# iON18SB-PRO ... went about 4 feet



## ColoradoNovice (Mar 13, 2021)

So, I'm not new to Colorado but new to snowblowers. So I was excited to try my new toy today. There is a light fluffy snow -- maybe 6 inches deep. So....went about 4 feet. Heard a clunk. Now it only makes a clicking noise when I push the button/rod that should make it work. Battery looks okay. Green lights show it is charged. Obviously it is under warrantee but the place isn't open to help. Maybe you can help the Novice?


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

welcome to the SBF

not many in here know about battery powered machines just yet . it would be best to return it to the seller or take to a dealer


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## ColoradoNovice (Mar 13, 2021)

captchas said:


> welcome to the SBF
> 
> not many in here know about battery powered machines just yet . it would be best to return it to the seller or take to a dealer


Haha! Okay. Sad, but understand.


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## BadMechanic (Mar 7, 2021)

Heard a clunk? Was it something caught in the auger or from interior of the machine? I assume you checked the auger for a jam.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Or maybe a breaker/fuse popped... hard to say from here.


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## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

Shear pin?


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

shear pin for a won't move problem? .highly doubtful


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## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

The clicking sound is likely a relay or the switch. The klunk sounds like something hit and dislodged a wire from the motor. Did you take it indoors (garage) and brush all the snow off? Disconnect the battery and see if turning the motor by hand makes the impeller and wheels turn. If so, your problem is electrical and not mechanical. 

There must be safety interlocks too, that will shut down the motor to prevent someone from getting hurt. If one of these (assuming more than one) got broken, it might be a simple open circuit.


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## ColoradoNovice (Mar 13, 2021)

WrenchIt said:


> The clicking sound is likely a relay or the switch. The klunk sounds like something hit and dislodged a wire from the motor. Did you take it indoors (garage) and brush all the snow off? Disconnect the battery and see if turning the motor by hand makes the impeller and wheels turn. If so, your problem is electrical and not mechanical.
> 
> There must be safety interlocks too, that will shut down the motor to prevent someone from getting hurt. If one of these (assuming more than one) got broken, it might be a simple open circuit.


That sounds right. I did check that the impeller moved freely by turning that. I actually don't know how to turn the motor by hand. (Novice)


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## ColoradoNovice (Mar 13, 2021)

BadMechanic said:


> Heard a clunk? Was it something caught in the auger or from interior of the machine? I assume you checked the auger for a jam.


Nothing in it.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Sounds like something got wet and blew up/shorted out which is extremely common for an electrical device like a snowblower which is used outside in wet environments.
The warning labels tell the operator not to operate in wet environments due to electrical shock hazards and possible electrocution/death.
Electric tools do not like being operated when they get wet, which a snowblower does. You figure the higher amperage the machine uses can kill a human being very quickly when it is transferred to the human body due to waters conductivity.
It only takes 1 Amp to kill a person and those batteries produce a lot more than 1 amp, plus they produce enough voltage to carry the current/amperage through the human body to do serious harm or death to the operator.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Check to see if the drive belt broke and wrapped itself around the motor pulley.
Be careful when charging the battery on it. Not only will your electric bill go higher, but they are well known for the battery catching on fire when being charged, and sometimes they just catch fire when sitting and not being charged, so be careful where it is stored at and charged at. The battery is made with some very extremely hazardous materials.
An electric motor operated machine does not get as hot as a gasoline powered machine so it wont dry itself off enough to prevent electrical problems like a gasoline engine will because the heat created from the gasoline engine to help prevent any electrical problems within the motor, the heat created dries itself off before any problems could occur, and there aren't any heavily loaded electrical parts involved with them like there is with an electric powered machines motor that draws a heavy electric load.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

one simple fact here.
this is a brand new machine, under warranty , the correct thing to do is not play with it. pack it up and take it back for exchange or better yet a refund , 
as once it's played with the owner is on his or her own with what may possibly be a worthless item as the store has the right to refuse it's return when opened up and played with.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Second the motion to dump that thing like a hot potato and buy a machine that can properly handle Colorado snow.

It won't be quite as "green", but then again your driveway won't be quite as white.


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## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

There seems to be a lot of misinformation here. I agree w/ @captchas, take it back to your dealer assuming they are nearby and you did not buy it without a warranty (i.e. used).

I just did a google search and read the manual for your snoblo. I assume you charged the battery fully before your first use, and you are pressing and holding the safety switch before you squeeze the on/off bar. Beyond that take it back to your dealer. If you bought it on Amazon, return it. The warranty says:
_"To obtain a replacement electric powered unit or repair the existing electric powered unit, you must return the complete unit and postage prepaid to: Snow Joe Return Center, 86 Executive Avenue, Edison, NJ 08817." _Dealing with this problem is going to be a hassle if your dealer will not provide support.

This thing set you back more than $300 so you should get support from your dealer. Amazon got high marks in helping customers with problems as did Snow Joe's own customer support (they supposedly sent someone a new machine after his failed an he registered the warranty). I read Amazon's reviews of this snowblower. Like most battery op tools asked to do what I call 'heavy work' there were many battery capacity issues. Nineteen percent of the reviews were dissatisfied 1 star, 25% were 2 star or less, and a whopping 1/3 of the reviews were 3 star or less. This sounds like a light duty tool that should have cleared your fluffy light snowfall. The manual says this is powered by a 5 amp hour battery. That is not very much considering that you are asking the machine to lift and throw snow so I am not surprised at the reviewer's complaints.

Misinformation: This is a battery op tool designed for use in wet/damp environments. It should be properly designed and shielded so that it is not bothered by a little wet snow. I doubt operating this snowblower as it was intended will lead to a safety issue (electrical). That said, you need to take proper precautions and use common sense.

It does not take 1 amp of electricity to kill you - that is way overkill. Thirty milliamps (.030 amps) through your heart is enough to send it into fibrillation and that can result in death. Fortunately most shocks travel over your skin and never get to the heart. I'm not suggesting you play with a cord powered radio while you are in a pool, but I think the dangers of using a battery op snowblower are exaggerated in some of the posts above.


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## petman2 (Aug 10, 2017)

I would caution against Snow Joe in general. I have a gas powered Ariens for the driveway and purchased a cord powered Joe to try on the decks. It does very poorly in anything but about 3 inches. It otherwise bogs down and is almost harder than using a shovel. If I had to pinpoint the problem, it is that you let more than 3 inches accumulate and the Joe couldn't handle it. Snowblowers are a lot of fun but I have been nothing but frustrated with my Joe. Good luck and for $300 you could probably find a good used gas powered blower. I know I am not helping you fix it, but perhaps saving you from the same pain next time it snows. Enjoy the snow and good luck.


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