I have an Ariens snow blower built in 1960 that I have used for about 35 years. Its crazy, this thing is 60 years old and has never broke down. It always starts on the 1st or second pull, even after sitting a summer. It has an all gear drive, so no rubber wheel to fail and no safety latches to hold down which is really nice. The only thing I have replaced on it is the pull cord and a couple shear pins when I sucked the Christmas lights off a bush.
We lived up in Gary Indiana as a kid and every year it would snow so much, on average dropping 18" over night. My dad would shovel the driveway several times during the day and even middle of the night. Until after years of this he decided to cave and bought the best snowblower he could find, spent $1000 on it. It never snowed more than a couple inches the next 6 years we lived there. I jokingly said to him hows it feel to spend that much money on it and never just to have it sit there doing nothing and never getting to use it. Without missing a beat he said "are you kidding? Best $1000 I ever spent"
Hahaha! My dad is the same way! Must take years of shoveling I guess to understand how easy they have it now with a big snowblower! Thanks for sharing!
When I buy fresh gas, as soon as I get home, I put Stabil in the gas. That way, even if it sits in the snowblower for a couple months, it is still good. I also spray down all surfaces, auger, chute, impeller, etc. with automotive silicone spray - snow doesn't stick. Spray it a few times each season. I have a 45 year old 20" Toro single stage and a 21 year old Craftsman 26" two-stage, both still running strong. Good maintenance is critical. I'm in the northern Illinois area so get quite a lot of snow. I enjoyed the video. Thanks.
Hey J.B. I put grease on all the nuts and bolts on any bare metal. I put grease on the wheel shafts and the shaft inside the gear box too and even coat the gear with a light film. I oil my wheel bearings too there brass the new ones are plastic my snowblower is 26 years old and still looks and runs like new. I really like your videos they're nicely done and you cover everything. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Ken! Really cool that your snowblower is still going strong 26 years later. Sounds like you do a great job caring for it. Appreciate the positive feedback my friend! A lot of time goes into each video! Thanks for being a cool fan of the channel! 👍
Very informative moving from a temperate climate of no snow to one of getting several feet of snow. Using a snow shovel at my age wasn’t an option. They don’t sell Ariens near me. I didn’t want to buy from a box store. So my options were Toro or Cub cadet. I went with Toro since my lawnmower is a Toro and I had it since 1990. Anyway thanks for all the break In tips to keep it running for ever. Oil is cheap a blower isn’t. I changed my oil after break in and after three hours of use. Now change it in the spring.
@@GarageGear personal pace with a Briggs and Stratton 6 horse power. My wife talked me into buying a new one. Since my old one likes to smoke a bit. But if one does the simple things like you showed in the video any piece of equipment will last.
Using synthetic oil is a great idea but you need to break-in the motor first. Use regular oil until the engine has been broke-in. This gives the engine time to seat the rings and the rod bearings. Synthetic oil is designed to stop the wear we actually want to happen during the engine break-in period.
Great video. I have the same PowerSmart 24 In 2 Stage. I just broke-in the engine and it runs great. I'll do the hacks you mentioned in the video. Great stuff. I haven't had as much trouble with changing the direction of the chute. Yes, it clicks, but much smoother than what you're experiencing. It doesn't seem right. I'll be keeping your video as a favorite. Thanks.
I had a new state of the art blower and I sold it. I've still got my original craftsman thats pushing 20 years old. Runs like a top. Probably only changed the oil in it 2 or 3 times. Has Electric start, but I don't even need to use it. Starts first or second pull. Replaced the tires with new ones. Replaced useless halogen with a 6inch LED light (capacitor mod to stop flickering) nearly zero rust on it surprisingly. I plan to add an electric actuator for chute angle control, I'll use it until the motor blows up.
I've had one of these Powersmarts for a few years. 1. Check the gear box by the auger blades. Mine only had a smear of grease in it when I got it. Fill it with gear oil to make it last longer. 2. Keep plenty of shear bolts on hand. (I swear mine starts throwing shear bolts when I look at a stick while using it) 3. Keep a couple of replacement valve stems on hand for the tires. Those stems are cheapo and will crack and leak within the first couple years. 4. DON'T overfill the oil. Get it exactly as shown in this video. If you overfill these engines, even a little, you'll have nothing but headaches trying to run it. 5. Make sure you know how to adjust OHV valves. It's not hard. These engines are very temperamental about valves. If your valves go out of whack a bit the engine wont start. Mine felt like it had no compression at all. (I only had to adjust mine once during the first season. Been okay since then) 6. I found some of the gaskets to be sub par, they wear out. Like the gaskets on the float bowl ring and retaining bolt. They were cheap plastic that crushed easily and didn't sit quite right when you go to put the float bowl back on. (They might have changed that I dunno) 7. Great suggestion using lithium grease on those auger blades. It might sound like a pain the butt, but if you bought a Powersmart you bought cheapo, you should disassemble the auger blades, take them apart and grease the hell out of it if you want one of these units to last. They use cheapo plastic spacers in between the auger blades that need every bit of help you can give them. (I made a rubber nipple that goes onto the shear bolt hole so I can pump grease into it while putting my finger on the opposite side. Works with any machine actually) 7B. Learn exactly how the auger blades look/align with each other, because they can bend from time to time. If they do bend they'll start grinding on the housing, you'll hear it when it happens. Learn to bend them back. 7C. Pack the bearings at each end of the auger blades well. 8. If you're not using non ethanol gas, use stabilizer. At the end of the season run it out of gas, empty the float bowl. These engines are prone to rust. corrosion and buildup if you leave fuel in them in the off season. The fuel tank seems to do okay, but the carb is temperamental if you leave fuel in them. Just like any engine. These Amerisun/Powersmart engines are designed with cast iron piston sleeves. It's a cost saving process for manufacturing, but it also makes for a long lasting engine as long as they don't overheat. So be careful about running these engines in warm temperatures in the off season. The break in period is VERY important, don't skip it. What you're doing is grinding the cast iron piston sleeve and piston ring to fit each other. You don't want to overwork the machine during that break in period. He did it right here. Only thing I'd add is that I use a rare earth magnet down at the base of the engine by the drain during the break in period. I do that on all new machines. That way all the metal flakes get pulled down into the drain. Remove the magnet just before draining and the metal comes out during the first change. I just use some rare earth magnets I got from an old computer hard drive.
Hey, nice Jeep. Think we have the same one. I broke in for 5 minutes (mobile 1 full synth) then 30 minutes: same. Next 5 hours of regular usage. Husqvarna ST224, 212cc. I doused my axels/cables/friction disk axel (not the disk or components but the 'axel' it slides across gear to gear) in anti-seize and Lucas low temperature grease. Next, fluid film behind the wheels, on the wheels, pretty much everywhere but the in the auger/impeller deck. There I used automotive acrylic. Writing this at 25:00 so not sure what all you've done. Really here to see about lubricating the auger/impeller. Thumbs up. EDIT: Well I wouldn't use WD-40 on the cables. But if it works, hey. I used graphite and low temp lithium grease where you used the 40. And for the auger, I used low temp white grease again. Regular lithium grease can gel up when it gets cold. (Old motorcycle tricks) Ultimately great tutorial. We just do things a little different. Thanks.
Very good video! My Powersmart has been in use for two winters now and its a great machine. I too had a problem with the gear box for the for changing the chute direction. Why the manufacturer did not address the is a mystery. My machine is a different model (7124) and the gear assembly is a sprocket (not teeth) that is controlled by a worm. It had lots of friction at the gear and the seat for the chute. I solved the problem by adding a plastic washer between the mount and the assembly arm. This raised the chute slightly taking the full weight off of the seat. I lubed the worm, and chute seat and the problem was solved. It's also a good idea to check all bolts and nuts after first use and at the start of each season, more often if the use is heavy.
Thank you for the positive feedback Chuck! I appreciate it! Also, thanks for sharing your chute tips. It seems it’s just a poor design. Thanks for watching! 👍
First off, I bought my Troy Bilt model 2410 for $599 assembled with the engine already broken in full of oil at Home Depot 1 1/2 years ago! Second, it is fully made in America with Tecumseh of Wisconsin making the engines to Troy Bilt spec's! Third, it is one of the most reliable snow blower made comparing it the the top five brands. Fourth, parts are easy to get if something does break because it's made in America. Fifth, my neighbor here in Lake Tahoe has an older version of my snow blower going strong after 20 Sierra Nevada Mountain winters. And six , WD 40 is the worst lube to use as it eventually will evaporate and it is banded from all Ryder truck shops as it is crap! Silicone with Teflon spray is the bomb. The grease you used is great!
Thanks for watching Bruce! Sounds like you take good care of your equipment! Older equipment was definitely made better everything nowadays is a “throw away”!
@@GarageGear I'm a retired Ryder Mechanic and I have a Degree in Mechanical Engineering power train that I only worked at for a year at Mercury outboards/stern drives. I found out I liked diagnosing and repairing engines/trucks/refrigeration systems than the boring job of testing-testing-testing that engineering really is. My comment about WD 40 is true that it was a God send during WWII when it was developed, but now it is living off it's past and it can't compete with lube sprays silicone spray with Teflon is what most shops use today.
Nice video. This Powersmart snowblower for $400 is a good deal but you get what you pay for. This unit satisfy's a certain price point, it's not really offering the consumer quality or reliability at least not in the long term. We have the same thing for sale here in Ontario Canada and we sometimes do get pretty heavy snowfalls too. This unit will be ok for a few yrs but I don't think it'll last, as usual it'll let you down when you've had the heaviest snowfall. I would pay the extra money and get a proven brand like Ariens, Toro, Troy-Bilt etc. You can get away with a cheap lawn mower, who cares if you haven't cut your lawn in a few days but with a snowblower you'll want something that won't let you down when you need to clear your driveway after a bad storm and after the plow comes by and fills in your driveway. Better to spend a little more in my opinion.
Thanks for supporting my channel Matthew! I greatly appreciate it! I use those form a funnels for so many jobs in the garage it’s crazy! 1 tool 1,000,000 uses! Thanks for being a cool fan!
Thanks for confirming my decision for purchasing the PowerSmart snow machine. Prior to adding the rubber pieces slushy snow clogged the chute. Afterwards, never once had a problem. I bought a "Blacktop sealer squeegee" from Lowes ~$10.00 See below. I drilled out the rivets for the rubber "flaps", and cut the metal part the same length as the flaps and placed them across the top of the flaps for extra holding, and of course bolted them in. When things warm up a bit I'll be greasing and spraying the parts I didn't do, that you suggested. Other hints: Using a paint pen I wrote the oil amount (20 oz) next to the dip stick. I shoved a block of wood in the impeller area to hold the impeller from moving during drilling (and prevent drilling thru my fingers - once in my life was enough!). Finally, although difficult to explain, I cut pieces of left over vinyl fence post to put over the metal casters (curling up the ends). It made running the machine over rough surfaces a lot easier and doesn't leave scrap marks. Depending on the amount of snow falls it lasts about 2 - 3 seasons. I added snow chains for extra traction, they helped on upward inclines. You got a GREAT deal on the snow blower!!! Love your site. Loews squeegee info (I have no financial or other interests in Lowes) www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-1-67-in-Asphalt-Squeegee/4776237?cm_mmc=shp-cprdbdmgooglelia-103-drivewaysealers-4776237-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQiApsiBBhCKARIsAN8o_4guUizsgPiZQM3NE_eWwgtuezEXkrfvoGJLUPBYzojjZCbDNA4ASVwaAtkrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Thanks again Billy! These are some good tips and tricks here! The PowerSmart snowblower is a decent machine!!! It’s a great value! I like your skid idea as well! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for this video!!! First time owning a snowblower and had no idea about how to do with this thing. After your video, we feel much more confident!! Thank you!!
Having a gravel driveway I think I'll set the back up on a 1" board, then, instead of using the metal skid shoes I'll take a 1x4 and rip it down on the table saw to a 1x2.5 and crosscut it to make 2 of them about 6 inches long. Then I'll either scrollsaw or bandsaw the front of the boards into a curve and line up the boards with the holes on the frame of the machine for the skid shoe bolts, drill the holes out and then put in slightly longer carriage bolts with fender washers and lock washers and nuts. Remove the 1" board from the back (where your pencils are) and hopefully have some shoes that will glide more easily over the gravel and not throw gravel into the yard. I did buy that Ariens like your old one. Have to replace the tires as they're shot but found the tractor style tread tires and wheels on Amazon for $76.95, so with the new Predator engine and belts I'm figuring about $350 altogether. :) Of course, when I get the wheels off I'll remove the bottom cover and lubricate everything, etc.
Great vid. I bought a can of WD-40 Big Blast last year dedicated for the snow blower. It's nice to quickly apply a wide, even coating to the augers, impeller, housing, chute etc.
Very thorough as usual. As a current owner of an older powersmart snowblower (Model # DB7651-24) I have found the following : handles for movement and auger vibrates a lot. Use electrical tape on main handles to insulate where they touch. Paint on my bucket fell off due to rust after 2nd year (clean, use rust paint). Scraper bar rusts like crazy. Its a very good workhorse (nicknamed it the Beast) but realize its cheap for a reason :-). BTW Amerisum Customer service is reasonably good !!!!
Hey William, I will make note of this. I raised the scraper bar up a quarter of an inch to avoid so much ground friction. I have contacted their customer service department and they are very helpful! Thanks for the comment. You ROCK!
JB, thank you for this video. I had been looking for a snowblower for this year's winter and had seen this model on Home DePot's website. When researching this make and model I found your video. I watched it 2 times and decided to make the purchase. Setting it up was such a breeze because of how thorough your instructions were. Great job, I'm all set up for this Winter. Brian
That’s Awesome Brian! Glad you found this video helpful! That machine should hold up for a very long time! I’m excited for you to give it a shot when the flakes start to fly! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
All in all a great video and very valuable info. I usually just run my machine for a month and change the oil on a new machine. This all depends on how much I use it. I generally run it a couple hours or so at first then change the oil. After that I just change it once a season when I put it away. Also, you don't want your tires quite so full. My snow removal buddy told me to only put about 4-6 psi in the tires. It grips a lot better and I have way better traction. As far as coating your auger housing I recommend using a ceramic coating. It lasts A LOT longer. Maguires makes a great spray on ceramic coating.
Laurent Caron you forgot to grease the driving gear and put lubricant in the auger box.For the shaft of transmission i personnaly lubricate it with white grease ,it is better against cold weather .Excuse me for english language im from Quebec and I don't speak English often but you do a great job.🙂
Believe it or not I went to put anti-seize on my new craftsman 28" snow blower axles after seeing this tip and the factory had already done it! I was surprised....Thanks for the tips.
Thank you so much. I watch about 10 tutorials before I found yours Grrr lol I was very confused, Took me 2 days of 4 hours each, one to unbox. lol Found yours right before I was starting on the last day, but so glad I did because if it weren't for you it would still be sitting unused. You were the only one who I could see hook the two cables up. Also, I had to use the WD40 to get the tiny screw on the auger cable to work or I would not have been able to attach the center ends together. Big THANK YOU🤩👍🏼.. Really appreciate your tips So I hope to not burn any more up lol. This is my third one in 12 years. 😫
Hey Mae, glad you found these tips helpful! Awesome job on yours! If you have any more questions feel free to reach out! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I would also antiseize the shear bolts. tedious job but it 's worth the trouble. Take each one out and put antiseize on them so when they do break its easier to get out of the shaft and are not fused in place by rust
Awesome unboxing Video with Install instructions + Maintenance TIPS "all" in ONE video. I bought this same brand 24" 2 stage Snow blower 2 years ago (wish this video was published then ;) After seeing your Video, just went through those Maintenance Tips. Much Appreciated.
Thank you for the information. I have a question and a suggestion. Where did you get your mat with the siderails for your garage? and I no longer pull the drain plug from any of my engines, including my Tacoma. I bought a marine oil pump and suck all the oil out of the dipstick hole. I just run the implement for a few minutes to warm it up, tip it so that side is low and slide the drain tube down the dipstick hole. Pump it a few times and it sucks all the oil out of the engine. No mess whatsoever! I love it!
I came here after watching a bunch of videos on electric snowblowers. I can appreciate the design and power that gas snowblowers have. Very fascinating, although I fear we're going to forget these tuneup skills in about 50 years.
These tune up skills are already becoming a thing of the past if you ask me! No one likes to get their hands dirty anymore lol. Thanks for checking out my channel!
Have the same snowblower Powersmart has its own Shear pins, Dill them out to take a 1/4In MTD you can buy easily at the big box stores. Cheaper and find them everywhere. They are quick instal with just a cotter clip instead of nut and bolt
Don't know if it was mentioned...When storing your snow blower or any thing that has air tires. .I found lifting the blower off the ground to prevent tires from getting flat spots on them...nice video too!
When is good time to change oil? Just before you use for season or when you store it away in shed in the Spring? Will moisture get in the oil and ruin good oil when in storage? I always remove spark plug and shoot a dab of 30w oil down the hole and pull starter rope couple times when i store too..put plug back in loose until next season.. how about oil changes though ....
Brilliant - think of the cost of time/materials - and life of machine! I have an Ariens Delice 28 beast. 2012 I believe. Eats snow. Now to keep her humming beyond my usual full synthetic oil changes and waxing! Thank you for sharing!
Great review. Finally found someone who had the same unit as mine. One point - in the manual it says that you measure the oil without screwing the cap on - just supposed to set the dipstick in without screwing it in. Also I noticed that when you took off the left and right wheels, there was only a washer on the right wheel axle, just like mine. I had PowerSmart send me a washer for the left side wheel. I've been very impressed with PowerSmart's support team.
@@GarageGear Do you have a how to, install lights on these models? I was looking at other videos, and i am not an electrical guy. I can fix anything mechanical, but i hate electrical, and would really like to have a nice LED light, mounted to look like a professional install.
@@av8or971 hey Simon, at the moment I don’t have a video on upgraded lights for a snowblower. Your not the only one to ask me about it so I may have to get something together for it in the future! I’ll see what I can do and I’m glad you found the video helpful!
Good work JP! Now I am struggling to remove wheel off an old snow blower... I wish somebody watched your video 10 years ago! I love that you change the oil after 15 min: manufactures recommend to do it after first 5 hours, but hey, we may need the snow blower 2 hours a season and 15 min. is enough to scrape most of the metal shaving from new parts to the oil. I think you should use that White Lithium Grease on the metal spring instead of W-40 as it stays on metal much longer (W-40 vaporizes) and do not coat the painted surfaces of auger housing with W-40 it will damage the paint over time-use a Silicon Spray.
Hey Mic, thanks for watching! For that stuck wheel you could try heating up the driveshaft and then dumping cold water on it. That usually does it for me. Just be careful to not torch your tire lol!
To make it short, after crew bar prying, hitting with the sledge, pouring different penetrating fluids, heating with MAPP gas, taking off the tire and nipple, trying heavy chain with 20 tonn hydraulic jack.
I had to put tire back on, drilled tree holes in the rim, bought Harmonic balancer puller, bought longer bolts, had to buy another bolt and washer set, tighten the puller with ratchet, sprayed some liquid wrench.
I notice the big boy in your garage is an Ariens. I live in Syracuse NY. We average 120 inches of snow annually. A record year is about 180 inches of snow. In 1980 I paid $900.00 for a new Ariens 8HP 24 inch wide snow blower. I used that until 2004 when I traded it in for a 9HP 26inch deluxe Ariens, which is still my regular winter machine. This model will clear its own chute by pumping out the solid slush plug. That machine gets regular maintenance annually and repairs when needed. I expect to use it for many more years. Parts for Ariens machines, even ancient ones, are available. All manuals are online and RUclips is full of videos showing you how to do your own repairs if you wish. I would find this machine too light duty for a big storm in Syracuse, but if you get a lot less snow and have more time to clear it away, this unit could be a good alternative. If you have no local source for parts, I would stock belts, shear pins, and a carb rebuild kit, or replacement carburetor. Maybe buy a replacement set of bearings and bushings while they are available.
Snow has not been as severe the last 3 winters. My little single stage snow blowers were good enough except for the 100 ft of up hill driveway takes too much effort for this aging body. So I just ordered one these $399 Powermarts from Walmart. I'll get another $21 back in charge card rewards, I have two old better built snowblowers that can be restored. (gummed up carbs, broken electric start plug/button , collapsed fuel lines and a gas tank full of pinholes). Just let me get through one winter without having to fix something. For light snow ,5" to 1", we use 3 ft and a 4 ft wide push shovels to push it off, so we don't drive over it and pack it to ice. If it's thin enough, the sun can see the black asphalt and it will be clear and dry in a day or so. If the hill freezes bad enough we can't get out.
Using a good synthetic engine oil and on mine on housing for the 2 main auger bushings I drilled and tapped for grease fittings. Have a MTD 1028 still going strong bought in 1995.
Absolutely nailed it! The only thing I do differently is where you used Wd-40 I use Fluid film. And these comments of using Pam?!? Pfft! ONLY if that's the only thing you can find in your purse!! 😂 Have a great day!
Flint Layfield hey bud! I regularly use wd-40 but at the end of the season before I store it I’ll spray it down with fluid film. I like fluid film a lot but it’s double the cost but you do get double the quality/protection I found.
I will be buying one of these at Home depot Canada. My old old 16 yr old MTD keeps throwing the belt. Can't fir it myself but I lube all of those parts like you did . I will do all of the pre-start grease etc like you did. Also I only use 96 plus gas as I believe all of these 2 stroke engines Play Nice over time rather than PUMP gas.? For $3.00 more for 5 gallons it is well worth the expense. OH! I take half bites of snow 12-14 " I find the Load is better on these engines. Anyways If I get 15 Snowfalls per yr x 10 yrs it is a better Cost .Anyways Nice INFO
I just received mine Nov 3/23 Home Depot Canada. Power smart has packaged this unit for even better prep.! Did what you did (except) I did not grease the lower chute as they redesigned it.?? But I unscrewed the top cap where the gear is and used white lithium grease. It rotates smoothly etc.! Greased/Anti seized/ everything.! Oh! They Gave spare shear bolts and a spare BELT!! The drive with the connector (SPRING) is gone. The linkages are both the same with screw tension threaded bolt's. They also deleted the metal frame and just put metal L shaped corner blocks. When I started it this engine sounds strong for a 212 cc. All I need now is Snow!
I do this kind of stuff every day working at a small engine shop we only wish some people would grease and lube some of the points only think I would change is the tire pressure the tires might be able to take 24 psi bug you should really only have 10-15 psi in that size they put extra air in the tires during shipping to keep it from bouncing around
They test these motors after being built.....and then drain oil. I use to work for a company that built motors. We filled and tested, and drained evey motor built before packaging.
I have been using cheap vegetable spray for years, found out besides being cheap it is better for the environment. I use it on all my lawn equipment for stopping things from getting clogged up and helps lub, I use lubricant where it is needed but use the vegetable Spray for the other.
@@GarageGear I've also used it. Went to grocery store, comes in a spray can and you just spray it on. go with the cheapest one you can find as I doubt it that your snowblower will need virgin olive oil :-)
I've found that spray silicone is more effective (lasts longer) than WD-40. I give the auger and shoot a spray down before every use. 20 years later, still running along with my old Ariens ST824
Very well executed and informational video! Just purchased a lightly used 2018 model from a friend who is heading South. I will now go and apply the "tuning" tips that you provided. Thanks from Northern New Jersey.
@@GarageGear Quick "dumb-ish" question. I have all your recommended products but before I start working, I see that you have tipped the unit on its front to access the transmission to grease the drive shaft. Is it okay to tip it over like that? Maybe I have an irrational concern about the engine oil going where it shouldn't. Thanks
@@SELondonUSA if you make sure your oil fill spout it snugged down you should be fine with no leaks. If you are worried about it leaking, drain the oil, then tip it up. Other than that you should be fine. Have fun!
@@GarageGear Watch out for gas spilling out from the gas cap. Often a rubber glove between the cap and the neck of the tank will stop that. Or, just siphon out the tank before putting the unit up on the front. Use fresh ethanol free gasoline with fuel stabilizer.
Manufacturers today do bench break ins. No real need to break them in. BUT……certainly can’t hurt. BTW, just loosen the sprung screw and it’ll turn properly. BUT……I Did grease all the spots you did. Thanks.
@@GarageGear BTW, MINE DIDNT COME IN A METAL FRAME LIKE YOURS DID AND THE WHEELS WERE SEPERATE. Sorry, didn’t mean to yell. Lol Mine is the exact same model. Just got it.
A very fine PM (preventative maintenance video). Most of your viewers never knew these great tips. The only thing I would change is: Loose the WD-30. Its not a good lubricant. It’s a solvent. Use in its place Silicon spray, oil spray, Fogging oil, penetrating oil, etc. Great important tips you shared my friend! Especially lubricating the axel to eliminate rust.
Thanks for the tips! The clunky discharge chute is due to no backlash between the gears and also being off center.. If there is no other adjustment to separate the gears then bend the long metal shaft up slightly.
There is a tension adjustment under the driven gear that can be loosened or tightened as well. Might try loosening that a turn or two to ease chute movement
good tips, only thing I do that you didn't is to grease the auger shaft. I also like to spray the housing and chute but I use Fluid Film instead of WD40, lasts longer and is more like a wax coating.
Can you tell me what the 2 yellow plugs are for on either side of the engine base? What type of oil goes in? I could not find any info in the instruction manual. Used this blower for the first time after following these geat instructions for assembly and proper lubrication. When I went to check the oil it seemed high. I removed the tire to drain some oil and did not seat the axel properly. The spacer, tire, and cotter pin hols the axel assemply in. Make sure it is properly seated.
The two yellow plugs I believe are dipsticks. Not really something to be concerned about! These engines are used are pretty generic and used on many other applications! I use 5w-30 synthetic oil. Works well for most temp ranges. Thanks for watching!
Hey John usually because the traction wheel won’t really spin because it belted to the crankshaft. When the engine is on it spins nicely. Off and it won’t spin so easily! Thanks for watching!
That's a cute little blower and I'm sure would be just right for someone who has a little sidewalk or driveway in town. Most of those will just used and parked with little to no maintenance, (and probably get some poor reviews)
Good video alot of information to prepare your snowblower for long lasting. One correction: if you live in areas that is below freezing then NEVER USE WD40 to prep your under machine parts of your snow blower...that WD40 oil will congeal in extreme cold weather instead use "CLEAN MACHINE"which costs a little more but it is the right product to protect your snowblower and get the best performance.
Thanks for the video! I got this snow blower on a good deal from Walmart. Com.. used wifes discount.. didn't pay over $400 for this same model...I used your tips and she works like a dream! Lol Thanks again
I have found that motorcycle chain wax is by far the best product for rust prevention and lubrication on these things. Goes on as a thin liquid but sets up like a wax. And chain wax will not fling off of the rotating parts. Grease does prevent rust but it also makes one heck of a mess, especially over 10 or 20 years. Motorcycle chain wax can easily be cleaned off with chain cleaner before servicing and inspections.
First off, I bought my Troy Bilt model 2410 for $599 assembled with the engine already broken in full of oil at Home Depot 1 1/2 years ago! Second, it is fully made in America with Tecumseh of Wisconsin making the engines to Troy Bilt spec's! Third, it is one of the most reliable snow blower made comparing it the the top five brands. Fourth, parts are easy to get if something does break because it's made in America. Fifth, my neighbor here in Lake Tahoe has an older version of my snow blower going strong after 20 Sierra Nevada Mountain winters. And six , WD 40 is the worst lube to use as it eventually will evaporate and it is banded from all Ryder truck shops as it is crap! Silicone with Teflon spray is the bomb. The grease you used is great!
I do know how to bypass those types of keys. You just have to disconnect the wire it’s hooked up to and it will run. The only problem is that you can’t shut it off. You could try choking it out though and sometimes it works
You could do that, but it would require some re-wiring in order to work. The kill switches themselves aren’t hard to find, you just need to find one that is compatible
Love this video , I used all the tips but one . I was amazed at all the metal parts in the oil I changed . That would have not been good for the engine . Thank you !!!
Awesome Ben! No matter what brand of snowblower I always see a ton of metal I. The oil when I do a break in oil change! Always blows me away. Thanks for watching!
@Garage Gear -- JB i have a question about these Powersmart oil dipsticks at the top (not the side yellow one ...which would be a good video for you to explain the side one ...i bet that would get a lot of hits ) Just bought essentially that same Powersmart snowblower only a PSSHH26LED model --- and the diptick has a screw on it , and the stick rotates .....because the screw isnt turned all the way tight ......i actually noticed my friends Ariens classic st24e to be the same . But when i went to the big box store and looked at this model before i bought it --- the powersmart dipstick the screw wasnt all the way tight ...just like mine.........SHOULD I TIGHTEN IT , because that seems like it would change the oil level?
@@GarageGear So I just contacted powersmart with a video of the dipstick that came with my 212cc 26inch Powersmart PSSHH26LED snowblower 2024 model --- and they said the dipstick is normal to be " loose" in terms of the stick rotating, and that i could tighten up the phillips head screw if i want , but ultimately it doesnt change the slop in the engine oil dip stick as far as i can see ... super weird design.
WD40 is a water displacement fluid but it does not last. I use PB Blaster on the augers and spray the complete inside of the housing to prevent rust. Prior to use I spray a liberal coating of RainX spray inside the housing and the chute. Snow will not stick to any surface for a couple of hours and it can be cleaned easily.
I use a 1977 John Deere 832 to this day. I just maintain it with oil changes and I use motorcycle chain lube on the chains and some Belray waterproof grease on everything else. It's been in the family since new. It doesn't have sheer pins, it has a cast iron gear assembly and it will toss you side to side when you hit something immovable. 😂 We bought a battery-powered single-stage PowerSmart for the wife and the back patio. Works well, but it's a throwaway unit. I can still get parts for the Deere, I can't for the 3-year-old PowerSmart. 🙄 Is that a plastic or phenolic main gear? 😲
I had to call PowerSmart directly before and they were pretty helpful so if you need parts contact them. They can help you out. Not sure about the gear. I sold this unit to a friend and I’m unable to check!
everyone seems to be putting anti seize on their snow blower axles (this is the third vid ive seen use it there) but it seems to me that marine grease would be more appropriate... anti seize is for threaded fasteners rather than loose fits like those wheel-axle interfaces, plus the marine grease will stay put better in the wet environment.
Hey felder! I found either will work fine. I have used anti seize on a blower a few years ago and went back to check it recently and it still looked like I just did it. Where as the grease turns brown/black and looked thin in spots. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear so, I peeled off the wheels and it looked like they were installed with white lithium grease and I had no anti seize handy like I thought I did... So I ended up just adding more white lithium grease. Strangely, the inner axle on the right wheel was completely dry!
Great video! Had mine delivered yesterday and wish they had sent this along with the instructions that include very small sketches. Most of the steps are fairly intuitive, but this was super helpful for a couple that I couldn't quite figure out. Thanks.
Excellent!!! Glad you found this video very helpful! I have a few other videos here on my channel to check out with plenty more tips! Be sure to subscribe! Thanks for watching!
Great video! Most thorough hands down snow blower tutorial ever. Loved the pro tips, really helpful. Thanks JB.
Thanks for the positive feedback Zen! I appreciate it! Glad you found this video helpful!
@@GarageGeardid you end up loosening the spring tension on that chute to make it work better?
@@MichaelRei99 you could do that but I ended up selling that unit 3 years ago!
I have an Ariens snow blower built in 1960 that I have used for about 35 years. Its crazy, this thing is 60 years old and has never broke down. It always starts on the 1st or second pull, even after sitting a summer. It has an all gear drive, so no rubber wheel to fail and no safety latches to hold down which is really nice. The only thing I have replaced on it is the pull cord and a couple shear pins when I sucked the Christmas lights off a bush.
Wow! That’s awesome! You gotta send me a picture of this beast! My email is GarageGearjb@gmail.com! I’d love to see this thing! Thanks for sharing!
Christmas tree lights. 😂😂😂 You made my day. Lol
@@GraceEngineering Ever since then my wife will no longer put lights on the bushes, no trust.
We lived up in Gary Indiana as a kid and every year it would snow so much, on average dropping 18" over night. My dad would shovel the driveway several times during the day and even middle of the night. Until after years of this he decided to cave and bought the best snowblower he could find, spent $1000 on it.
It never snowed more than a couple inches the next 6 years we lived there.
I jokingly said to him hows it feel to spend that much money on it and never just to have it sit there doing nothing and never getting to use it.
Without missing a beat he said "are you kidding? Best $1000 I ever spent"
Hahaha! My dad is the same way! Must take years of shoveling I guess to understand how easy they have it now with a big snowblower! Thanks for sharing!
When I buy fresh gas, as soon as I get home, I put Stabil in the gas. That way, even if it sits in the snowblower for a couple months, it is still good. I also spray down all surfaces, auger, chute, impeller, etc. with automotive silicone spray - snow doesn't stick. Spray it a few times each season. I have a 45 year old 20" Toro single stage and a 21 year old Craftsman 26" two-stage, both still running strong. Good maintenance is critical. I'm in the northern Illinois area so get quite a lot of snow. I enjoyed the video. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing and for watching Ken! 👍
Hey J.B. I put grease on all the nuts and bolts on any bare metal. I put grease on the wheel shafts and the shaft inside the gear box too and even coat the gear with a light film. I oil my wheel bearings too there brass the new ones are plastic my snowblower is 26 years old and still looks and runs like new. I really like your videos they're nicely done and you cover everything. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Ken! Really cool that your snowblower is still going strong 26 years later. Sounds like you do a great job caring for it. Appreciate the positive feedback my friend! A lot of time goes into each video! Thanks for being a cool fan of the channel! 👍
Very informative moving from a temperate climate of no snow to one of getting several feet of snow. Using a snow shovel at my age wasn’t an option. They don’t sell Ariens near me. I didn’t want to buy from a box store. So my options were Toro or Cub cadet. I went with Toro since my lawnmower is a Toro and I had it since 1990. Anyway thanks for all the break In tips to keep it running for ever. Oil is cheap a blower isn’t. I changed my oil after break in and after three hours of use. Now change it in the spring.
You got it wild man. What kind of toro mower have you had since 1990? Thanks for sharing and watching!
@@GarageGear personal pace with a Briggs and Stratton 6 horse power. My wife talked me into buying a new one. Since my old one likes to smoke a bit. But if one does the simple things like you showed in the video any piece of equipment will last.
Using synthetic oil is a great idea but you need to break-in the motor first. Use regular oil until the engine has been broke-in. This gives the engine time to seat the rings and the rod bearings.
Synthetic oil is designed to stop the wear we actually want to happen during the engine break-in period.
Good tip here! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Ok I’ll be
Agreed. My small engine guy said just stick with conventional oil in small engines.
Great video. I have the same PowerSmart 24 In 2 Stage. I just broke-in the engine and it runs great. I'll do the hacks you mentioned in the video. Great stuff. I haven't had as much trouble with changing the direction of the chute. Yes, it clicks, but much smoother than what you're experiencing. It doesn't seem right. I'll be keeping your video as a favorite. Thanks.
Awesome wt! Thanks for watching!
I had a new state of the art blower and I sold it. I've still got my original craftsman thats pushing 20 years old. Runs like a top. Probably only changed the oil in it 2 or 3 times. Has Electric start, but I don't even need to use it. Starts first or second pull.
Replaced the tires with new ones. Replaced useless halogen with a 6inch LED light (capacitor mod to stop flickering) nearly zero rust on it surprisingly. I plan to add an electric actuator for chute angle control, I'll use it until the motor blows up.
Runs like a champ! Thanks for checking out my channel!
At the beginning of every Fall, I come back here to review what I need to do. Thanks!
Awesome Ben! Appreciate you bud! Thanks for watching as always bud!
I've had one of these Powersmarts for a few years.
1. Check the gear box by the auger blades. Mine only had a smear of grease in it when I got it. Fill it with gear oil to make it last longer.
2. Keep plenty of shear bolts on hand. (I swear mine starts throwing shear bolts when I look at a stick while using it)
3. Keep a couple of replacement valve stems on hand for the tires. Those stems are cheapo and will crack and leak within the first couple years.
4. DON'T overfill the oil. Get it exactly as shown in this video. If you overfill these engines, even a little, you'll have nothing but headaches trying to run it.
5. Make sure you know how to adjust OHV valves. It's not hard. These engines are very temperamental about valves. If your valves go out of whack a bit the engine wont start. Mine felt like it had no compression at all. (I only had to adjust mine once during the first season. Been okay since then)
6. I found some of the gaskets to be sub par, they wear out. Like the gaskets on the float bowl ring and retaining bolt. They were cheap plastic that crushed easily and didn't sit quite right when you go to put the float bowl back on. (They might have changed that I dunno)
7. Great suggestion using lithium grease on those auger blades. It might sound like a pain the butt, but if you bought a Powersmart you bought cheapo, you should disassemble the auger blades, take them apart and grease the hell out of it if you want one of these units to last. They use cheapo plastic spacers in between the auger blades that need every bit of help you can give them.
(I made a rubber nipple that goes onto the shear bolt hole so I can pump grease into it while putting my finger on the opposite side. Works with any machine actually)
7B. Learn exactly how the auger blades look/align with each other, because they can bend from time to time. If they do bend they'll start grinding on the housing, you'll hear it when it happens. Learn to bend them back.
7C. Pack the bearings at each end of the auger blades well.
8. If you're not using non ethanol gas, use stabilizer. At the end of the season run it out of gas, empty the float bowl. These engines are prone to rust. corrosion and buildup if you leave fuel in them in the off season. The fuel tank seems to do okay, but the carb is temperamental if you leave fuel in them. Just like any engine.
These Amerisun/Powersmart engines are designed with cast iron piston sleeves. It's a cost saving process for manufacturing, but it also makes for a long lasting engine as long as they don't overheat. So be careful about running these engines in warm temperatures in the off season. The break in period is VERY important, don't skip it. What you're doing is grinding the cast iron piston sleeve and piston ring to fit each other. You don't want to overwork the machine during that break in period. He did it right here. Only thing I'd add is that I use a rare earth magnet down at the base of the engine by the drain during the break in period. I do that on all new machines. That way all the metal flakes get pulled down into the drain. Remove the magnet just before draining and the metal comes out during the first change. I just use some rare earth magnets I got from an old computer hard drive.
Thanks for sharing this! 👍
Never heard of this brand but impressed on the packaging. Thanks for all the good tips.
They’ve been around for a few years now! You got it! 👍 thanks for watching Larry!
Hey, nice Jeep. Think we have the same one. I broke in for 5 minutes (mobile 1 full synth) then 30 minutes: same. Next 5 hours of regular usage. Husqvarna ST224, 212cc. I doused my axels/cables/friction disk axel (not the disk or components but the 'axel' it slides across gear to gear) in anti-seize and Lucas low temperature grease. Next, fluid film behind the wheels, on the wheels, pretty much everywhere but the in the auger/impeller deck. There I used automotive acrylic. Writing this at 25:00 so not sure what all you've done. Really here to see about lubricating the auger/impeller. Thumbs up.
EDIT: Well I wouldn't use WD-40 on the cables. But if it works, hey. I used graphite and low temp lithium grease where you used the 40. And for the auger, I used low temp white grease again. Regular lithium grease can gel up when it gets cold. (Old motorcycle tricks)
Ultimately great tutorial. We just do things a little different. Thanks.
Hey mark! Thanks for sharing! Check out this weeks video on lubricating the augers! 👍👍
Very good video! My Powersmart has been in use for two winters now and its a great machine. I too had a problem with the gear box for the for changing the chute direction. Why the manufacturer did not address the is a mystery. My machine is a different model (7124) and the gear assembly is a sprocket (not teeth) that is controlled by a worm. It had lots of friction at the gear and the seat for the chute. I solved the problem by adding a plastic washer between the mount and the assembly arm. This raised the chute slightly taking the full weight off of the seat. I lubed the worm, and chute seat and the problem was solved.
It's also a good idea to check all bolts and nuts after first use and at the start of each season, more often if the use is heavy.
Thank you for the positive feedback Chuck! I appreciate it! Also, thanks for sharing your chute tips. It seems it’s just a poor design. Thanks for watching! 👍
Do appreciate ALL the helpful tips. I feel like I actually learned something today. Thank you.
Awesome my friend! Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you!
First off, I bought my Troy Bilt model 2410 for $599 assembled with the engine already broken in full of oil at Home Depot 1 1/2 years ago! Second, it is fully made in America with Tecumseh of Wisconsin making the engines to Troy Bilt spec's! Third, it is one of the most reliable snow blower made comparing it the the top five brands. Fourth, parts are easy to get if something does break because it's made in America. Fifth, my neighbor here in Lake Tahoe has an older version of my snow blower going strong after 20 Sierra Nevada Mountain winters. And six , WD 40 is the worst lube to use as it eventually will evaporate and it is banded from all Ryder truck shops as it is crap! Silicone with Teflon spray is the bomb. The grease you used is great!
Thanks for watching Bruce! Sounds like you take good care of your equipment! Older equipment was definitely made better everything nowadays is a “throw away”!
@@GarageGear I'm a retired Ryder Mechanic and I have a Degree in Mechanical Engineering power train that I only worked at for a year at Mercury outboards/stern drives. I found out I liked diagnosing and repairing engines/trucks/refrigeration systems than the boring job of testing-testing-testing that engineering really is. My comment about WD 40 is true that it was a God send during WWII when it was developed, but now it is living off it's past and it can't compete with lube sprays silicone spray with Teflon is what most shops use today.
@@brucesteger2699 good to know! Thanks for sharing!
Nice video. This Powersmart snowblower for $400 is a good deal but you get what you pay for. This unit satisfy's a certain price point, it's not really offering the consumer quality or reliability at least not in the long term. We have the same thing for sale here in Ontario Canada and we sometimes do get pretty heavy snowfalls too. This unit will be ok for a few yrs but I don't think it'll last, as usual it'll let you down when you've had the heaviest snowfall. I would pay the extra money and get a proven brand like Ariens, Toro, Troy-Bilt etc. You can get away with a cheap lawn mower, who cares if you haven't cut your lawn in a few days but with a snowblower you'll want something that won't let you down when you need to clear your driveway after a bad storm and after the plow comes by and fills in your driveway. Better to spend a little more in my opinion.
Agreed! Better to spend a little more and get something better!
Bought a couple of those form-a-funnels thanks to this video and your links! These will definitely come in handy!
Thanks for supporting my channel Matthew! I greatly appreciate it! I use those form a funnels for so many jobs in the garage it’s crazy! 1 tool 1,000,000 uses! Thanks for being a cool fan!
Strong believer in every product you use in this video Northeast Ohio winters can suck here
Hi Lou! Thanks for your positive feedback!
Thanks for confirming my decision for purchasing the PowerSmart snow machine. Prior to adding the rubber pieces slushy snow clogged the chute. Afterwards, never once had a problem. I bought a "Blacktop sealer squeegee" from Lowes ~$10.00 See below. I drilled out the rivets for the rubber "flaps", and cut the metal part the same length as the flaps and placed them across the top of the flaps for extra holding, and of course bolted them in. When things warm up a bit I'll be greasing and spraying the parts I didn't do, that you suggested. Other hints:
Using a paint pen I wrote the oil amount (20 oz) next to the dip stick. I shoved a block of wood in the impeller area to hold the impeller from moving during drilling (and prevent drilling thru my fingers - once in my life was enough!). Finally, although difficult to explain, I cut pieces of left over vinyl fence post to put over the metal casters (curling up the ends). It made running the machine over rough surfaces a lot easier and doesn't leave scrap marks. Depending on the amount of snow falls it lasts about 2 - 3 seasons. I added snow chains for extra traction, they helped on upward inclines.
You got a GREAT deal on the snow blower!!! Love your site.
Loews squeegee info (I have no financial or other interests in Lowes) www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-1-67-in-Asphalt-Squeegee/4776237?cm_mmc=shp-cprdbdmgooglelia-103-drivewaysealers-4776237-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQiApsiBBhCKARIsAN8o_4guUizsgPiZQM3NE_eWwgtuezEXkrfvoGJLUPBYzojjZCbDNA4ASVwaAtkrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Thanks again Billy! These are some good tips and tricks here! The PowerSmart snowblower is a decent machine!!! It’s a great value! I like your skid idea as well! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for this video!!! First time owning a snowblower and had no idea about how to do with this thing. After your video, we feel much more confident!! Thank you!!
Glad you are more confident with your snowblower thanks to this video! I’ll have more like it coming down the road! Stay tuned!
Having a gravel driveway I think I'll set the back up on a 1" board, then, instead of using the metal skid shoes I'll take a 1x4 and rip it down on the table saw to a 1x2.5 and crosscut it to make 2 of them about 6 inches long. Then I'll either scrollsaw or bandsaw the front of the boards into a curve and line up the boards with the holes on the frame of the machine for the skid shoe bolts, drill the holes out and then put in slightly longer carriage bolts with fender washers and lock washers and nuts. Remove the 1" board from the back (where your pencils are) and hopefully have some shoes that will glide more easily over the gravel and not throw gravel into the yard. I did buy that Ariens like your old one. Have to replace the tires as they're shot but found the tractor style tread tires and wheels on Amazon for $76.95, so with the new Predator engine and belts I'm figuring about $350 altogether. :) Of course, when I get the wheels off I'll remove the bottom cover and lubricate everything, etc.
Thanks for sharing this rebel! You’re on a mission now!
When you put the blower on auger frame to put anti seize on would've the gas and oil mix or oil get in air filter like on lawnmower
Nope no mixing! Best to do this with little gas in the tank though because some models may leak out the cap👍
Great vid. I bought a can of WD-40 Big Blast last year dedicated for the snow blower. It's nice to quickly apply a wide, even coating to the augers, impeller, housing, chute etc.
Works great! 👍
Thanks JB, just got one of these units from my kids for Christmas. Thanks especially for the pro tips. Very helpful!
Very cool Jeff! I’m finding that this snowblower is gaining popularity! Glad you found this video helpful and thanks for checking out the channel! 👍
Very thorough as usual. As a current owner of an older powersmart snowblower (Model # DB7651-24) I have found the following : handles for movement and auger vibrates a lot. Use electrical tape on main handles to insulate where they touch. Paint on my bucket fell off due to rust after 2nd year (clean, use rust paint). Scraper bar rusts like crazy. Its a very good workhorse (nicknamed it the Beast) but realize its cheap for a reason :-). BTW Amerisum Customer service is reasonably good !!!!
Hey William, I will make note of this. I raised the scraper bar up a quarter of an inch to avoid so much ground friction. I have contacted their customer service department and they are very helpful! Thanks for the comment. You ROCK!
JB, thank you for this video. I had been looking for a snowblower for this year's winter and had seen this model on Home DePot's website. When researching this make and model I found your video. I watched it 2 times and decided to make the purchase. Setting it up was such a breeze because of how thorough your instructions were. Great job, I'm all set up for this Winter. Brian
That’s Awesome Brian! Glad you found this video helpful! That machine should hold up for a very long time! I’m excited for you to give it a shot when the flakes start to fly! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
@@GarageGear is it now $699 for the same model now?
@@wingerrrrrrrrr thanks for sharing! I heard the price went up. Yikes glad I got mine when I did!
When you checked oil and anything you do not screw the dipstick down. You just stick it straight down in there
If I recall correctly the manual called for checking the oil level that way with this model. Stick it in and pull it out without twisting it down.
All in all a great video and very valuable info. I usually just run my machine for a month and change the oil on a new machine. This all depends on how much I use it. I generally run it a couple hours or so at first then change the oil. After that I just change it once a season when I put it away. Also, you don't want your tires quite so full. My snow removal buddy told me to only put about 4-6 psi in the tires. It grips a lot better and I have way better traction. As far as coating your auger housing I recommend using a ceramic coating. It lasts A LOT longer. Maguires makes a great spray on ceramic coating.
Great tips here Zach! I’ll check out the McGuiars spray coating! Thanks for watching!
Laurent Caron
you forgot to grease the driving gear and put lubricant in the auger box.For the shaft of transmission i personnaly lubricate it with white grease ,it is better against cold weather .Excuse me for english language im from Quebec and I don't speak English often but you do a great job.🙂
Thanks for the tips Laurent! Thanks for watching!
Believe it or not I went to put anti-seize on my new craftsman 28" snow blower axles after seeing this tip and the factory had already done it! I was surprised....Thanks for the tips.
Wow can’t believe they did that! Thanks for watching Lou!
It's the most useful video I have seen about the snowblower. Thank you!
Glad you found this video useful! Thanks for watching Michael!
A very informative and practical video. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide. The comments provided by others was also helpful.
Thanks for the positive feedback Bob! Appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much. I watch about 10 tutorials before I found yours Grrr lol I was very confused, Took me 2 days of 4 hours each, one to unbox. lol Found yours right before I was starting on the last day, but so glad I did because if it weren't for you it would still be sitting unused. You were the only one who I could see hook the two cables up. Also, I had to use the WD40 to get the tiny screw on the auger cable to work or I would not have been able to attach the center ends together. Big THANK YOU🤩👍🏼..
Really appreciate your tips So I hope to not burn any more up lol. This is my third one in 12 years. 😫
Hey Mae, glad you found these tips helpful! Awesome job on yours! If you have any more questions feel free to reach out! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Try FluidFilm on the lubrication areas. It will last much longer than WD-40 and it will help rustproof too. It's amazing stuff.
Fluid film does work well! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I would also antiseize the shear bolts. tedious job but it 's worth the trouble. Take each one out and put antiseize on them so when they do break its easier to get out of the shaft and are not fused in place by rust
Great idea! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Awesome unboxing Video with Install instructions + Maintenance TIPS "all" in ONE video.
I bought this same brand 24" 2 stage Snow blower 2 years ago (wish this video was published then ;)
After seeing your Video, just went through those Maintenance Tips. Much Appreciated.
Awesome my friend! Cool thing is most of these tips are good most other snowblowers too! 👍
Thank you for the information. I have a question and a suggestion. Where did you get your mat with the siderails for your garage? and I no longer pull the drain plug from any of my engines, including my Tacoma. I bought a marine oil pump and suck all the oil out of the dipstick hole. I just run the implement for a few minutes to warm it up, tip it so that side is low and slide the drain tube down the dipstick hole. Pump it a few times and it sucks all the oil out of the engine. No mess whatsoever! I love it!
Hey NH here is a link to a similar containment mat. Mine was custom made. amzn.to/470jj1A
Thank you!
@@GarageGear
I came here after watching a bunch of videos on electric snowblowers. I can appreciate the design and power that gas snowblowers have. Very fascinating, although I fear we're going to forget these tuneup skills in about 50 years.
These tune up skills are already becoming a thing of the past if you ask me! No one likes to get their hands dirty anymore lol. Thanks for checking out my channel!
50yrs? Try 10yrs!
Thanks JB. Exactly the tips and tricks I was hoping to find.
Awesome Gordon! Came to the right spot. Thanks for watching!
Excellent video. One thing that I would like to mention. Cardboard that has been contaminated with oil, is NOT recyclable. Cheers from Canada.
Appreciate it! Thanks for the tip! Thanks for watching!
God help us when this is actually a concern worth making a comment.
Have the same snowblower Powersmart has its own Shear pins, Dill them out to take a 1/4In MTD you can buy easily at the big box stores. Cheaper and find them everywhere. They are quick instal with just a cotter clip instead of nut and bolt
Good tip! Thanks for watching Paul!!!
Don't know if it was mentioned...When storing your snow blower or any thing that has air tires. .I found lifting the blower off the ground to prevent tires from getting flat spots on them...nice video too!
That’s a great tip 👍 never thought of that! I will definitely give this a shot! Thanks for sharing and for checking out my channel!
When is good time to change oil? Just before you use for season or when you store it away in shed in the Spring? Will moisture get in the oil and ruin good oil when in storage? I always remove spark plug and shoot a dab of 30w oil down the hole and pull starter rope couple times when i store too..put plug back in loose until next season.. how about oil changes though ....
Brilliant - think of the cost of time/materials - and life of machine! I have an Ariens Delice 28 beast. 2012 I believe. Eats snow. Now to keep her humming beyond my usual full synthetic oil changes and waxing! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the positive feedback Richard! I appreciate it!
Great video! At the 17:28 mark of the video, what is that clamp that you are using to hold down the auger handle? Thanks!
Hey Jim! It’s called a strap wrench! Here is a link to a set! Thanks for watching! amzn.to/3tKTCkI
$399 on sale? OMG. Great vid Sir. You covered every single thing.
Thanks for watching Frank!
great refresh course . nice jb.thank u
You got it edgardo! Thanks for watching!
Awesome tips Dude... I just bought a new one today. I'll definitely lube it just like that. Thanks
ROCK ON my friend! 👍
What a super helpful, easy to follow video! This same machine is due to be delivered to my home this week. I'll employ all the helpful tips! Thanks!!
Awesome Sara! I’m excited for your purchase! I’m glad you found this video helpful! Enjoy moving snow with ease this winter! Thanks for watching! 👍
Great review. Finally found someone who had the same unit as mine. One point - in the manual it says that you measure the oil without screwing the cap on - just supposed to set the dipstick in without screwing it in. Also I noticed that when you took off the left and right wheels, there was only a washer on the right wheel axle, just like mine. I had PowerSmart send me a washer for the left side wheel. I've been very impressed with PowerSmart's support team.
Hey Thomas, thanks for the tips! Enjoy your new snowblower and yes they do have a great support team! Thanks for watching!
Try "pam " cooking spray in the Housing and shute. It works
That’s another good option! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I have tried this and it works. Thanks for Sharing.
Cooking spray works great.
@@kevinmiller4486 yes it does!
JB ...Very cool.Thanks
You got it my friend! Thanks for watching cliff!
the nut with the spring directly under the shoot pivot is where you adjust tension on the rotation.
Thanks for sharing this tip! Thanks for checking out my channel too!
@@GarageGear i used your tips today, on my brand new Powersmart PSSHD24. thank you for sharing all your steps! Now, i just need lots and lots of snow.
@@GarageGear Do you have a how to, install lights on these models? I was looking at other videos, and i am not an electrical guy. I can fix anything mechanical, but i hate electrical, and would really like to have a nice LED light, mounted to look like a professional install.
@@av8or971 hey Simon, at the moment I don’t have a video on upgraded lights for a snowblower. Your not the only one to ask me about it so I may have to get something together for it in the future! I’ll see what I can do and I’m glad you found the video helpful!
Good work JP! Now I am struggling to remove wheel off an old snow blower... I wish somebody watched your video 10 years ago! I love that you change the oil after 15 min: manufactures recommend to do it after first 5 hours, but hey, we may need the snow blower 2 hours a season and 15 min. is enough to scrape most of the metal shaving from new parts to the oil. I think you should use that White Lithium Grease on the metal spring instead of W-40 as it stays on metal much longer (W-40 vaporizes) and do not coat the painted surfaces of auger housing with W-40 it will damage the paint over time-use a Silicon Spray.
Hey Mic, thanks for watching! For that stuck wheel you could try heating up the driveshaft and then dumping cold water on it. That usually does it for me. Just be careful to not torch your tire lol!
@@GarageGear I've just wrote you a long letter and I think I hit CANCEL by accident.
To make it short, after crew bar prying, hitting with the sledge, pouring different penetrating fluids, heating with MAPP gas, taking off the tire and nipple, trying heavy chain with 20 tonn hydraulic jack.
I had to put tire back on, drilled tree holes in the rim, bought Harmonic balancer puller, bought longer bolts, had to buy another bolt and washer set, tighten the puller with ratchet, sprayed some liquid wrench.
@@GarageGear Tried to tighten the puller with braker bar-the wheel started to slip through the block...
I notice the big boy in your garage is an Ariens. I live in Syracuse NY. We average 120 inches of snow annually. A record year is about 180 inches of snow. In 1980 I paid $900.00 for a new Ariens 8HP 24 inch wide snow blower. I used that until 2004 when I traded it in for a 9HP 26inch deluxe Ariens, which is still my regular winter machine. This model will clear its own chute by pumping out the solid slush plug. That machine gets regular maintenance annually and repairs when needed. I expect to use it for many more years. Parts for Ariens machines, even ancient ones, are available. All manuals are online and RUclips is full of videos showing you how to do your own repairs if you wish.
I would find this machine too light duty for a big storm in Syracuse, but if you get a lot less snow and have more time to clear it away, this unit could be a good alternative. If you have no local source for parts, I would stock belts, shear pins, and a carb rebuild kit, or replacement carburetor. Maybe buy a replacement set of bearings and bushings while they are available.
Good tips here! Thanks for watching!
Snow has not been as severe the last 3 winters. My little single stage snow blowers were good enough except for the 100 ft of up hill driveway takes too much effort for this aging body. So I just ordered one these $399 Powermarts from Walmart. I'll get another $21 back in charge card rewards, I have two old better built snowblowers that can be restored. (gummed up carbs, broken electric start plug/button , collapsed fuel lines and a gas tank full of pinholes). Just let me get through one winter without having to fix something. For light snow ,5" to 1", we use 3 ft and a 4 ft wide push shovels to push it off, so we don't drive over it and pack it to ice. If it's thin enough, the sun can see the black asphalt and it will be clear and dry in a day or so. If the hill freezes bad enough we can't get out.
@@johnd9279 thanks for sharing john
Pencils to set the scraper height a good idea, I usually use 2 shims this way you can position them to set height at any level.
Yep that works too! Someone taught me a long time ago with two pencils! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I used paint mix sticks to set blade height!
@@demetriosa7646 another good idea! 👍
Using a good synthetic engine oil and on mine on housing for the 2 main auger bushings I drilled and tapped for grease fittings. Have a MTD 1028 still going strong bought in 1995.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing and for checking out my channel!
Absolutely nailed it! The only thing I do differently is where you used Wd-40 I use Fluid film. And these comments of using Pam?!? Pfft! ONLY if that's the only thing you can find in your purse!! 😂 Have a great day!
Flint Layfield hey bud! I regularly use wd-40 but at the end of the season before I store it I’ll spray it down with fluid film. I like fluid film a lot but it’s double the cost but you do get double the quality/protection I found.
Haha I wipe mine down with vegetable oil every year,it's ten years old and there's absolutely no rust on it.
Yoy couls spray doqn a mix of diesel fuel and wd40 like we do one our farm for rust proofing
I use silicon spray.
I will be buying one of these at Home depot Canada. My old old 16 yr old MTD keeps throwing the belt. Can't fir it myself but I lube all of those parts like you did . I will do all of the pre-start grease etc like you did. Also I only use 96 plus gas as I believe all of these 2 stroke engines Play Nice over time rather than PUMP gas.? For $3.00 more for 5 gallons it is well worth the expense. OH! I take half bites of snow 12-14 " I find the Load is better on these engines. Anyways If I get 15 Snowfalls per yr x 10 yrs it is a better Cost .Anyways Nice INFO
Thanks for sharing and watching KP!
I just received mine Nov 3/23 Home Depot Canada. Power smart has packaged this unit for even better prep.! Did what you did (except) I did not grease the lower chute as they redesigned it.?? But I unscrewed the top cap where the gear is and used white lithium grease. It rotates smoothly etc.! Greased/Anti seized/ everything.! Oh! They Gave spare shear bolts and a spare BELT!! The drive with the connector (SPRING) is gone. The linkages are both the same with screw tension threaded bolt's.
They also deleted the metal frame and just put metal L shaped corner blocks. When I started it this engine sounds strong for a 212 cc. All I need now is Snow!
I do this kind of stuff every day working at a small engine shop we only wish some people would grease and lube some of the points only think I would change is the tire pressure the tires might be able to take 24 psi bug you should really only have 10-15 psi in that size they put extra air in the tires during shipping to keep it from bouncing around
Great tip! Thanks for checking out my channel!
They test these motors after being built.....and then drain oil. I use to work for a company that built motors. We filled and tested, and drained evey motor built before packaging.
Good to know thank you for sharing Jessica!
I have been using cheap vegetable spray for years, found out besides being cheap it is better for the environment.
I use it on all my lawn equipment for stopping things from getting clogged up and helps lub, I use lubricant where it is needed but use the vegetable Spray for the other.
Great tip! Do you get it in a spray can? Or do you coat it on with a brush of some kind?
@@GarageGear I've also used it. Went to grocery store, comes in a spray can and you just spray it on. go with the cheapest one you can find as I doubt it that your snowblower will need virgin olive oil :-)
@@willfreiwah3773 I will be giving this a shot as well. Thank you!
I've found that spray silicone is more effective (lasts longer) than WD-40. I give the auger and shoot a spray down before every use. 20 years later, still running along with my old Ariens ST824
What brand of spray do you use?
@@GarageGear CRC Heavy Silicone via Amazon for $3/can
@@MrMattDat awesome bud! Thanks I’m going to check this out!
Very well executed and informational video! Just purchased a lightly used 2018 model from a friend who is heading South. I will now go and apply the "tuning" tips that you provided. Thanks from Northern New Jersey.
Thanks a lot SEL! Glad you found this video helpful! Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear Quick "dumb-ish" question. I have all your recommended products but before I start working, I see that you have tipped the unit on its front to access the transmission to grease the drive shaft. Is it okay to tip it over like that? Maybe I have an irrational concern about the engine oil going where it shouldn't.
Thanks
@@SELondonUSA if you make sure your oil fill spout it snugged down you should be fine with no leaks. If you are worried about it leaking, drain the oil, then tip it up. Other than that you should be fine. Have fun!
@@GarageGear Watch out for gas spilling out from the gas cap. Often a rubber glove between the cap and the neck of the tank will stop that. Or, just siphon out the tank before putting the unit up on the front. Use fresh ethanol free gasoline with fuel stabilizer.
@@walterbordett2023 good tips here bud! Thanks a lot!
Picked that up on clearance at home Depot yesterday for 150. Great machine
That’s awesome! What a deal! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Manufacturers today do bench break ins. No real need to break them in. BUT……certainly can’t hurt. BTW, just loosen the sprung screw and it’ll turn properly. BUT……I Did grease all the spots you did. Thanks.
Thanks for the tips and for checking out my channel!
@@GarageGear BTW, MINE DIDNT COME IN A METAL FRAME LIKE YOURS DID AND THE WHEELS WERE SEPERATE. Sorry, didn’t mean to yell. Lol Mine is the exact same model. Just got it.
@@joenissan I’ve heard about them shipping in several different methods. I guess it depends on where they are shipped from.
A very fine PM (preventative maintenance video). Most of your viewers never knew these great tips. The only thing I would change is: Loose the WD-30. Its not a good lubricant.
It’s a solvent. Use in its place Silicon spray, oil spray, Fogging oil, penetrating oil, etc.
Great important tips you shared my friend! Especially lubricating the axel to eliminate rust.
Thanks a lot AL! Good tips here bud! Thanks for watching!
For the oil drain . One elbow, straight pipe, going to the rear than a plug. Much easy to change the oil .
Hey Fixer, been looking for an elbow but can’t seem to find one. I did find a drain hose though. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the tips! The clunky discharge chute is due to no backlash between the gears and also being off center.. If there is no other adjustment to separate the gears then bend the long metal shaft up slightly.
Good thinking D Tom! Thanks for watching!
There is a tension adjustment under the driven gear that can be loosened or tightened as well. Might try loosening that a turn or two to ease chute movement
good tips, only thing I do that you didn't is to grease the auger shaft. I also like to spray the housing and chute but I use Fluid Film instead of WD40, lasts longer and is more like a wax coating.
Good tips here! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Can you tell me what the 2 yellow plugs are for on either side of the engine base? What type of oil goes in? I could not find any info in the instruction manual.
Used this blower for the first time after following these geat instructions for assembly and proper lubrication. When I went to check the oil it seemed high. I removed the tire to drain some oil and did not seat the axel properly. The spacer, tire, and cotter pin hols the axel assemply in. Make sure it is properly seated.
The two yellow plugs I believe are dipsticks. Not really something to be concerned about! These engines are used are pretty generic and used on many other applications! I use 5w-30 synthetic oil. Works well for most temp ranges. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. Any chance you might know why the wheels don’t engage whole the engine is off? No problems when the engine is on
Hey John usually because the traction wheel won’t really spin because it belted to the crankshaft. When the engine is on it spins nicely. Off and it won’t spin so easily! Thanks for watching!
Better than the official videos, thank you.
Glad you found this video helpful CM! Thanks for watching!
That's a cute little blower and I'm sure would be just right for someone who has a little sidewalk or driveway in town. Most of those will just used and parked with little to no maintenance, (and probably get some poor reviews)
Thanks for watching painter!
Good video alot of information to prepare your snowblower for long lasting. One correction: if you live in areas that is below freezing then NEVER USE WD40 to prep your under machine parts of your snow blower...that WD40 oil will congeal in extreme cold weather instead use "CLEAN MACHINE"which costs a little more but it is the right product to protect your snowblower and get the best performance.
thanks for sharing Brenda!
@brendaircedavis3821 I never heard of CLEAN MACHINE, can find on Amazon??
Thanks for the video! I got this snow blower on a good deal from Walmart. Com.. used wifes discount.. didn't pay over $400 for this same model...I used your tips and she works like a dream! Lol Thanks again
Looks like you found an awesome deal! Glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Pleasant surprise to see a friction wheel drive instead of one of those black plastic sealed transmissions.
Yeah I was surprised too! I’ve found those black plastic ones to be junk! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I have found that motorcycle chain wax is by far the best product for rust prevention and lubrication on these things. Goes on as a thin liquid but sets up like a wax. And chain wax will not fling off of the rotating parts.
Grease does prevent rust but it also makes one heck of a mess, especially over 10 or 20 years. Motorcycle chain wax can easily be cleaned off with chain cleaner before servicing and inspections.
Thanks for sharing this tip Dat Sun! I will look into this! 👍
this was actually a very good instruction to follow when I get my new snowblower
Kjell-Richard Løvdal glad you found this helpful! I tried to cover as much as possible.
First off, I bought my Troy Bilt model 2410 for $599 assembled with the engine already broken in full of oil at Home Depot 1 1/2 years ago! Second, it is fully made in America with Tecumseh of Wisconsin making the engines to Troy Bilt spec's! Third, it is one of the most reliable snow blower made comparing it the the top five brands. Fourth, parts are easy to get if something does break because it's made in America. Fifth, my neighbor here in Lake Tahoe has an older version of my snow blower going strong after 20 Sierra Nevada Mountain winters. And six , WD 40 is the worst lube to use as it eventually will evaporate and it is banded from all Ryder truck shops as it is crap! Silicone with Teflon spray is the bomb. The grease you used is great!
Awesome video man! Your a smart guy it's all about preventive maintenance. You just helped me out alot!
Hey RM, glad you found this video helpful! Appreciate the positive feedback! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
I do know how to bypass those types of keys. You just have to disconnect the wire it’s hooked up to and it will run. The only problem is that you can’t shut it off. You could try choking it out though and sometimes it works
Could you try replacing the key with a switch perhaps? Let me know what you think! Thanks BCSERK!
You could do that, but it would require some re-wiring in order to work. The kill switches themselves aren’t hard to find, you just need to find one that is compatible
You can also use a hose that attaches onto the oil outlet and guide the hose to the right location to drain the oil
Yep good tip. Got one of those on my edger and it works well. Thanks for sharing Chuck! 👍
Love this video , I used all the tips but one . I was amazed at all the metal parts in the oil I changed . That would have not been good for the engine . Thank you !!!
Awesome Ben! No matter what brand of snowblower I always see a ton of metal I. The oil when I do a break in oil change! Always blows me away. Thanks for watching!
Thanks alot JB, just got my Powersmart i’ll lube it up tomorrow! Awesome video! 5 stars !
Thanks a lot RD! Let me know how it throws for you! 👍
@Garage Gear -- JB i have a question about these Powersmart oil dipsticks at the top (not the side yellow one ...which would be a good video for you to explain the side one ...i bet that would get a lot of hits )
Just bought essentially that same Powersmart snowblower only a PSSHH26LED model --- and the diptick has a screw on it , and the stick rotates .....because the screw isnt turned all the way tight ......i actually noticed my friends Ariens classic st24e to be the same .
But when i went to the big box store and looked at this model before i bought it --- the powersmart dipstick the screw wasnt all the way tight ...just like mine.........SHOULD I TIGHTEN IT , because that seems like it would change the oil level?
@@lightningsmokerXx I would tighten it up. Don’t want that coming loose inside your engine 👍
@@GarageGear So I just contacted powersmart with a video of the dipstick that came with my 212cc 26inch Powersmart PSSHH26LED snowblower 2024 model --- and they said the dipstick is normal to be " loose" in terms of the stick rotating, and that i could tighten up the phillips head screw if i want , but ultimately it doesnt change the slop in the engine oil dip stick as far as i can see ... super weird design.
WD40 is a water displacement fluid but it does not last. I use PB Blaster on the augers and spray the complete inside of the housing to prevent rust. Prior to use I spray a liberal coating of RainX spray inside the housing and the chute. Snow will not stick to any surface for a couple of hours and it can be cleaned easily.
Good tips here! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I use a 1977 John Deere 832 to this day. I just maintain it with oil changes and I use motorcycle chain lube on the chains and some Belray waterproof grease on everything else. It's been in the family since new. It doesn't have sheer pins, it has a cast iron gear assembly and it will toss you side to side when you hit something immovable. 😂 We bought a battery-powered single-stage PowerSmart for the wife and the back patio. Works well, but it's a throwaway unit. I can still get parts for the Deere, I can't for the 3-year-old PowerSmart. 🙄 Is that a plastic or phenolic main gear? 😲
I had to call PowerSmart directly before and they were pretty helpful so if you need parts contact them. They can help you out. Not sure about the gear. I sold this unit to a friend and I’m unable to check!
I like dripping some 90 WT Gear Oil on the Hex Shaft, and Axle Bearings .
Great idea! Thanks for sharing paule!
Would it pull a sulky ?
Probably yeah! Thanks for watching another my friend!
@@GarageGear be a cool video for u not a whole lot of them on RUclips.
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors I’ll consider it for next season!
Great tips sir!
Thanks D for watching!
everyone seems to be putting anti seize on their snow blower axles (this is the third vid ive seen use it there) but it seems to me that marine grease would be more appropriate... anti seize is for threaded fasteners rather than loose fits like those wheel-axle interfaces, plus the marine grease will stay put better in the wet environment.
Hey felder! I found either will work fine. I have used anti seize on a blower a few years ago and went back to check it recently and it still looked like I just did it. Where as the grease turns brown/black and looked thin in spots. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear oh very interesting! I'll try anti seize on one side and grease on the other in mine this year 😁
@@felderosa awesome! Please keep me informed on how they each hold up. 👍
@@GarageGear so, I peeled off the wheels and it looked like they were installed with white lithium grease and I had no anti seize handy like I thought I did... So I ended up just adding more white lithium grease.
Strangely, the inner axle on the right wheel was completely dry!
@@felderosa white lithium grease will work too! I’ve seen that from time to time! Not sure why? Thanks again for sharing!
Great video very informative first time home owner will use the tips to help mine last longer. Thanks
Awesome Lou! These tips are good for most snowblowers! Thanks for checking out my channel!
thank you JB! very useful pro tips! love all your videos!
Thanks Paul! Plenty more content coming your way! 👍
The bolt with the square plug is called a carraige bolt. Farm equipment like combines and balers are loaded with these.
Thanks for the tip! Thanks for watching!
it was a very good and educational instructions and tips
Glad you found this helpful! Thanks for watching!
Wished I put Never-Seize on my axle before my first snow season. Not looking forward to removing the wheel if it ever needs service.
You could put the anti seize on at any time if you can take the wheel off. Give it a shot! Let me know how it goes!
Great video! Had mine delivered yesterday and wish they had sent this along with the instructions that include very small sketches. Most of the steps are fairly intuitive, but this was super helpful for a couple that I couldn't quite figure out. Thanks.
Excellent!!! Glad you found this video very helpful! I have a few other videos here on my channel to check out with plenty more tips! Be sure to subscribe! Thanks for watching!
O.p. highly recommend the impeller kit video he did on this model
Just ordered one from Home Depot for $459. Thanks for the tips
You got it my friend! Thanks for checking out my channel!
My Dad's Ariens is 45 years old and still runs strong.
Awesome! He must take good care of it! Thanks for watching Ron!