Craftsman Snow Blowers

The SB230 is the budget-gas archetype: a 123cc 4-cycle OHV engine (no oil-gas mixing), push-button electric start so you skip cold-morning pull-cord roulette, and a 21x13-inch mouth that shrugs off the wet, heavy 6-8-inch storms that stall corded and battery single-stages — all for about $549, roughly half what a Toro Power Clear 721 E commands. Built by MTD in Tupelo, Mississippi, it's mechanically simple and the auger-assist pull genuinely lightens the pushing. The honest knocks from Lowe's owner feedback: out-of-box quality control is hit-or-miss (missing hardware, loose parts, and dead electric starters show up in reviews), the ~25-foot real-world throw trails a Toro's, chute parts are polypropylene, and finding warranty service for MTD-built Craftsman gear can be a runaround despite the 3-year coverage. There's no headlight either. If you get a good unit — most people do — it's years of cheap, gas-grade clearing for one-car driveways in serious snow; picky buyers should spend up for the Toro.