Snow Blowers


Snow Blower Summer Time Tune Ups

July 7th, 2010 ernie Posted in Maintenance 1 Comment »

SnowBlower Summer Time Tune-UpsSnowBlower SummerTime Tune-Ups is one of the best times of the year for many activities. Most people do not give a second thought about their snowblower at this time of year. There is so much else to do and to enjoy. Yet, this is the best time to tune up your snow blower and make any repairs that you may need to make. It is warm, it is comfortable to work and you avoid the rush of everyone else looking for parts.

There is nothing worse than a foot of snow in your driveway, it is -20 C or 0F and your snow blower will not start. What a depressing thought! So folks the next weekend that you do not have anything planned, get out there and take the time to check out your snowblower for the next season.

We have listed a few of the items that should be on your checklist in terms of a tune-up as well as repairs. If you know of others that we missed, please leave a comment and we will be happy to add them to this post.

SnowBlower SummerTime Tune-Ups –  Areas to Pay Attention To

The typical things that you should pay attention to when you are tuning up your snowblower include: Changing the oil, cleaning the spark plug, oiling and greasing all linkages that require lubrication, spraying rust inhibitors to all areas that could rust, checking tire pressure, and checking all linkages to make sure there is no wear and tear that should be tightened up or replaced. All of these things can be accomplished in less than an hour with the oil change taking the most time.

All of these things are straightforward to do and can be done by the average weekend mechanic. Always follow proper safety procedures to avoid accidents and follow the instructions outlined in the manual for basic repairs. Whenever you are working on any engine, including snowblowers and lawnmowers, always disconnect the spark plug before completing any repairs. This is an easy way to prevent accidental starting of the engine and an accident that could cause severe damages.

Check Linkages for Mechanical Wear

Many snow blowers operate using belts to deliver power from the engine to the wheels and to the blower. Depending on the age and the amount of use, these belts will become warn and may cause the performance of the snow thrower to be less than it was when it was new. If you noticed this in the past winter season, check that the belts are tight and not showing signs of wear and stretching.

There is also a friction drive on your snowblower. It is a wheel that presses against another steel wheel that is perpendicular to the drive wheel. The drive wheel is made of a hard rubber material and can be know to become worn as well especially if there is a lot of slippages. You should observe the condition of this wheel each time as well and replace it as necessary.

Check Bushings for Mechanical Wear

The wheels of your snowblower are attached to an axle that turns inside two bushings located on the outside housing of the frame of your snowblower. These bushings are made of brass and over the years will show signs of wear. The axle can become misaligned causing all sorts of problems including causing the wheels to not drive the snowblower forward or in reverse. They are relatively easy to replace.

Also depending on the model, there may be two other shafts that have bearings as well. These are bushings and they tend to wear out as well depending on the age of the snowblower. Parts can be obtained from your local small engine repair shop or from the dealer that you purchased them from. Many people will take their machine in for repairs however a word of caution is necessary.

Repairs tend to cost a great deal depending on the hourly rate and what is wrong with your machine. Always ask for a repair estimate first. Then decide if it is worth doing the repair or purchasing a new machine.

Make your Repairs Now

Don’t procrastinate. Doing repairs in a cold garage is no fun. Taking your machine into a repair shop along with hundreds of others means that you will wait your turn to have your snowblower repaired. In the meantime, you will have to shovel the snow by hand. Or perhaps borrow a neighbors machine. So why not do the repairs now before it gets cold.

SnowBlower SummerTime Tune-Ups – Summary and Your Comments

Summertime is a great time to complete repairs and tune-ups when the weather is comfortable. There are a standard set of things to check. You may only need to change the oil with everything else that you check being in top-notch condition. You will be very satisfied knowing that your snowblower is working fine. Of course, you do not need to make those repairs when it is really cold outside.

Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions on our blog. Note that any spam comments will be erased. For many more details about repair and maintenance topics, click here.

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How to Get a Snow Thrower Ready for Summer

April 14th, 2010 ernie Posted in Maintenance 2 Comments »

How to Get a Snow Thrower Ready for SummerOne of the searches that we saw on our blog is how to get a snow thrower ready for summer? It is the time of year when these sorts of tasks should be allocated since it is spring and our snow clearing days should be behind us. For many areas it also may be too soon to rake the lawn and clear it of the winters debris, so this is a really good time to make sure that your snow thrower is ready for summer storage.

There are a few simple things you can do to make sure that your snow thrower will be ready for next years snow clearing and not cause you any problems. If you are planning to do this work yourself, get out the manual and review any instructions that may be in the manual concerning storage of your snow thrower. If you plan to have a mechanic do the work for you, you may want to speak with the shop to find out the best time to take your snow thrower in for it’s annual maintenance.

Clean Gas

One of the biggest problems many consumers have is bad gas in the fall when they go to start the engine after it has sat all summer long. An easy way to preserve your gas is to purchase one of the products from your local auto store that is designed to be added to the gasoline which will keep it fresh and avoid gumming up the gas tank and the smaller parts in the carburetor. There are many products on the market, so we will not recommend any here, however you can also check with your local small engine mechanic to see what they recommend as the best one for your snow blowers engine.

Spending a few dollars on these products can save you hundreds of dollars later and a lot of frustration when your snow thrower refuses to start next winter.

Change the Engine Oil

Again follow the instructions in your manual. It is a relatively simple job to do and can add years to the life of the engine. Fresh clean oil lubricates your engine and helps to ensure that it operates at maximum efficiency. Changing the oil now after the end of the winter is a good time to do it. Before all of the sludge in the old oil hardens inside your engine.

Run the engine for a few minutes until it is warm, then shut it off, remove the spark plug wire to avoid potential accidents and drain the oil as per the instructions in the manual. The oil should be hot after the engine has been run and it will drain more quickly and completely as a result.

Check the Spark Plug

Follow the instructions in the manual and remove the spark plug to examine it’s condition. Most spark plugs will last several years. They just need cleaning and to be re-gaped from time to time to ensure they continue to meet the specs required by your engine.

Lubrication

Your snow blower may or may not need lubrication. Your manual will tell you if there are any parts that need to be oiled or greased.

Check for Broken, Loose or Malfunctioning Parts

Since you are the operator , you may already be aware of something that was not working properly during the winter. This is the time to make repairs. It is much easier to work on your machine in the warm weather than in freezing weather. Now is the time to do it, if everything is working properly. If there is nothing loose or needing adjustment, then all you may need is a quick inspection.

Check the Tire Pressure

The tires usually do not lose air. However I have found that with older machines the tires sometimes lose air over the years.  Fill them to the recommended level. If you are really particular, you should park your snow thrower in its permanent location for the summer. Then place blocks under the housing so that the wheels are off the ground. This will protect the tires.

Protect from the Environment

Every year before I put my snow blower away for the summer, I give it a good wash. This gets rid of  any sand , dirt and salt from the housing, the impellers, and the augers. Then I spray all of these same areas with a thin film of oil. This is the same oil that they use to undercoat cars. This oil will protect the housing etc from rusting in areas were the paint may have been scratched off.  After 25 years , my snow blower is still going strong and looks like new.

If you need to store it outside, cover the snow thrower with a tarp to protect it from the elements.

If you have other comments and/or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section of this blog.

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Snow Blower Maintenance

January 20th, 2010 ernie Posted in Maintenance 1 Comment »

Snow Blower MaintenanceThis post is all about snow blower maintenance.  Whether you are the type to perform your own snow blower maintenance or would prefer to take your snow blower to a mechanic to have the annual maintenance activities completed, this post may be of interest to you. We are writing this post to help people maintain their snow blowers and extend the life of their snow blowers for as long as possible. Maintaining your snow blower will save you money in the long run.

Snow Blower Maintenance – What are the Basics?

Before using your snow blower every time perform a quick check of your snow blower. Look for loose parts, ice frozen around the auger or the impeller. Check both the gasoline level as well as the oil level prior to starting the snow blower. Top up as required. Check that the tires have the proper inflation level and watch for any fluids beneath the snow blower to check for leakage.

This may seem a lot to check for, however, once you get used to performing this check, it will only take 20 or 30 seconds to perform the check and you will know that your machine is ready to go. No surprises after the engine started.

Observations During Operation

While operating your snow blower always observe how it is operating. Is the engine running smoothly? Does the snow blower move forward at the appropriate speed and is there any perceived slippage of the drive train? When the snow thrower is under load, does the engine slow down or does the impeller begin to throw the snow at a significantly shorter distance? If you observe any of these conditions could indicate loose belts or improper contact between the drive shaft and the friction disk that drives the gearbox of the snow blower. Observe the auger and confirm that the auger is turning on both sides.

Many augers will have two sheer pins that will break if the auger encounters an immovable object. The shear pin will break to avoid more serious damage to the snow blower. A new shear pin should be inserted immediately. Operators will notice that the snow blower is pushing the snow instead of chewing it up and pulling it towards the impeller. This is the first indication that a shear pin has broken. Usually, there is a shear pin on both sides of the drive shaft in the middle of the entrance chute.

Snow Blower Maintenance- Annual Maintenance Activities

Annual maintenance really depends on how much the snow blower is used. You may have a large property to keep clear or are blowing snow for several neighbors. If there is lots of snow, you may want to change the oil more often. I have had a snow blower for over 25 years. I changed the oil in the engine once per year for all 25 years and have had no problems with the engine at all. It is a simple task to change the oil, taking only about 30 minutes and will ensure your snow blower engine lasts a lifetime.

If you are planning to change the engine oil follow these simple steps. Start the engine and let it run for 5 or 10 minutes. You want to warm up the engine and the oil to ensure that the oil flows easily and will run out of the oil drain quickly. Once it is warmed up, shut off the engine, disconnect the spark plug and after placing something to catch the old oil open the drain plug. Allow the oil to drip out and wait until all oil has drained before replacing the drain plug. Once the drain plug has been replaced, fill with new oil as specified by the manual to the desired level.

Again run the engine for a short period, shut it off and recheck the oil level to ensure that you have sufficient oil in the engine. If it is short, add more and repeat the step of running the engine and rechecking the oil level. If there is too much oil you will need to drain a small amount out of the engine.

Change Your Engine Oil

Changing the oil is the major activity that needs to be done in terms of routine maintenance. Depending on your model there may be several points that require lubrication as well. Check your manual for any additional areas that should be lubricated such as the auger shaft.

Also on an annual basis, consumers should check the belts to ensure they are not frayed or broken. Replace any belts that appear to be worn or beginning to fray. Doing it now will say frustration and time. Avoiding repairs after it has snowed is a major plus everyone wants.

I do my annual maintenance during the summer when it is warm and easy to work. I had to do some repairs one time during the winter. It was not a pleasant experience and I really would like to avoid fixing anything during the cold winter months.

All snow blowers are built differently, sometimes even between models. You really should take the time to read the manual and familiarize yourself with the maintenance requirements and safety of the snow blower you purchased.

If you are looking for more information on general home maintenance and a list of typical tasks, click here.

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