# Yard Man Track thrower pros & cons debate



## GAR (Nov 7, 2014)

Ok, so normally I pass on used MTD snowblowers but I could not pass on this one (#317E733E401) for $75 (not running). For its age (20) it really did not look to bad. I got it home and got to work.....Cleaned the carb, replaced gas line, cleaned the gas tank, replaced the spark. Added fresh gas and it fired right up. So I changed the oil and went threw an entire check of the machine making a parts list of what to order. Seems to be a solid machine other then the rust developing on it in witch I plane on repairing.

The Engine Runs really smooth, it went threw all 6 forward speeds and reverse with a lot of pulling power and let me tell ya, i really like the left and right trigger ez steering system on it, I have had other track machines without this steering system on it and they are hard to maneuver...Not this one, it turns on a dime. The auger and impeller work really well and blows hard, not sure why it has two auger belts but I will be looking into why they designed it that way. Now I am kinda impressed by this machine. Other then the cheep metal on this MTD machine, why do they get such a bad rap...I am an old school snowblower guy and have always steered clear MTD machines but I gotta tell ya. I like this blower. Is the bad reputation of these blowers come from just the cheep metal used to build them or am I missing something?


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

I agree not bad machines at all. The gear case will be a weak point so male sure they are not rusted on the shaft. Also check the bottom of the impeller housing for excessive rust and that the drain hole is not clogged. Don't know if your keeping or selling but they go quick and for good money.


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

I think the bad reputation is because they are the department store brand.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

IMHO, MTD's are actually Pretty Decent Machines, Aside from the Augers Rotting Out.


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Bob E said:


> I think the bad reputation is because they are the department store brand.


Agreed. There is something about buying outdoor power equipment at Wal-Mart that rubs me the wrong way. IMHO, MTD is like GM in the 1970s and 1980s. "Brand engineered" price point machines all with the same DNA but different feature sets. They also seem to be less resistant to lack of or poor maintenance, which is why you find many for cheap money that just need some TLC. I would also say that the large frame machines (like your Yard-Man) from the early 90s through the early 2000s seem to be pretty well built but not brutes like a Simplicity or Toro; and if you understand this, they will perform pretty well. Lastly, it does seem like MTD is getting the message. The Cub Cadet machines are getting very good reviews and have a number of features unique to the brand.


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

Bob E said:


> I think the bad reputation is because they are the department store brand.


I agree with Bob on that I had a 1996 Craftsman Track blower for 18 years and never let me down.


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## GAR (Nov 7, 2014)

Thank you gentlemen for your thoughts on this machine, I feel this 20 year old machine is worth my time to fix up so I did order new belts (3 in all), skid shoes, scraper bar and will do a basic (I say basic because I do not have the time to fully restore this machine but may do that in the summer) rust removel and will paint the inside of the auger bucket and impeller housing. I will give her a shot in the snow and will report back on how it dose...Thanks again guy.


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

they are probably one of the worst machines when you compare to other mid range and better brands but that being said if you are on a really tight budget they probably are ok. just dont expect to get more then 10 years out of them without requiring major work done, and certainly dont expect 40+ years like an old ariens


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

I'm pretty sure my MTD is from the 80's.


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## The Q (Dec 19, 2016)

43128 said:


> they are probably one of the worst machines when you compare to other mid range and better brands but that being said if you are on a really tight budget they probably are ok. just dont expect to get more then 10 years out of them without requiring major work done, and certainly dont expect 40+ years like an old ariens


Yes, they are soooo horrible! What a crock of BS. 10 years? Major work? Gar any machine, as long as it is properly maintained, will be up to the task for which it was intended. Some brands require more maintenance than others but there is no reason why that machine won`t perform like an Ariens or toro of the same size. Obviously yours was neglected, like alot of machines are. My 20 yr. YardMan, which HAS been maintained, looks and runs like the day I bought it. The owner is what makes the difference.


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

The Q said:


> Yes, they are soooo horrible! What a crock of BS. 10 years? Major work? Gar any machine, as long as it is properly maintained, will be up to the task for which it was intended. Some brands require more maintenance than others but there is no reason why that machine won`t perform like an Ariens or toro of the same size. Obviously yours was neglected, like alot of machines are. My 20 yr. YardMan, which HAS been maintained, looks and runs like the day I bought it. The owner is what makes the difference.


mine was neglected? i work on snowblowers and power equipment. in my experience mtds are the machines that are the most failure prone, do i have to count down the list again? failure prone cheap cables that stretch. PLASTIC BUSHINGS, powder coat instead of paint, thin, low grade sheet metal prone to rust, plastic everywhere steel should be used, cheap aluminum gearboxes that are known for shredding the tiny brass gear they use


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

The Q said:


> Yes, they are soooo horrible! What a crock of BS. 10 years? Major work? Gar any machine, as long as it is properly maintained, will be up to the task for which it was intended. Some brands require more maintenance than others but there is no reason why that machine won`t perform like an Ariens or toro of the same size. Obviously yours was neglected, like alot of machines are. My 20 yr. YardMan, which HAS been maintained, looks and runs like the day I bought it. The owner is what makes the difference.


wrong..
Some people believe all brands are essentially equal, totally wrong.
There is decades of overwhelming evidence that some brands are better built, will last longer, and are more reliable than others, its just an undeniable fact.

Yes, MTD's get a "bad rap" on this forum. Its not because they are "bad", its just because they are "not as good" as Honda, Ariens or Toro.

As an analogy, if someone went on a car forum and said "im considering three new cars, a Honda, a Toyota, and a Chrysler"..everyone would say " with those choices, Never choose the Chrysler!"

Its not that a Chrysler wont work..it will.. just not as long, and not nearly as reliably as the Honda or Toyota..its not a matter of opinion, decades of data proves this is a basic fact.

Same with snowblowers..not all brands are equal, (almost) everyone knows this.
And the main purpose of this forum is: sharing knowledge. Many people come here not knowing much, or anything, about snowblowers..when someone says "im looking for my first snowblower, im considering a Toro, an Ariens, and a Cub Cadet..any advice?" 95% of the forum membership will say "take the Cub Cadet off the list". Its not because they are "soooo horrible", they arent horrible. Its just that Toro and Ariens are simply better.

I have also seen people here say "im considering an Ariens, a Toro and a Honda" .. I *always* say "if you can afford a new Honda, always choose the Honda!"  not because Toro or Ariens are bad.,they arent..but the Honda is better..because not all brands are equal.

Scot


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## The Q (Dec 19, 2016)

43128 said:


> mine was neglected? i work on snowblowers and power equipment. in my experience mtds are the machines that are the most failure prone, do i have to count down the list again? failure prone cheap cables that stretch. PLASTIC BUSHINGS, powder coat instead of paint, thin, low grade sheet metal prone to rust, plastic everywhere steel should be used, cheap aluminum gearboxes that are known for shredding the tiny brass gear they use


No, Gar`s was obviously neglected as anyone can see in the pictures. Reread what I posted. Just making a blanket statement like you did is flat out untrue.


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## The Q (Dec 19, 2016)

sscotsman said:


> wrong..
> Some people believe all brands are essentially equal, totally wrong.
> There is decades of overwhelming evidence that some brands are better built, will last longer, and are more reliable than others, its just an undeniable fact.
> 
> ...


I agree. Not all brands are equal but with proper maintenance and care, any machine with a good motor should last at least 20 years or more.


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## GAR (Nov 7, 2014)

I have a number of years and hundreds of snowblowers repaired or compleatly restored under my belt. The old school blowers have a far better build quality then the newer ones. But I can appreciate every blower made, I wish I could take the engineering of today and the build quality of the past and own that snowblower..

This MTD that I picked up has seen some use over its 20 year life but it's held up ok, everything works as it should and I was impressed by the easy of taking it apart today. No seized rusted bolts, pulleys came right off, auger blades slid right off the shaft and as of damage to the auger or auger bucket.. I only found surface rust, I said i was not going to fully pull it apart but it was so easy to do that I sent the auger bucket and augers to be sand blasted today. I did order a new auger berring sense I had it apart. I like this machine, i currently own 12 snowblowers, most are 70s models (Gilson, Ariens, Snapper, TroyBilt and a couple of Toros). Thing about me is, I like them all. So it's no debate, I am keeping this MTD and adding it to the herd. 

Funny thing and I am sure I am not alone on this site, when it snows it's not unusual for me to pull out and use 3 or 4 of my blowers and then the next time it snows pull out the others. As of what I think is the best and my favorite one....Can't say, once I fix them up they all work great so I like them all.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

I'm going to stick my nose in on this one. Whether houses, cars or snowblowers - they're all built to a pricepoint. They are built to what consumers will pay. Some are miscast in that the audience either sees more or less value in them. Whether you buy a Ferrari or Focus, you're not expecting equal results from them. Each has an audience and that equates to what people will pay for them. Basically some pay more and some pay less and each has a product in their pricepoint in most cases.


You can find 30 year old blowers or cars that are still doing their jobs while some new ones are continually break down. It really seems to me to be multiple factors: Build quality and materials, usage and maintenance. There are new and old that work and there are those that don't regardless of age or usage.


It's hard to give a blanket statements on things like this as there are good and there are those aren't regardless of age or usage. I have multiple older Craftsman blowers and an Ariens. I prefer the Searsasaurus over all others. I have a 30 year old car I'm restoring - I seriously doubt a new comparable model will be around in 30 years let alone running, same with blowers.


Find the one you like, keep it up and enjoy it.


My 2 cents.


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## The Q (Dec 19, 2016)

GAR said:


> I have a number of years and hundreds of snowblowers repaired or compleatly restored under my belt. The old school blowers have a far better build quality then the newer ones. But I can appreciate every blower made, I wish I could take the engineering of today and the build quality of the past and own that snowblower..
> 
> This MTD that I picked up has seen some use over its 20 year life but it's held up ok, everything works as it should and I was impressed by the easy of taking it apart today. No seized rusted bolts, pulleys came right off, auger blades slid right off the shaft and as of damage to the auger or auger bucket.. I only found surface rust, I said i was not going to fully pull it apart but it was so easy to do that I sent the auger bucket and augers to be sand blasted today. I did order a new auger berring sense I had it apart. I like this machine, i currently own 12 snowblowers, most are 70s models (Gilson, Ariens, Snapper, TroyBilt and a couple of Toros). Thing about me is, I like them all. So it's no debate, I am keeping this MTD and adding it to the herd.
> 
> Funny thing and I am sure I am not alone on this site, when it snows it's not unusual for me to pull out and use 3 or 4 of my blowers and then the next time it snows pull out the others. As of what I think is the best and my favorite one....Can't say, once I fix them up they all work great so I like them all.


Please post some pics when you get it all back together!


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## GAR (Nov 7, 2014)

The Q said:


> Please post some pics when you get it all back together!


Still waiting on the new skid shoes and bearing but I placed the augers in the housing to see how it will look. I hit it with a rust preventive primer after I got it back from sand blasting and then hit it with 4 coats of automotive Hunter green paint (very close to original color). There was some pitting in the metal due to rust but far from rusting threw. This 20 year old MTD will last another 20 years if maintained correctly. I still have some work to do on it but when I am compleatly done I will shoot ya a few pictures Q. I did check out your pictures of your monster Yard Man...That machine looks to have been very well maintained. Very nice. Thanks for your interest in my machine.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

Seeing that big old Yardman is like seeing those old powder puff Detroit cars in pristine shape.


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