Craftsman 88694

Single-Stage Battery Snow Blowers / Two-stage gas - best for heavy to medium snow up to 16 inches

This two-stage, gas-powered Craftsman has a 26-inch clearing width and comes with electric start. It also has single-lever chute control.

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CR's Expert Take

How did it perform in our owner surveys and expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model incorporates our expert lab test results, as well as ratings for that brand’s reliability and owner satisfaction from our annual product owner survey of members.

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Current Range of Tested Single-Stage Battery Snow Blowers

What goes into the Overall Score?

OWNER SURVEYS

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Removal speed

/ 5

Plow pile removal

/ 5

Throwing distance

/ 5

Surface cleaning

/ 5

Handling

/ 5

Noise

/ 5

Controls

/ 5

Width (in.)

/ 5

Color

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

The Craftsman 88694 scored excellent for removal speed and was excellent at removing the plow pile at the end of the driveway, which can be a challenge for some machines. Throwing distance was very good; this matters most if you have a wide driveway. Surface cleaning--how much snow was left on the surface--was very good. Handling, which is how easy the machine is to maneuver (including turns), was excellent. Ease of using the various controls--such as speed, chute, and auger--was very good. Hearing protection required. The single-lever chute control speeds up changing the discharge direction.

About

The Craftsman 88694 is part of the Snow Blowers test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, Single-Stage Battery Snow Blower models like the 88694 are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Width: The snow blower's clearing width, or swath, in inches.

Removal speed: A high score means the snow blower removes snow quickly without bogging down. Top models handle up to 6 inches of snow at a fast pace.

Plow pile removal: A high score means the snow blower clears packed plow piles faster. Top models remove heavy snow left by street plows at the end of a driveway more efficiently.

Brand Reliability & Satisfaction

This brand has insufficient data to rank.

Did the brand perform consistently well over time?

PREDICTED RELIABILITY SCORE

/ 100

Insufficient survey data to receive a brand-level rating. Brand gets a weighted category average for this attribute.

Would our members recommend this brand?

OWNER SATISFACTION SCORE

/ 100

Insufficient survey data to receive a brand-level rating. Brand gets a weighted category average for this attribute.

Source: Consumer Reports' 2023, 2024, and 2025 Spring Surveys

Features & Specs

Features

Multiple speeds

Yes

Single lever chute adjustment

Yes

Headlight

Heated handgrips

Single hand controls

Yes

Specs

Engine size

208cc

Electric start

Yes

Freewheel steering

Yes

Warranty (yrs.)

Engine type

Four cycle

Volts

Battery platform voltage (V)

Craftsman 88694

CR's Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

Brand Reliability & Satisfaction

Brand Reliability & Satisfaction

Features & Specs

Features & Specs

Features

Specs

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