It’s Not The Best Snow Blower. It’s The Best Snow Blower For YOU!

Craftsman 88830 and Troy-Bilt 30 in Storm

Is This SnowBlower Right For You?  Read on. 

Customer Satisfaction: Good:  The Craftsman 88830 has been around for a while now.  Sears.com has over 50 reviews and rates a solid 90% “recommend” rating.  Most of the reviews are positive.  Note: Most if not all of the negative reviews are complaints about initial build quality on a few units.

This snow thrower is very popular. It continues to be a solid, dependable snow blower for 2011. It is a big snow thrower and has all the features that make it easy and fun to use. Heated handgrips, power steering, big tires, big motor, 4-way extended chute…this snow blower has it all.

With a street price around $1099 it is cheapest 30 inch two-stage snowblower on the market.

Is this the right snowblower for you?

Almost everyone will be able to use this snowblower.  It is balanced well and easy to use.  The controls are simple and intuitive.  It has power steering making it very easy to use.  If you can walk, and use the hand controls, you can use this snowblower.  Even you 84 year old grandmother will be able to drive this machine.

If you have a bad back, weigh less than 130 lbs, or are shorter than 5.5 check this Craftsman out!  Of course, if you are larger you will also like this machine. 

When you first look at this snow blower it may seem too big, but it’s not.    The Craftsman 88830 is easier to turn and has more features than all the other snow throwers in this price range.  The tires are large enough and it weighs enough push through that drift your friendly city-worker left at the end of your drive.

This snowblower needs a door 32 inches or larger.  The 30 inch width and the skid shoes need 32 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 to be sure you can get through them.

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 has the 4 way chute control so putting the snow exactly where you want it is easy.  The longer chute also helps to keep the snow from blowing back into your face.  On this model you can adjust the swing of the chute and how far it throws from a single control on the dash.

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

Do you clean snow off the lawn for your dogs? If you routinely blow snow off of your lawn (I do this for my Italian Greyhounds) this snow blower has the larger wheels needed to give you traction in the grass.  The wheels on the 88830 also work well on gravel and hard surfaces.

This is a large frame snow thrower with a well matched motor and all the features you need. Ready to Buy? Go Here: Craftsman 88830 at Sears.com

Here is a rundown of the features and benefits of this workhorse:

Single Handed Operation: You can drive the snow thrower easily with one hand to make adjustments to the chute or change speeds without stopping. The heated hand grips keep you hands warm.

4 cycle, 357 cc Overhead Valve Motor: This Craftsman (Powermore) motor is sized well for the 30 inch clearing width. It has plenty of power to bust through drifts and move most snows. The 4 cycle Overhead Valve (OHV) engine is quiet. The motor is equivalent to an old Techumseh 12-14 hp and is much more reliable and fuel efficient. (Because of the lawsuits last year none of the engine manufactures will rate their motors in horsepower anymore)

30 inch clearing width: The 30 inch width is wide enough to make short work of large driveways and deep snow. You can quickly clear most sidewalks in one pass.

21 inch intake height: The intake is high enough to tackle most normal drifts.

Electric Starter: Of course this Craftsman 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 is large enough to handle most snowfalls (6 to 14 inch 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.

1.25 gallon fuel capacity: 1.25 gallons of fuel is the right size tank for this snowblower.

4 way chute control: 190-degree chute rotation and pitch control with the ease of a joystick to discharge the snow where you want it, without leaving the operators position

Extended Chute Design: Keeps a tighter discharge pattern to increase throwing distance and reduce snow blow back

In-dash headlight illuminates the clearing path

Drift cutters cut into taller snow drifts and drop snow in front of snow thrower path to increase efficiency

16 in. x 6.5 in. X-Trac tires provide superior traction in heavy snow conditions

Heated hand grips make using this unit more comfortable in cold temperatures

Single-hand operation eliminates starts and stops, freeing up a hand for on-the-go adjustments

Mitten-grip starter handles - Easy to grasp and turnover recoil start while wearing gloves

Plow style handles for comfort and control with panel design for convenient shear pin storage

Service & Parts Availability:  One of the best features of this Snapper is the parts and service.  Parts are easily available to everyone.  You can order the parts and have them shipped right to your door through Searspartsdirect.  Sears also has the largest service fleet and they will service this Snapper right at your home.  The optional 5 year in-home Protection Plan is the best snow blower repair program.  It is not an extended warranty that only covers manufactures defects. It covers fuel related issues and most wear and tear items. With this plan, if you forgot to put fuel stabilizer in it and it doesn’t want to start next year, a Sears tech will come out get it running for you.  (Without the Protection Plan not storing your snow blower properly can easily cost $235 or more for labor, carburetor cleaning and/or a new carburetor. Sears is the only retailer that currently covers this in their Optional Protection Plan) All labor, trip charges and questions are covered for the period.

Learn More: You can learn more about this great Craftsman Snow Thrower here. Craftsman 88830 at Sears.com

To Get your Craftsman 30 Inch Two Stage Snow Thrower: You can easily and safely order your new snow thrower here: Craftsman 88830 at Sears.com . Pick it up at your nearest Sears store or have it delivered right to your home.  Most of the Sears stores will carry this in stock but if they are out it will only take a few days to get it from the warehouses.

After you order it online you can pick it up at your nearest store and not get charged for shipping. If you like, you can get your new Craftsman snowblower delivered to your home from the store for a normal charge.

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 your vehicle is large enough 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 10 minutes to position the handles, adjust the skid shoes and attach the chute.

After you use your new snowthrower for a while, come back and tell us how well you like your Craftsman snowblower.  (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

Accessories:

Here are the common accessories and wear items for your snow blower.  I strongly recommend you purchase a bag of shear pins now!  Tape them to the handle of your snow thrower.  Change your oil every year.  I also suggest you buy the belts and hang them on your garage wall.  They should last years but a heavy, wet snow, ice chunks, or a garden hose can easily burn out a belt.  Read the manual and learn how to change them out.  It is an easy operation IF you have practiced it when it is still warm out.

Craftsman Snowblower Shear Pins or Standard Shear Pins

Standard Snow Thrower Cab

Large Universal Snow Thrower Cab

Replacement Snowblower Belts Your 2 stage snowblower takes two belts. An Auger Belt and a Drive Belt. Go through this list and pick the two that match your model. You can also get your replacement belts through Lowes.com 

4 cycle Snow Thrower Oil