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2010 MTD PRO 28 inch 277 cc Snow Thrower Model 88771 Review

Written on:September 7, 2010

2010 MTD Pro 277cc 28 inch Two-Stage Snow Thrower Model 88771 Review

Buy Here From Sears: MTD Pro 277cc 28 inch Two-Stage Snow Thrower

Remember the Craftsman Model 88190 from two years ago? A good basic, high capacity snowblower? This is the replacement with a few noteworthy advancements.

Advancements:

1. The item I like the most this year is the chute and chute control. The new chute is longer and can easily be cranked from side to side with the geared crank. This crank mechanism is solid and well built. The diverter on the top is manual. There are no extra cables to bind up or wear out.

2. Huge 16″ x 4.8″ Snow Hog tires. These tires are as tall as the ones on the Craftsman Professional series and will easily dig through the toughest snow pack. The added height really helps to get around the backyard when you are cleaning a path for your dog.

3. 277cc 4-cycle OHV Powermore engine. This is a larger motor than the one on the 88190. It features Overhead Valve Design for years of good reliable use and is more fuel efficient than the older side-valve motors. These new motors are made by one of the world’s largest small engine manufactures and have a great service record and parts availability. See my article What-you-need-to-know about Powermore Engines/ for more detail.

4. Steel Serrated auger. 12″ diameter. The serrated auger does a much better job of chewing up the hard packed the city snow plow leaves at the end of your driveway.

5. 5 quart fuel capacity. You can work longer without having to stop and refuel.

Is this the right snowblower for you?

Buy this snow blower for yourself. Don’t buy it for your spouse. It does not have power steering like some of the other Craftsman models and will be hard to turn for smaller people.

Don’t buy this snowblower if you need to go through a door 30 inches or less. The 28 inch width and the skid shoes need 30 inches or more. If you regularly use the garage side door or go out the back to clean a spot off the patio measure your doors before you buy this one.

Do you have to put the snow in precise locations? My neighbor has a spot where he has to blow the snow into a 4 foot wide area. This model does not have the cable operated deflector. (4 way chute control)

Do you have a beautiful drive or patio? The steel skids shoes will leave brown (rust) marks on your drive. If you have stained concrete or a nice patio buy another model with the poly skid shoes.

This is a large snow thrower with a good size motor and all the basic features you need.

I’ll go through all the details of this snowblower below but the best news is you can get it for about half the price of comparable snowblowers from other companies like Toro, John Deere, Simplicity, and Ariens (the other big four) for a limited time. Sears is being very aggressive with the early season sale price. I would suggest not waiting for a better deal this year.

The MTD Pro 277cc 28 inch Two-Stage Snow Thrower is designed to clear lots of snow quickly. This size snowblower is a great value for the features and price compared to many of the snowblowers offered by other manufactures.

Yes this snow thrower is a big unit and will quickly clear even the largest driveways. It has a price tag that is probably more than many of you want to spend. But the value for the dollar is good enough that you should seriously consider this machine if you regularly blow more than 6 inches of snow on driveways larger that 16 feet by 80 feet.

Here is a rundown of the Features and Benefits of this new snowthrower:

Single Handed Operation: You can drive the snow thrower easily with one hand to make adjustments to the chute or change speeds without stopping

4 cycle, 277 cc Overhead Valve Motor: This motor is larger than last year’s and comparable or larger than what is on the snow throwers from the big four. It has plenty of power to bust through drifts and move the heaviest snows. The 4 cycle Overhead Valve (OHV) engine is quiet. (Not all of the other manufactures have updated their literature as of September 7, but so far this is the largest motor available for this size snowblower)

28 inch clearing width: The 28 inch width is wide enough to make short work of most large areas yet small enough to easily clear a normal sidewalk. You can quickly clear most sidewalks in one pass. Think of the time savings of not having to make two or three passes to clear your sidewalks.

21 inch intake height: The intake is high enough to tackle most drifts. From what I can tell only one manufacture has a professional model with a higher intake. There are optional drift cutters available to help keep a clean edge when working the really deep stuff.

Electric Starter: Of course this snowthrower has push button electric start. Just plug the 110v power cord into any wall outlet and push the button.

12 inch serrated auger with 12 inch impeller: The 12 inch auger is large enough to handle most snowfalls. You may have to drop down a gear when throwing heavy wet snow. The serrated auger effectively chews up the snow before throwing it into the impeller.

6 forward, 2 reverse speeds: Plenty of speed choices so you can get your snow blowing done quickly and efficiently.

Headlight: I don’t know about you but there are times when I am out early in the morning or late at night getting the driveway cleared. The integral headlight is a welcome addition to this snow thrower.

5 quart fuel capacity: 5 quarts of fuel on a snowblower is a lot. Most snowblowers only have 2 quarts or so. You should be able to run hours before you have to fill up.

Extended Chute/Extreme Chute Capacity: The new longer and larger chute creates better throw patterns than the old short chutes. When blowing light snow this will help a lot to keep it from blowing back into your face. The longer chute will allow you to throw the snow farther with more control to put in the right spot.

Warranty: 2 year manufactures defects warranty with up to a 5 year optional at home protection plan from Sears (read Are Protection Plans Worth It on Craftsman Snow Throwers) With the 5 year home Sears comes to your home and fixes the machine.

Here is the easy, quick, and safe way to get your new snowthrower:

Go to MTD Pro 277cc 28 inch Two-Stage Snow Thrower. The link will take you to the Sears website. Sears has a safe secure ordering system so don’t be afraid to order it there. This will save you a trip to the local store. You order it online, 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 14 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, attach the chute and position the skid shoes.

After you use your new snowthrower for a while, come back and tell us how well you like your MTD Pro 277cc 28 inch Two-Stage Snow Thrower. (scroll down for the comment section)

If this snow thrower is not right for you go here to find more reviews of the 2011 Snow
Blowers. 2011 Snow Blower Reviews