Customer Rating: 
Summary: Nothing special
Comment: It is acceptable - nothing special. Takes about a minute for one serving, but when you add the syrup the volume of the ice decreases by half (unlike shave ice you buy from a vendor). I think I would have preferred a hand crank shave ice machine so I can control the speed. Acceptable for the money - good for kids, not for hosting a party.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Ice Shaver!
Comment: This little machine kicks out a lot of shaved ice, and does so quickly. It exceeded my expectations. Buy good syrups from the coffee aisle (not the cheap snowcone kid's syrups), and you'll become a snow cone addict like myself using this machine. I was putting this HB Snowman through strenuous use making several treats a day for a couple of months. Thankfully, one night after having salmon for dinner and three huge snow cones, I ended up in the fetal position on my bathroom floor. I'm a recovering addict now, and only have one on the rare occasion since then.
Anyway, the only thing I could possible complain about with this Snowman, is that if you fill your ice container too full, you'll have to shift the top of the machine around before it will catch the starting mechanism. Does that make sense? Probably not, but you'll see. Just don't think it's broken when you press down on your thick block of ice and nothing happens.
I would recommend this machine to my mother, except that in my case, I would feel like I was offering her a bit of heroin.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Manual machine
Comment: The ice shaver is easy to use, but my wife wanted the machine and she finds it too labor intensive.
Also, I just received another machine which I did not order and was billed for on my account. I would like to return this machine and receive a credit on my account.
Thanks, Chuck
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy to use shaver
Comment: This ice shaver is easy to use and creates shavings very close to the texture of snow. Do not use regular ice cubes because they slip and do not shave properly. The ice formed in the included containers works wonderfully because it stays in place and shaves very quickly. This product can easily be used by a child over the age of 6 with the supervision of an adult.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good product.
Comment: I bought this for my two children to enjoy when they are being good. It works well enough but if you fill the bin with too much ice it will not spin. I noticed some people here saying it was a dud when they got it but I bet you they didn't bother to check that. There is a switch underneath the motorized unit and if the activator on the bottom half does not activate the switch on the top half it will not work, hmmm, what a concept. It works fine for the cost and it provides pleasure my children will enjoy as long as it lasts.
Summary: Nothing special
Comment: It is acceptable - nothing special. Takes about a minute for one serving, but when you add the syrup the volume of the ice decreases by half (unlike shave ice you buy from a vendor). I think I would have preferred a hand crank shave ice machine so I can control the speed. Acceptable for the money - good for kids, not for hosting a party.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Ice Shaver!
Comment: This little machine kicks out a lot of shaved ice, and does so quickly. It exceeded my expectations. Buy good syrups from the coffee aisle (not the cheap snowcone kid's syrups), and you'll become a snow cone addict like myself using this machine. I was putting this HB Snowman through strenuous use making several treats a day for a couple of months. Thankfully, one night after having salmon for dinner and three huge snow cones, I ended up in the fetal position on my bathroom floor. I'm a recovering addict now, and only have one on the rare occasion since then.
Anyway, the only thing I could possible complain about with this Snowman, is that if you fill your ice container too full, you'll have to shift the top of the machine around before it will catch the starting mechanism. Does that make sense? Probably not, but you'll see. Just don't think it's broken when you press down on your thick block of ice and nothing happens.
I would recommend this machine to my mother, except that in my case, I would feel like I was offering her a bit of heroin.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Manual machine
Comment: The ice shaver is easy to use, but my wife wanted the machine and she finds it too labor intensive.
Also, I just received another machine which I did not order and was billed for on my account. I would like to return this machine and receive a credit on my account.
Thanks, Chuck
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy to use shaver
Comment: This ice shaver is easy to use and creates shavings very close to the texture of snow. Do not use regular ice cubes because they slip and do not shave properly. The ice formed in the included containers works wonderfully because it stays in place and shaves very quickly. This product can easily be used by a child over the age of 6 with the supervision of an adult.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good product.
Comment: I bought this for my two children to enjoy when they are being good. It works well enough but if you fill the bin with too much ice it will not spin. I noticed some people here saying it was a dud when they got it but I bet you they didn't bother to check that. There is a switch underneath the motorized unit and if the activator on the bottom half does not activate the switch on the top half it will not work, hmmm, what a concept. It works fine for the cost and it provides pleasure my children will enjoy as long as it lasts.