Toro Power Clear 418 Review

(Rated: 4 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
Check Price
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At some point in every homeowner’s life, they realize that trying to keep their driveway clear of moderate snow fall with just a shovel is no longer going to cut it. Shoveling out your driveway can take well over an hour, and have you outdoors and dealing with inclement weather for much longer than you want to be. At this point, it’s time to upgrade to a compact snow blower that can get the job done in less than half the time.

You don’t necessarily need to get a very big or expensive snow blower to keep your driveway clear, either – especially if you are like most of us, and have an average sized, one car driveway and a couple walkways to keep clear. Instead, you can save money as well as space in your garage and get a compact unit like the Toro Power Clear 418. It has everything you need to get the job done.

Review Summary

The Toro Power Clear 418 is a compact and lightweight snow blower that is specifically designed to help homeowners who live in regions that do not get exceptionally heavy snow fall during winter storms. It’s made to take care of the average one car driveway quickly and efficiently, and that is exactly what it does. It has a slightly above average clearance width for a single stage snow blower – at one and a half feet – and you can clear a sidewalk in just two passes with it, and finish clearing your driveway in just a few more. No more spending a half an hour or more clearing your driveway. With the Toro Power Clear 418 you can finish the job faster than ever.

The Toro Power Clear 418 has an auger designed to clear snow all the way down to the surface of the pavement, so you will not have to worry about going over the same area more than once to get it cleared of snow. It throws up to 650 pounds of snow per minute, which is more than enough to quickly deal with a moderate accumulation. And best of all, it is affordably priced – you don’t have to break the bank to get it.

Specifications

The Toro Power Clear 418 is a gas powered single stage snow blower that weighs 65 pounds and has overall dimensions of 19.5 x 34.6 x 21.2 inches. Its engine is made in-house by Toro and has a displacement of 87 cubic centimeters. Its four cycle design makes it easier to use and CARB compliant.

The Toro Power Clear 418 has a clearance width of 18 inches and a snow cut depth of 10 inches: perfect for the average driveway. It has a per-minute capacity of 650 pounds and can throw snow up to 25 feet through its 180-degree snow chute. It has compact wheels and an ergonomic handle.

Description

Once you get your Toro Power Clear 418 out of the box, you can start using it almost right away. That’s because it comes almost fully assembled – all you have to do is attach and tighten the handle and discharge chute, and it is ready to go. The Toro Power Clear 418 has a four cycle engine, which means you will not have to mix oil with the fuel to run it: the engine does that for you. So all you have to do is add gas to the fuel tank and you are basically ready to start clearing snow.

And with an electric start, the Toro Power Clear 418 is a breeze to get started. While it does have a backup recoil starter cord, you can also plug in the electric starter, flip a switch, and the Toro Power Clear 418 starts right up. No more struggling with the primers and choke on freezing cold winter mornings. The Toro Power Clear 418 is designed to make clearing moderate snow fall a very simple affair, and one that won’t take you a long time to get finished. With this snow blower you can clear the average sized driveway in under a half an hour, and be back indoors and warming up before you know it.

The Toro Power Clear 418 is made from durable parts and is thoughtfully designed. With this snow blower you are getting a machine that is perfect for keeping the average suburban driveway clear of moderate snow fall all winter long. If you have the right conditions under which to use a compact single stage snow blower like the Toro Power Clear 418, then this is going to be a great snow blower for you that will last you many years. You won’t ever have to use a shovel to clear your driveway again – and you back with thank you for that.

Pros

The Toro Power Clear 418 has a lot to offer when it is used under ideal conditions. While this is not a snow blower designed for clearing unpaved surfaces or very deep drifts, it’s perfect for clearing moderate snow fall from the average suburban driveway. It’s easy to use and clears snow all the way down to the surface of the pavement. It has reduced emissions and is easy to find storage space for.

1. Very compact and lightweight : The Toro Power Clear 418 is one of the smaller single stage snow blowers you can find on the market today, which means you will have no trouble finding enough storage space for it in your garage or tool shed. And because it only weighs 65 pounds, most users should have no difficulty lifting it over the curb or even using it to clear off your porch and stairs. And even though it’s small, it still has decent clearance width.
2. Reduced pollution : The four cycle engine on the Toro Power Clear 418 is only 87 cubic centimeters. That allows it to provide enough power to the auger to clear moderate amounts of snow quickly and efficiently, but it is also small enough that it does not produce too much pollution. That’s good news for anyone who lives in one of the fourteen states that enforce California Air Resource Board emissions standards, since the Toro Power Clear 418 is CARB compliant.
3. User-friendly : The Toro Power Clear 418 is a very user-friendly machine as well. The controls are all fairly intuitive and easy to negotiate. Because it is a four-cycle engine, you do not have to mix oil and gas to get it running, and when you do have to change the oil it’s a snap. With a push button starter, you do not have to wrestle with a recoil starter cord, priming the engine on cold mornings.
4. Clears down to the ground : The auger on the Toro Power Clear 418 is designed with Power Curve technology, which allows it to clear snow all the way down to the surface of the pavement without requiring a scraper bar. This protects your driveway from any damage while giving you a completely clean and clear pavement – so you don’t have to go back over the driveway to get it completely clear or even put down rock salt when you’re done.
5. Great for smaller jobs : When you have a relatively short driveway and not too big a sidewalk to keep clear of snow, you do not need a big, hulking two stage snow blower: these are just going to be too expensive and take up too much room to be worth the trouble. But the Toro Power Clear 418 is perfectly designed for taking care of smaller jobs quickly and efficiently. If you live in an area that gets moderate snow fall, this is the snow blower for you.

As I think you will agree, the Toro Power Clear 418 has everything you need to keep a shorter driveway clear of snow all winter long. It is perfect for clearing a one-car driveway all the way down to the surface of the pavement. And it is compact and lightweight enough that it will not be getting in your way when you don’t need to use it. Overall, this is a great snow blower for the right conditions.

Cons

Because the Toro Power Clear 418 is specifically designed to be used on smaller driveways, and in regions where snow does not get too deep, there are limitations to what it can do. These are not flaws in its design in any way – they are just facets of a compact single stage snow blower, and if you have the right conditions for the Toro Power Clear 418, they won’t present any problems at all. Let’s take a look.

1. Clearance width is not huge : The clearance width on the Toro Power Clear 418 is just one and a half feet, making it slightly above average for a single stage snow blower. While that means you will not be able to clear a very large, wide driveway with a lot of efficiency if you use the Toro Power Clear 418, it also means that it is perfect for use on smaller driveways as well as walkways around the house.
2. Engine is small : The engine on the Toro Power Clear 418 is just 87 cubic centimeters, which is pretty small even for a single stage snow blower. But that has advantages as well as drawbacks. While it means that the 87 will not have the kind of power required to drive through deep drifts of wet, heavy snow, it also means that it will not produce emissions or be too noisy – your neighbors will thank you for that.
3. Capacity per minute is low : The per-minute snow clearance capacity on the Toro Power Clear 418 is just 650 pounds per minute, which puts it slightly below average for a single stage snow blower. But it is important to remember that this machine is designed specifically to take care of smaller driveways and light snow fall. So under those conditions, 650 pounds per minute should be more than enough to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
4. Struggles with wet snow : While it is tempting to blame this in the small engine the Toro Power Clear 418 has, the fact is that most single stage snow blowers, and even some of the bigger two-stage models, often have this problem. Wet, slushy snow is a lot heavier than dry, powdery snow. So it is naturally going to be a lot harder for a single stage snow blower to push through it. But if you just go a bit slower, you should be fine.
5. May get bogged down in deep snow : Because the Toro Power Clear 418 is designed for light accumulations of snow, its snow cut depth is just ten inches high. That is not very tall, and it means that it may get bogged down if you try to use it to clear deeper accumulations. But if it looks like you will get more than ten inches, all you have to do is clear the driveway while snow is still falling, and you should be fine.

As I am sure you will agree, these Cons are not so much problems due to flaws in the design or construction of the Toro Power Clear 418 as they are simply limitations due to the type of job it is meant to do. This is not a snow blower made to clear two feet of snow from an unpaved rural drive: it is meant to take care of moderately sized suburban driveways. And for that, it’s perfect.

Product Comparison

The single best way to get a good idea of whether a given snow blower is the best one for your needs is not only to look at Pros and Cons lists, but to compare it to a few models that are similarly priced and in the same class. That way, you can determine how that snow blower stacks up to the competition. The following table compares the Toro Power Clear 418 with two similar models.

	Toro Power Clear 418	Yard Machines 31A-2M1E700	Murray 1695885
Type	Single-Stage	Single-Stage	Single-Stage
Dimensions	19.5 x 34.6 x 21.2 inches	28.4 x 22.7 x 24.9 inches	22 x 36 x 22 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Engine Manufacturer	Toro	Yard Machines	Briggs & Stratton
Engine	87 cc	123 cc – OHV	205 cc – OHV
2-cycle / 4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle
Clearing Width	18 inches	21 inches	22 inches
Snow Cut Depth	10 inches	13 inches	12.5 inches
Capacity / Minute	Up to 650 pounds	Up to 1100 pounds	Up to 1100 pounds
Throw Distance	Up to 25 feet	Up to 25 feet	Up to 30 feet
Drive	Manual push	Manual push	Manual push
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Chute Control	Manual 180°	Manual 180°	Manual 200°
Wheels	Compact wheels	Compact wheels	Compact wheels
Weight	65 pounds	77 pounds	106.9 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years

As you can see, the Toro Power Clear 418 is the smallest and most lightweight of the three models, but it still has a fairly comparable clearing width and snow cut depth. While its capacity per minute is considerably lower than the other two models, it will still be able to handle the average suburban driveway pretty well. For my money, it is definitely one of the best snow blowers in its size class.

Conclusion

I do think that it is very important that you are absolutely certain that the Toro Power Clear 418 is the right snow blower for your needs before you go ahead and buy it. That way you will be absolutely satisfied when you’re using it. With that in mind, let’s take one more look at the Pros and Cons lists.

Conclusion Pros

1. Very compact and lightweight.
2. Reduced pollution.
3. User-friendly.
4. Clears down to the ground.
5. Great for smaller jobs.

The Toro Power Clear 418 is a compact snow blower with a CARB compliant engine that is very easy to use. It clears moderate accumulations of snow all the way down to the ground, and it is perfect to get light snow fall cleared from small to average sized driveways quickly.

Conclusion Cons

1. Clearance width is not huge.
2. Engine is small.
3. Capacity per minute is low.
4. Struggles with wet snow.
5. May get bogged down in deep snow.

The Cons associated with the Toro Power Clear 418 are not really the kind of drawbacks that point to flaws in its design. They are merely limitations due to the type of job it is designed to do. And for clearing light snow from a one car suburban driveway, the Toro Power Clear 418 is just about perfect.

Final Word

When you have a short driveway and live in a region that does not experience particularly heavy snow fall during the winter, you still do not want to be out there trying to get it clear with just a shovel. You want a snow blower to get the job done right. But you also do not necessarily want a big, bulky, and expensive two stage snow blower, or even one of the bigger single stage snow blowers. Especially if you live in a state that enforces CARB emissions standards, you want a compact and fuel efficient machine.

The Toro Power Clear 418 is exactly that kind of snow blower. It has everything you need to take care of light snow fall on the average sized driveway. It is not so big that it will be hard to use or too loud, and it reliably clears snow all the way down to the pavement. This is a great little snow blower for the right job.

Best Price

Perhaps best of all, the Toro Power Clear 418 is very reasonably priced. When you have a shorter driveway, you do not want to be spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on an overly big snow blower that is going to be too big to be worth it. You want to get an affordably priced, compact snow blower that will not break your wallet, but that also is able to get the job done. The Toro Power Clear 418 is just that kind of snow blower. You get all the clearing power you need with this snow blower at the kind of price that you want to see.