Craftsman is an off brand? Parts are readily available, for shipping right to your door. They don't make the blowers, but have them made by someone else. They just have them painted to spec, or the plastic colors to spec. I got a Craftsman roto tiller, and it's really a Weedeater brand. Like I said, I like the older ones as far as blowers go. The 1970's and 80's models. Sears doesn't make anything themselves. Take their tires for instance, I knew back in 1985 when I worked in the shop at my local Sears that all the tires were Michelin. Now they advertise that they are. I'm not saying that all Craftsman power equipment is good. What I'm saying is that A LOT of it is. If you get past the name, and look at the design, you will see much the same as the popular brands. All have the same Tecumseh cast iron bore engines. The same "sno hog" tires. The same disc drive that Ariens and Snapper uses. The only other parts you might need are bushings, and the drive disc (they wear out fast sometimes) that replaces the "real" gear box older machines had. That is, unless you break something by abusing the machine, or having it fall off the truck. I guess I am biased, I don't look so much at the brand of snow blower, as I do at the design. The brand of engine, size of auger, size of impeller. You will find more parts are made of steel on older machines. To me that is good, because I can weld steel. When a plastic part breaks, you need a new one, period. Seems all the new machines have plastic parts galore now. Sometimes plastic is good, and sometimes it's bad. Good plastic is the discharge chute. Bad plastic is the auger bushings that most new machines use, and the levers to engage the auger and drive. The older machines had auger <B>bearings</B>, with grease fittings. If you can fix little on a machine yourself, then a new plastic blower, with a dealer down the street is the way to go. Me, I'll stick with the oldies I can fix myself. Oh, and since that 5 HP craftsman blower was new, in 1986, all I've had to replace was drive belts, and the scraper bar on the bottom. I replaced the original spark plug in 1997, just because I figured it was time. The machine still started on the first pull. The machine went from "homeowner" use, to commercial use in 1992.
My grandfather had an "off brand" Yardman blower he got in 1967 from JC Penny. In 1977, he gave it to us because he moved to Florida. We used it until 1986, when we got the Craftsman. We gave the Yardman to my neighbor. My neighbor got up in years, and wanted a lighter machine, that he didn't have to pull start. He gave the 1967 Yardman to his son in law in 1993. Guess what? That 1967 Yardman is still used every year. At 20 years old, that little 5 HP blower I have worked the blizzard of 96 here, in 30"+ of snow. No troubles. So much for homeowner design. Like I said, would I buy any machine from any manufacturer based on the name? NO. IF you look closely, The new Yardman, and MTD are the same machine. I have a feeling they make them for many other manufacturers to put their name on as well. Who knows, the new Craftsmans may even be MTD in a different wrapper. Then again, they may be Ariens, or Snapper too. Just be more diligent looking at the design, and features, rather than the brand. Tecumseh are good engines, but so are Briggs and Kholer. Parts for these brands are available at ANY small engine shop.
The Toros are good machines. Expensive, but good machines.
~Chuck
