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

This is my 4th plastic chute for my craftsman snowblower.  It is about 6 years old.  If a person  out there can make a metal chute for this snowblower,  he could become rich. If anyone has any ideas let me know  I have a 9 HP Craftsman snowblower.  Model # 536.887992   Thank You

I too have this problem! My thought is that the company that makes this for Sears makes many other models and I'm sure some with metal chutes. Is there any way to find out if any particular model has a chute could be adapted to fit this one. Maybe few extra bucks but should be a one time purchase. Dave...

Any updates on this? How is everyones craftsman doing?

The machine was made by murray now owned by Briggs part number 1502118E701MA is all metal and will fit over $100.00 though.

AJ

If you have a Township / County Recycling depot, see if you could get lucky and find a chute off of an abandoned machine. Scrap metal recyclers could be a source of "found gold". Call around to some local commercial electrical installers, maybe they might have a piece of 4 or 6 inch conduit that you could do something with.

These are dirt cheap ways to get you out of a jam before the season hits.

Its just a thought.

Somethings Not Right if you need even a second plastic chute.  My MTD-Craftsman Model 247.885690 (9 HP 26" Track Drive) purchased 10-19-96 in an actual Sears-Roebuck store before K-Mart absorbed them, still had, in excellent condition, its original plastic discharge chute when I gave the machine away last week.

Plastic chutes generally work just fine and are made of heavy guage, very durable polymers. If you have already gone through four of them you really should be looking at why it is happening rather then trying to redesign the unit. Quite honestly it sounds like  you are throwing rocks.

One of the biggest miconceptions is that plastic chutes are associated with a cheaper product line and all manufacturers, even the best of the besties are using plastic somewhere to drive down product costs.

Polymers from an engineering standpoint also act as vibration and stress dampeners. Realize that the hardware and support mechanisims that were designed for a plastic chute may not work very well when it is retrofitted with with a metal one. The differences between weight ,coefficients, and stress factors may just cause you more agrivation than the project is worth.

Bite the bullet, replace the plastic chute, and sell the snowblower on craigs list or your local peddlers paper.

Then buy one that was designed for a metal chute.

In the end you will be one happy Snowman

Starwarrior

BillG, Estam, dave48060:

 

You guys have posted that you have chute problems but never gave specifics.  What exactly is wrong?  BillG why did you have to replace so many chutes?  Four chutes in six years is hard to imagine. 

 

Over the years I’ve only seen one plastic chute that was messed up.  The person stored the blower with something heavy laying on the chute and it developed a bend or set so leaning slightly.  It tossed fine though. 

I have had to replace several plastic chutes. The issue with them is where the chute pivots. When it is cold, and the snow is crunchy the chute top of the chute rips at the the bottem edge of the deflector.

I go through at least one a year. Purchasing this machine was a mistake for where I live, it will do fine if all you get is six or so inches.  When the snow piles up at two to three inche an hour this machine is out of its element.

I am going to but another machine with a metal chute. I do not care what you call it plastic, composite , or polymer it is a fact thay a brittle when subjected to extreme cold. By the way if these issues were operator error craftsman would not have issues keeping up with demend for the replacement part.

That is my two cents, With that said I believe I will go back to old faithfull Ariens. I am also considering Honda.

Does any one have any other suggestions, if you have never seen 30 inches over night save your comments please. 

Is it possible for you to get several big flat washers and put around the bolts where the chute pivots?

Or get some flat stock and bolt it to the top of the chute and bolt the pivot on that.

Yes, My 2002 9 hp 29" blower Model No. 536.887990 has the same problem. The bolt hole at the base of the plastic chute ripped out years ago. I made a "frankenstein" repair by wrapping the chute exterior at the base with hardware cloth that I attached to the base bolts, then drilled holes about 1.5" above the base in the plastic chute and ran addt'l bolts through both the hardware cloth and the plastic chute. It's worked for a few years, but just ripped out. The plastic chutes are junk, they just don't stand up to snowfall in northern climes.There's a good reason some of the other brands use a metal chute. I guess I'll have to see if I can find a replacement metal chute though in the meantime I'll try another patch job, maybe with 6" single wall stove pipe band trimmed and wrapped around the chute exterior base...