PaleGreen

I'll add my 2 cents:

Not all Craftsman Snow Throwers are created equally. Think of their other house brand, Kenmore. Certain refrigerators under the Kenmore name are really Whirlpools, while others may be Frigidaires, et al.

In terms of the Sears snow equipment, the 11.5 HP "88115" unit is apparently made by Electrolux (same as Husqvarna/Poulan) and seems to have much higher build quality than the other Craftsman units, many of which are made by MTD. I'm not sure which, if any, other Craftsman models are made by Electrolux.

See previous discussion.

For what it's worth, I think the Craftsman 88115 offers a lot of bang for the buck. (11.5 HP Briggs Intek/30"/Power Steering) It's usually on sale for anywhere from $1000 to $1100.

Are the Sears Craftsman snow throwers any good? I'm looking for a quality two-stage unit with Briggs and Stratton power. These are the two models I'm considering:

$1200 - 88115 - 11.5 Intek, 30", steel chute, power steering, extra bells and whistles
$800 - 88195 - 9.5 PowerBuilt, 29", plastic chute

Is the top one worth the extra dough? How much of a difference is there between the Intek and PowerBuilt? Are there comparable models in my price range from other manufacturers?

My info:
Annual snowfall: 50" (Usually several large storms)
Property: Gravel driveway - approx. 80' long x 2 cars wide. Also - 20' gravel walkway.

Since it's my first winter on a new private road, I don't know what to expect in terms of plowing. It's possible I'll need to clear a 100' car-width path to the main road.