Craftsman Select 28 Review: A Balanced Mid-Grade Two-Stage Snow Blower

Introduction

The Craftsman Select 28 is a 28-inch wide, two-stage gas snow blower powered by a 272cc engine. It is sold on Amazon for around $1,299, though that price can shift depending on sales. It is built in the USA and sits in what you could fairly call the mid-grade tier: solidly made, but without the creature comforts of pricier machines.

After spending real time with it, the picture is clear. This is a balanced, easy-moving machine that handles typical snowfall well, with a few design quirks and, importantly, a setup process that causes most of the negative reviews you will find online.

Who This Product Is For

This is the machine for a homeowner with a decent-sized driveway who gets regular snowfall but does not need a heavy-duty, feature-loaded unit. It is not the large 357cc or 300cc class that simply plows through everything, but if you get falls in the 12 to 16 inch range it will cope, just more slowly. In the 4 to 6 inch range, it is genuinely happy, and it does far better there than most battery alternatives.

It also suits smaller or less strong users. A little body weight on the back of the machine lifts the front with no effort, which makes it very easy to move and turn. That balance cuts both ways, though, which we will get to below.

Main Strengths

The controls are straightforward once set up correctly. The drive lever engages the wheels at whatever speed the selector is set to, with six forward speeds and two reverse speeds. The auger engagement has a click-in feature: if the drive wheel is engaged, you do not have to hold the auger lever down, which is standard but convenient. The chute rotates left and right easily, and the deflector adjusts up and down smoothly, provided the cables are routed right.

For the business end, there is a replaceable scraper blade, adjustable shoes so you can use it on gravel, and easily replaced shear pins, with two extras included in the box. If you hit something, the pins snap and stop the auger, saving the machine from damage. Inside, a 12-inch impeller pushes snow out, and the machine throws a long distance, whether you aim it down onto the lawn or straight into a spot where a plow can take it away.

Starting is simple: put the key in, use the choke and primer ball, and pull. There are two keys included. An electric start is also on board; plug in an extension cord, press the red button, unplug, and you are running. It typically starts quite easily, and the throttle placement is logical, with full throttle at the far left and the off position at the far right.

It also earns real points for maneuverability. It is much lighter and easier to move around and place than comparable larger units, and it stays planted where you set it. We have used it commercially for sidewalks when larger snow amounts arrive, and it has been excellent: pushing snow where needed, directing it into the grass, or throwing it a long way.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The biggest caveat is not the machine itself but the assembly. The most common negative review involves a broken auger cable, and the root cause is shipping and setup. The handles arrive pulled back with cables hanging loose and under tension. One cable controls forward and reverse speed, another engages the drive, and the auger cable sits near a small pulley at the bottom. If that cable falls off the pulley during assembly, it tightens as you pull the handle into place, and things snap. The included instructions are poor, so you have to watch that every cable stays routed in its place and that the handles move smoothly before you run it.

Beyond setup, know what you are buying. There are no hand warmers and no power steering: the axle is locked, so you muscle the machine around turns. It is not hard on wet or snowy concrete, but pricier upgrades exist if that matters to you. Reverse engagement is a little awkward; you need to hang onto the machine to get it into reverse. The gear spacing is also uneven: F1 is nicely slow for deep snow, but F2 is a big step up, and there is not much difference between F2 and F6. Equalized gearing would help. A third reverse speed would be welcome too, since both reverse gears are slow.

Wet snow is the challenge for any two-stage machine, and this one is no exception. With about half an inch of clearance around the 12-inch impeller, slush can bunch and pack inside the chute housing if the machine is not fed at the right rate. That is an experience issue every two-stage shares, but it means keeping a small tool handy to clear packed snow. Also note the frame flex: the upper frame can twist noticeably, which translates back to the handles and can lift the right side of the scraper off the pavement. Holding the whole handle with your hands underneath, rather than just pushing down, fixes it.

One thing worth trying to correct the flex complaint: this machine is intentionally light at the front so weaker users can lift it easily. If you would rather have a heavy front end that scrapes hard and never lifts, move up to a larger, heavier unit with power steering. Expect to pay roughly double for those creature comforts.

Buying Advice

Use fresh fuel in any gas machine, and if you can, use non-ethanol fuel. If that is not available, at least add a stabilizer meant for ethanol, which helps prevent sludge buildup and corrosion inside the engine. Ethanol is a long-standing reason these small engines become hard to start.

If you buy this machine, assemble it yourself rather than leaving it to someone else. A careless setup that ignores cable routing is exactly what produces the broken-cable stories, and poor instructions make it worse. Tie the cables securely so they stay where they should, check that the handles move smoothly, and you avoid the most common failure mode entirely. It is worth noting that this issue shows up across the board with crate-shipped, cable-driven machines of this style, not just this brand.

Storage takes a fair amount of space, but that is true of any two-stage. Compared with similar machines in this class, this one is lighter, easier to move around and easier to get into position, which is one of its genuine selling points.

Conclusion

The Craftsman Select 28 is a good machine at its price point, as long as you set it up properly and expect what you are paying for. It clears typical snowfalls without complaint, throws snow a long way, starts easily, and is one of the easiest machines in its class to maneuver. Hand warmers, power steering, and heavier build are what you give up, and wet, heavy snow demands a patient feeding technique like every two-stage does. For driveway and sidewalk duty in regular winter conditions, it is a solid mid-grade choice.