Craftsman 42" Two-stage Tractor Snowblower Reviews

Craftsman 42" Two-stage Tractor Snowblower — 

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 tractors, so you will have leftover parts when finished. Just be sure you have the correct ones installed. Installation - I had mine put together correctly on the first try after about an hour and a half, but I'm also a Mechanical Engineer. The item is very complex for someone not mechanically inclined. Personally, I would not trust it to the kid at sears, because I know that doing it myself, I would never cross-thread any bolts and I'd use the correct torque. But for a beginner, having one of the store's people assemble it may be best, especially if their tech has done it before. At least if it's wrong, they owe you to make it right. Which they will. Weight - this unit is extremely heavy, and therefore makes the tractor very nose-heavy. I weigh 215 pounds, and there's no way it would work without at least 30-lb wheel weights. The 75-lb sand cannister on the back of the tractor is the best way to go, because it's more total weight than just wheel weights, and more reaction torque about the rear wheels, for better traction. But, I do not recommend any additional weight, unless you are only 150 lbs. First, it is not necessary if you have chains. Second, all that extra weight is murder on the tractor's transmission. The other reviewer with the 1100 lb setup may be setting himself up for early transmission failure if he has any kind of grade to drive on. Add weight until it works well, and then stop adding weight. Horsepower - because of all that weight, your tractor should have a higher horsepower engine. My 21-hp V-twin works great, but a 12-15-hp tractor may struggle with the weight, and will probably not throw the snow as far. Throw and Snow - again, horsepower will help you get through heavier snow. Reveiwers who say it doesn't do well in heavy snow may have lower-powered engines. I just went through 1 full foot of very wet, heavy snow, and it still throws it at least 20 feet. 6 inches of powder gets thrown probably 30 feet or more. I have yet to see anything go more than 40 feet from the discharge chute. You have to modulate the speed of the tractor so it doesn' bog down in heavy, deep snow. You'll have to drive a lot slower than when you mow the lawn. Quality - if you go through a lot of rocks, or use this on a gravel driveway, it will wear out much more quickly than you might expect. That is the nature of any snowblower. Otherwise, this product is built to a moderately good standard, but it is not over-built, and it is not a piece of precision Swiss machinery. Yours will feel pretty much just like the store's dislplay model. The long handles vibrate around (naturally), and the crank for the chute occasionally requires two hands, one to hold steady while the other cranks. This armature also scratches the hood of the tractor because it lies right next to it - or maybe just on Husqvarna tractors. Corrosion - terrible. This thing is raw sheet steel with paint on it, and any scratch will lead to rust. I'd pay an extra $200 if they could make it out of galvanized steel, this would also give them a serious market edge - a snowblower that doesn't rust. Mine had rust all over the bottom two days after the first use on a concrete driveway, and after the third use, there was evidence of rust at the top of the blower housing, just because of light (or no) paint in that area. (Mfg defect?) Definitely will need to be wire-brushed and touched up every season. Operation - sometimes you have to push down on the big long handle to raise the blower up a little bit, just to get over a 1/2" offset in the cement, or to get over built-up snow from cars driving on an un-plowed drive. If you don't, the rear wheels just spin until you lift the blower a touch. That, combined with moving the chute and angling the discharge hood (which never stays where you put it because of the powerful blast of snow coming up from the blower), plus driving the tractor, makes you wish you had 4 hands just to operate this Willy-Wonka contraption. But dang, it sure makes my life easier. It burns a 42" swath through a foot of heavy wet snow like a hot knife through butter, saving my aching back. What was once two hours of really hard labor is now 20 minutes of playing with some cool big-boy toys... I even help out my neighbors when I see them struggling with a lousy shovel after the snowplow comes by. I act like I'm being all nice, but really, I just like playing with my toys. Totally worth it, especially if you can buy it on sale. I wouldn't buy one used - you can't be sure you're getting all the correct parts to mount it, and if you just wait for a sale, you'll get a brand new one for just a couple hundred more, and no shipping charges. Overall, I'd recommend it.