Craftsman Snow Blower Review

By Todd Fratzel on Landscaping, Product Reviews

Craftsman Snow Blowers

Craftsman 277 cc 28-inch 2 Stage Snow ThrowerSeveral years ago I purchased a Craftsman 277cc 28″ Snow Thrower when we built the new house. Here in New Hampshire we get a fair amount of heavy snow with storms ranging from a typical 6 inch event all the way up to major snow storms of 36 inches or more! With that kind of snow fall you really do need a gas powered snow blower (thrower).

We have a large driveway which is about 125 feet long with a large turn-around at one end. Because of the size I wanted a minimum of 24 inch wide blower so I chose the 28 inch model. The blower can take up to 21 inches (deep) of snow in a single pass. This particular model has electric start and uses un-mixed straight gasoline. It has trigger control steering which allows you to steer the snow blower by controlling the drive wheels.

Power

I’ve used this snow blower to remove snow that was really wet, heavy and almost 40 inches deep. The Craftsman Model#88791 has plenty of power and never bogs down. Of all the snow blowers I’ve used and owned this one certainly has the most power which really speeds up the snow clearing effort.

Ease Of Operation

The Craftsman Model#88791 is pretty easy to operate. One upper handle grip controls the snow auger and one controls the drive belt. Below the handles are two triggers that allow you to control the steering (basically you can make one wheel turn faster than the other to make the machine turn instead of pushing and pulling the thing around the yard). That feature works pretty well although it can get confusing at times trying to decide which trigger to pull! My one gripe with operation would be driving in a straight line. The lower steel shoes that run along the pavement don’t seem to track really well. Don’t get me wrong, you can go in a straight line but I find the machine wandering more than I’d like.

Snow Chute

The snow chute on this model works pretty well. It definitely gives you a full 180 degree range to throw snow and the adjustments are easy to use. My one complaint on the snow chute is it seems to allow some snow to shoot back at the operator when it’s turned 90 degrees to the right. Again this isn’t a super big deal because I hardly ever shoot snow completely to the right.

Overall Rating

I’ve been very pleased with my Craftsman 277cc 28″ Snow Thrower. The couple of small issues that I have pointed out are certainly not issues that would keep me from buying this snow blower again. It costs just under $1000 which makes it a really good value when you compare it to some of the similar models from the other brands. I definitely recommend this Craftsman Snow Blower for anyone that has a decent sized driveway with average to moderate snow fall.

Where To Buy

If you’re interested in buying a Craftsman Snow Thrower then Sears is the place to get it.

About the author

Todd Fratzel

I'm full time builder for a large construction company in New Hampshire. I run their design-build division that specializes in custom homes, commercial design-build projects and sub-divisions. I'm also a licensed civil and structural engineer with extensive experience in civil and structural design and home construction. My hope is that I can share my experience in the home construction, home improvement and home renovation profession with other builders and home owners. I'm also the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Tool Box Buzz. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or you'd like to inquire about advertising on this site.

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1 Comment

  1. We just bought a craftsman snowblower a few weeks ago. Have only had to use it twice (oh, ahem, and our neighbors borrowed it once). Not sure on the exact model, but I’m writing it up as well. Highly ranked and seems good so far. :)

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