# Is it normal for a new snowblower to leak oil out of the crate?



## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

I just bought a Craftsman 24" 179CC snowblower. As I was putting the thing together I noticed about a tablespoon of oil underneath the engine. I checked the oil and found it to be low, just barely at the bottom of the stick. Is this normal? Should i exchange it for a new one? I don't know too much about small engines and every lawnmower I had growing up leaked oil. Any suggestions?


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## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

Welcome to SBF 907! I would certainly be worried if something brand new is bleeding fluid and I haven't taken it out of the box yet. I would respectfully suggest that you might want to get a refund and rethink your choice of machines.
JMHO


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## JSteinhoff (Oct 6, 2013)

907_Science

I apologize for being blunt, but...

The Crapsman Chinese wonder machine did you a huge favor, now RUN back to Sears and get your money back. 

Honda (nice used if you can find one) Very expensive new, but superior.
Ariens, ok 2nd choice
Toro, many say they are decent.

Do your research, Greedy CEO's must love Consumer Reports evaluations, they picked a Crapsman as their top pick. They have no credibility with me, anything that is quality and more expensive is usually not even mentioned. Sears is NOT the store I remember as a kid, their products are mostly Chinese junk, with the exception of their
USA made hand tools. They should just merge with Harbor Freight and rule the cheap, throw away marketplace.

I prefer the buy once, cry once theory. Quality will cost you more, but can save a lot of wasted time and money in the long run.

Honda=Commercial grade motor assembled in Japan. A little school girl can start one,
and run for decades.
Honda=Hydrostatic drive, infinite speed control. Superior, period.
Honda=Superior engineering and quality.

If you budget does not allow you to consider a Honda, look close at the other brands mentioned here and have a loyal following, such as Ariens and Toro, etc.

Best of luck in your search.
Honda HS928TAS


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Some snowblowers take 40 years to reach the end of the line..
some take 10 years..and some are junk when they are new.

Scot


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

907_Science said:


> I just bought a Craftsman 24" 179CC snowblower. As I was putting the thing together I noticed about a tablespoon of oil underneath the engine. I checked the oil and found it to be low, just barely at the bottom of the stick. Is this normal? Should i exchange it for a new one? I don't know too much about small engines and every lawnmower I had growing up leaked oil. Any suggestions?


Out of curiosity, why did you choose to buy a Craftsman™ snowblower? And yes. Take it back and politely ask for a refund. 
Welcome to SBF and we are sincerely a helpful bunch in here.


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

micah68kj said:


> Out of curiosity, why did you choose to buy a Craftsman™ snowblower?


I chose a Craftsman because i got a great deal on it. In Alaska the thing retails for around $850 and I got it for $499. I figured that Craftsman has a good reputation for tools (if it breaks take it back). I have an old Toro someone gave me for free but even after I took it to a small engine guy it doesn't run reliably. So it seems that I have bought a crappy machine. Maybe I should just take it back and have my engine guy put another hour into the old Toro.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

micah68kj said:


> Out of curiosity, why did you choose to buy a Craftsman™ snowblower? And yes. Take it back and politely ask for a refund.
> Welcome to SBF and we are sincerely a helpful bunch in here.


 thats an easy answer joe, price, same reason i got mine 
hello 907, welcome to SBF!! being new i would return it


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

Just a thought, don't the machines usually come with no oil in them or did sears assemble it for you and add oil. Sounds to me like this machine may have been used or a return. 

Usually they come empty or very little oil from when they were tested to make sure they ran at the factory.


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

Colored Eggs said:


> Just a thought, don't the machines usually come with no oil in them or did sears assemble it for you and add oil. Sounds to me like this machine may have been used or a return.
> 
> Usually they come empty or very little oil from when they were tested to make sure they ran at the factory.


The manual says it ships with oil but check it before you run the machine. I saw them take it out of the crate So I don't think it was ran.


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

907_Science said:


> The manual says it ships with oil but check it before you run the machine. I saw them take it out of the crate So I don't think it was ran.



Hum maybe that is for the people that don't read directions and fire them up without checking oil. 

Now if it didn't come with a bottle of oil which the manual could also be saying I would say return it. If its missing that much oil and there is stuff in the box there is a leak somewhere.

If you really want to keep this machine look and see if one of the dipsticks, oil drains, etc might have come loose during shipping if they are all well attached and you can't see a leak anywhere I would return it and hopefully they don't give you a hassle.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Is it possible that it was tipped upside down or sideways along the way?


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

Shryp said:


> Is it possible that it was tipped upside down or sideways along the way?


Well, I tipped it sideways (about a 45 degree angle) to adjust the scraper level.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

907_Science said:


> Well, I tipped it sideways (about a 45 degree angle) to adjust the scraper level.


?? What do you mean? How are you adjusting it? If you're referring to your scraper bar adjustment that is done by adjusting the skid shoes. Please explain.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Blower*

Welcome to the forum. The real question is was the oil present before you tipped the machine? If you did it, no big deal typically, if not then it could be. Big problem has been most are now chinese engines on chinese chassis. IMO they aren't up to the quality of many of the older machines, but if you're buying new then you're severely limited.

If you want to try to track back the leak, either try a light and magnifying glass to see if you can identify the oil track. If that does work, try sprinkling a little baking flour when it might have tracked through, then try to blow off the excess. If it sticks, it's likely oily and may point you to where it came from.

Good luck.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

HCBPH said:


> Big problem has been most are now chinese engines on chinese chassis. IMO they aren't up to the quality of many of the older machines, but if you're buying new then you're severely limited.


I wouldn't say you're severally limited at all, if buying new..
Yes, all snowblowers now have Chinese engines on them..
but only a minority (for now) are 100% made in China..
(meaning the entire machine..snowblower and engine both)
only the really cheap low-end machines are 100% made in China..
made in the USA snowblowers (except for the engine) are still easy to find..

Snowblower bodies still made in the USA:
All Ariens.
All Briggs, Snapper, Simplicity, Brute, Murray.
Probably all Husquvarna/Poulan.

Most MTD's still made in the USA, although perhaps not all.. I believe MTD might be importing some 100% Chinese models for their really low end..Or brands like Craftsman is importing them, not MTD..its hard to know for sure what it going on..its best IMO to just avoid MTD names all together. (MTD, Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Yard-machines, Yardman, most Craftsman) 

Toro moved production to Mexico this year, so they are now off the list too.

Here are the known brand names that are 100% made in China..these machines should be avoided at all costs:

Stanley 
World Lawn
Snow Beast
Huskee
Powerland
Snow Joe 

There are probably more..
And its likely some Craftsman snowblowers are now 100% made in China, although its hard to know which ones..(some, but not all, will say "Made in China" on the data tag) and I wouldnt be surprised if some lower-end MTD names, like yard-machines, now also have some 100% chinese machines in the lineup..

Scot


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

micah68kj said:


> ?? What do you mean? How are you adjusting it? If you're referring to your scraper bar adjustment that is done by adjusting the skid shoes. Please explain.


Yeah, I meant skid shoes.


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

HCBPH said:


> Welcome to the forum. The real question is was the oil present before you tipped the machine?
> 
> If you want to try to track back the leak, either try a light and magnifying glass to see if you can identify the oil track...


I did some sleuth work but can't seem to identify where the oil is coming from without taking off the housing around the paddles that throw the snow (second stage?). I am going to just take it back. The question is do I return or exchange? We got about 7 inches yesterday and I had to use my old Toro 521 and although I had to baby it, it did fine. 

The problem is that I need to have a reliable machine because I have a steep driveway and I have to be able to get the driveway done before I get to work. And I did get a great deal on the Craftsman.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

907_Science said:


> The question is do I return or exchange?
> 
> The problem is that I need to have a *reliable* machine..


Key word, reliable.
My opinion, you should return it and get something else..
Not another Craftsman.
The thing is brand-new, and its already unreliable..
(unfortunately a common occurrence with low-end MTD's and Craftsmans)
Things that are unreliable when new dont improve with age.

If you are limited to the $500-$600 range, I would look at an Ariens Sno-Tec machine..It's Ariens "entry level" line, been out 5 years now, and seems to have few complaints..

Scot


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

sscotsman said:


> Key word, reliable.
> My opinion, you should return it and get something else..
> Not another Craftsman.
> The thing is brand-new, and its already unreliable..
> ...



I was just going to say the same thing, unless you can find an older Ariens or Toro in that price range. Sno-tec should be fine, a step above an entry level Craftsman no doubt.


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

Well I was torn between exchanging or returning, but Sears made the choice easy. They told me since I purchased the snowblower on sale I couldn't do a one for one exchange; they offered me store credit or full refund. I took the refund. So I guess I'll be using my 1980s Toro 521 until it blows up.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

_*"So I guess I'll be using my 1980s Toro 521 until it blows up."

*_And if you are lucky that could be quite some time. Maybe take some of that Craftsman refund and put it into a carb overhaul or new if the reliability issue is poor running. Most cases it's a carb issue, when was the last time the spark plug was replaced ??

That and if you find a manual just go through all the adjustments, couple this day, couple that until you've gone through them all. Also look for loose, bent, worn or missing parts and clean, lube, repair or replace. Could turn an old machine that barely slugs it's way through the snow into something you're happy to fire up and fires up easily and clear your way through any amount of snow.

At the very least going through the Toro will give you an idea of what to look for in a used machine (plus that video) should you decide to get something bigger than your 5/21 in the near of distant future.

I'm also a believer in an older machine over a newer machine. Especially if you have any skills and tools where you can do minor stuff yourself and you're willing to do a little research. Just my two cents.

Until this year when I received a Troybilt I always respected the name. Mostly from the way their older tillers command a fortune and are coveted by their owners. I now see why they are rated with "throw-a-way" units. It's Ok and if taken care of will last a good long time but there isn't any room for poor maintenance or accidents as the metal is just thick enough to get the job done and nothing more. The engine is from China and I can't add a charging circuit to it so no headlight or hand warmers.


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

Toro 521 are very common and another nice thing. You can bolt a new engine on them without any modifications. If you want let us know what you toro is doing that makes it unreliable to you so that we can help you fix those problems. I had a 3521 which is just the 521 with a smaller engine that I put a new 7 hp equivalent engine on.


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

Colored Eggs said:


> Toro 521 are very common and another nice thing. You can bolt a new engine on them without any modifications. If you want let us know what you toro is doing that makes it unreliable to you so that we can help you fix those problems. I had a 3521 which is just the 521 with a smaller engine that I put a new 7 hp equivalent engine on.


Well, the Toro runs great for About 15 minutes, then the RPMs drop off and it sounds like it is bogging down (even without any snow in the augers). To keep it going I have been turning the throttle down for a few minutes then pumping the gas up and down. This seems to help, but I have to do pretty frequently after the first 10 minutes. And today it looks like there is an oil leak developing where the engine mounts to the chassis (if thats what you call it on one of these machines). I would like to keep this machine going if I can, it is a good size for my needs.

I like the idea of mounting a new engine, does it have to be a Toro engine?


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## 907_Science (Dec 22, 2013)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> _*"So I guess I'll be using my 1980s Toro 521 until it blows up."
> 
> *_, when was the last time the spark plug was replaced ??
> .


I had a small engine guy take a look at it and he cleaned the spark plug and cleaned the carb, changed the oil. Personally, I don't really enjoy tooling on engines. I am more into woodwork and would rather pay someone for the service.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

_*I like the idea of mounting a new engine, does it have to be a Toro engine?*_

Well technically Toro never made an engine (that I know of) but you don't have to get any specific engine. You could go to a home depot, northern tool or a harbor freight among others including internet sellers and ebay and pick up a 5 or 6 HP engine and it should bolt on. Just want to make sure about the diameter of the crankshaft so the old belt drive pulley(s) will swap over and that the shaft is the right length. Most of the pulleys on crankshafts use "keys" to lock them to the rotation of the engine and are threaded for a bolt to hold them on the end.

6.5 HP (212cc) OHV Horizontal Shaft Gas Engine

LIFAN 3/4 in. 6.5 HP OHV Electric Start Horizontal Keyway Shaft Engine-LF168F-2BDQ at The Home Depot

StormForce OHV Replacement Snow Blower Engine with Electric Start &#151; 208cc, 3/4in. Dia. x 2 27/64in.L Shaft, Model# 609208E | Snow Blower Replacement Engines| Northern Tool + Equipment

It would be helpful if you posted the engines model number. Sounds like Colored Eggs had already paved the way for you so he should be able to tell you his engine.


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

I used the engine that Kiss4aFrog posted (predator engine) They are honda clones made in china so the quality is questionable. There are people on this site that swear by them however and there are people like me that are sitting on the fence to see how well they work. If you want post a new post up and you can get there attention to hear their opinions.

For my repower the only part i had to get was a different bolt for the pulley and another longer bolt for the shoot rotation since the engine is an ohv and hits the shoot rotation handle. Other than that the only complaint I have is that the gas cap on mine seems to want to seal itself on like its glued but other than that I can't complain about the power it has.

If you want send us some pictures of this leak. For the problem with the idling down heres one suggestion. When it starts to idle down did you open the gas cap. Sometimes the gas cap is defective, dirty or just broke from age and causes a vacuum in the tank making it hard for the engine to get gas after it has been running for a bit.


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