You wake up, get ready for work, and walk out the door to find your driveway buried in snow. Just enough to get your car stuck… ah yes, winter is here… are you ready? Luckily we were ready this year with the Yardmax 26” 2-Stage Snowblower. In fact, we were just waiting for the snow to come so we could see what this bad boy could do. With a driveway that is roughly 120 feet long and Lake Effect snow that never seems to stop, digging out by shovel can be brutal. This season however, we were ready.
K
ey Features:
- Dashboard with headlight and convenient controls
- Heated hand grips
- Self-propelled drive
- Comes with both pull start and push button start
- 26” snow-clearing width with 21” Intake Depth
- Dual-stage operation
- 6 Speeds forward and 2 speeds reverse
- Powerful 208cc Engine
Design:
The Yardmax Snowblower (YB6770) looks like it can handle just about any snowy situation just by looking at it. From the beefy 26” snow-clearing width and 12” Auger and Impeller Diameter to the convenient dashboard with heated hand grips, speed control, and LED headlight, I couldn’t wait for the first heavy snowfall. Compared to some 2-stage snow blowers on the market, the Yardmax has a wider snow-clearing width and big intake depth that can handle a variety of snow conditions. The Yardmax sports some beefy mechanics as well as some luxury features such as heated handgrips and a cup holder. The days of adding hand warmers in your gloves and duct-taping your coffee to the shovel are over my friends. We are moving up in this world, and the Yardmax snowblower is clearing the way for us. Although, if I had to choose between the space used for the cup holder or having the chute control on the dashboard, I’d vote for the latter.
Assembly:
The Assembly wasn’t terrible. However, since the truck it arrived on didn’t have a lift gate or ramp, we had to take it out of the box in pieces, a little at a time, so we could lift it out of the back of the semi. Hopefully your experience is different based on where you purchase from and the company that delivers. Once I had everything in the garage, I was able to lay all the parts out and follow the instructions for a pretty easy installation. Everything went smooth for the most part, however, maybe it was the cold temperature at the time that made me rush through some of the steps, but I had to jump back to an early step by taking the wheel back off so I could feed the throttle wire around the inside of the handle bars versus the outside. Whoops! I guess having this part emphasized in the manual would have saved me some time and frustration, but that can also be blamed on myself as user error. Besides that little hiccup, the rest of the assembly was straight forward. I would suggest you take care on the amount of tightening you apply to the Chute and Crank bolts, as the harder you tighten, the harder it will be to crank and control during operation. Finding a good balance of a secure amount of tension and room for maneuvering is important.
Start Up:
Once everything was assembled, I added the 5w30 oil and regular (un-mixed) gas, then it fired up after 2 pulls of the pull start. While the pull start is usually reliable, this model also comes with a push button start, which makes starting this bad boy up in the cold a little easier on your body. You’ll need to take out an extension cord to hook it up before you can push the start button, but it is a little less hassle then throwing your shoulder or back out. Granted, the pull start is not hard for most people, but for those who have back issues, the push button start it is a very nice option to have. One feature that would make this much better would be having a small battery on-board for the push button start, versus having to dig out the extension cord, but hey, the extension cord still works nicely.
Operation & Power:
What it all comes down to… operation. We can talk about all the great specs and bonus features, but if it doesn’t do the job with ease, what’s the point, right? Luckily, the Yardmax proved it could handle just about any mix of snow that hit us in Michigan, yes, even the Lake effect snow as well. With the 21” intake depth and 12” two-stage auger and impeller diameter, the snow didn’t stand a chance. The whole point of having a snowblower is so you don’t have to forcefully shovel. So having a self-propelled drive is a must. The Yardmax self-propelled drive is not only powerful, but it has 6 different speed options as well as 2 different reverse speeds for optimal control.
Value:
For the size, power, and control options this Yardmax snowblower offers, the price tag of $649 isn’t bad. It has a wider base and bigger intake depth than many other makes and models on the market with a higher price tag than the Yardmax (even some that we’ve reviewed in the past). When you factor in the convenience of having a powerful self-propelled snowblower that can handle a variety of snow conditions with ease, it’s easy to spend the money on something that will make your life easier.
By Now: $649 or to learn more, check out: Yardmax.com
- Easy Assembly
- Simple Controls
- Powerful
- Wheels could have better treads
Yardmax customer service is THE WORST. Worse than a cable company!!!
We bought a YB6770 snowblower the last weekend in November. It came with the auger cable incorrectly attached, and no information in the manual about auger cables. I called the Yardmax support line several times on Saturday and Sunday and kept getting a message telling me the voice mailbox was full.
I finally got through to someone on the following Monday and was told incorrectly attached auger cables is a recurring problem at their factory and was sent a video on how to attach it correctly, which I did on Monday night. Then the first time I squeezed the handle the cable broke where it attaches to the handle. I talked to someone (Kerwin or Kerlin?) at Yardmax on Dec. 18 who assured me he’d get back to me within a day with information on a service provider who would come pick up this brand new Yardmax YB6770 snowblower, fix it, and return it to me (I do not have a pickup truck, nor the ability to lift the machine myself).
As of 11 AM on Friday Dec. 21 they still had not called. So, I called the Yardmax service line again, and the woman there said she could not provide me with service provider information as Kerwin/Kerlin handles service, and he is on vacation for the holidays. She said I could call a local place, have it fixed, and have them email the invoice to Yardmax at “[email protected]. ” I asked her for a list of repair places in my area that can work on Yardmax products, and she said only Kerwin/Kerlin has that information and he is on vacation.
I am flabbergasted that only one person in the whole corporation can provide information on service providers!
While annoyed, I thought I really need to get this done as snow was predicted so I sought out a local place to fix the machine. But I wanted to make sure I found a repair place that was familiar with Yardmax. So, I did some searching on the Yardmax website and I was able to find some locations on the “Where to Service” section), and the first place I called was Albrights Hardware – they said they absolutely will not work on Yardmax. The second place I called, American Lawn Equipment, had a phone number that is out of service!
I cannot begin to explain how annoyed I am at Yardmax’s horrible service and lack of support. This whole issue began because they sent me a snowblower that they shipped from the factory that had the auger cables attached incorrectly!!!!!
I am a heart attack survivor and my wife bought this snowblower for me as a Christmas gift to help make it easier for me to clear snow, which can be deadly for those with heart disease. We bought it based on reviews that said the snowblower was a good machine – and maybe it is, but so far, I do not know because of the nonsense (keeping it clean – I really want to use expletives) I have been dealing with because of Yardmax’s incompetence!!!!!!!!
I really do not appreciate the way this problem is being handled by Yardmax. They need to cross train some staff, or hire more, so more than one person can handle service. At my job I must ensure there is someone who can handle my work if I am not there.
On Dec. 21 I emailed the Yardmax President Justin Carlson, and he responded on Dec. 24 and suggested sending me a new auger cable so I can install it myself! Below is his actual email response. Today is Dec. 27 and I emailed and called Mr. Carlson (had to leave a voicemail) demanding he call me, and that I want someone to come get the snowblower and replace it with a new one. I plan to call and email him every day until he calls me back.
Mr. Young-
I am very sorry to hear of your frustration with the snow blower you recently purchased. Our office is closed this Monday and Tuesday, so our employees can spend much needed time with their families. If the issue with the snow blower is just the broken auger cable, we can have one UPS’d next day to you when our office opens on Wednesday. If you do not feel comfortable doing the repair yourself, the other option is for us to find service for you to complete the repair. Service Centers have been very busy recently and turnaround times could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 8 weeks depending on how many repairs are ahead of yours.
Please accept this apology on behalf of YARDMAX and I will ensure your satisfaction is reached. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Just a follow up. After badgering Yardmax for a bit, they did send me a brand new, fully assembled unit. I have used it once and so far works well.