aspect of electric snow shovels, and one that is typical of their design, but because some users tend to be surprised by this fact, it is worth mentioning. The fact that the snow can only be thrown forward with the Snow Joe 324E means that on longer walkways you may have to go over the same snow twice, and you have to be careful not to plaster your house with snow when you are approaching it.
3. Leaves a thin layer of snow behind : Unfortunately, the auger on the Snow Joe 324E does not always make contact with the ground satisfactorily, which means that it may tend to leave a thin layer of snow on the ground behind it. As a result, you may have to put down rock salt after you have cleared the majority of the snow away in order to break up and melt this layer, so that it does not freeze and present a safety hazard.
4. The rotor blades are plastic and not heavy duty : The blades on the rotor of the Snow Joe 324E are made of plastic, which is not as heavy duty as metal or even a heavier gauge of plastic would be. As a result, this snow shovel is not intended to be used on tougher jobs or the kind of uneven or rough terrain that could damage the rotor blades. I certainly would not recommend using this shovel on gravel drives, as this could damage it.
5. Fairly expensive price tag : The Snow Joe 324E is one of the more expensive electric snow shovels in its size class that I have come across. I do not think it is unreasonably priced, but it is important – especially if you are one of my more frugal readers – to be aware of the price. I think the price is reasonable because the shovel packs a high clearance capacity in a small, light package with convenient features, but you may want something cheaper.

I should mention that I do not consider any of these drawbacks to be particularly serious, and I don’t think any of them will negatively affect the performance of the Snow Joe 324E. Some of them are simply par for the course when you are using an electric snow shovel. Those that are particular to this model are not especially egregious, and won’t cause problems if the shovel is used properly. And while the shovel is pricey, as I said I think it’s worth it.

Product Comparison

Of course, lists of Pros and Cons – however detailed they might be – are not able to give you a complete picture of the qualities of a particular machine, especially relative to what else is out there. The best way to do that is to use Pros and Cons lists in tandem with some comparison shopping. This gives you a better idea of how a product stacks up to its competition. The following table compares the Snow Joe 324E with the Snow Joe 323E and the Sylvania 3612SYG250OBL.

	Snow Joe 324E	Snow Joe 323E	Sylvania 3612SYG250OBL
Dimensions	14.5 x 13.5 x 54 inches	14.5 x 13.5 x 46 inches	13 x 13 x 55 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Motor	10 amp	9 amp	9 amp
Clearing Width	12 inches	13 inches	12 inches
Snow Cut Depth	6 inches	6.5 inches	4 inches
Capacity / Minute	Up to 300 pounds	Up to 400 pounds	Up to 250 pounds
Throw Distance	Up to 20 feet	Up to 25 feet	Up to 20 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Weight	12.5 pounds	14.7 pounds	17 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years

As you can see, the Snow Joe 324E has the most powerful motor of the three machines, but it also has the biggest overall dimensions. The other Snow Joe shovel, the 323E, has a slightly wider clearance and higher cutting depth. It can also handle 30% more snow per minute than the 324E and throw it farther. The 323E weighs a bit more than the 324E. The 324E has the advantage that it is more lightweight and is the only one with a headlight.

Conclusion

There are a few major areas of concern when you are shopping for a new electric snow shovel: how wide is its clearance, how high is its cutting depth and what is its pound per minute clearing capacity? Other concerns, while of some importance, will not have as direct an effect on a snow shovel’s performance and your snow clearing experience. Let’s take another look at the Pros and Cons of the Snow Joe 324E.

Conclusion Pros

1. Powerful 10 Amp motor.
2. 12 Inch Clearing Width.
3. 6 Inch Snow Cut Depth.
4. 1.2 Watt LED Light.
5. Compact and Lightweight.

In terms of clearance and cutting depth, the Snow Joe 324E is at or slightly above average for electric snow shovels its size. It can clear 300 pounds of snow per minute and throw snow up to 20 feet away. It also has convenient additional features such as an ergonomic handle and LED headlight.

Conclusion Cons

1. May struggle with wetter snow.
2. Throws snow only one direction.
3. Leaves a thin layer of snow behind.
4. The rotor blades are plastic and not heavy duty.
5. Fairly expensive price tag.

The fact that it may struggle with wetter snow, and the fact that it only throws snow in one direction, are not uncommon problems for electric snow shovels to have. However the Snow Joe 324E also leaves a thin layer of snow behind, and its rotor blades are not particularly durable. In addition to these issues, it is one of the more expensive electric snow shovels available.

Final Word

There are a number of considerable advantages to using an electric snow shovel over a manual shovel or a snow blower. Electric snow shovels do most of the work associated with clearing snow from your property, which saves your back and shoulders a lot of strain. But they are also compact and lightweight enough that you should have little trouble finding storage space for them or maneuvering them around your driveway or using them on a porch or deck. The Snow Joe 324E affords its owner all of the advantages of any electric snow shovel, but it has a few extra perks of its own. It has a 12 inch wide clearance and 6 inch tall cutting depth, which ensures you will be able to handle all but the biggest storms quickly and efficiently. In addition, it has convenient extra features such as an LED headlight and ergonomically designed handle. While this snow shovel is a bit expensive, it is a solid machine.

Best Price

As I have mentioned above, the Snow Joe 324E is one of the more expensive electric snow shovels in its size class and with comparable clearance capacity. There are plenty of electric snow shovels with 12 inch clearance widths and 6 inch snow cut depths that can clear 300 pounds of snow per minute or more – and many of them are nowhere near as expensive as this one. At the same time, the Snow Joe 324E is lightweight and compact and boasts additional features, such as the LED headlight, which help to make the pricing seem more or less reasonable. While it’s expensive, I do not think this snow shovel is overpriced.