Sep

Craftsman 21 inch 123 cc Snow Thrower Model 88704 Review

Model 88704

Craftsman 21 inch 123 cc Snow Thrower Model 88704

Everyone is looking for the best deal. And a lot of people think that this snow thrower is “good enough” for their needs. But what is interesting to me is that this size and style snowthower has one of the highest return rates of all the snowthrowers sold. So is it the snowthrower that causes the high return? Or the buyer making a decision based solely on price?

Is This Snow Thrower Right For You?

Cheap: This is the cheapest gas snow thrower Sears sells:

Light Use Only: Designed for light use. A small sidewalk, a one-car cement driveway.

Does One Thing Well: This snow thrower works well if you have foot traffic that packs down the snow before you can get it moved off. The way single-stage throwers are designed, when you lift on the handle the rubber auger actually touches the ground and will chew off stuck snow.

Be Careful On Decks: Because of the way the auger throws you can easily scratch your wooden or composite deck.

Don’t Use On Gravel: You can also easily pick up rocks and other debris so you should never use this snow thrower on a gravel driveway.

It doesn’t blow snow, it throws it: It will blow light powdery snow but will not move heavy wet snow more than a couple of feet at a time.

Lightweight: It is lightweight and very maneuverable. You don’t need power steering or other features found on the two-stage machines.

Is This Snow Thrower Really For You? Let me give you a real world example. I have a 16 foot by 70 foot front drive. I use a 26 inch two-stage snowblower. Usually I start in the middle of the drive and run up and down it throwing the snow straight to the side. Under most conditions the two-stage machine will throw the snow off the drive and OVER the 4 to 6 feet of landscaping on each side. It takes me about 20 minutes to clean 6 inches of snow. My neighbor has a 21 inch single stage snow thrower. His drive is about the same size as mine. The single stage does not throw the snow as far as my two-stage so he has to throw it straight in front of him and works cross-ways to the drive. It usually takes him over and hour to clean his drive. This spring I had about 3 feet of snow out on my lawn. My neighbor on the other hand hand piles higher than his pick-up along the edge of his drive.

Features:

123cc 4 cycle OHC Craftsman Engine

Auger-Propelled Forward Speed. Lift up on the handle and the snow thrower will pull itself.

21 inch clearing path

9 inch auger with rubber paddles

Manual Chute control

7″x1.5″ wheels Mitten-Grip Starter Handle. Ease to Grip while wearing gloves.

Warranty: 2 year manufactures defects warranty with up to a 5 year optional protection plan (read Are Protection Plans Worth It on Craftsman Snow Throwers)

Here is the easy way to get your new snowthrower:

Craftsman 21 inch 123 cc Snow Thrower Model 88704

After you order it online you can pick it up at your nearest store and not get charged for shipping. You can get your new Craftsman snowblower delivered to your home from the store for a normal charge. Sears has a 30 day price guarantee so you can buy it, watch the sale ads and come into your local Sears and get the difference refunded to you if they come up with a better deal.

NOTE: If you have the snow thrower delivered it will be delivered in a box. If you pick it up at the store they will assume you are bringing a pickup and will keep it in the shipping box.

Assembly is simple: Cut the end out of the box and drag the snow thrower out onto the floor. Find the manual and read the assembly directions. It will only take you about ten minutes to position the handles and attach the chute.

After you use your new snowthrower for a while, come back and tell us how well you like your Craftsman 21 inch 123 cc Snow Thrower Model 88704. (scroll down for the comment section)