Have an old 1970’s Atlas with a 5 horse Briggs that my father picked up years ago at Rickel home improvement Still going strong 💪

I have the same 28" Craftsman unit you show...just a few years older. Paid $500 + delivery charge for it new from Sears. They were out of stock for the one I wanted, so I got a free upgrade. So far it's been trouble-free and has gotten me through a few blizzards. I do the 82 year old neighbor's driveway, too. I don't even use the electric starter because it has always started on the first of second pull.

just bought a 79 Craftsman snowblower. Added a cab and chains. Thing is a beast

That Drift Breaker was a serious machine in it's day and still is. Sears called those the 3 stage snow blowers since they had the top augers that would chew away at tall snow drifts and help out the main auger and impeller. That one looks to be in pretty decent shape too. I would definitely keep that thing around.

Love the headlights on that unit, no stamped metal on that beast.

You talk about old vs new. I can honestly tell you that my 16 yr old is making a killing on reconditioning old lawn mowers and lawn tractors. He buys them at garage sales or estate sales when they do not run and after cleaning and a carb kit 90% of them fire right up! He usually has about 150 into a lawn tractor and can sell it for about 350-400. He is constantly buying old decks and mowers for cleaning and refurbishment.

I could cry that I gave up my big hand-me-down mustard 75 Craftsman. It's $1100, 2003 Craftsman replacement, although a decent snow machine, eventually gave up driving. I'm now on to a hand-me-down big 2004 Murray. Wish me luck. Great video, glad there is a strong appreciation for good solid made in USA 3mm thick machines!

In snow country the new one will not be around 36 years from now, but the old one probably still will be. I live in NE Minnesota and my 1965 Ariens is still going fine, 50 years later.

We live in a Disposable Era and things are not made to last like the older equipment once was. I own a small 24" MTD (identical to a Craftsman) and I am very happy with the performance in correlation to the price paid. I can say that I have never broke a shear pin or had any trouble with the machine after three seasons of heavy use clearing snow. I agree with you that the auger housing is a little flimsy and other machines have been patched; mine is weak from picking up rocks and will shorten its life.

3:38 just noticed the remnants of the old 'safety triangle' (well, I call it that, lol) sticker. Apparently for a short time some "independent lab" was putting their "sticker of approval" on snowblowers. I'm sure for a modest fee, lol.

For $350 you got a deal, if maintained well that machine will last twenty years or more. Great score and excellent comparison video!

Along the same lines . . . Some years ago I used to work in a Sears Hardware department. Craftsman hand tools have a lifetime replacement warranty. However, when I worked there the management pushed for us to "rebuild" ratchet wrenches rather than replace them. The store pushed that in order to save money, of course. Most people thought that was bullshit, and wanted a new wrench, which we were allowed to offer at the customer's discretion. The thing is, the new wrenches were shit compared to the old wrenches. The old ones had better internal parts, better finish, and some even had little spring-loaded BB's in the head where you could oil the internal workings. I tried real hard to get people to keep their old wrenches going, rather than switching out to new junk.

I see anyone throwing away old shit, I try to salvage it and keep it alive. Stuff back then was built to last a lifetime

I have the same Craftsman Drift breaker(Except for the headlights)It is a beast!!! I bought mine used 20 years ago it has not missed a beat.

My dad has a 9hp craftsman snow blower that’s comparable to your newer unit, I think it’s around a 2000 model year. It is nothing compared to the 1970’s 8hp ariens my grandma had when she was alive. The ariens would go through 2 feet of wet snow and the craftsman would have trouble in 6 in. I’m in the market for a new machine but the new ones are so cheaply made I think I’m gonna buy an old machine.

Hi. I realize it’s been a while since you posted this video, but I had to comment on it as I just seen it. If you notice it was made by Sears and Roebuck. That’s when they made good products. I bought a Snow King from Sears 25/years ago. It had an 11 1/2 hp Tecumseh motor and I could not kill it. I just bought a new Toro PowerMax professional, 420 cc and it works really really well but before that I had bought another Sears, it lasted for about a week and I had to bring it back to the dealer. The gears inside were made of plastic. Plainly said, it was a piece of garbage. So I traded that for an Ariens deluxe with a 342 cc Engine and my Sears put it to shame. Even the new Ariens , did not have the power that my old Sears had, so I traded it with the dealer for the Toro. I have lost quite a bit of money trading, but now that I have my Toro professional, I will not need to trade again. The Toro is well made, still made in the USA, lots of power and built solid. The blower that you have, was older than mine but both, yours and my old Sears had basically the same solid construction, but back in the day, they were the best snowblowers ever made. Workers took pride in their craftsmanship. A lot of metal, cast iron and they were not a built cheap, they were made to last. If you still have it, hang onto it. It’s a classic that you’ll probably never see another like it again. Thanks for sharing and cheers to you my friend. Jimmy Mac.

my dad gave me one of these old drift breakers when he bought a new one, looks like I got the better deal haha. I just used it for the first time yesterday and it works great, mine needs some minor work done to it and after watching this video I plan on fixing mine up a little bit.

I had a 70's era Sears blower that was similar to the one shown. Did not have the chain driven drift breaker, but with the two side cutter bars and a chunk of rebar welded to the cutter bars nothing could stop it except the availability of the factory control cables. I kept mine running with sections of dog chain. The thing was a monster, and won every fight it was ever in. I finally decided it was time to get a new blower and got one from John Deere about 4 years ago. Absolute JUNK alongside the old Sears ( which I GAVE to a friend ). I'd be willing to swap him even to get the Sears back, but then I'd be giving him a piece of junk. Yes, the old Sears had an honest to God 4 speed transmission. Belt drive to the input of the tranny, then gears, then chain drive to the rear axle. This new marshmallow belt drives a steel disk that drives a rubber wheel that turns a shaft to turn the main wheels. Guess what happens when the snow gets on the steel disk and freezes? The rubber wheel just slips like a tire on ice and you get to drag the snow blower into the garage so the ice can melt. JUNK design, and used on most of the current equipment being sold. My John Deere dealer actually tried to CHARGE me to install a "Snow Hardening Kit". Can you imagine, a snowblower that needs extra foam installed to keep snow from getting on the main drive wheel??? Hold on to that old Sears.. It is an ass kicking machine!

Great comparison! I see, plastic plastic plastic, metal metal metal! Sell your neighbor the flimsy craftsman!

I just got a old Sears snowblower built in the USA. I love it. I hate me newer one I might sell it

I had a similar 7 HP 24" Craftsman Model 536.918300 that died about 3 years ago. Replaced it with a 9 HP 29" Craftsman that I wish I had replaced the engine on the old one. Like you mentioned they were built like a tank. With the 14" impeller and large discharge chute, very rarely did it clog. The new one is very frail and easily clogs. Yesterday I installed some rubber flaps on the impeller to see if it will help with the clogging. Expecting snow today, so will find out if the mod works.

Thanks for the video..I'm a bit obsessive with my research before I make a major purchase..Great video with lots of info and details I never even thought of with features I hadn't considered or even was aware existed..

"Out with the old, in with the new"- That's not necessarily always a good thing...

Almost every snowblower and power mower sold today is made in So Carolina, at American Yard products. If you order enough of one model, they will put any name you want on it. If you want parts for almost any mower or blower check the parts avail at American Yard products. Usually they have everything you want at a lower price than the company who's name is on your machine

I have a 1960's gilson snowblower I got for free with a broken shift fork. It is about 24-26 inches wide, but it is one heavy machine. It has a briggs and Stratton 6 horse (I think 6, maybe 8) easy pull engine that always starts on the second pull. That thing is a tank, and will outlast any new snowblower out there.

Thats some cool piece of antique right there

When it comes to the force you need to put on the handles, while weight is a function of that, the engineered balance point caused by the axle position is a large factor. Different blowers, and different years, change this and it is a trade off. More weight on the front = better scraping, less weight = easier use. Some Toros had an axle that moved back and forth so you could pick balance or scraping, depending on your need.

I have an Ariens snowblower. It was manufactured around 1990 or so. Great snowblower. Still going strong today. It could use a rebuild kit maybe for the engine, to freshen it up, but it'll move any type of snow I throw at it, like a champ.

The most important comparison would be seeing the machines both in action. The older Craftsman is overbuilt which only adds to the cost, not the effectiveness. Beyond that, the newer snow blower comes with more modern features such as shift on the fly, serrated augers, doesn't need chains, has electronic ignition, easy chute adjustment, and is easier to turn. A larger modern unit would also have overhead valves and grip warmers. The metal chute on the Craftsman was rusted which causes snow to stick to it, so even a plastic chute that is properly built can have advantages. I have a 5HP Craftsman that's about 15 years old. It is built cheaply with a plastic chute and all, but it always works just fine.

That old Craftsman can be handed down to your kids.IF you keep grease in the hypoid box for the auger, ONLY use breakaway bolts on the auger (!) change the oil every season and keep it in the garage. Your kid does NOT want the Chinese Crapsman.He can afford to get another kid to do his driveway.That's why you sent him to college,remember?

Your "newer" one (now about 12 years old at the time of this post in 2020 if you bought it three years prior to 2011 when you did this video) isn't a Chinese made unit. It appears to be a MTD made "247" model prefix assembled/made in the USA units with a Tecumseh Snow King engine. Your older one was also a "536" made product, but likely made by AMF/Western Tool in the 1970s for Sears. Briggs and Stratton owns both companies now and they provide support on both.

Very well done review. I saw Fearlessfront's video a year or more ago, its a beast of a blower. Nothing beats old equipment. May not throw snow as far as newer stuff, but it last so much longer.

Great video man and I agree that a premium product is well worth its weight, I have a Craftsman snow blower its a briggs and stratton 13 HP motor on it and it eats up the toughest snow. I base my business on the same principles it cost more for the product and the customers are getting a product that will last a lifetime.

please let me know how the auger engage cable is connected thanks

I have a Murray built Craftsman snowblower from the 90s. Quality-wise I think it's fall somewhere in between those two. Then what's on the MTD build Craftsman even the belly pan that covers the drive disk is thicker metal than on today's machines. But I doubt it's as heavy as your drift breaker.

All I heard dude, not trying to start a war, just stating what I heard on the radio, So Merry Christmas!

I have a similar situation. A 1975 MTD Snowflite 10/33 and a 2013 Craftsman 26". I won't argue that the older machine is built better, but I will argue that in my experience the Craftsman works way better than the older unit. Plus I have to keep sinking money and time in to the older one where the new one starts right up and runs great every time. I hate to admit it but maybe the newer design is better suited to the job even though they make it out of aluminum foil.

Hows the drift breaker working after all these years?

why didn't you show a close up of the newer machine, it was also made in the USA in Tupelo Mississippi. Someone down further in the comments is correct with their comment that the market would not pay for a snow thrower built like the older machine. Cars are five times the price they were in the seventies, but the market won't accept any price increases on power equipment for some reason...

On the new model, Where did they put the coffee maker?

Great find! I have an old 77 Noma Dual Stage Snowblower with the 8HP Tecumseh that was made in Canada at the time. I just finished taking the whole unit apart during the summer and grinding all the rust off and giving her a new paint job. The only problem with theses old blowers are finding replacement parts if something goes. Most of the parts that needed to be replaced were from garbage picked units. I would gladly take one of these old blowers over the new MTD Chinese made junk.

Nice I have a 1989 made in USA craftsman snowblower and a 2008 craftsman snowblower. The old one starts with no problem the new one doesn't run at all. The old one is heavy duty with tracks. The downfalls are the plastic chute, the friction disk drive assembly and the 4HP Tecumseh engine (I wounder who thought it would be a good idea to put a 4HP on a heavy duty snowblower)

Are they making them lighter for cost purposes or ease of use?

People could make the ones you buy today last many years but we live in a society where it's easier to just go buy a new one with the latest and greatest it has to offer.

Weld a piece of 1/16 inch flat stock on each of the of the side sheets (dont block the auger bushings) of the auger box from top to bottom and it will stop the flexing. To prevent the gearbox failure, brace it from the gearbox to the top of the auger housing. Drill a hole in the steel and bolt it to the gearbox using one of the existing bolts then tack it to the top of the housing. The Tecumseh Snow King engine will far outlast the machine, best engine ever used in a blower.

I own the same newer craftsman , don't worry second stage will rust through before anything breaks ! Yes the old ones are better !

Some old snow blowers had into the 90s had a crude system of making a machine easier to turn but you were to lose traction on one wheel that way. Andy would only work for people that take care of their machines and make sure to anti seize the axle solar wheel doesn't seize to the shaft. There would either be multiple holes in the shaft or you could just simply push the wheel in slightly and stick the linchpin in just the hole in the shaft not the hole in the wheel and it would allow one wheel to free spin. Typically like to have traction on both Wheels put the system is very handy for the off-season.

Welcome to progress. I am finding myself more and more with items that I bought 15 to as much as 35 years ago lasting and being just plain reliable. I would be hard pressed to say that anything I buy today will last me more than 5 years. Most likely 1-3 years depending on what you paid for it.

The B&S engine on that snow blower is made in China… the snow blower itself is made by MTD in South Carolina… that plant also produces MTD, Yard-Man, Cub Cadet and other brands.

Both of those are residential snow blowers. I also have the 30" professional model but it's a 357cc not a 337cc engine. The metal is not any thicker. It is just a different color, has 6 auger blades instead of 4, has a bigger motor, wider tires, heated grips and updated chute design. The being said, I don't believe your comment to be correct as I own the very blowers that you are trying to argue in favor of.

love the old one. only thng on the new one i like is the control of the shute. my mtd brute unit is 20 yrs young. still looks and runs great. also, never saw that drift breaker before , love it.

I just got the chute sand blasted and powder coated white. I have to say that this is the way to go. It looks great and should stand up to all of the abuse that it will see during our Wisconsin winters. I also sold my Chinese Craftsman today so I might buy myself a Toro 221QE to handle the light stuff this year. If you guys have a better idea for a light duty snowblower please chime in.

Here we go exactly what the consumer needs to know about.

my neighbor bought a 2012 craftsman tractor. it was 24 horsepower with all the bells and whisels. he put 150 pounds of toung weight on the hitch and called me down to make him a new hitch. anyway long story short in a couple of weeks he bent the unibody and just returned it and bought one of my old craftsman. mine had a 1/2 inch frame, 3/4 inch hitch, truly bulletproof kholer engine, the cat's ass of a hydro transmission that could lug around a tank and it proved to be much better than 2012model

The older one is a 1979 model made on the 145th day of 1979, which was Friday May 25, 1979. The newer one isn't a Chinese made Craftsman. It appears to be an MTD "247" model prefix made machine. Those were assembled in the USA. MTD was bought out by Stanley Black and Decker a few years ago. At the time your machine was made, SBD did not own them.

i got the same one as the old one, I got mine for free it needed tires, a new bearing in the auger and a carb job. But now it needs a main cable for the auger/drive, any clue where i could get one? i wanna try it so baddly but i dont want to gheto rig it and wreck someones house because it wont stop. if you know what i mean its a tank!!

I try and buy everything made in the USA even if it's used and needs repair.

one on the left is a beast worked on many of these at sears back in the day

I got a 1963 Toro 20 inch Snow hound I re ring it few years back and it still gets after it.

Thank you for an eye opening comparison. I love Honda outdoor power equipment. Used of course since it's so expensive new. Yeah the overseas manufacturing has diluted many of our products, Sad.

back in the day snow throwers were durable, made out of thick steel.

The older Craftsman snowthrower is a model 536.918500 with date code 9145 indicating a manufacturing date of May 25, 1979... a 1980 model year product. The engine, which makes 10 HP, is model 143.696112 or Tecumseh HM100-159034D.

I should have known better, but I bought a Chinese-made "Sears Craftsman" pressure washer a few years ago. Got two years out of it, then it completely lost compression, ONE MONTH after the warranty expired. Sears, which USED TO HAVE a reputation for backing up their stuff, was no help at all. They just told me I was stuck, basically. Never again. I replaced it with an American made product - much better results and a better warranty. No more Chinese-made Sears crap for me.

You foundan American made consumer grade pressure washer? Please..... tell us where!

Most all outdoor equipment for sale today is made by Murray/MTD in Kentucky.

I have that same old Craftsman, mine doesnt have that light bar or electric start. I call it the beast, its such a good machine that we build our own parts for it and refuse to buy anything new. The only new machine that it compares to with quality is the John Deere!

I thought about mounting headlights on the front of my snowblower like the old craftsman but decided against it because I thought that some of the snow that comes out of the shoot might hit the lights and it would be better to have them higher up on the handles bars and out of the path out of the shoot.

That is not why the heaters were installed my friend, conventional bulbs give off enough heat to melt the ice and snow off the face of the traffic light, LEDS are bright and use less electricity but don't provide that necessary heat, so they use 49 watt heaters and that prevents ice buildup, university of michigan students created this technology when they realized a 34 year old woman was killed due to the fact she couldn't see the lights

Got rid of my newer 27" craftsman w/291CC LCT engine and power steering. Once the drive wheels were loaded up to push through heavy snow, both wheels would disengage (as if I was pulling the triggers). I don't recommend the power steering. A little snow under the wheels of a typical unit and it will turn just fine. Bought a new Ariens deluxe 30" last fall, and the unit has heavy duty features that a lot of the old snowblowers had. Used last winter, and I was very happy with results

What ever happened the driftbreaker? Did you use it / get rid of it? No video updated of it tearing through some snow drifts? :-)

The front Auger gearbox will be the first thing to fail on that unit. it is a VERY light duty unit made of pot aluminum and it will flex under heavy load causing poor gear alignment and mesh causing it to break. If you are handy and have a welder, you can beef the chassis up fairly easy. Those tack welds are fine and wont fail but the auger box will tweak sometimes bit not as bad as you think, metal is pretty flexible and you can just tweak it back into shape.

Don't know if you would consider this but I thought I'd mention the fact that you could very easily screw a few pieces of small angle material to stiffen the body of the blower.

It's the boss not the worker, to decide what its products gonna be. So if Craftsman want its snowblowers being like this, do you think it does matter or not making in China or USA?

"built to last" versus "built to sell" i would heavily service the older one it is worth keeping.... like repowder coat the blades ....remake the parts if possible...overhaul the engine , remake the the gaskets and such

how did i wind up here again haha did you get her going bro how does she run ???

Thanks, great video!

incorrect assumptions a lots of commenters fed into it... the "new" snowblowers from Sears are still made in the USA and always have been. Sears has never made anything in their history - they have manufacturers put their name on the items. Craftsman hand tools have been made by several companies depending on the tool and era, from Danaher, Easco, and Western Forge...90% of them are now made in china and with the recent sale of the brand to Stanley I expect they will return to the us on better grades. Power equipment has always been US made, Roper made the majority up through the 80's which became AYP, currently part of the Husqvarna group. Most craftaman units are MTD. FWIW all snowblowers made in the past 20-30 years have the same rubber friction drive...and the machine you compaired to in the video has "made in usa" on it as well...it is an mtd. There are a ton of China made engines on everything now - honda clones mostly. There are reference lists available in the net that are sears model prefixes and what manufacturer...247.xxxxxxxx model the 247 is mtd.

E X A C T L Y ! ! ! You said it! I cannot even buy support parts for things like Buddy's snowblower, because they went out of business.... The repair shop People say "Sorry we cannot order any parts for those models as the company went out of business".

very smart assesment

I once picked up two snowblowers, a 2002 ariens and probably a 2015 mtd or something. After working on the two, I probably could have shredded the mtd with that Ariens 😂

Thank you!!!!!!, i just paint my snowblower and little repair when i finish i hope in this week i send you movie you will see my snowblower, i found few stores with parts, parts is no problem, but i can't find decals because when i paint is nice stick new labels, can you help me about decals/label when can i buy? Very thanks Andy.

To each his own use. I have that new one. I let the machine go straight and do the work. I don't twist the thing to turn. I stop, back up a little then make a cut or a series of them to turn. I do not ever side load the thing by pulling on the handles to force the front end around. I don't see it as an issue. They are designed to go straight not make curves against snow banks. I make a series of passes if I have to because of a frozen snow bank or super deep snow. I've had the plastic chute blow off though. I prefer Ariens since the chute is all metal. In my climate the storm can start out with wet stuff then it gets real cold leaving a foot of powder with ice chunks forming in the slush at the bottom. Ice cracked the plastic chute of my craftsman in the first ten minutes. I never use it in a way to stress the welds or sides. It just goes right along fine. I armored the chute. Plastic chutes are total junk. I'd buy an Ariens over any other because they are steel. You don't see industrial street or rail road track blowers made with plastic. I wouldn't but one with a plastic chute ever again even if I'm forced to put a plow on my truck.

do you think there is anything made today that is better than the older things? personally I think not!😢😢

Ariens still makes a good blower, hell most small engines and equipment are made right here in Wisconsin along with Ariens!

My dad just retired a 1981 just like the one you have here, but it is 8 HP. Still runs, but needs a carb. I would take it, but my 1979 Gilson is still running. LOL!!!!

I had a crapsman snow blower similar to the drift breaker one, it worked good but trying to buy parts for it was not going to happen only because sears uses so many different manufacturers to make their stuff. The auger gear case got broken and sears could not get me one as a matter of fact they could not even tell me who made it for them even with all the numbers, the only way I was able to obtain the part was by accident at a local small engine shop, they just happened to have one and the bushings. repaired it and it worked good for quite a few years. Junked it when it's life was over but saved the engine for a David Bradley I was restoring

Fearless front is awesome

HMM Everyone is wondering why the department store are going broke. I fix theses old things and the only thing wrong with the old stuff is now they getting a bit too old unless you can find one like you have that is still serviceable. My snow-blower is a 1972 John Deere and It would be nice if it had electronic ignition.(it has points) It still runs though.

Nice machine.

Better *Rust Reformer* and *Rustoleum Laquer* that old man! BTW- Polypropleyne chute *IS* very durable- and will never *RUST.*

@paulyshore98 Lol yep, you from Chicago or how did you find my listing?

Nice comparison . As far as that new craftsman run forest run.

So what is your point? The products made in China are made to specifications dictated by SEARS and not the Chinese. If Sears wants them to use 3mm metal they will do that. Question is, are you willing to pay the additional cost? It's not only manufacturing cost but also significantly more shipping due to weight differences. My 3-years old Sears snowblower is made in China and works just fine.

I've got a mid to late '80's 10 h.p. Craftsman track drive snowblower and it's got a similar transmission to your Chinese one. It works alright but you can definitely see how the quality has gone down over the years. My dad has an 8h.p. wheeled machine built in the mid 80's and it's nothing but engine troubles those Tecumseh motors are just terrible.

There are good points and bad points on new versus old. There is nothing wrong with the friction disc drive, I used to own a 1032 John Deere I bought in 1979. Had to put a disc in it now and then, about $30. When those transmissions go it will cost a lot more than that. The overhead valves motors today start better and have more power than the valve in block design. I have a poulan pro now that I bought in 2008, seems like a pretty solid machine. I don't cut it much slack.

Hallo my name is Andy from Poland, i just bought craftsman like on your movie, but is old and no have any label, is the same like on movie can you give me Your model? because i wont order in usa few parts and i don't know what i have model? is also 32/10inch that all what i know... and engine tecumseh 7.5HP. Very thank you for reply . ANDY.

craftsman don't make there own power equipment like that any more most of the stuff craftsman sells are made by MTD

Is the whole snow blower made in China or just the engine? I know that they're all made by Electrolux, (Sears, Husqvarna, Poulan, some Ariens). When Tecumseh went out of business a few years ago, there were no longer any snow engines available, so the had to go to China to get engines.

@hondacl0n3 I don't currently have a track-drive snowblower. I just have the 3-stage snowblower pictured in this video but newer. Let me know if you're interested.

how much did the new craftsman blower cost vs the old unit? everyone wants to pay less for things.