Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I mean they use the same engine as the Ariens and other machines, so does it boil down to the craftsmanship and mechanical issues on these blowers rather than engine problems?

Majorxlr8n wrote:

I don't know about being "very lucky "about getting parts for the machine, but I do know that Sears keeps quite a few parts in stock for the older units.

when I called for the gearbox parts both gears and casing halfs along with the shafts,keys and augers they had more than 6 of each available here and more in stock at the Toronto warehouse.

how long they will be available is anyones guess however they can be had with a bit of phone work, parts can be purchased from various small engine suppliers and most would be very glad to help track down any parts needed.

The typical wait for Craftsman parts is two weeks, best thing is as written above figure out who made your machine and find a dealer who carries those parts, then eventually buy one from them!  Murray/Noma parts have been resolved and are easy to obtain from a Briggs dealer (powersource canada in ont.)

From a parts perspective, if you're in West Toronto, the Rexdale/401 Sears location has a great number of parts off the shelf.  And, yes...possibly two weeks if they don't have it.   But Tecumseh & B/S parts from a top-rate OPE shop usually take a week if it's something they don't have off the shelf.  So Sears is not too far "out-to-lunch" ... and Sears DOES have parts availability for older products - I've been very satisfied that way.   But Sears isn't cheap....there's a significant embedded charge in the price for handling... I've found ordering stuff off the web can be significantly cheaper than picking it up in person!!!   At least, that's been my experience.

*(:>)*

"Personally, The older Sears units were very tough. Most were made by Murray or AYP. The newer Sears really aren't that bad - but heres the catch. Any Murray made Craftsman currently available will be a bad choice if you need parts. Why? Murray was bought out by Briggs & Stratton & obtaining parts for any Murray product is a NIGHTMARE. - Marty "

Does this count for their riding mowers also?

Doodlefork wrote:

If they are manufactured by Murray (536 model prefix), YES!

Marty

Craftsman snow blowers have been built by many different manufacturers over the years, generally they have been of acceptable quality , some better than others. If you are buying a  Craftsman Snow Blower, Currently,   Buy one of  the models built by Husqvarna . They have excellent quality and great features.

But recently , I discovered that the Craftsman snowblowers sold in the USA are entirely different than those sold in  Canada and are  manufactured by different companies.   Here in  Canada we have Husqvarna built Craftsman snowblowers , which are not  sold in the USA. Excellent machines, Husqvarna in red.

Why do you keep posting to threads that are years old?

Knee_Biter wrote:
Why not?
It appears that the problems that were talked about 6 or 7 years ago still exist to some extent.
Maybe the discussion can help a newbie, (like me), make a more informed decision.

FWIW, When I was researching prior to making my decision this year, it seemed like much of the dissatisfaction was with Sears rather than the equipment.
I read a lot of reviews where owners felt the Craftsman did a good job and was a pretty decent "Bang for the Buck".
I also read a lot of negative comments about Sears service and parts. Those negative comments were enough for me to remove the Craftsman from consideration.

I  have  owned  a  Craftsman snowblower , I got it in 1985,   It is 33 inch, 12.5 horsepower  Tecumseh. I have used it every winter and we always get a lot of snow here  During that time, I have had very few problems,   one new clutch,  a new cable for the drive . three spark plugs , I change the oil after each season.  I use Mobil 1   5/30 oil. I have never  had to change  the belts. Everytime that I have wanted parts I just called Sears parts and they delivered them to my door in a few days. I expect to get many more years out of thiis machine.

The new Craftsman snowblowers  (the ones built by Hsqvarna)  are excellent well built machines.

Craftsman gets a bad rap because Craftsman doesn't exist. It's just a sticker on whatever company happens to have the current contract. Quality varies widely over the years.