How did i do? Craftsman 5hp 22"/2stage snowblower

[Kracin]

guy posted on craigslist, i assumed it was a newer version but came to find that he bought it new in 93 and apparently it just stopped working so he posted it that morning for 100. its model 536.886120

he said he was selling cause it wasn't starting anymore. got it home, put a new plug in it and saw a whole crapload of black carbon deposits on the plug and cylinder, the guy probably never knew how to adjust it (not that i do either, but i can read a book damnit, and so i did which is how i got it running). put some seafoam in the gas so it could clean the cylinder up and whatever else it touches until the carb rebuild kit gets here.

i walked away with it for 80, and had my two driveways and sidewalks cleared 45 minutes later, i don't think it was too bad but what do these go for? i figured any somewhat decent snowblower for 80 should be a deal no matter how you look at it.

the good -
it runs, once i got it adjusted somewhat it was able to clear 12" of snow for almost an hour straight no hiccups, very wet snow too, crazy thick storm that came through last night. so far so good

the bad -
the electric start button is broken, but it pulls first shot every time now with little effort. the carb needs rebuilt which shouldn't be a big task.


NOT MY PICTURE (its snow covered and im already in pajamas thank god. the one i purchased is in similar condition with very little rust anywhere)

 

[CNGsaves]

Perfect timing for your big snow storm. Nice score !!

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Yep, you ****.

 

[Kracin]

Perfect timing for your big snow storm. Nice score !!

perfect timing also that apparently i was the second person to call, the first guy didn't show up quick enough and when i got out there he had 5 other people call but held it for me. i wasn't looking forward to either shoveling out all the driveway i have (one runs the length of the whole property almost, from the front to the back), or shelling out a bunch of money for a good size blower. this snow was crazy thick, the guy across the street from me had a real large toro blower and he kept stopping to clean out the chute, but this thing just kept going.

 

[kelpaso1]

Those older grey Craftsman blowers are one of the best blowers ever built. Bullet proof. Just make sure the oil is full every time you use it and change it once a year. Take care if it and it will take care of you.

 

[JRC3]

he said he was selling cause it wasn't starting anymore. got it home, put a new plug in it and saw a whole crapload of black carbon deposits on the plug and cylinder, the guy probably never knew how to adjust it (not that i do either, but i can read a book damnit, and so i did which is how i got it running).

He may've been running it with too much choke. Doubt it's dirty being a snowblower, but what does the air filter look like?


Pro tip: When you're not using it in the winter pull the wheel pins to make it manuevable.

 

[Kracin]

Those older grey Craftsman blowers are one of the best blowers ever built. Bullet proof. Just make sure the oil is full every time you use it and change it once a year. Take care if it and it will take care of you.

good to know, i already did some minor things, like i said have the carb rebuild coming. going to continue to use some seafoam in the gas til the carbon deposits get better (maybe even some bg44k, that stuff is super strong though). and the oil change was on my list, checked it and it didn't smell or look burned, but i didn't grab any on my way back out of the store for the spark plug. i'll need to grab some 5w-30 next time im out. is there any reason to stay with regular? do people run synthetic with good luck on these blowers?

He may've been running it with too much choke. Doubt it's dirty being a snowblower, but what does the air filter look like?


Pro tip: When you're not using it in the winter pull the wheel pins to make it manuevable.

and there is no air filter on it. not sure if there was was supposed to be one on these, it has a tecumseh carb. parts list shows no air filter. if it's only run in the winter when there is snow, how much dirt can there possibly be in the air, know what i mean?

pull the wheel pins? the wheels are always disengaged unless you pull the lever to engage them. so it's always in push/pull mode unless you have that pulled, not sure what you mean here.

 

[steed andersen]

good to know, i already did some minor things, like i said have the carb rebuild coming. going to continue to use some seafoam in the gas til the carbon deposits get better (maybe even some bg44k, that stuff is super strong though). and the oil change was on my list, checked it and it didn't smell or look burned, but i didn't grab any on my way back out of the store for the spark plug. i'll need to grab some 5w-30 next time im out. is there any reason to stay with regular? do people run synthetic with good luck on these blowers?



and there is no air filter on it. not sure if there was was supposed to be one on these, it has a tecumseh carb. parts list shows no air filter. if it's only run in the winter when there is snow, how much dirt can there possibly be in the air, know what i mean?

pull the wheel pins? the wheels are always disengaged unless you pull the lever to engage them. so it's always in push/pull mode unless you have that pulled, not sure what you mean here.

Snow blowers don't have air filters. They would ice up and there isn't any dust to worry about.

 

[Kracin]

Snow blowers don't have air filters. They would ice up and there isn't any dust to worry about.

thats what i had figured the reason for there being no filter on them. another tidbit good to be sure of.

 

[JRC3]

and there is no air filter on it. not sure if there was was supposed to be one on these, it has a tecumseh carb. parts list shows no air filter. if it's only run in the winter when there is snow, how much dirt can there possibly be in the air, know what i mean?

Just looked at mine and it doesn't have one.

pull the wheel pins? the wheels are always disengaged unless you pull the lever to engage them. so it's always in push/pull mode unless you have that pulled, not sure what you mean here.

Neutral is different than opening the differential. Think about like an open differential in a truck compared to positraction or lockers. If you unlock a wheel it doesn't fight the other wheel when you're moving it around by hand when not in regular use or storage. This vid pretty much shows what I'm saying.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

It's one of the many re-badged Murrays. You might want to see if there are any gaps around the belt cover. My 8hp Brute (Murray) tends to lose drive to the wheels when snows gets in through the gap around the bottom of the belt cover and slicks up the drive platter. It's been an ok machine. I've had to fiddle with it more than I think is necessary for the amount of hours on it, but it's a Godsend when there's a ton of snow to move. The lack of a throttle control is annoying. Having it start up full pin at -30C makes me cringe.

 

[G_P]

You did good! That machine looks to be in great shape for its age.

 

[Kracin]

You did good! That machine looks to be in great shape for its age.

not my pic, but it is in very good shape for a 21 year old snowblower, the car it shares the garage with now was built in 93 as well and is also very well taken care of (my avatar).

 

[Kracin]

It's one of the many re-badged Murrays. You might want to see if there are any gaps around the belt cover. My 8hp Brute (Murray) tends to lose drive to the wheels when snows gets in through the gap around the bottom of the belt cover and slicks up the drive platter. It's been an ok machine. I've had to fiddle with it more than I think is necessary for the amount of hours on it, but it's a Godsend when there's a ton of snow to move. The lack of a throttle control is annoying. Having it start up full pin at -30C makes me cringe.

it was trudging through tons of snow earlier, in fact i almost want it to snow again (almost) so i can rip it back up and make short work of it all. the guy included some new guide plates as well so i may install those as the ones on it look like they have taken a beating from scraping so much.

 

[L.Cheapo]

To be honest with you, like a previous poster said, its a rebadged Murray/MTD/Noma. These were low end mass market models. I think you got a great deal on it, and taken care of, it should serve you well. Certain parts may take a while to get. Keep some auger shear pins on hand. Might be a good idea to remove the lower cover and check the drive and driven disks. You'll want to replace the driven disk before you get metal-to-metal contact. As far as the electric starter, you can replace the whole assembly as a unit, or if you're pretty handy, just replace the switch and cord. I can tell you from experience, you're probably better off replacing the assembly unless you are an octopus. Back in the day, Tecumseh warranty would only pay for the switch, if defective.

Best of luck with it.

 

[Kracin]

To be honest with you, like a previous poster said, its a rebadged Murray/MTD/Noma. These were low end mass market models. I think you got a great deal on it, and taken care of, it should serve you well. Certain parts may take a while to get. Keep some auger shear pins on hand. Might be a good idea to remove the lower cover and check the drive and driven disks. You'll want to replace the driven disk before you get metal-to-metal contact. As far as the electric starter, you can replace the whole assembly as a unit, or if you're pretty handy, just replace the switch and cord. I can tell you from experience, you're probably better off replacing the assembly unless you are an octopus. Back in the day, Tecumseh warranty would only pay for the switch, if defective.

Best of luck with it.

you're right, its a good idea to take the rest of it apart and give it a once over, if the cylinder had that much buildup from running bad over the years i doubt it had much more maintenance done to it.

i looked at the electric starter, not gonna be buying one to replace this one, the starter box itself is 85. the electric start still works, its just taped into place so when you plug it in it cranks, unplug to stop cranking. looked like it had a cracked case/busted button, so far it started no problems without it. but it also has no issue functioning. this isn't gonna be one of those restoration deals, so i hope no one expects a 500 gallon electrolysis tank to remove any little bits of rust and a custom powdercoat booth build so i can give her a new paint job lol. just gonna be overdue maintenance and upkeep so it can keep plowin snow for me, i'm only 29 but im already tired of shoveling, so a snowblower shot straight to the top of my "need" list yesterday when we got the big snow storm. luckily i pulled up craigslist at the right time.

 

[wild cowboy]

if you want some protection for the carb, but not the restriction or other issues that would come with an air filter, stretch some women's ***** hose over the inlet of the carb and secure with heavy duty rubber band or zip tie.

 

[Kracin]

if you want some protection for the carb, but not the restriction or other issues that would come with an air filter, stretch some women's ***** hose over the inlet of the carb and secure with heavy duty rubber band or zip tie.

when i pulled the needles out, they looked clean enough, but the seal around the bowl is gone and i'm guessing a few other seals are hanging on for dear life as well. it's a good idea to use a mesh filter of some kind, but in the dead of winter i don't even know if that is worth the hassle of checking on to make sure it doesn't get sucked in.

besides, if i put pantyhose on it, what am i going to wear while i clear the pathways?

 

[Dajn]

Good buy. Even If it only gets you through a couple winters and then shits it's final bed, it was still well worth it. Who knows, you might get ten winters out of it or more.

 

[Kracin]

picture taken this morning after i finished making some more pathways. cranked over even easier this time, carb definitely needs a cleanup/rebuild as the adjustments don't make too much different on running unless you go to extremes

 

[AldeanFan]

I've spent more than that on snowblowers that were beyond repair, you didn't have to shovel today, I say you did very well!

 

[SwampCat]

Snow blowers don't have air filters. They would ice up and there isn't any dust to worry about.

Not true. My Gravely, SNOW CANNON has a air filter, since it is used year round as a power unit, mows, blows, tills, slices and dices. You are correct that most dedicated snow blowers dont have one.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Come spring DO THE MAINTENANCE !

Check shoes for wear (they are supposed to wear)
Replace all rusty nuts and bolts with stainless. You might consider using nylock stainless nuts.
Remover wheel and grease the axles before the wheel rust weld to the axle.
Remove auger and grease shaft.
Check all bolts to tightness.

 

[theoldwizard1]

picture taken this morning after i finished making some more pathways. cranked over even easier this time, carb definitely needs a cleanup/rebuild as the adjustments don't make too much different on running unless you go to extremes

Buy Gumout Fuel System Cleaner. Mix it with your fuel at about 10x what is listed on the bottle. Run it.

Make sure the governor is working properly and the engine is not over-reving.

Check you oil level every time you refuel !

 

[wild cowboy]

when i pulled the needles out, they looked clean enough, but the seal around the bowl is gone and i'm guessing a few other seals are hanging on for dear life as well. it's a good idea to use a mesh filter of some kind, but in the dead of winter i don't even know if that is worth the hassle of checking on to make sure it doesn't get sucked in.

I have used the pantyhose trick on a large 6 cylinder Acura with nothing more than a strong rubber band stretched tight - your little snowblower's engine doesn't have a 1/10 of that amount of suction.

The reason it doesn't get sucked in is that pantyhose stretched out taunt has very little resistance to airflow, almost none!

 

[L.Cheapo]

You don't need an air filter on a snowthrower. There isn't much dust if there's snow on the ground. There's a reason new ones haven't come with one as long as I've been alive.
That machine appears to have low hours on it, or be really well taken care of. Check the impeller bearing by reaching through the chute (with the engine off and disabled!) and pulling up and down. There shouldn't be any play. Also check the auger gearcase. Depending on the year, SOME used grease, and some used gear oil. A little squirt of the appropriate lube couldn't hurt. Also check the shear pins in the auger. People have been known to replace them with regular bolts in a pinch. You don't want to replace a gearcase over a $3 shear pin.
The best advice I can give you is when you're done with it for the season, drain and run all the gas out of it. Even better to drop the carb bowl after that (if it doesn't have the spring loaded drain button). Some people have had luck with fuel stabilizers, but having been a mechanic in a power equipment shop for six years, I rebuilt many of those people's carburetors year after year.

 

[CNGsaves]

Yeah, especially given your great timing . . . . . . . YOU **** !!

Just happened to look around at Sears today and they had 2 similar snowblowers to yours that were around $700 regular price and close-out priced for $551 . . . . . . darn tooting you did all right !!

 

[cruzer75]

Sweet score. Wish I had one for 80. Gotta get off my but and fix the snowblower for the tractor.

 

[allaboutfun]

I would like to see a picture.....better yet, a video of you using it............at my house ; )

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[rowerwet]

most likely the carb seals are gone from ethanol. fuel systems not made to handle 10% ethanol end up with seals and line being eaten from the inside.
I got a nice craftsman self propelled lawn mower for free due to ethanol. Ethanol collects water, water sinks to the bottom of the carb and gas tank, mower stops running. I removed the carb bowl, dumped out the water, flushed the tank with fresh gas ( I get avgas free from work, no ethanol in it) put it back together and ran it. started on the second pull. shaking the mower to loosen the loose grass caked under the deck, and it stalled. removed the carb bowl again and found more water. third time was the charm. Love getting a free mower for about 15 min of work.

 

[Kracin]

I would like to see a picture.....better yet, a video of you using it............at my house ; )

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

i did the neighbors sidewalks because they were "in the way" of my turnaround spot. no wonder every block only has one guy with a snowblower... lol

most likely the carb seals are gone from ethanol. fuel systems not made to handle 10% ethanol end up with seals and line being eaten from the inside.
I got a nice craftsman self propelled lawn mower for free due to ethanol. Ethanol collects water, water sinks to the bottom of the carb and gas tank, mower stops running. I removed the carb bowl, dumped out the water, flushed the tank with fresh gas ( I get avgas free from work, no ethanol in it) put it back together and ran it. started on the second pull. shaking the mower to loosen the loose grass caked under the deck, and it stalled. removed the carb bowl again and found more water. third time was the charm. Love getting a free mower for about 15 min of work.

i've heard about that from more than a few people and checked it out, so i only put non ethanol 87 in my gas containers. hopefully over time my lawn equipment loves me for it

 

[lars]

Nice score, although I do have you beat on the deal. My neighbor gave me a very similar one with a flat tire for FREE. He pays someone to plow his driveway now. That one went to my father in law and I kept my $25 Toro CCR 2000.

After a carb clean and adjustment it has been good to go.

Best of luck with the new rig.

 

[Kracin]

Nice score, although I do have you beat on the deal. My neighbor gave me a very similar one with a flat tire for FREE. He pays someone to plow his driveway now. That one went to my father in law and I kept my $25 Toro CCR 2000.

After a carb clean and adjustment it has been good to go.

Best of luck with the new rig.

dang one-uppers!

j/k, sounds like you got an awesome deal, it's surprising what people will throw out. but then again i've given away plenty of things that i know other people needed that i was only going to make chump change on when selling anyway, a grateful person is always better than a few bucks in your pocket.