After I'm done snow blowing, I let mine idle while I put things away and shovel the porch, usually 5 minutes total. Then I turn the fuel shutoff switch to off and let her run dry. Old 10hp Tecumseh from 1995 still runs like a top.
Being way too cautious. Even my 1989-vintage John Deere riding mower's instructions say to run it at idle for 15 seconds before shutting off to cool it off. That's 15 SECONDS, not minutes, and that's in mowing season when it's hot outside. Like others have said, pull the dipstick and feel the oil after it's been running, it's probably much cooler than you think.I have a Craftsman 9hp 28 inch snowblower, circa 1991. I usually run it for an hour or until the tank is empty which ever is less. I do this to prevent engine damage from overheating. I usually let the engine cool for at least a half hour. We got a lot of snow and was wondering if others give their snowblowers a rest or am I being too cautious.
Don't do that.I am strongly considering picking up a GX160 fan which has smaller blades or a another GX200 fan and trimming a few blades off due to the OVER COOLING.
You are overthinking this. You could run that engine for days on end without issue if it is running correctly. I have an early 80's Toro with a 7hp Tecumseh and I run the snot out of it. Let it idle 30 seconds or a minute and shut it down.Tomorrow I'll check how hot the oil is.