Plasmech
Addicted to ArboristSite
So I've got three properties I worry about when it snows. Mine, which is nothing, except for the fact that nobody really plows the street and we all have to shovel it, my sister's 100' driveway, and my parent's 120 foot driveway that's on the side of a mountain. So today, I bought a 1978 vintage Craftsman 6 HP 3-stage snowblower.
Now before you laugh at the "Craftsman" part of it, this was back in the Sears and Roebuck days when Craftsman actually meant quality. I mean this thing is built like a tank. The sheet metal used on it is 3 times thicker than anything you'd find on today's equipment, unless you went really high end like one of those $4,000 Honda hydrostatic tracked jobs. I've never seen or heard of a 3-stage before. I mean really, to me it's still 2-stage except the auger is in two parts. But I bet she'll tear through a packed plow furlough with ease. The thing is HEAVY too...some of these modern jobs are so light that you can't get tracton. Anyway here it is. Laugh all you want but this thing runs like a Swiss watch!
Just looks mean from the front. For a 1978, there is very little wear on the Augers, and all original paint:
You won't fin a gearbox like this on a modern machine. It's got synthetic 75 weight in it now:
top-down. 26" wide path by 23" high intake height:
Won't win any appearance contest I'll give you that:
120VAC starter motor still works like it's brand new:
Here's the best part. There's apparently no air filter, but it does have both a cold air intake AND water injection. See what happens is snow gets pulled into the carb, cooling it, and then the snow melts and turns to water, which is ingested. Super high tech stuff:
Now before you laugh at the "Craftsman" part of it, this was back in the Sears and Roebuck days when Craftsman actually meant quality. I mean this thing is built like a tank. The sheet metal used on it is 3 times thicker than anything you'd find on today's equipment, unless you went really high end like one of those $4,000 Honda hydrostatic tracked jobs. I've never seen or heard of a 3-stage before. I mean really, to me it's still 2-stage except the auger is in two parts. But I bet she'll tear through a packed plow furlough with ease. The thing is HEAVY too...some of these modern jobs are so light that you can't get tracton. Anyway here it is. Laugh all you want but this thing runs like a Swiss watch!
Just looks mean from the front. For a 1978, there is very little wear on the Augers, and all original paint:
You won't fin a gearbox like this on a modern machine. It's got synthetic 75 weight in it now:
top-down. 26" wide path by 23" high intake height:
Won't win any appearance contest I'll give you that:
120VAC starter motor still works like it's brand new:
Here's the best part. There's apparently no air filter, but it does have both a cold air intake AND water injection. See what happens is snow gets pulled into the carb, cooling it, and then the snow melts and turns to water, which is ingested. Super high tech stuff:
