# Sears snow blower story from ****! HELP!



## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

2005 I buy a new 27" searsPOS snow blower. Model 536881851. 1000 bucks plus with tax I think. Can't wait for it to snow! It snows and I go down the driveway 30 feet and the chute blows apart with light snow on a paved driveway no rocks at all. Call scum SEARS to return it and they won't take it back. Some guy said wrong plastic used they will send a new chute. SEARS-POS says we will not take it back but will extend warranty another year. I get it in writing great!

No snow next year so I use it the following year and the same thing happens in 40 feet with new chute. So pissed it just sits till this year still with the plastic still on it. I have started it few times a years and put stabilizer in it and run it around yard where my equipment yard is. 

Now I see it happens to all the plastic chutes on the internet. So I get a new chute on EBAY and reinforce it with straps and ABS plastic on the last top piece. Great it's going to snow tomorrow on Long Island. Drag it out and start it without much trouble using plug in electric start. Run it up and down the driveway no problem with drive or auger kicking in. I run it another 25 minutes no problem. Was going for more gas so I said I'll pull start it just to see. It is now locked up  I hit the starter after plugging it in an no dice so I stop. 

Then I said may be the gas ran in and locked the motor if carb hung up. Pull the plug and no dice still locked plug dry no fuel. Tried to push it and engage drive lever no dice wheels just lock up. WTHELL? Checked oil before I started it still like new. No abnormal noise while running or when I shut it down. 

Any tips would be appreciated. No clue if drive line locked or motor. Does roll with auger not engaged. I have some mechanical skills and would rather not put another dime in this POS. Can't even think of loading it on truck to repair guy. Not sure I ever want to see it again. I am ready to take it to my yard and drop it 50 feet with a rough terrain forklift and run it over with the other three till it is near unrecognizable. Then dump it in SEARS parking lot if not the showroom floor with a hand truck.

If I give up on this POS for scrap what is a good brand in this size range? I will look at other reviews in forum. Thanks a million! SEARS I hope you go out of business ASAP with your now Chinese tools you have zero I will ever want again.

Like to fix it and sell it on Ebay and get a real one if there is any out there. Was debating if I would have a drink tonight for New Years. Now I think I'll have 20 and pass out in the coming snow!


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## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

Wow. I have the same plastic chute on my old MTD since 1996 and it never broke. I wonder if others are having this problem? I beard of this happening years ago before improved plastics were on the market.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

hello paddledog, welcome to SBF!! sorry for your crapsman experiance. i don't have much experiance with my craftsman cause i don'tuse it and hope to have it sold soon. new or used i would be looking for a toro, ariens, or honda. you could repower it like gustoguy did with a harbor freight motor


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

even the way it is designed there is about 3/8" probably 5/16" from mounting hole flange area at base to bolt. No clue how that would be a good design with anything but steel. I even bought a steel sears chute on ebay and was going to mod it to fit but I misplaced it so I just ordered plastic one again. I ran some galv. straps from rotating mount bolts (3) to near top of chute with three additional stainless carriage bolts. Then reinforced top with another piece of abs I heated, bent and silicone inside OEM then put two bolts in it also.

When the oem chutes fail they broke at top angle flange and 3 base mount bolts where there is near no material. Who ever built this POS for sears had no clue. No doubt a piece of plastic could be made to work if designed properly in material and physical design. Never has anything in my 61 years on earth as big a POS as this and to look at it all this time with ZERO use really tops it off for pain!

Every time I shovel the snow I think of my snow blower with the plastic still on it and down over a grand in 2005. Grand in the market in 2005 would be worth what now with a few decent investments? What did this thing really cost me in sanity? I should have just sold it the dam thing! Choke SEARS CHOKE!

Who made this POS Murray or Briggs or ????? I would like to at least let them know they make JUNK. Even if the motor blew up the design of the rest is a joke.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

The 536 prefix is a Murray design.


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## td5771 (Feb 21, 2011)

Take the belt cover off and put a wrench on the ebgine pulley and see if you can rock it back and forth. May something is just hung up on the drive train. 

If it moves put a little oil down the plug hole and work the motor around. Check the oil level and if it frees up try it again.

Ps. I am on long island and have a craftsman chute you are welcome to. It is used and plastic but it has survived this long.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

td5771 said:


> Ps. I am on long island and have a craftsman chute you are welcome to. It is used and plastic but it has survived this long.


Real nice gesture td.
Wonder if the electric starte might possibly have something to do with the engine locking up?


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## td5771 (Feb 21, 2011)

What's your zip code? If close to 11754 I could take a look if you can't figure it out. Or you could bring I by me.


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

Thanks guys for the help and offers, just great! I am in Freeport on the water where the blower will be soon with a smile the Woodcleft Canal! LOL I'll give it a gander in the AM if I am not shoveling snow! LOL Happy New Year! People have more problems than my dead blower like no food or water. So I really have to be thankful for that and sad for them. What I paid for the blower would feed them for years. What a crazy unfair world it is. 

Anyway I should be happy I can shovel snow (healthy) and some have never even touched snow should be my outlook. 

thanks keep ya posted john  Party safe!


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

GustoGuy said:


> Wow. I have the same plastic chute on my old MTD since 1996 and it never broke. I wonder if others are having this problem? I beard of this happening years ago before improved plastics were on the market.


If you had the same chute you would be playing jigsaw puzzle with it!


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

micah68kj said:


> Real nice gesture td.
> Wonder if the electric starte might possibly have something to do with the engine locking up?


when I shut it down and went to restart it by pulling it without electric it was locked. So I think that may rule out starter but I can try and yank it out. Thanks!


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Paddledog52 said:


> Thanks guys for the help and offers, just great! I am in Freeport on the water where the blower will be soon with a smile the Woodcleft Canal! LOL I'll give it a gander in the AM if I am not shoveling snow! LOL Happy New Year! People have more problems than my dead blower like no food or water. So I really have to be thankful for that and sad for them. What I paid for the blower would feed them for years. What a crazy unfair world it is.
> 
> Anyway I should be happy I can shovel snow (healthy) and some have never even touched snow should be my outlook.
> 
> thanks keep ya posted john  Party safe!


I like your attitude. A roof over your head, food to eat and health are all so wonerful and mostly taken for granted. Having an operating snowblower is just icing on the cake.


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

going for pizza then back to blower nightmare!


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

Leaning towards Ariens if I go new with three year warranty and metal chute. Sad part is I really take care of all my equipment in my construction business. My equipment out lives others using it by decades.


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

how is Husqvarna I have many of their cut off saws and large masonry table saws? Want to buy something made in USA. thanks


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## JSteinhoff (Oct 6, 2013)

Paddledog52

Now that you have had the CRAPSMAN experience, may I suggest..

1: Used well maintained Honda with Hydrostatic drive on Craigslist(Best)
2: Ariens or Toro, also many good ones used on Craigslist.


Cheers,
Honda HS928TAS


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

Paddledog52 said:


> how is Husqvarna I have many of their cut off saws and large masonry table saws? Want to buy something made in USA. thanks


 i don't think huskys are made by husky but made by apy just like your craftsman


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## JSteinhoff (Oct 6, 2013)

Paddledog52

Made in USA is now mostly a bygone era, most if not all the machines have Chinese motors. Honda motor's have parts made offshore (Taiwan) but are assembled and shipped to the USA from Japan. Honda only makes commercial grade motors, unlike all others.

Research and read posts on this site, and you will see that quality can still be had, and
becoming well informed before a purchase is the only way to prevent the CRAPSMAN, Chinese junk experience. The greedy company CEO's hope you remain uninformed and buy their poor quality items.

Yamaha also looks like a quality machine, but I know little about them, and availability and parts may be an issue.

Best,
Honda HS928TAS


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

well latest news is it my be a good year for me.

Go out for one more look and pull the plastic cover over the drive belts and pulleys. I get an adjustable wrench and grab the crank and it does move, So I get mad and really said screw it and a real hard hard pull and it comes loose. Now crank turns and I pull start it. Starts right up and I run it up and down the driveway. Now I tried the electric starter and it works fine. I have no clue what jammed but it all seems fine for now. Still not much faith in this machine. I sprayed and wiped it down with PB Blaster, greased fittings on shaft, and tighten every nut, bolt, and screw I could see. There were some loose and the machine is quieter now with less rattles. Now waiting for snow. Hope my chute mods hold up I will go easy on it.

Thanks all for the help nice site here.

post back after the snow!


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

all B&S are made in china now?


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## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

Like you say, its a POS. So cut your losses and dump the crappy thing and buy a more reliable machine like a Toro, Ariens, Simplicity. Maybe you can part the crappy one out to sell it in pieces.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Or since it's running, run it till it falls apart or until you find something else you really like and have good reviews about. As long as this one blows snow you have the luxury of time to figure out what to do and how to pay for it.

When I say run it till it falls apart I'm still talking about doing the maintenance that keeps it going and keeps it reliable.
If you could permanently fix the chute issue would you have any other complaints ?? Other than the phantom lock up ??
Lots of people buy light duty machines with China engines and run them without any problems. Will thy last like a 60's or 70's Briggs or Tecumseh ?? If properly maintained they might but I'm sure they won't handle neglect as well.

The big thing is there must be something physically wrong that's causing you the heartburn with your specific machine. Maybe if you post some pictures of the failure area from a few angles another owner might see an anomaly. Even if you can't stand it and are going to sell it would be nice not to just stick someone else with the problem. Get more $$$ if it's fixed.


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

Biggest failure was the plastic chute. Now that I fixed that it worked good today. Blew out 6 neighbors. One thumb screw vibrated out. If I use this more I'll know exactly what to buy. Don't like having to reach down low to shift & N to R. Guess I'll get another plastic chute for 20 bucks on ebay just in case. Post pictures if I can find them of the chute blown apart and the reinforcement I made which was fairly cheap and simple. Starts easy ran good but I doubt I'll keep it unless I use it at my other house.

Next one I'll give a big look and a big research project on before I dump another grand plus on. 28" is the size I would get so it goes through gates easy. After waiting since 2005 to use it more than 20-30 seconds it was a nice feeling.

Would never ever buy another machine with a plastic chute EVER.

thanks all for the offers and help.

john


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Paddledog52 said:


> all B&S are made in china now?


As of this year (2014 model year) All 2-stage snowblowers, by all manufacturers, have engines made in China.
Except for Honda.
There are now zero snowblower, lawnmower, or riding mower engines made in the USA..

Briggs is still making some larger engines in the USA..but not for snowblowers. (I actually dont know what these "larger engines" are used for..anyone know?)

Scot


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## scipper77 (Dec 4, 2013)

sscotsman said:


> As of this year (2014 model year) All 2-stage snowblowers, by all manufacturers, have engines made in China.
> Except for Honda.
> There are now zero snowblower, lawnmower, or riding mower engines made in the USA..
> 
> ...


Probably for Garden tractors and commercial mowers. I'm thinking the larger water cooled twins. Of course I'm just guessing.


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## scipper77 (Dec 4, 2013)

I have a 2005 Craftsman with an 8.5 Briggs. My chute broke once from ice chunks. It really is a terrible design. My motor is also a piece. It likes to shut down and I'm pretty sure it's vapor lock but since it runs so lean that I need 1/2 choke just to run I just use my '73 Ariens. I already blew a head gasket once and now I am sick of chasing down reasons why the motor doesn't run right. I cleaned the carb, checked the valves, cleared a restriction in the fuel lines and after all of that it doesn't shut off any more but it will only run at 1/2 choke. 

Sorry, I'm just venting a little.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

This is the place to vent 
I know my Troy has the plastic chute and it is pretty cheesy that there are only three plastic clips that hold it on.

On your lean running, if you've already tried cleaning you might get extreme and drill the jets. I'm waiting on warmer weather to do that to my Troy. Already tried cleaning it and I'm tired of hearing that surging.


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## Paddledog52 (Dec 31, 2013)

sscotsman said:


> As of this year (2014 model year) All 2-stage snowblowers, by all manufacturers, have engines made in China.
> Except for Honda.
> There are now zero snowblower, lawnmower, or riding mower engines made in the USA..
> 
> ...


they are now used in the US M1A1 Abrams Tanks hooked up in sequence. This would be funny if the subject was not so sad.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Paddledog52 said:


> they are now used in the US M1A1 Abrams Tanks hooked up in sequence. This would be funny if the subject was not so sad.


Sorry to threadjack.

Man, APU's were before my time. I remember still running #2 in my pigs.


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