Snow Blowers


Snow Blower Service

Snow Blower ServiceIt is time for snow blower service. The winter season is over and before you put it away for the summer, why not do the annual maintenance now when it is warm and easy to work on it? We wrote a post on snow thrower service as well because frankly some people search for that term as well. You may want to read them both since they are slightly different. Bottom line is that you really should read your service manual for your snow blower before attempting any kind of service.

What Snow Blower Service Do I Need to Do

The service you will do will depend on the size of machine you own. Smaller machines will only need an oil change, the gasoline emptied out and any grease points greased. I also spray the blower housing with a fine oil to prevent rust during the summer. Even though the housing has rust resistant paint, it does get scratched and that’s were the rust begins.

Larger snow blowers will require more complex maintenance. You may need to change an air filter or an oil filter as well. A heavily used machine will need more servicing. You may need to change belts and you may need to adjust linkages that have become worn or stretched. Again follow the instructions in your service manual and practice safe maintenance when working around your machine.

A full Service Checkup may include:

  • Oil change
  • Spark plug change or adjustment
  • Filter changes
  • Linkage adjustments
  • Tire pressure checks
  • Empty the gasoline
  • Carburetor adjustments

This may be more than many consumers want to take on themselves. For people in this situation, it is a good idea to find a reasonable small engine mechanic who will service your snow blower once per year to ensure that your machine is always ready to go.

A factor that prevents a lot of people from getting a snow blower serviced is that they are big and they are heavy. You really need a truck or a van or a trailer to move them. For people without access to these kinds of vehicles, it can be problematic for consumers to arrange for repairs. If they need to rent a truck, this is an additional cost that they will have to consider as part of their cost considerations.

Some people do not bother preferring to just purchase a new snow blower when the original breaks down.  This is not a very good economic approach to snow blower service when you consider that these machines can easily run over a $1000. You would be better to pay for snow removal service than purchase a new snow blower every couple of years.

How Long Should a Snow Blower Last with Good Service?

My own snow blower is now 24 years old and still going strong. I change the oil once per year, grease it at the same time and spray it with oil to prevent rusting. It is stored inside when not in use. I have had to replace two bushings and rebuild the carburetor which I did myself. There was also one flat tire which I also repaired by self. There is a trick to doing tires, since e it is unlikely that you will get the tire rim off when they are that old.  i wrote a post on that about repairing flat tires on snow blowers.

The engine runs great, starts every time easily and does not use any oil so I know that the engine is in good shape. Twenty four years is a long time compared to paying $300 a year for snow removal which comes to more than $7000 and that is a cheap price. some are more than twice that price. My snow blower is a Craftsman and probably cost me $500 when I purchased it. I might have spent a hundred dollars on it since I purchased it.

If this is not enough to convince you that regular snow blower service is well worth the effort then I do not know what is. Your comments are more than welcome and any suggestions regarding snow blower service is welcome. For lots more information about repairs and maintenance issues, click here.

 

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One Response to “Snow Blower Service”

  1. we are getting older and are considering a snow clearing service vs. tuning up the snow blower. maybe we will run the snow blower one more year, but that will be it.

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