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

I want to first thank some of the commentators here who I found via Google, and who mentioned that several modern snow throwers are poorly-built with stamped metal "pulleys".

Here in Minnesota we got an astounding wallop of a storm the last week of February 2007 and first couple days of March.  Possibly the worst storm since a major event in 1991.  My 9 hp dual-stage electric start 29 inch Craftsman was NOT up to the job.   It lost power to the wheels, and changing the traction drive belt was no use.

I ended up getting a local guy to weld the cheapo pulley into they way it ought to have been coming off the factory floor for $10.  I detail my trials and tribulations with modern American engineering here for your amusement & enlightenment: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~brams006/snowthrower.html

Again, my hat's off to those who mentioned the cheap "pulley" (I hesitate to even call it that).  This website gave me a clue in terms of what to look for.  And I think my $10 expenditure saved me a future bundle.