Toro Power Clear 518 ZR (18″) 99cc Single-Stage Snow Blower 38472

The Toro Power Clear 518 ZR shares its 99cc OHV engine and 18-inch clearing width with the electric-start 518 ZE, but starts with a pull cord instead of a button, which keeps the machine mechanically simpler and removes any reliance on a charged battery.

Why some owners prefer recoil start

Pulling a cord has fewer parts to fail than an electric starter and battery do, and it never leaves you stuck because a battery drained in storage. Power Curve technology still shapes the rubber paddle and housing with matching curves, keeping snow moving through rather than packing up at the housing wall in wet, heavy conditions.

Folding it away

An easy-collapse handle brings the unit down to a smaller footprint for storage, and the .35-gallon fuel tank matches the run time typical of an 18-inch single-stage machine. You aim the chute by hand at the housing, with no trigger or powered assist involved.

Who this size fits

Like the electric-start version, this 18-inch intake keeps the whole machine light enough to carry up a step or tuck into a shed, in exchange for needing more passes than a wider two-stage machine on a long driveway.

Is there an electric-start option in this family? Yes - the 518 ZE uses electric start; this ZR model uses a recoil pull cord instead.

What stops this model from clogging in heavy snow? Power Curve's curved rubber paddle and matching housing shape.

New, model 38472, with Toro's 2-year consumer warranty.

Colour and intake height? It comes in the factory red and black finish, and the intake opening is 12 inches tall.