How to Maintain Your Snow Blower | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 9 янв 2016
- Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook gives tips on how to keep a snow blower running through every storm. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)
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Roger recommends the following routine maintenance for gas snowblowers:
• Changing the oil when it gets dark
• Checking belts and replacing as necessary
• Changing spark plugs that are dark and dirty
• Lubricating all moving parts with a spray lubricant
• Treating fuel with an ethanol stabilizer or using ethanol free fuel (especially for long term storage)
• Keeping extra shear pins on hand
All of these maintenance items and replacement parts can be found at small engine shops.
Shopping List for How to Maintain Your Snow Blower:
- 4-stroke engine oil
- Ethanol fuel stabilizer
- Replacement belts
- Shear pins
- Spark plug
- Spray lubricant
Tools for How to Maintain Your Snow Blower:
- Adjustable open-end wrench
- Socket wrench (for spark plugs)
- Used Oil Tray
Steps for How to Maintain Your Snow Blower:
1. For gas models, replace the engine oil when it gets dark by draining the old oil into a tray and taking to a recycling center. Install fresh oil and check the level with a dipstick.
2. Use high-octane fuel, and treat it with an ethanol fuel stabilizer. Or use ethanol-free fuel.
3. Check engine belts, and replace when worn.
4. Check spark plug, and replace when black.
5. Spray lubricant on all moving parts.
6. Keep extra shear pins on hand in case one breaks.
The electric snowblower that Roger showed is the Power Curve, manufactured by Toro [www.toro.com/en/].
The gas model was manufactured by Ariens [www.ariens.com/].
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How to Maintain Your Snow Blower | Ask This Old House
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3:14. There's no reason to replace the spark plug on a regular basis if you clean and gap it when needed. (A little anti-seize on the threads can't hurt either.) The original Nippondenso plug that came with my Honda finally bit the dust last week. The machine is 36 years old and I was taking care of 3 Minnesota driveways for the first 20 years I had it.
That home-delivery, morning newspaper buried in the overnight snow is the #1 reason for the shear-pins.
"And have it tuned up beforehand."
"You're too much."
I ship it.
I work at a rental shop that sells and services snowblowers, this guy knows what he is talking about 100% !
I have always trusted these guys because of their knowledge,
Im a mechanic and cant believe they knew one of most important things you can use for your carburetor is
Ethanol free fuel in a can, This is the one and only thing that will stop ethanol damage,
Fuel additives for ethanol do not work long term, Taryle knows.
After season I wait till the first nice day get the garden hose out wash the snowblower, change oil,use ethanol-free gas fill tank put in fuel stabilizer and Mystery Oil.start motor run for 5 minutes,then use a whole can of water displacing lubricant on all moving parts and put away.
Greatest thing to keep small engines running is ethanol free fuel, and add a little bit of stabilizer to that year round. I have to drive 1 hour round trip to get it but well worth the trip. Also when I buy a new small engine it gets filled with full synthetic oil. Pretty much trouble free after those things.
I got 2 snowblowers I got to take care of. Got a Toro walk behind and a Craftsman tractor with a snowblower attachment. I got mine set to go for winter. They are old but work great.
I rustproof my snow blowers each summer using a can of Rust Check after I have washed the machine and let it dry. They look brand new after all these years. Never leave gas in them while storing. Change the oil every year, service the transmission, lub the axels, spray engine storage liquid while storing. Throw in a bit of Sea Foam in the gas. Take care of the machine and it will take care of you.
How many blowers do you have ?
@@tannerc900 I have 3 of them. Does it matter?
@@howtodad1358 lol no doesn’t matter… I own 5 myself so anytime I see/hear of someone owning more than one snowblower then I’m intrigued
Live in Chicago and love our corded snowblower. We paid about $100 for a generic off eBay, and it works great on under 6 inches. I used it today on 10 inches and it was pain but a lot easier than shoveling. No maintenance necessary, quit, light, and easy on/off. Unless you frequently get lots of snow, I recommend it.
Very nice video! Good load of information with a positive attitude! Thanks!!
Thanks. Really appreciated
I use a medium/small TORO electric on a 2 car driveway, entrance walk, decks, my neighbor's driveway, and the full sidewalk of a corner house, and the path to the greenhouse across the lawn of 4 foot snow. It throws snow 8 feet in 270 deg directions, and I can fire it up at 3 AM before I go to work without waking any neighbors. When it needs to be cleared of blockage, all I need to do is release the hand bar, and get in there, and not have to wait for the blade to ramp down or disconnect spark plugs. It maneuvers as easily as a vacuum cleaner in corners around the landscaping.
At first the gas sno-blower neighbor guys made fun of it's size and then weren't laughing when they saw it in operation. While they had to fuss with priming and pulling I was already on my second pass on the driveway. They asked me where I got mine when I started to do the elderly driveway next door while they were still on theirs. One got rid of his gas snow blower and bought a TORO electric. Ain't NOBODY laughing now.
I also have an electric TORO 250mph leaf blower to clear snow powder even faster from sidewalks and driveway, the canvas and poly greenhouse walls with path across the lawn, off the door awnings and snow-loaded shrubs, and also get to my car windows etc., and the sidewalk out front. I usually use the rolling snow blower for wetter, heavier snow. Both are really fun to use. I actually like snow removal now that I don't need a shovel.
The only maintenance I do is wax the plastic blade so snow won't stick, and some rust removal with a light coat spray silicone on metal parts and wheel axles. No gas smell, no emptying the tank, no oil changes. I can pick it up easily and put it on top of boxes in the garage for storage because it's so lightweight. The handle folds down for summer storage, and I throw a patio chair cover over it so it isn't dusty and full of spiders next season. I've had them both over a decade of winters, still work like new.
Good advice about keeping your hands out of the machine.I work with a guy that lost his entire thumb because he was in a hurry & did not shut the snow blower off & pull the plug wire.Ya snooze ya loose !
I either run them empty if the tank is already low but if it's half full i use the Fuel Stabilizers. There's no excuse for not maintaining your equipment. 1. It saves you money. 2. It's alot quicker and easier than the hard work you did clearing your driveway or in my case doing customers sidewalks. Great video!
I did that as well a few years ago - ran the engine until all the fuel was used up. It would not start the next winter. The owners manual states there is a plug at the bottom of the carburetor that must be removed to remove gas that remains in the carburetor. The shop that fixed the snowblower confirmed this. Fuel stabilizer and ethanol free fuel is also important. I have not had any problems since.
Use high test gas, use gas stabilizer, synthetic oil, have a gas valve on it and run i empty when season is over. Keep filter clean, lube the underneath stuff. Good plug, lube and clean cables. Mine has never failed to start with minimal effort.
Thanks dad
Bring all old shows we miss them
Great video
Thank you so much
Since I rebuilt my blower 7 years ago haven't touched the spark plug. Just use non oxygenated gas and drain at the end of the year run the remainder bone dry. New oil at the beginning of winter and your Golden
The same goes for your mower & gas generator, as for your snowblower... Drain the gas at the end of the season and run the unit until it dies, then pull the plug, add about a teaspoon of (new) oil to the cylinder, pull the cord a few times to distribute and put the plug back in. Change the oil, plug, fuel filter (if it has one) and air filter when needed and lube moving parts, based on how often you use the equipment. I've never, ever had any issue starting any at the beginning of the season or anytime I needed to run them.
Left out the part about setting the blade height and replacing skid shoes.
Those skid shoes are rather expensive and I NEVER replace them. Instead, I lay down a couple of beads on the bottom of the shoes with my welder. Every few years, I just build them up again.
Yep I lowered the shoes to clear the gravel
Dont forget to lube the auger shafts take shear bolts out and see if augers move freely, check gear case for proper level of oil, which should be right at bottom of filler hole.
His gas blowers always stot! His electric ones have a cod connected!
His gaaaarden is good.
If a recoil pull rope is needed, I recommend an S-Braid type rope. Marine stores carry it.
I shut the fuel off and run the engine until it quits, using all of the gas in the carb. Then drain the tank and use it in the lawnmower. Some 110 octane race gas is nice to use on the last run of the season. It's ethanol free also.
sonoma314 t
Racing gas is good. You'll do wheelies and smoke shows instead of blowing snow.
I was told by the shop I purchased my unit from the not let the blower sit all summer. I take mine out every three of so weeks and run it a bit. It works for me.
I honestly do the same thing
Take 20 mins and just run it
Sorry to hear Roger has had to step back a bit but so glad he is going at it with his family and great doctors......Stay Strong Roger Fight it baby whatever you are fighting!!!! Who loves ya BABY!
Remember to remove shear pins at beginning of season and see if augers will spin on their shafts freely....if not shear pins are useless. Take out augers remove them from shafts probably heat needed to do so.....clean shafts & Lubricate shafts and then put augers back on to shafts and back in to auger housing and make sure they spin freely then put shear pins back in and you are set for season......
Havent used my Ariens in 4-5 years and have nt changed the spark plug since I bought it 15 years ago. Broke it out last week, put gas in it, hit the primer, and it fired up on the first pull.
It’s crazy how many free machines are available in the Midwest because of bad gas. I have multiple but my electric is my main. Handles 4-6” without an issue and as they said never has a problem starting
In Canada. Shell v-91 and Canadian Tire 91 are ethanol free.
Petro Canada, Esso, Ultramar are also
What about costco
@@Hamza-ek8xy no.
@@Okanagan48 the gas is either 89 or 91 though
@@Hamza-ek8xy the octane dosent matter. It depends if the gas company puts ethanol in the gas.
You could phone the Costco gas bar and ask them if their 91 is ethanol free.
There are also 2 more shear pins on the shaft leading to the auger that can also break. It just happened to me yesterday.
Excellent observation! Keep extra pins in your shop. 🔧
empty the fuel at the end of the season. worked for my machine, going on 20 yrs. new belts twice, that it. i will need to change the gas line this year , leaks a little.
G my 1966 model never had a new belt n works fine a new plug a few years ago but I did replace the tire chains. Ethanol doesn’t seem to ruin the carb n always starts easy but has a shut off valve which I always do. Can’t get the dam wheel off to replace axle bearing tho. So for your information it’s gonna b something u don’t expect. Assembly needs a little grease
My fuel gets treated with Star-Tron and never have any problems from ethanol fuel. Just started my snowblower (the gas is a year old) and it runs just fine. The primer bulb is split from old age, have one on order.
Great! Keep all of your replacement part numbers on file for easier reference. 👍
I have a gas station by me that sells ethanol free from the pump. Add some sea foam and it starts right up every winter.
Im not sure why, but I trust the boston guy more than anyone!
I have that same gray crapsman lol
I can recommend the the impeller kit for any snowblower, no more clogs, no chance of cutting your fingers off.
impeller kit? U mean adding the little rubber flaps on the impeller? or u talking about something else?
turdsandwicher yes adding the rubber flaps to the impelle
It is possible to buy gas without ethanol for yard machines. There are at least two stations near me that have pumps that dispense non-"oxygenated" fuel.
I absolutely hate when my snow blower won't staaaaaaaaatttt
Eric Swiatek - Mine starts every time. Just keep the batteries charged and buy a second set.
My TroyBilt is gone two years now and I don’t miss the gasoline and exhaust stinks.
and whatever you do, never store your machine in haaaaavad yaaaaad.
@@sirena7116 hehe
What about tire pressure?
Always use ethanol free gasoline in your gas powered equipment! I add Sta-Bil to the storage can and I never have any engine problems in decades of use! Ethanol is the worse thing our government forced on us!
Seafoam for the carb
Our high octane gas is ethanol free and is all I run in everything! Gas stabilizer will go bad over time as well. I won’t touch the stuff and my gas stays good well over 1 year!
Probably best to grab gasoline at the beginning of Winter.
Yep that stuff has a shelf life so b sure to get a big bottle ! Lol
They did not covering adding grease to auger shaft via grease zerks. Lubricating gears or chains by removing belly pan.
can you spray chain lube in the auger shaft? or does it have to be grease?
Grease the friction disc to make it a push snow blower
That must have been fun bringing three snowblowers up to the second floor.
They had Tommy Silver and the Hack plumber bust their balls to bring them up a narrow staircase
royal purple make 30w full synthetic oil.
They both said "NEVER" put your hands in there, but each of them had their hands in there pointing to the shear pins.
pauljolry when the engine is running
😅
What's up with the machines up in the barn? Leaking oil on the floor.
I have no oxygenated fuel at the gas station a mile from my house. I literally have had not gas issue with my blower and I've owned it since 2010
I only use no ethanol gas in my snowblower. So I don't need to add stabilizer?
My ariens has started with no issues every year with the ethanol gas sitting in it all summer. Always starts. How about the gear oil changing, they didn't comment on the replacement interval or replacing it at all in this video
5:06 this is incase there is any pressure built up on the augers. So if they do spring back, it wont cut your hand
Wear heavy gloves whenever possible to prevent cuts. And also wear nitrile gloves when adding gasoline and changing your oil.
Real GAS is the way to go! :)
"...even when the machine is off ... you never stick your hands down there (auger)...". Then how could you replace the shear pins to the auger?
Bruh, you never stick your hand in there. Even if you have to replace the shear pins. NEVER!!!
You’re not supposed too. But if you’ve got to change the sheer pins take the spark plugs out of the engine so it’s effectively locked out and inoperable.
Just take the wire off of the plug- less messy
Remove spark plug 🔌
What's a Spock plug?
My friend
What's a coed?
dats de ting dat maks da spock dat beams de currant to de gas! lol
i hate when all poople can do is critisize a typo!
It's a engine pot
@@jeffreyjohn2037
Mawvellous.
The blowah wouldn't staht without a spock plug
At the end of the season simply drain the fuel and run it until it stalls, not that haaad to do. You can also get aviation fuel from your local small airport for about $5.25 a gallon, way cheaper and better than "engineered fuel". Funny to see that cheesy MTD snow blower that was totally shot with the control handle all bent and rigged up. Just replaced mine with a nice Ariens!
Run your gas snowblower for 1 minute every month, summer, winter. It will start for sure when it will snow.
Better yet, shut off the fuel to the carb and let it run out of fuel every time you shut it down. I've never had a problem doing this.
I started doing this this year with mine after I cleaned out the carb really well. For the first time since buying it I haven't had any issues with it starting!
@@thermalreboot I use this method and have avoided carburetor issues. I also drain the gas tank at the end of the winter and use up all the remaining fuel I have in storage by putting it in my car's gas tank this way I have fresh gas each winter. Also it's safer not having gas in the garage in the summertime when it can get very hot.
Regarding the spark plug, if I go to home depot to replace it, in addition to bringing the old plug with me, any tips on finding the correct plug? I am envisioning a huge array of spark plugs on display and not knowing where to begin.
The owners manual has the correct plug model listed somewhere.
Also keep your carborueter, oil and air filter clean.
Great info sherlock
No air filter on a winter engine, it wouldn't run for very long with one.
Some cool new options for cordless snowblowers now. Snow Joe has the most interesting as you can either run it off a cord or battery. I have a Greenworks 80v cordless snowblower it works great in powder, but wet snow gives it a workout. My complaint about the Greenworks is I wish it was built better you can feel some of the cheapness in the parts when you use it.
+DarkRaptor99 The only thing is gas snow blowers are the only viable option for a lot of people power or size wise right now. Battery only works on smaller lots like a city or suburban lot.
@@DarkRaptor99 they have a two stage one now I don't know how good it is soon really hard snow.ruclips.net/video/MlTRsanL8aU/видео.html
I may have seized the engine on Troy Bilt snowblower by adding too much oil. The pull cord will not work. I did also start it with little oil and smoke did come out. I know, this was not my best work. Are there any steps I can to un-seizing the engine?
Thanks.
Drain the oil. Refill to the correct level. Replace sparkplug, crank it over slowly with spark plug removed in case of liquid in cylinder.
my snowblower is old and the sheer pins break and the belts get worn and the drive chains get worn..
I guess it’s not a big deal to not go and grease the transmission or the augers? Check the gear oil in the gear box?
Tire pressure ??
I miss Roger, I hope he comes back soon! It’s just just not the same without him.
Couldn’t you also use a ATV with a plow , please make a video on that
we have a 24inch 2015 craftsman
Deputy bill LSSD why buy a craftsman there snowblower sucks
I have a 2015 Simplicity 1730. It's a badass, like me
You guys really had to cover the ariens logo 😂😂
They missed the one on the gas tank, tho. ;) What confused me is I'm not used to Ariens looking that red.
@@l337pwnage adjust the tint on your tv
@Semper Fi my phone is like a tv. Semper Fi my fellow Devil Dog!
High octane just backfires through the muffler
Trust fuel stabilizer? Get ready to replace the carb. Draining the carb/fuel system is paramount. High octane? In a flathead? Just throw your money away. Wd 40 isn't lubricant it's liquid rust, use motor oil. A factory 4 stroke engine maxes at 3650 rpm no matter the unit/stages.
Make sure to read your manuals, not all equipment should be stored wet (with fuel in tank). When I bought my Ariens snowblower 5 years ago, at the end of the season, I ran it dry(until all the fuel was used and the engine shut-off on its own)...the following late fall it wouldn't start. I took it back to the dealer (always buy equipment at a licensed dealer, who repairs on site, not a big box stores) and they told me the problem was I didn't store it with fuel treated with a stabilizer and to read the manual, it clearly stated that.
Ready mix fuel is the way to go I'm running my saws on Stihl motomix for a few years now and yes its more expensive than normal fuel. Also the spark plug Rodger showed look OK to me the electrode should be a light coffee brown color any other color you got a problem.
+iShootBandits Ethanol is the reason why battery powered lawn equipment is becoming so popular. Like you mentioned you need to use a the canned fuel for anything you know till sit for awhile not being used.
toro snowblower skipping
Plenty of good advice but not complete by a longshot. Skid shoes, scraper height, tire pressure, oil choices, non-stick spray on impellers/chute, etc. would all be helpful for viewers that actually maintain their equipment. I still haven't been able to find where I can buy a "spock plug"!
“spock plugs” are from Vulcan …. Shipping cost a fortune 🤑
Help!!! On my snowblower friction wheel shaft, if the smallest gear is in place, the wheels won't turn. If I move it aside, then the wheels turn. Put back in place, it won't move again. All gears are complete with no teeth broken. I have wracked my brain and it doesn't make sense to me. What am I doing wrong? Every gear moves until that smallest gear is put back in place. Please advise..
I’d look at the axel bearings if they r gone the sprockets tweak some under load n the chain then binds locking up the wheels. At least that’s my problem but I can’t get one wheel off to fix.
The oil is not dirty when it is dark! Heat makes any oil dark! If it was truly dirty like the colour suggests it would run for a few minutes and then have a catastrophic failure.
put on ruber on the fan into the wall,,and it throw away anything
check out "sixty five ford" there is on his channel kanongood.tips...
install a inline gas shutoff valve ..run until it dies and then add stabil to the tank and you wont have issues next season.
working shlub Easiest thing to do. My blower fires up every season based on just this tip
can you spray chain lube in the auger shaft? or does it have to be grease?
Grease, you dont want rust build up between auger and gear drive shafts, otherwise they will fuse together more or less with rust.
@@tmaq9726 thanks mate
Credibility was lost when I heard him refer to WD-40 as "lubricant". And there was nothing wrong with that spark plug that a little cleaning and gapping would not fix.
“Replacing a frayed pull cord is easy”. Not so true unless you’ve done it a few times.
Some sub-optimum advice here. Much better to empty all fuel in spring, and 1-time epoxy a small magnet to dipstick. Fuel has limited shelf-life. Wee one-lungers don't have oil filters and generate metal-bits internally- changing oil dumps those chunks way before oil is "done". Good idea do feed it some carb cleaner, and pour a spoonful of oil into plug hole.
It's also best to dissassemble the snow blower down to each piece so it's just the bolts and loose parts. Wipe each part down so it's clean and then reassemble in the fall.
Wow, Kevin really sounded like Bill Clinton there at the end.
Was Monica in the hay loft? 🤔
Use ethanol free gas!!
I am all about the Tru Fuel It is pricey, wouldn't buy it If had to use my snowblower all the time but for the amount I use it, its great.
Holy smokes, I was going to buy the fuel at Lowes specially made for small engines but I'd be broke if I did that! it was like $6 for a 32 ounce can of it. I use my mower with a plow and it goes through a couple gallons a week. It would be cheaper for me to just replace my engine every 5 years.
@@nickdipaolofan5948 Yeah I don't use it much in my lawn mower or I too would be broke but I do buy a big one in the fall and use it on my last two fill ups so I don't have to worry about storage during the winter and use the rest in the snowblower.
Why does he carry a shear pin with him when it snow blows but doesn't carry wrench to change it?
He said 5-30. Your communication skills with little people needs a huge tune-up. That type of aggressiveness could lead her to retreat into her shell (safe space) because of lack of confidence.
Used electrical for heavy snow 7 inches for two years and never going back to gas
i flush my oil out with the garden hose and save a ton of $
You're a real fart smeller
verners snowblower
like a kitten purrs lower
changed oil mower
Champion plug
So how do I change the pin if I’m not supposed to stick my hand there
Spark plugs aren’t that easy. Should have mentioned that you need to measure the gap with a gauge for them to work
If you live in a condo you pay HOA fees for a reason.
3:00. Worst advice ever. Still on original plug. Starts every time on 1st or 2nd pull. All you need is a wire wheel to clean it up and a tool to measure/adjust the gap. I bought my snowblower in 1984. Did 3 driveways for the first 20 years. Now I just do my own and one more thing. I live in Minnesota.
can you spray chain lube in the auger shaft? or does it have to be grease?
what happens when there's no power
Randy Perkins Called a shovel.lol
LMFAO!!!
🤣
😂
When the winter is over, we'll we let some petrol remain in the snowmobiles / snow blowers, etc,etc,and when the winter comes, they'll have no trouble AND even in the winter we have som little twostroke oil in the gas to the fourstroke engines,,there is shit gasolin nowdays,,ok,,,, , maybe it depends on this !? this is google translate so it may not be true at all what you are reading .ok.
You guys in the comments are all wrong with your maintenance. I put my snowblower on a silk pillow in my bedroom and just pay a plow guy. Best condition machine on the block guaranteed.
You're not getting any outside exercise or fresh air. You're a real fart smeller
They plow your wallet as well