Does this sound like a good snowblower?

[FXjohn]

Yard Master Cleveland Ohio

Elec start
4 Cycle
179cc
i think he said he used it twice....next door guy takes care of him so
he wants to sell it.

model number on sticker

31amzn1b700

maybe the 1 is a I as in Let it snow


paid 600 i think..sell for 300..seems fair.

any opinions?

 

[bepperb]

I wouldn't buy a compact yard man or generic two stage snowblower. A good single stage will do the same work for less money, less parts, less garage space. If that won't get it done either buy a decent two stage (Ariens, Toro).

That's my opinion at least. Those less expensive two stagers handle slush terribly and don't do much better on the plow wash at the end of the driveway than a big single stage. 179cc... that's less hp than my toro single stage and mine isn't tasked with forward motion or gearbox losses.

 

[boraticus]

I'd buy a ten or fifteen year old Ariens, Toro or Simplicity before I'd buy that. Might look good but it will not hold up like the machines mentioned above.

 

[JTK]

Do you mean Yard Machines? I dunno that I've ever heard of Yard Master. I'm assuming based on some of that model # (can't find that exact #), it's one of these:

If it's pretty much brand new, $300 is a good deal given they are $600+ new. These are a very basic, single speed self propelled unit. I believe one hand-bail runs the auger/impeller, the other spins the wheels.

Joel

 

[Clevy]

Buy it. Half price sounds alright to me. Yard machines isn't a Honda but you can't beat the price.

 

[Rand]

those arent good. I'd pass unless its nearly free.

 

[eljefino]

Not bad if you're shovelling. You can always sell it years later for $200.

 

[FXjohn]

sounds like I need to find out whether or not it's single stage. and yes I'm shoveling. last year I only paid 90 to get plowed.
It's already Jan and we're into winter and no real big need yet. As the days pass it's easier to skate by another winter.

 

[Rand]

With that model and any slush and he will still be shoveling...

Better off buying a 200$ single stage used toro

You dont really want the cheap bottom of barrel 2 stage (its a 2 stage)

You want a decent 2stage or decent single stage.

With a cheap 2 stage you lose all the advantages of 2 stage and they dont work worth a [censored] on slush.

I've had both.. my 5hp toro throws slush about 15-20ft easily clearing the driveway.

They are also not very durable and are known to fall apart or die within 1-3 years commonly.

 

[yeehaw1960]

179cc without a brand name is code for Chinese engine with a carb that will need replacing after a couple years, a gas line that will leak after the second season, and bolts that will begin rattling loose almost immediately. Along with the chinese engine comes a scraper bar that will last for 10 snows, a frame that will rust through in a couple years, cables that will rust and break soon, paddles that will melt away almost as fast as the snow, and other delightful little problems you won't get with a used Ariens, Honda, Toro or even a 10-year-old Murray with a Tecumseh 2 stroke or snow king engine. Enjoy!

 

[JTK]

yeehaw, you forgot to mention the drive belts and rubber on the friction wheels are about as meaty as a rubber band on these babies.

Problem is, this ~$600 job isn't much different than today's $900 machine, other than the $900 having some more power.

Joel

 

[Nick R]

Hm. I have the 26" Craftsman which is almost the same thing as this, with the 208cc engine. Did I replace the carb? Yes. Have I really had to replace anything else? No. So many people recommending single stages. No thanks. 3 years old, ours has no rust, cables are all fine, belts are still fine, the paddles on the impeller are fine, still on the original shear pins. They aren't the highest quality machines at all, but they aren't the worst either

For $300, go for it, that's a good deal. When you finally do have to replace the carb, just pick up a genuine Honda carb, which is pretty much a direct fit.

Also, these 179cc engines are 5HP engines.

 

[yeehaw1960]

I guess the point is that your carb needed replaced, and Joe Schmoes' belts were bad, and all of Brad Jones' rubber went bad quickly and John Smith had to order new tines for his auger when they collapsed after the second use, and Bill Jones (Brad's brother) had a severe rust problem. It may not all hit every individual every time, but the problems are rampant with these machines overall. I bought a four-year-old, two-stage Craftsman snow blower used a few weeks ago and it had a plastic impeller and wheels, a transmission like those on front wheel drive Murray mowers that was junk and two cables that were prematurely stretched out. The only great part on that one was the 5.5 Tecumseh Snow King engine. Overall, these newer (mostly Chinese) machines are problematic and in many cases, your local Sears or shop has to order parts that take too long to get here and are expensive for the plastic junk they are. I remember a horror story on this forum not long ago from a guy who couldn't get parts to fix the auger on his almost new snowblower.

 

[Nick R]

Mmm. None of these machines use plastic impellers and augers, and weak transmissions. Even the chinese engines are pretty good, with the exception of the carbs.

 

[MI_Roger]

Is it a two stage or single stage? With the cost of a new light weight single stage blow starting at $350 for the cheapest units, if this is a two-stage machine Go For It!

They all have a two year warranty so you will have one year of no repair costs if something fails. You will know by spring if you want to keep it. Worst case is you will not like it and wind up selling it at no loss to someone else.

I have a 10+ year old Sears single stage 2-stroke that is still running great. I use shovels when the snow fall is more than this machine can handle, or I blow the snow multiple times while it is still falling and not yet accumulated too deep for my small machine.

 

[yeehaw1960]

Nick...I added some information about a bad Sears snow blower (plastic hardware) to help show the decline in quality of machines being put out today. I forget sometimes that my working on as many as 60 or 70 snow blowers each year doesn't qualify me to comment on quality issues. I keep forgetting that I'm delusional and have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm so sorry.

 

[JTK]

Yeah you maniac. Stop making stuff up! (I'm kidding!)

Joel