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Published October 21, 2026. Prices and specs checked October 17, 2026.
Gas costs less up front and the battery is the expensive part of electric. For a gas snow blower, Toro’s Power Clear 721 E is $799 at Toro. For battery power, Ryobi’s 40V HP RY40HPSN02K2 is $849 at Home Depot, and Toro’s 60V Power Clear is $1,199.
I have pull-started small engines on farm equipment, and I have run cordless tools for years. Gas gives you power on demand and a chore list: fresh fuel, oil, a spark plug. A battery gives you a push button and a cliff, because it pulls at full strength until the charge runs out. Which of those annoys you less is the real decision.
Three 21-inch single-stage machines stand in for the choice here: one gas, two battery. The same trade shows up in other yard tools, and we compared a cordless chainsaw and an electric pressure washer on this site. None of the three snow blowers below appears in a CPSC recall, and the FAQ has the details.
Electric vs Gas Powered Snow Blower
Toro’s site lists the 721 E and the 60V model with prices, then sends buyers to local dealers, with Lowe’s, Tractor Supply and Ace Hardware listings. Ryobi sells its kit at ryobitools.com and Home Depot, both at $849.
| Snow blower | Power | Price | Width / intake | Throw | Weight | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toro Power Clear 721 E (38753) | Gas, 212 cc, electric start | $799 at Toro | 21 in. / 12.5 in. | Up to 35 ft | 84 lb | 2-year limited, 2-year guaranteed to start |
| Toro Power Clear 60V (39921) | Battery, one 60V 10Ah | $1,199 at Toro | 21 in. / 12.5 in. | 30 to 35 ft (Toro’s page lists both) | 80 lb | 2-year tool, 3-year battery |
| Ryobi 40V HP RY40HPSN02K2 | Battery, two 40V 8Ah | $849 at Home Depot | 21 in. / 11.5 in. | Up to 35 ft | 59.4 lb | 5-year tool, 3-year battery |
The Ryobi is the lightest. At 59.4 pounds it is 24.6 pounds lighter than the Toro gas machine (84 minus 59.4). The Toro gas model is the cheapest to buy, and it is the only one of the three with a start guarantee.
Single Stage vs Two Stage
All three are single-stage machines. One rubber-edged auger scoops the snow and throws it out of the chute, and the Ryobi is auger-propelled, while both Toros are listed as self-propelled. Lowe’s lists the Toro 721 E as best suited to medium driveways, with 2 to 9 inches of snow per pass.
Two-stage machines add a second impeller and cost more. Ryobi’s own two-stage 40V models run $1,499 for the 22-inch RY408150 and $1,999 for the 24-inch RY40870 on its site. A single-stage auger works close to the surface, so read the manual before using one on gravel.
Are Electric Snow Blowers Any Good?
Yes, within limits. You skip the fuel, the oil and the pull cord. Ryobi’s listing gives electric start, a variable-speed auger, a 180-degree chute and an LED headlight, and Toro’s 60V model starts on a button as well.
The limit is the charge. Toro quotes up to 45 minutes of run time from its one 10Ah battery, and 180 minutes to recharge it. Ryobi says the two included 8Ah batteries clear up to 25 car spaces per charge, or 35 spaces with 12Ah batteries.
That is plenty for a short driveway. On a long one, or after a second storm, the recharge becomes part of the job. A spare battery fixes that, and the next sections show what a spare costs.
How Much Snow Can an Electric Snow Blower Handle?
Start with the intake height, which is how deep a pass can be. The Toro battery and gas models both list 12.5 inches. The Ryobi lists 11.5 inches. A foot of snow still goes in layers, whichever one you own: take the top, then come back for the rest.
Width sets how many passes you need. All three clear 21 inches at a time, so an example driveway 12 feet wide takes 7 passes (144 inches divided by 21 is 6.9, rounded up). Count passes against the run times above before you decide a battery is enough.
Toro and Ryobi give depth and run time but no rating for wet or packed snow, so depth is the number you can check. A gas engine keeps going until the tank is empty. A battery stops when its charge does.
How Long Do Snow Blower Batteries Last?
Two clocks matter: the warranty and the cycle count. Both Toro and Ryobi give 3 years on the battery.
Battery University’s table for NMC cells, one common lithium-ion chemistry, puts life at about 300 full discharges before capacity falls to 70 percent, and about 400 if each use drains only 80 percent. A homeowner who empties a battery 20 times a winter would need 15 winters to reach 300 (300 divided by 20). Age counts as well as cycles, and that table counts only cycles.
How Long Does a Toro 60V Battery Last?
Toro backs its 10Ah battery with a 3-year limited warranty. After that, Toro’s site lists the replacement 60V 10Ah battery (model 66910, 540 watt-hours) at $633.59. That is 52.8 percent of the $1,199 the whole machine costs (633.59 divided by 1,199). Toro’s smaller 60V batteries are cheaper, such as the 5.0Ah at $272.99, but they carry less charge.
Ryobi 40V Battery Life
Ryobi’s kit carries a 3-year battery warranty at Home Depot. The kit ships with OP40804 batteries. The nearest 8Ah battery sold on its own is the High Capacity OP4080A, $259 at Home Depot, so two cost $518, or 61 percent of the $849 kit (518 divided by 849). Home Depot lists the OP4080A as part of the Ryobi 40V system, so 40V tools you already own may share the batteries.
How Much Does a Snow Blower Cost?
Sticker price is only the start. This table runs five winters, using EIA’s $4.331 per gallon for regular gasoline (week of October 12, 2026) and its 18.31 cents per kilowatt-hour residential rate (July 2026).
| Cost item | Toro 721 E (gas) | Toro 60V (battery) | Ryobi 40V HP (battery) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $799 | $1,199 | $849 |
| Energy per fill or charge | 0.575 gal × $4.331 = $2.49 | 0.54 kWh × $0.1831 = $0.10 | Battery watt-hours not listed |
| Yearly upkeep | Oil, $7.91 per 20-oz bottle | None priced | None priced |
| Oil over five winters | 5 × $7.91 = $39.55 | $0 | $0 |
| Replacement battery | None | $633.59 (one 10Ah) | 2 × $259 = $518 |
| Five years, no battery replaced | $799 + $39.55 = $838.55 | $1,199 | $849 |
| Five years, battery replaced once | $838.55 | $1,199 + $633.59 = $1,832.59 | $849 + $518 = $1,367 |
Oil is the only upkeep with a price on it. Toro’s manual for the Power Clear 721, which covers model 38753, calls for an oil change after the first 2 hours and then yearly. Toro sells its Winter 5W-30 oil for $7.91, and Lowe’s lists that oil (model 38908) as a 20-ounce bottle. The crankcase takes 20 fluid ounces, so one bottle a year is the plan.
The gap between the two Toros is $400 (1,199 minus 799). At $7.91 of oil a year, it would take 50.6 years of oil savings to repay it (400 divided by 7.91). Energy is cheap on both sides: about $2.49 for a full tank against about 10 cents for a full charge. Toro’s page lists the tank size but no run time per tank. Either way, the real money is in the battery.
Gas Snow Blower Maintenance
Gas costs time more than money. Toro’s manual wants fuel under 30 days old, with no more than 10 percent ethanol, or a stabilizer added. It sets a spark plug check every 100 hours, and a storage routine: add stabilizer, run the engine 10 minutes, drain the fuel and the carburetor.
Which Snow Blower Should I Buy?
For the lowest price over five years, buy the Toro Power Clear 721 E at $799. Skip it if you will not store fuel or follow the stabilizer routine.
For the best electric value, buy the Ryobi 40V HP RY40HPSN02K2 at $849. It costs $50 more than the Toro gas (849 minus 799), weighs the least, and a replacement battery pair is $518. Skip it if your driveway is long and you will not buy a spare battery.
For Toro’s dealer network on a battery machine, buy the Power Clear 60V at $1,199. Skip it if the $633.59 replacement battery changes the math for you, as it does in the table above.
Before you charge or store any of them, follow the manufacturer’s instructions; look for a UL or ETL listing on the charger. A storm that buries the driveway can also cut the power, and a portable generator can keep a charger running through an outage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Snow Blowers
Is an Electric Snow Blower Worth It?
Yes, if your driveway is average and you can recharge between storms. The Ryobi 40V HP is $849 against $799 for the Toro gas model, a $50 difference, and it needs no fuel or oil. The cost to plan for later is a replacement battery pair at $518.
Do Electric Snow Blowers Need Oil?
Not engine oil. Toro’s manual for the gas 721 E calls for an oil change after the first 2 hours and then yearly. The two battery models in this comparison have no engine crankcase to fill.
How Much Does a Battery Operated Snow Blower Cost?
Ryobi’s 21-inch 40V kit is $849 at Home Depot, and Toro’s 60V Power Clear is $1,199 on Toro’s site. Ryobi’s tool-only 21-inch version, the RY40HPSN02B, is $649 on its site. That suits you if you already own 40V batteries.
Are Any of These Machines Under a Recall?
No. As of October 17, 2026, the CPSC recall database lists none of the Toro 38753, the Toro 39921 or the Ryobi RY40HPSN02K2. Older recalls cover Toro Power Clear 38588, 38589, 38272 and 38282, Toro Power Max 37802 and Ryobi RY40802, RY40802A and RY40822. Check a used machine’s model number before you buy.
What Does a Gas Snow Blower Need Each Year?
Per Toro’s manual for the Power Clear 721: an oil change yearly, a check of the control cable and rotor blades, and a spark plug service every 100 hours. Use fuel under 30 days old or add stabilizer. Before storage, run the engine 10 minutes on treated fuel, then drain the fuel and the carburetor.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
