I have used this on my LT 2000 18 horse.Yes it takes awhile to put together.I have had no problems with mine at all. It takes some getting used to.It will turn hard when hopper is down,just lift alittle and it turns.
I put wheel weights and chains on,alot of weight is best, This has been a snowy winter...review »
I've read a lot of the reviews and had a good laugh, I think I have had most of these problems. All of these problems can be addressed and fixed. The problem with the belt slipping off is because it is not on properly. You have to look very close at the diagram to see the correct way to thread the belt....review »
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Craftsman 42 in. Lawn Tractor Snow Thrower Ratings and Reviews
I bought this blower and my Fairway tractor in 06 and I finally got a chance to use the blower on Feb. 14 when Upstate NY got hammered with 40 inches of snow with in two days. I blew the driveway twice the first night and once the next day. The blower worked perfectly and blew the snow 30' or 40' feet away. I was surprised on how far it threw the snow. I would say this must be the best front mounted blower I have used so far. Thanks Craftsman for such a great product.
Overall, I really like the product. There are some caveats, so understand those first before you decide to buy.
I purchased this 42" blower attachment on sale in December of 2007. It fits perfectly on my Husqvarna YTH2148 lawn tractor that I purchased in June of 2003. (Electrolux bought Husqvarna before that, so my tractor was made alongside the Craftsman tractors in the same North Carolina factory. The frame and hookup points are identical, so all Craftsman accessories fit perfectly - what a bonus!) The kit comes with a variety of adapters and parts required for fit up on a variety of Craftsman...review »
I purchased this for my 24 HP V twin DYS five days before a 1-2-3 punch we had just before Christmas. Installation was fairly consuming (6-8 hours) as this is made to fit several different models and you need to know your lawn tractor model very well in order to know what parts are extra and not needed. In all, the only problem that I have with the design is with the primary belt drive from the tractor to the snow thrower. A better design could have been utilized to drive the snow thrower but would require more parts and is most likely why they went with the single large belt that spins off angle...review »
I had an old (85) Craftsman snow blower for my tractor and that one was really good. That was why I decided to get another one. This one is junk. It's not even a year old and it won't keep the belt on it. I went to Sears to get a new belt and they didn't have it in stock and needed to order it. It was $85. That one won't stay on either. I'm going to call and see what they will do because it's still under warranty.
I purchased the snow thrower last June at the same time I purchased my lawn tractor. My lawn tractor is the YS4500 20HP, which is more than enough power to blow even heavy snow from my 150 foot driveway.
I put the snow thrower together during the summer, it took several afternoons putting the thing together and attaching to my tractor (Approx 12 hours total) I didn't mind because it was the summer and 80 degrees outside I could take my time and do it right, I couldn't imagine putting the snow thrower together when it is cold outside (Those Nylon Nuts would be fun when they are frozen) and needing...review »
I'm happy with the force with which it blows snow but had a weld break on the lifting arm halfway through the winter. Of the 2 inches +/- of weld at the bottom of the arm there was two spots of weld that penetrated the largest being less than 1/4 inch. You really need alot of weight to keep your tractor moving while blowing. My 118 pound wife has nothing but problems getting the machine to move without spinning the wheels in normal snows. I may need to gain 50 more pounds by winter for blowing because my 210 pounds even has trouble. I've got wheel weights and the keg that comes with the blower...review »
I bought this last spring(08) with a 22hp Husqvrna. I love how it handles any snow, so far this year i have used it 4 times. Assembly wasn't bad i have seen worse. My problems with it are 1- the shute keepers broke over nothing 2- broke a shear pin over nothing 3-broke the belt and my local sears didn't carry the belt that i needed but could order it. 4- my finale and biggest problem is that the lift handle with its 2 spot welds broke off. with something that heavy you need more than 2 spot welds to hold it together. Lets work on that sears.
I have had my blower for 6 years and 3 tractors. Believe me, after having my tractor down for the past 6 weeks during the worst winter here in at least 60 years, I have learned to appreciate the beast.
I started with a 20 hp tractor, and found it to be somewhat inadequate. The more horsepower, the better it operates. I since moved up to the 26hp, and find no fault in the blower.
Some have had various complaints, but I have found it to be terrific. I currently have 500' of drive, asmall apartment complex I own, with several varied sized parking areas. With the 42" width, it is terrific doing the...review »
I have one year's experience with this snow thrower. I have been using it with a Craftsman YS4500 26 HP lawn tractor.
Initial installation took several evenings. I'm mechanically inclined, and I've rebuilt auto engines as a hobby before. This really doesn't require all that much in the way of tools, but it does take a while. Even though I had drafting in college while pursuing my engineering degree, I found some of the drawings to be somewhat non-intuitive and hard to read. I ended up having to call product support for explanation of one, and I concluded from the phone call that Sears had changed...review »
First the good. This blower is great, it took what used to be an hour and half job with a walk behind two stage blower down to 15-20 minutes. Even in 2' drifts I have yet to load down the tractor motor. Sure it takes some time to assemble, but it's a one-time thing and I thought the directions were pretty self explanatory.
Now the bad. The lift arm works well, but it takes 2' of carry from the up to down position. So when seated that means taking it from around waist level down to around my ankles, not the easiest to do with a bad back. Then, it would be nice to have a detente in the lift mechanism...review »
This thing is a game changer. I cleared out a 600 ft driveway, on a hill, in little time. As fast as a pickup truck with a snowplow. Wow. What a amazing tool. The instructions were pretty clear, and there were no major problems. Biggest problem was that the bracket which holds on the extra weight tray was missing a hole where it needed one. I could have made a mistake, but I honestly think it was a design defect. I have a 24hp craftsman tractor and the setup works great. I am 210lbs, plus I used wheel weights and chains. You will need all the weight you can get, as my 140 lb teenage son has problems...review »
This is the first season I am using my craftsman blower in WNY. Currently we are getting bouts of lake effect snow with marginally cold temps so the snow has quite a bit of water content in it. So far the blower has worked like a champ, once through about 6-8 of heavy snow. I am running it on a 20hp Husqvarna lawn tractor and it has plenty of power to throw the snow. Concerning the above comments about problems with plugging and belts, and the only thing that I can think of, that is causing the problems, is not using appropriate speeds while blowing or the idler pulley tensions are set wrong. Even...review »
Tuftonboro NH -- we have had over 7' of snow this season. I started the winter snow removal plan using the dozer blade attached to my DGS 6500. The balde is incredible -- seriously it is. But it is limited to only being able to deal with 8' to 12' bankings that are now as solid as concrete. So I purchased this snow thrower. As the description implies [ snow thrower ] it cleared the last 14 inch snow fall well over my bankings and beyond. I'm not overstating here -- this attachment has saved me from what would have been a very tough ending to this winter. In conclusion -- even the neighbors large...review »
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Snow thrower is 2 stage and is easily raised from tractor seat. A polymer chute lifts up and down with 190 degree rotation. *Fits Craftsman Lawn, Yard, Monster, Deluxe Lawn, and Fairway Series tractors. These tractors have 22 in. or smaller rear tires. For Craftsman and Husqvarna brand only - will not fit other brands.