Repair a Craftsman snow blade that isn’t raising enough

Fixing the clearance on a craftsman snow blade

If your Craftsman snow blade isn’t giving enough clearance when raised, a simple repair may fix the issue.

The problem – The blade does not raise enough

I have a snow blade for my Craftsman tractor, part number 486.24443 . I’ve used it for 20 plus years and basically beat the heck out of it. I noticed that it just wasn’t raising enough when pulling the lever.

Solution – Replace the linking pin

There is a lift pin that is part of the lift mechanism. After 20 years of abuse, it was pretty well mangled. In the image below, you can see the two studs with the hitch pins.

Location of the linkage pin on a craftsman snow blade
Lift link location on a Craftsman Snow Blade

Removing the old pin is fairly simple. Below is a comparison of the old and new pins. While the difference doesn’t seem to be major, it makes a huge difference as to the height of the blade when it is raised.

Old and new lift links
Old and new lift links

Below you can see that the blade now has a little over one inch of clearance. Previously it was scraping the ground even when the blade was raised

Craftsman snow blade after fixing the lift link
Snow blade after replacing the lift link

Summary

Changing the lifting link did raise the blade to it’s proper height. Making sure that all of the bolts connecting the blade to the frame are tight also helps. If I need to work in the yard, I raise the blade a bit higher with a chain. I can probably get at least another year or two out of the blade. The bottom part is replaceable and that is a [project on the list to be done prior to this winter.

About the author Christopher G Mendla

I am a full stack web developer, IT Manager, Project Manager, Educator, Technologist and someone who maintains a keen interest in life and the world around me.

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